It left him with no choice but to press Miran for answers. The way she had acted before, the way she looked, told him everything he needed to know. And when he had gently touched her shoulder, she’d winced in pain. A growl rumbled through him.
“Sir?” Colin threw him a sideways glance.
“Ignore the sound of my anger,” Kai said. “I was deep in thought.”
“I understand.”
Kai admired the lad, knowing if Colin continued to demonstrate excellent capabilities, including discretion, he would advance in rank quickly. Helping build a new clan had benefits and disadvantages. Every choice Kai made on behalf of Laird Jamie would affect Clan MacKay’s future. That’s why he was critical about everything, maybe too serious at times. What if the woman had simply walked away, decided she no longer wished to serve?
“Are we still leaving tomorrow?” Colin asked.
“Aye. After we visit the village. I want to inquire about Cadha there.”
Colin swallowed the last of his food and stood, offering to take Kai’s trencher for him. Kai handed it over.
“Meet me at the women’s tent as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.”
He did not alert the women that he was about to enter their quarters, he simply stepped inside and was pleased to see all the women awake.
“Good eve,” Dedra greeted him.
“Dedra, ladies.”
They bobbed curtsies.
“Go and eat,” Kai commanded. “I will stay with your mistress. Where is she?”
“I’m behind the screen,” Miran’s voice sounded from the far corner. “Changing my gown.”
He looked in that direction and could see her shapely silhouette through the screen, illuminated by a brazier. He rubbed his jaw and turned away, better not to gape at her.
The maids left the tent, leaving them alone.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of another visit from you, Captain Kai?”
Her voice had the slightest warble and sounded too cheerful, forced, even.
“Need you even ask?” Surely she knew why he would check on her.
“Tis but a formality,” she said.
“There should be no formalities between us, Miran, not now.”
“I disagree.” She peered around the side of the screen. “After what happened between us, which I know must never happen again, we should follow even stricter protocol.”
He frowned and took a step closer, greatly tempted to yank her from behind that flimsy barrier, pull her into his arms, and kiss her again and again, showing her how very wrong she was. Forbidden touches were the best kind—especially with Miran. “Nonsense,” he said, stopping himself from responding too irrationally, remembering Silas’s advice.Let her come to him.“You were unresponsive when I returned from the farm, Miran.”
She appeared in the open then, wearing a green wool dress and leather boots, her hair plaited. She waved her hand dismissively. “Have ye never been exhausted?”
“Aye, nearly too weak to drag myself off my horse. But I did.”
“Then ye understand.”
“Maybe too well,” he said. “Cadha is missing.”
“Missing or gone?” She met him at the center of the tent and elected to sit on a chair.
