“Aye,” he said, indulging her request. “What are ye goin’ to have us playin’ that involves all of this?”
“We’re playin’ family,” she said decisively. “Ye will be the faither.” She picked up a doll from the ground and walked it over to Flora. “And ye will be the maither. I’ll be the daughter.”
He cursed inwardly at the nature of the game she’d suggested. He didn’t even have to look at Flora’s face to know the womanwasn’t comfortable. As much as it pained him to deny Elizabeth, he knew he had to. But Flora spoke before he could.
“Ach, ye’ve put me in charge of a bairn, have ye?” Flora said, falling into character easily. “Yer wee braither is goin’ to need all of me attention. I’m nae sure how ye expect me to play with ye, dear daughter.”
Elizabeth swung her head toward Lucas expectantly, a grin fixed upon her lips. “Perhaps ye can help Maither with the bairn,” she suggested. “If ye spilt the work, we can all have fun.” She rummaged through her belongings, producing a wooden spatula. “Ye’ll have to watch the bairn. It’s nearly time for supper!”
Lucas shook his head, but he still walked toward Flora. He reached out for the doll in her arms, careful not to get too close to the woman. Elizabeth let out another long-suffering sigh, grabbing the hem of Lucas’s doublet and pulling him closer to Flora.
“If ye stand too far away, ye may hurt the bairn,” she said, as annoyed as a seven-year-old could be. “And me maither says ye have to support their head.”
He and Flora paused. There wasn’t a way to explain to Elizabeth that he didn’t want to touch the woman. A child wouldn’t understand his need to respect her space. But, again, Flora made the decision for both of them, shifting toward Lucas as she cradled the doll as if it were a real child.
“Ye heard her, husband,” Flora murmured, her cheeks turning pink as she gently offered him the toy. “Ye must cradle his head. We daenae want to injure the bairn.”
“Aye,” Lucas agreed, reaching out carefully.
His hands brushed her forearms, the touch sending a jolt of warmth through him. As she settled the doll into his waiting arms, he was struck by the care she extended to the object. Then, once it was settled without any intervention from Elizabeth, Flora stayed close.
Their gazes met once more. In the sunlight, her beauty was even more striking. Despite only being at the castle for a little over a week, fullness was returning to her cheeks. Her dark eyelashes caught the rays of light, glittering as she blinked slowly. With parted lips, her eyes drifted down to Lucas’ mouth.
His own eyes drifted to her lips. Lingered. And when he met her gaze, it was even more intense.
The urge to kiss her once more was overwhelming. It settled on his shoulders. It was a physical thing. And she wasn’t pulling away. She seemed to invite the thought he was having. He wondered if she’d allow him the indulgence if Elizabeth weren’t here. Perhaps he hadn’t frightened her away from him. Or perhaps she was scared. Perhaps she was frozen in fear.
“Perfect!” Elizabeth exclaimed, clapping her hands together and effectively breaking the spell that two adults had fallen under. “Now, it’s time for Maither to cook dinner.”
Flora stepped away from him after a beat, accepting the wooden spoon. As she mimed cooking an elaborate meal, he found himself charmed by the way she interacted with his niece. There was a gentleness to her voice as she spoke, though Lucas didn’t catch a single word.
After only a few minutes of Flora and Elizabeth crafting the make-believe meal, one of Lucas’s men approached them. His expression was severe, and when he saw Lucas holding the doll, his eyebrow raised. Before the amused smile that slowly spread across his features could manifest in a comment, Lucas shot him a warning glare.
“Me Laird,” the man said, “me apologies for interruptin’, but Laird Darragh Fraser is here to speak with ye.”
“Aye,” Lucas said, passing the doll to Elizabeth with the care that he knew the girl would demand. “It’s likely important.”
“Uncle Lucas,” Elizabeth whined, putting on her best pout. “We were playin’.”
“I ken,” he said, placing a hand atop her head. “But ye still have Flora. I promise I’ll make time for ye again soon, aye?”
“Aye,” she agreed after a long pause. “Nay take backs.”
“Nay take backs,” he said, then he turned his attention to Flora. “Take good care of her for me.”
“I will,” Flora confirmed, giving him a small nod before turning back to the child.
Lucas finally stepped away from the blanket that was acting as the confines of their imagined home. He took the lead on the way back to the castle. If Darragh was here, that meant that there was more information about the hunt.
And I will ensure that nae a single man involved escapes.
Chapter Thirteen
“We were wonderin’ where ye were,” Darragh said, looking away from the conversation he was having with his footman. “Yer men said ye werenae trainin’ as they thought ye’d be.”
“Aye,” Lucas said, motioning for the man to follow him. The ensuing discussion would benefit from the privacy of his study. “Elizabeth insisted that I join her for a game.”
“She’s still gettin’ along nicely?” Darragh asked as they navigated through the castle. He lifted his hand in greeting to a maid who was shuffling past them. “I ken it took her a while to start behavin’ normally after her ordeal.”
