Elliot shook his head but didn’t argue. He knew better than to push when Noah was in this mood.
The truth was, Noah wasn’t sure if he was punishing the guards or himself. He’d been the one to approve that trip to the village. He’d been the one responsible for Esther’s safety. And he’d failed her, just like he’d feared he would.
If Ava hadn’t found her...
He cut off the thought viciously. Ava had found her. Esther was safe. That was what mattered.
“One hundred and eighty!” Elliot announced. “Keep goin’, lads. Yer doin’—och, hold on. Is that Miss Harris?”
Noah’s head shot up quickly. There, walking along the path that skirted the training yard, were Ava and Esther.
They moved slowly, Ava pointing at different plants while Esther listened intently. Even from this distance, Noah could hear Ava’s voice carried by the afternoon breeze.
“—and this one here is yarrow. See the wee white flowers? It’s very good for healin’ wounds. If ye crush the leaves and apply them to a cut, it helps stop the bleedin’.”
“Like... like Uncle Noah’s arm?” Esther’s voice was soft but clear.
“Aye, exactly like that! Ye’re so clever to remember that.” Ava bent down to let Esther examine the plant more closely. “Now, this one over here is completely different. See the purple petals? That’s lavender. It smells lovely. Here, give it a gentle rub and then smell yer fingers.”
Noah found himself watching, transfixed, as Esther carefully rubbed a lavender sprig between her small fingers, then held it up to her nose.
Her face brightened with joy, and she whispered something too soft for him to hear. But Ava chuckled, a warm, sincere sound that stirred something strange in Noah’s chest.
The afternoon sun caught in Ava’s hair, turning it golden where it escaped her braid. She’d worn it down this morning at breakfast, he remembered. Long and loose around her shoulders, and he’d had to force himself not to stare, not to imagine what it would feel like to run his fingers through it again.
She’s beautiful.
The thought came to him before he could stop it, blunt and awkward. Not the gentle, careful kind of beauty that required distance to appreciate, but the kind that hit you when you were too close and not paying attention.
Strong jaw. Expressive eyes. A mouth that could either cut him down or laugh at him in the same breath. And right now, that mouth was explaining the difference between yarrow and lavender to an eight-year-old who listened as if it were the most important lesson she’d ever received.
Stop looking at her mouth.
“Ye’re starin’.”
Elliot’s amused voice snapped Noah back to reality. He turned to find his man-at-arms grinning at him like a cat with cream.
“I’m nae starin’,” Noah said flatly. “I’m observin’.”
“Oh, is that what we’re callin’ it now? Observin’?” Elliot’s grin widened. “Because from where I’m standin’, it looks an awful lot like ye were starin’ at Miss Harris with what I’d call a particularly intense sort of?—”
“Elliot.”
“Appreciation. And is that a smile I see threatenin’ to break through? By God, it is! Quick, someone mark this day in the records. The Laird actually smiled at somethin’ other than a successful battle strategy!”
“I’m warnin’ ye,” Noah growled, but there was no real heat in it.
“She’s bonnie, I’ll give ye that,” Elliot continued, completely ignoring the warning. “And she’s got spirit. Did ye see her tear into Margaret the other day? That was magnificent. I thought the old bat was goin’ to run away.”
“If ye value yer ability to walk without limpin’, ye’ll stop talkin’. Now.”
“Och, come on! I’m just sayin’ what everyone in the castle is already thinkin’.” Elliot leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “The maids are takin’ bets on how long it’ll take before ye?—”
“Before I what?” Noah’s voice dropped to something dangerous.
“Before ye do somethin’ about the fact that ye cannae keep yer eyes off her!” Elliot said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “The whole castle’s seein’ it. The way ye watch her at meals. How ye made sure her rooms were right next to yers. The business with the bandits.”
“I was protectin’ me niece.”
