He took hold of her waist with both hands and launched her into the air, in one of the volta’s traditional jumps. He caught her with ease, as if she weighed nothing, then turned her around again. She was completely breathless, gripping onto his shoulders as he launched her into a second jump.
The music ended with Ava still in the air, her body pressed against Kai’s own, her head just above his as he caught her and held her up high.
“Well, I’d say that’s a big enough space to dance, wouldnae ye?” Whoever Thora was talking to, Ava took no notice.
She could only stare at Kai as he looked up at her, with one of his arms wrapped around her waist, the other in her skirt, braced against the backs of her legs.
“Ye can put her down now, Kai,” Thora called.
He must have heard her words, for slowly, Kai lowered Ava to the floor. The whole time, he didn’t once look away.
Ava was now certain. Maybe she could have gone so far in pretending that Kai was acting a part for the sake of our lessons, but this was no lesson. This had been a dance, and yet he looked at her in the same way, with that same charge, as if the air was crackling between them.
“Very good,” Kai whispered to her. “Ye have remembered everything I taught ye.”
“Wh-what?”
“Ye softened yer expression, ye touched me gently.” Kai suddenly smiled. “Laird Grant will fall at yer feet, Ava. He’d be a fool nae tae want ye.” Then he released her and stepped back.
Ava wobbled, fearing for a second that she might lose her balance and fall over.
I was being a fool.
“Thank ye,” she said with some difficulty.
“Excellent.” Thora appeared beside them. “Thank ye so much, ye two. Nae long until the feast now. In two days’ time, we’ll be celebrating Yuletide and yer future husband will be here, Ava. Ye ready tae meet him?”
“Aye, aye,” she said somewhat hurriedly and without much composure. “I cannae wait tae meet him. If ye would excuse me.” She hurried away as quickly as she could, not sure she could bear to look Kai in the face again at that moment.
“Thought I’d find ye here.”
Kai looked up from the tankard of whisky he had been staring into. Across the dark lonely room, Domhnall stood in the doorway. He was holding an even larger jug of whisky in his hands as he walked toward Kai, his figure now illuminated in the light of the three candles Kai had lit to keep himself company.
“Just one more day until Ava’s father arrives. And of course, Laird Grant arrives,” Domhnall said conversationally.
Kai purposefully took another large gulp of whisky. He had buried himself in this small back room of the castle. Quite often, he had hidden himself there over the years, on days when he couldn’t bear putting on false cheer and smiles for the sake of others. Domhnall had been the only one who had ever found him in this hiding place.
“Ye look like ye need some more.” Domhnall topped up the tankard and sat down in a chair beside Kai, turning his body toward the fire beside them. “Are ye going tae speak, or shall I just read yer expression instead?”
“Is there any point in me speaking?” Kai asked. Domhnall took a minute to answer, but eventually shook his head.
“I ken ye’re miserable, Kai.” Domhnall’s voice was deep and uncertain. “Would there be something so wrong in telling Ava how ye feel?”
Kai nearly dropped the tankard in alarm.
“I’m nae a fool,” Domhnall said hurriedly. “I think it’s worth ye taking a risk.”
“I have tae speak now.” Kai shook his head and put down the tankard of whisky. “Whatever ye think ye ken, Domhnall, have ye forgotten what is in her mind? Are ye ignoring the fact that she is intent on marrying Laird Grant fer the sake of protecting her sister? Say fer one wild moment that Ava even looked at me… even thought of me… well, ye ken what I’m trying tae say,” he added quickly. “It wouldnae matter. Her sister will alwayscome first, she’ll dae what she can tae protect Lyla, and that is only right. Ye and I both ken that come what may, Ava would pick Laird Grant over me.”
“Strange.” Domhnall sat back and poured out a tankard of whisky for himself. “That wasnae what I was thinking at all. I was thinking it’s a decision she may struggle tae take.”
“Then ye are nae a reader of people as ye claim tae be,” Kai said sharply. To his relief though, Domhnall didn’t seem offended. “There’s one other problem. Ye ken me reputation. Everyone does. Dae ye think that her faither would ever let his eldest marry a man like me?”
Domhnall grimaced. He didn’t need to say anything for Kai to know the truth. Ava’s father would never let her bind herself to a rake like Kai.
To Kai’s relief, Domhnall stayed with him. They drank whisky until a pleasant sort of oblivion overtook Kai. He forgot about Ava, and he forgot about Laird Grant, as the darkness engulfed him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
