Her imagination, she decided.
The pleasure was slowly ebbing from Nora’s veins, leaving her drained and a little shaky. Creighton had not moved a muscle, instead standing there and staring at her.
With a rush of anger, Nora took a step toward him.
“Do ye feel nothin’?” she demanded.
He tilted his head again. “What would ye like me to feel?”
She closed her eyes. “Nothin’, of course. Nothin’.”
Was he affected by her in the same way that she was by him? Did his blood burn when she was near? Did his chest twist, his stomach tense?
Or perhaps he just enjoys invokin’ those feelings in others. If so, he’s doin’ it well.
Abruptly, she turned away, fumbling for a candle. She’d left one by her bed, but with the energy still flooding her limbs, she found herself groping, shaking a little. The candle flared into life, filling the space with a bouncing, buttery glow. Glancing back at Creighton, Nora found that he was squinting, a hand half-raised against the light.
“I should go,” she murmured, averting her gaze.
“Go? Where are ye goin’?”
“I’ll sleep in Laurie’s room.”
He took a moment before responding, tightening his jaw. He disapproved, she could tell that even before he answered.
What do ye expect me to do?She wanted to scream.Ye touch me and kiss me as if I am important to ye. As if I matter. And then it’s over, and ye are nay more than a shadow in the darkness.
She said none of this, of course. She simply stood, watching, waiting.
At last, he spoke. “Ye can stay. There’s nay need to go. There’ll be talk if ye sleep in Laurie’s room, and peoplewillnotice.”
“I daenae care what they notice, and I daenae care what they say. I’m goin’. I’m sorry, but at least ye will have the room to yerself. I imagine ye will sleep better,” she added as a parting shot, hurrying to the door as if he might stop her.
Well, he didn’t. He made no move to intercept her, and when she paused in the doorway, peering back at him, he was simply standing there, watching her with an impassive face.
He doesnae care. He cannae care. If he cared, he wouldnae let me go so easily. This was only ever a peace treaty to him. Just good business.
When did it start to bother me that he didn’t care for me? When have my feelings changed?
Half the battle in life was knowing what you wanted. Nora had learned that the hard way. If you knew what you wanted, you could set about going about it. You could work towards it. It was a starting point.
But now her starting point had shifted. At some point, Creighton had stopped annoying her, and it was…it was different. She was different, he was different, herfeelingswere difficult.
Sinking her teeth into her lower lip until she tasted copper, Nora threw herself into the dark hallway, carrying the candle with her. There was another candle if he wanted to find it and light it. As she hurried down the hall, she couldn’t quite resist glancing back over her shoulder. Whether she wanted to see him chasing after her or not, she could say.
It didn’t matter. There was no sign of him at the doorway. He wasn’t standing there, wasn’t looking after her. Nora’s chest constricted, a real pain shooting through her chest, more powerfully than she could have imagined. Forcing herself to face the hall ahead of her, she swallowed thickly, steeling herself, and walked onward.
I was a fool before. I was a fooltwice. But I willnae let him lure me again. I cannae. It hurts too much.
“It’s me favorite place,” Helena admitted, gesturing to the glittering loch. “Me husband’s father tried to call it Loch MacCrimmon, which seems a wee bit pompous. As if we shouldname the mountains and lochs after ourselves.” She gave a huff of laughter, shaking her head.
Nora gave a weak smile in response. Helena had done most of the talking during their outing, for which she was very grateful. If she noticed Nora’s strange mood that day, she said nothing about it. Neither had she mentioned the night Nora had spent in Laurie’s room, huddled on the edge of the bed beside the little girl. Somehow, Nora sensed that nothing happening in the castle escaped Helena’s notice, and several maids had given Nora odd looks when they found her there in the morning. Nobody said anything, but that meant nothing.
“It’s beautiful,” Nora said at last, when the expectant pause informed her that Helena expected her to say something. “I’m sorry if I’m a wee bit quiet this mornin’. The journey must have tired me out more than I realized.”
“Aye, and then ye were greeted here with a feast and a ceilidh,” Helena snorted. “That was our fault, throwin’ too much at ye all at once. But in our defense, we were excited. Oh, lass, so excited!”
Nora smiled more sincerely. “I’m glad that Creighton has such a fine family. Ye were all so pleased to see him, and I…” she paused, swallowing. “Me parents are dead. I have nay family beyond me sister. I would be glad to have kin welcomin’ me like that.”
