He stiffened almost imperceptibly, but then followed the direction of her gaze, noticing for the first time the changes she’d made. Realizing he needed to say something, he said evenly, “It looks nice.”
Nice. Her shoulders sagged a little. Hardly the enthusiastic reaction she’d been hoping for.
Perhaps sensing her disappointment, he amended, “Very nice.”
Christina pursed her lips together, feeling a spark of anger. First he’d left her without even a good-bye, and now he barely noticed all the hard work she’d done in his absence. A previously unknown streak of sarcasm rose in her voice. “If you wish, I can take the dogs outside and let them roll around in the mud like they’ve been wanting to do.” She smiled sweetly. “They’ll stink just as they did before.”
His mouth twitched. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” He leaned down to ruffle Bran’s head, his strong, battle-scarred fingers rippling through the soft, clean fur. “I’d forgotten what color they were.”
His hands were big and powerful, just like the rest of him. She remembered the feel of his callused palms caressing her bare skin. Of his hands on her breasts, his fingers teasing her nipples. Heat rose to her cheeks and she shifted her gaze. What was the matter with her? Could she think of nothing else?
He gave her an appraising look over his goblet, and as he took a long drink of ale, heat simmered in the dark blue depths. She squirmed a little in her seat, wondering whether he could read her mind.
“I almost hesitate to ask, but other than cleaning ovens and brightening my Hall, how else did you keep yourself busy while I was gone?”
Her mouth curved in a small smile, grateful for the distraction. “That’s all, I’m afraid. It was only a few days.”
He laughed. “I guess I should be glad I was not away longer.”
Her voice grew more serious. “I heard what happened in the village. Were you able to find the men who attacked?”
He shook his head. “Nay, I needed to return to Dunvegan. But they will not be able to hide forever. I will find them, and when I do, they will pay for what they have done.”
The dead certainty in his voice left her little doubt that he would do as he said. She almost pitied those men when he caught up to them. She thought about something he had said. “Why did you need to return?” She didn’t dare hope that it was to get back to her.
“Some business I must attend to,” he waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing.” She felt his gaze on her again. “You were well taken care of in my absence?”
She nodded. “Aye, Rhuairi did as you instructed.”
He looked at her as if he knew there was something she was not saying. “It’s not the welcome I would have wished for you.”
Her eyes lifted to his. “Or the good-bye.” She hadn’t meant to say anything; the words just slipped out.
His brow furrowed in genuine masculine confusion. “There wasn’t time.”
“To say good-bye?”
“Every second I delayed made catching them more difficult. I had to go.”
“I know that,” she said, studying the tablecloth and feeling suddenly silly for the hurt she’d unintentionally revealed.
She chanced a sidelong glance at him from under her lashes, seeing that he was frowning.
“Saying good-bye is important to you?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Then I will endeavor to remember to do so in the future and let you know when I leave.”
She smiled up at him brightly. “Thank you.” Buoyed by the way their conversation was proceeding, she decided to apologize herself. “I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds with the tapestries.” His mouth fell in a flat line, and she hurried to explain. “I found them in a trunk and thought they were too beautiful to be packed away. I can remove them if you wish.”
His gaze shuttered. “How you decorate the Hall makes no difference to me. Do as you like.”
He acted as if he didn’t care, but she knew something had caused him pain. “It was thoughtless of me not to realize that they would bring back painful memories. You must have cared for your wife a great deal.”
“Wife?” He shook his head. “They did not belong to my wife; they were my mother’s.”
She paused, digesting the information. She knew so little of his family. “Your mother, she died?”
