“Aye, we were training, Faither. I have tired the famous warrior out,” Athol said with a pleased grin.
Fergus chuckled. “Go and rest yerself, lad. Ye will have a journey ahead of ye.” Bryce stood and bowed his thanks and left the room, trying not to walk too fast to the library. He hoped that Kyla wasn’t there to get in the way. He was feeling fueled by his wine, and it was time to set Lorna straight about a few things.
At the library, he swung open the door and stepped inside. It was huge. He had never been in such a large room, even at his own castle. His father had books, but they were not as many as this. Apparently, Fergus had spread his love of reading to his child. In awe, Bryce stepped inside further, his eyes moving around the shelves of scrolls, bound books, and papers.
“Incredible,” he said, under his breath.
It was said loud enough to rouse Lorna from her place by the fire, and she said with a huff, “What are ye doing here?”
* * *
Deep down, Lorna knew that she was acting childish. Kyla even reminded her thus at dinner, but it was the only method Lorna could think of to push Bryce as far away from her as possible. There was no way that she wanted to continue having this warm, sick, feverish feeling every time he got near. And at dinner, he looked far too handsome having freshly bathed and tied his hair back. It showed his strong jawline more, and she had to think of some way to insult him so that she could stop thinking about him in the way a woman thinks of a man.
So, she’d resorted to insulting him for not appreciating the freedom he had as a warrior, and the surprised look on his face at her rebuke was enough to satisfy her. But still, she hadn’t felt good about it. She kept her eyes away from him for the rest of dinner, and she retired to the library as soon as she could, so that she could enjoy her solitude as she chose.
The library was a particular place of calmness for her. It always had been. Athol had never understood, thinking that women shouldn’t have anything to do with books or reading. But her father had given her that gift, allowing Athol’s tutor to teach her as well. She spent her time reading all kinds of things, from the Bible to poetry to science. It was a fascinating world and one in which she had control.
In the real world, however, she had none, and when she heard a man’s voice, she turned with dismay and a little traitorous flicker of excitement to see Bryce in the library.
“What are ye doing here?” she asked in a bored tone, frustrated that her body was betraying her and beginning to heat up again.
“Looking for ye, lass,” he said and sat down, giving her a smile. She closed her book, trying not to let the excitement grow to such a degree that her cheeks would go as red as apples, and she’d be forced to fan her face again.
“For what purpose?” she asked, one brow lifting, hoping to force him to leave by the sheer rudeness of her speech.
He leaned back and watched her for a few seconds before he answered. Lorna shifted in her seat with discomfort at his scrutiny. She had a feeling he was either going to scold her or to tease her. That was Bryce’s way and always had been.
Och, if only it hadnae stormed, then he would be gone and away, and I would never have tae see him again! At least nae very often.
“Why are ye acting like this? Like a spoiled child, looking at me as if I have done ye some wrong?” He spoke calmly, and Lorna stood, taking up the book and pushing it back on the shelf. She turned around and stared him down.
“Why does nae one think that I am a grown woman?”
“Because ye are nae acting like one,” he said, grinning.
“This is funny tae ye, is it? I wish there was nae storm, and ye could leave! Yer presence here only serves tae remind me of my embarrassment with Watt.”
Bryce’s grin fell a little, and she stood a bit taller, glad that she had found some chink in his warrior’s armor. She moved behind the back of her chair and laid a hand on it. She would not sit down again, for it made her too weak and vulnerable.
“I am sorry about that, lass. I donnae wish that for ye. But ye will have tae move on. What ye are doing now will make nae one happy. Least of all yerself.”
Lorna wanted to scream. Bryce was right, but she was damned if she was going to admit it. She lowered her voice for she feared that if she began to speak too loudly, her parents or Athol would rush in and make her apologize to their guest.
She squeezed both hands on the back of the chair, trying to get herself under control. “It will take time, Bryce. Ye donnae need tae rush me along. What should it matter tae ye?!” She could feel the heat in her face, and she turned away. “I ken that Watt is happy. I willnae do anything tae destroy that happiness for him. I saw the love he has in his eyes for his wife.”
She sniffled, and she wanted to groan aloud because she could feel the tears coming. It had been like a knife to the heart to see Watt’s kind look at Lilias, and she wished with everything in her that now she couldn’t have Watt, someone would look at her like that one day.
“It is also painful for I feel that I could have made him even happier than she will.” She quickly wiped a tear away and hoped her comment would make Bryce suitably angry. She wasn’t sure if she meant it, but she was grasping at something, anything to push Bryce away and make him leave.
She could hear Bryce standing up, and she turned around. He was frowning. “Listen, lass. I donnae understand yer pain, for I have never loved as ye have loved. But ye cannae torture yerself like this. Show yer parents and yer brother that ye are a grown woman and move on. Donnae let it sour yer mood so that ye lash out at me at dinner. I have done naething wrong. It only shows yer youth that ye try tae insult me about my time as a warrior.”
He stepped closer, and Lorna had to tip her head back to look at him. Her hands dropped to her sides, and they clamped into fists. She was enraged, embarrassed, hurt, all at the same time. All the feelings were wrapped into one, like a hard ball pushing against her chest, making it painful. She blinked up into Bryce’s eyes. Even though he was angry, and she could tell by the tone of his voice, his blue eyes still looked kind.
“Give up these childish fantasies and find yerself a real love, one with a man who will love ye back.”
Lorna felt a tear slip down her cheek, and she looked away from Bryce and took a few steps back. “I will move on in my own blasted time. Leave me alone,” she said in a smaller voice than she had before, and she dashed out of the library, even angrier that Bryce had come into the library and ruined her time of peace.
