He looked at her then with the memory of yesterday’s sunlight on the loch flickering behind his eyes. Heat crept into her cheeks so quickly she dropped her gaze to her plate.
“Oh,” she murmured.
His voice gentled. “Aye. Oh.”
Davina dared a glance up. His lips curved, just slightly. He was softness wrapped in steel. She wondered if anyone else had ever seen him like this.
Probably not.
She reached for her bread, tearing off a piece to keep her hands busy. “It’s strange,” she said quietly. “This… calm.”
His spoon stilled. “Aye,” he agreed, more quietly than before. “It is.”
Then, he suddenly reached into the pocket of his plaid and drew out a small bundle of cloth, folded tightly.
“Since we’re nae used tae calm, I figured I might stir up things a wee bit,” he grinned.
“What is that?” she beamed at the sight.
“Hold out yer hand,” he told her instead of a reply.
Curious, Davina did so. He placed it in her palm, his callused fingers brushing her skin in a way that made her breath catch. With careful fingers, she opened the cloth and gasped.
Inside lay a delicate silver pendant, shaped like a rose. It was not overly ornate, nor ostentatious. It was exactly how she loved her jewelry: simple, elegant, and beautifully wrought. The petals curled softly inward, as though caught mid-bloom.
“Oh… Baird,” she breathed, touched in a way she couldn’t quite put into words. “It’s beautiful.”
“It reminded me of ye,” he admitted.
Her heart stuttered.
“Roses dinnae thrive without care. They need patience and warmth. Ye’ve given both tae this place.” His eyes softened, and the faintest smile ghosted his lips. “Like the garden, ye restored this castle. Brought life back tae it. Back tae… us.”
Davina pressed her fingers over the pendant, overwhelmed. “I scarcely ken what tae say.”
“Dinnae say anything, just take it,” he murmured. “It is a reminder that even places that look barren can bloom again.”
She swallowed hard. “Then… put it on me? Please?”
He hesitated only a second before rising. She turned in her chair, lifting her hair from her neck. His hands were warm and steady as he clasped the chain behind her. When she let her hair fall again, she felt the weight of the pendant settle against her skin like a promise.
Davina touched it gently. “Thank ye,” she said softly. “It means more than ye ken.”
He cleared his throat again, trying and utterly failing to appear unaffected. “Good.”
A bright idea sparked in her chest then, lifting her spirits even more.
“Ye’ll see,” she told him, unable to stop smiling. “When the garden is ready, when it is fully blooming, we’ll hold a celebration. A spring gathering fer everyone in the castle.” She met his eyes. “A way tae welcome a new season properly.”
Baird considered that for a long, thoughtful moment. Then he nodded. “Aye. A celebration would dae us good… all of us.”
Her smile grew. “Then it’s settled.”
And just like that, the future felt nearer and brighter, stretching out before them like the first unfurled leaf of spring.
CHAPTER 30
“Ye all ken why we’re here,” Baird began, his voice echoing through the council chamber. “Filib has confessed tae betrayin’ this clan, tae poisoning me braither and tae aiding the Sinclairs. There’s nay doubt left.”
