“Good.” Bryce rose to his feet and touched Athol on the shoulder. “I ken it is late tae say this, but I am sorry for the loss. For the hurt ye’ve experienced. Lorna is a good lass in so many ways.”
“Aye, so she is,” Athol said without looking at him. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Bryce took his leave, casting another glance at Athol’s back as he faced the hearth. It seemed the McAdams were full of all kinds of surprises.
* * *
Lorna was too flushed to say anything to Kyla when she returned to her room. Kyla duly went to bed after she helped Lorna with her nightclothes, and Lorna slid under the blankets, her mind full of nothing but Bryce and that kiss.
That damned kiss.
Lorna knew that if she was to live for a hundred years, she would never forget the feel or the heat or the taste of that kiss for as long as she lived. It would be forever burned in her memory as the most thrilling, the most exciting, and the most primal thing she’d ever experienced. It was like she’d finally found the thing she’d been craving for so long without knowing it.
Even though it had been nearly an hour since it occurred, her body was still thrumming with it, like Bryce’s mouth had begun a fresh rhythm inside her that would no longer be quieted. In those few minutes with his mouth locked to hers, she’d forgotten about everything: the deaths, her future, and strangely, her love for Watt. Not once had he entered her mind. Instead, his brother had taken center stage and full focus. Her body craved his, and she’d felt liberated when wrapping her legs about his waist, as if something that she’d been keeping tightly locked away had finally been unlocked and set free.
“I donnae ken what came over me,” she whispered in the dark, wrapping her arms about herself to protect what was happening to her. Even now, she could feel her heart changing, and she felt powerless to stop it. “Why?” she asked again. Life had been difficult enough dealing with her unreturned feelings for Watt, and now Bryce?
It took a long while until she fell asleep, but her dreams were tortured ones, full of Bryce’s hands, mouth, eyes, body, and the hardness that she felt between his thighs, pressing against her. When she woke in the morning, it was with fevered thoughts, and her skin was very warm to the touch.
She almost worried that she was growing ill, except for the fact that she now understood the ache that came along with the heat. A need for a man, and in this case, one in particular. Groaning, she sat up, eager to forget about everything, if only her mind would leave her alone.
The door opened, and Kyla’s light footsteps entered the room. “A difficult night, Lorna?” she asked, and Lorna could tell that her friend was smiling by the sound of her voice.
“Ye could say that, I suppose, Kyla.” She rubbed her eyes and rose to her feet as Kyla filled a basin with water.
“Come and wash yerself and listen tae me idea for the day. I think that ye will like it.”
“Och?” Lorna was intrigued, happy to think of something new. She leaned over the basin and splashed cool water over her face and neck, and Kyla handed her a soft towel.
“Well, since we must make some preparations for the funeral, I thought we could walk through the village taeday. We could collect flowers and provisions, and we could also bring the news tae the McTavish family about Conan’s death.” She cocked her head to the side, watching Lorna’s expression.
Lorna dabbed her face with the towel as Kyla added, “I think it would be a good distraction, and the weather is quite good. We willnae have tae think about men or weddings or anything that will disturb yer peace.”
Lorna grinned. “Well then, I think it sounds like an excellent idea.”
“And yer father willnae think anything suspicious about ye walking with me next tae the river,” Kyla added.
Lorna laughed and threw her towel at her companion. “Kyla! Why, ye are quite devilish this morning, I see. Smirking and laughing and making jokes. Yes, I am very glad me father willnae be angry about me walking with ye. But I almost want tae make him angry; he has been so unreasonable lately.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down in the chair by her dressing table, pulling out her plait so that the curled hair covered her shoulders. Kyla, still smirking, picked up the hairbrush and began to brush her hair. They looked at each other through the mirror which stood on the dressing table.
“Well, I would suggest nae making him too angry. Or else he may do something he would regret.”
“Regret?” Lorna clicked her tongue. “I think me father would love tae punish me in some way. He would think that it would finally put me in me place. And he has nae idea that I have completely forgotten about Watt!”
Kyla’s brushing stopped, and she turned to look Lorna in the face. Lorna opened her mouth, wishing that she could stuff the words back in. It all sounded ridiculous after all. Thinking about loving another man? Letting thoughts of him fill her mind from one minute to the next?
“Is that so?” Kyla asked with another cheeky smirk and returned to brushing. “Aye, I think yer father would find that very interesting, indeed. And might I ask why ye have forgotten about him and if there is someone else who is filling yer mind instead?”
Lorna was blushing, but she was also smiling, shaking her head at Kyla’s teasing. She was grateful for Kyla’s good mood. It was helping to make things easier and better. She sighed, giving up. “I think that ye ken well enough, Kyla. And I also ken that ye will disapprove, but it is nae as if I am trying tae feel this way. However, I am happy that thoughts of Watt have disappeared. It is almost as if I have nae idea why I ever started loving him in the first place. He almost seems like a stranger tae me. I have never felt farther from him than I feel right now.”
She chewed on that thought for a while, happy that she could finally put her feelings into words. Kyla finished brushing her hair and then put the brush down. Placing her hands on Lorna’s shoulders, she said, “Lass, I am happy for ye. Ye have needed relief from yer feelings for so many years. But I should tell ye that I donnae disapprove of who is filling yer mind now. I just want ye tae be careful. And,” she said, her eyes flashing, “there has been much danger since we returned from the wedding. I donnae feel completely safe here. I also donnae want anything tae happen tae ye.”
Lorna stood, and embraced her friend. “Ye have been so good and kind. Thank ye. I am sorry about the safety. I ken that Bryce, Tobias, and me father will figure everything out. But I will do me best tae help.”
Kyla opened her mouth, and Lorna knew she was about to stop her. She held her hand up. “Donnae worry. I will do me best tae be careful. Besides, ye will help me, will ye nae?”
Chuckling, Kyla nodded. “Of course, lass, but it will have tae be very secret, or else yer father will have much tae say about it.”
Just then, a sharp knock sounded at the door. “Lorna, I need tae talk tae ye now.”
It was her father’s voice booming from the other side of the door.
