Before Alpin could respond, footsteps sounded in the corridor. Both men turned as Mhairi appeared in the doorway.
And Alpin forgot how to breathe.
She was wearing borrowed clothes, a simple dress that had clearly been meant for someone taller and broader through the shoulders.
The bodice gaped slightly at the neckline, and she'd had to roll the sleeves up multiple times to keep them from covering her hands completely. The skirt pooled around her feet, forcing her to gather the fabric in one hand just to walk without tripping.
She looked ridiculous.
She looked beautiful.
Dinnae think about her that way.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Mhairi said, her cheeks already flushin' pink. "Walkin’ in this dress was more complicated than I expected—" She stopped, seeming to realize both men were starin' at her. "What?"
"Naethin'," Callum said quickly, though his mouth was twitching. "Ye look... the dress is certainly... it's definitely a dress."
"It daesnae fit," Mhairi said flatly. "I look like a child playin' dress-up in her maither's clothes."
"Ye look fine," Alpin managed, finally finding his voice. Then, because his brain was apparently no longer connected to his mouth: "Beautiful, actually."
Mhairi's eyes snapped to his, wide with surprise. The flush in her cheeks deepened.
Callum made a noise that might've been a cough or might've been a laugh. "Right. Well. I'll just... leave ye two tae yer breakfast." He was already backing toward the door, that damned smirk firmly in place. "Enjoy... talkin'."
Then he was gone, and Alpin was alone with Mhairi.
"Sorry about him," Alpin said, standing and pulling out a chair for her. "Callum thinks he's funny."
"He seems nice." Mhairi moved carefully toward the table, still holding her skirts up. "A bit cheeky, maybe."
"That's puttin' it mildly." Alpin waited until she was seated before returning to his own chair
Alpin pushed a plate of bannocks toward her. "Eat. Ye need tae keep yer strength up."
She took one, breaking it into small pieces. "Ye sound like Freya. She keeps bringin' me food and hoverin' until I eat it."
"Freya's a good lass. Bit nosy, but her heart's in the right place."
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. Alpin found himself watching Mhairi more than his own plate—the way she nibbled at her bannock, the way her too-long sleeves kept falling down over her hands, the way she tuckined a strand of dark hair behind her ear.
"We should go intae town today," he said abruptly.
Mhairi looked up, surprised. "Intae town?"
"Aye. The castle seamstress isnae here today. Ye need clothes that actually fit. And probably other things too, anythin' ye need, really. We can get it all sorted this mornin'." He kept his tone practical, unpressured. "Unless ye'd rather rest?"
"Nay, I..." Mhairi glanced down at her ill-fitting dress. "Aye. That would be... that would be helpful. Thank ye."
"We'll leave after breakfast, then. Take our time. Make a proper day of it."
Her mouth curved into a small smile. "A day of shoppin'. How domestic."
"Is that a problem?"
"Nay. It's just..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "It's normal. After everythin' that's happened, normal feels strange."
Alpin understood that.
