He left, frustrated, and after he questioned Mrs. Creech’s family members about the ransacking, he came up with nothing. None of them had seen anything unusual, and they had looked at him and spoken to him honestly.
Annoyed at his lack of progress, he made his way to the market. He listened to the cries of sellers as they tried to barter their wares. Everything under the sun was there, and he wandered through the stalls, thinking. A few coins jangled in his pocket. He had more money than he knew what to do with since his return from the military.
He spotted a few things that he knew would be wise to purchase. He saw yarrow, which could be used to bring down Lady McAdam’s fever. But he also found bluebells, and his mind instantly went to Lorna. He wanted to give her something. He was like a boy on the cusp of his first love, but this wasn’t a new affection. He had harbored feelings for Lorna for years, and now was his chance to show that love to her.
He bought a bundle, and the seller tied the cluster of bluebells with a string. Bryce tried to remain confident. She would accept them, so he hoped, and then he could tell her that he wanted to kiss her again. And again. And again. And not in a hired-woman sort of way. In a take-me-for-the-rest-of-your-life kind of way.
Shite.
Scowling, he paid the flower seller a few coins and hurried out of the market and up the green toward the castle. He held the bouquet in his hands as he rushed toward the gates. Bryce was suddenly embarrassed. He was a hardened warrior, also on the case of trying to solve a string of murders, but he was carrying a bouquet of bluebells trying to convince a woman that he was mad about her?
He felt like a stupid, foolish little boy. But it was too late now. He had the flowers, and he was just approaching the keep’s gates. The guards called to each other, and the iron gates lifted just as he was getting close. He nodded to the men, trying to keep his expression placid. But he could see their eyes watching the bluebells hanging in his hand.
I need tae get rid of these as soon as possible.
It was a good thing that Fergus was not around and that Arrin was in bed. It was just Athol that he needed to worry about, and as he walked in through the castle’s entryway, he didn’t see him. He walked to the library instead. If Lorna didn’t come upon him right away, he would leave the flowers in the library and leave her a note. It was a hurried idea, but it was better than nothing.
He tried to think of what he might write in the note.For ye, just because I thought of ye.He shook his head at that.Stupid.
Because these bluebells are as bonny as ye.He shook his head again.Idiot.
None of these were going to work. After Bryce entered the library, he paced around for a little while before he growled and found a sheaf of paper and scribbled out a quick note. “For ye, Lorna,” it read and then he made to leave the room. Only Lorna was coming inside at the same time.
She paused when she saw Bryce hovering over a piece of paper with a bouquet of bluebells on the table beside him. “What are ye doing?” she asked, and Bryce smirked.
“Ye seem tae ask me that a lot lately. Any reason why?”
“Well,” she replied, putting her hands on her hips, and getting closer. “Women are asked all the time what they are doing and why they are doing it. I think that ye can handle a few times being asked by me.”
Bryce looked into her determined green eyes, and he thought better of replying with a teasing remark. She wasn’t wrong. Women’s actions were always questioned. It was a fact of life, and he was guilty of it as well.
“If ye must ken, I was trying tae be discreet, but here.” He lifted the bouquet and handed it to her. “These are for ye.”
She took them, her fingers slowly grasping around the bottom edge of them, and it made Bryce’s mind wander to what else she might grasp. He cleared his throat, trying to forget the thought. “Ye are going through a difficult time,” he said stiffly. “I thought ye might like them.”
“Aye,” she said. And then she pushed them to her face and breathed them in, her eyes fluttering closed. Bryce had to look away. The scene was too enticing. It made him want to pull her close and lay a kiss on her cheek and never let her go. “Thank ye. That was kind and thoughtful.” She smiled at the flowers. “Nae one has ever brought me flowers before.”
Bryce cleared his throat again and put his hands behind his back. “Aye, well, I am glad that ye like them, lass.”
He was turning to leave when he paused. Hadn’t he wanted to tell Lorna of his growing affection? Of an affection he’d had for a long time? He had wanted to today at the market, but then everything went a different direction. Now he had his moment. Lorna was staring up at him, her chest moving slowly, but her pulse was rapidly fluttering at her throat. She was nervous, too. He could sense it.
“I want tae ask ye something, Lorna.”
“Aye,” she said, nodding as if she’d been waiting for that. “What is it?”
He blinked, trying to gain the courage. But instead of pouring out his heart to her as he should have done, telling her of his long-standing affection and how much he wanted to stay here with her, he said stupidly, “Why did ye run away from me kiss the other night?”
