Anne blushed again. Usually, she was the one leading the conversation, taking her target on a merry dance. It wasn’t so with Finlay, who was adept at saying just the right thing at justthe right time, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t enjoying it. She still planned to rob him, it just might take a little bit longer than she had anticipated.
“I would be interested in hearing yer opinion of the McLeod clan sae far.” he sain in question.
“They are generous hosts for welcoming sae many people intae their homes. I cannae imagine the planning that must gae intae a gathering like this. I hope that I can offer my thanks tae the Laird himself, although I’m sure he’ll be far tae busy for me.”
A dark shadow passed over Finlay’s eyes. “I’m sure everything looks fine for now, but there are always things that can gae wrong. And some people think they are daeing this just tae pat themselves on the back, tae make everyone else think that they are the most important clan in the Highlands. Frankly, I would nae be surprised if something happened,” he said, bitterness seeping into his words, although he quickly caught himself and forced the smile back to his face. Since he wasn’t going to drink any longer, Anne knew that she should try and pull herself away from his company, even though she was enjoying speaking with him. His charming manner was endearing and she got the impression that a night with him would be filled with excitement and tension, even if they stayed at this table talking. There were errant thoughts in her mind, thoughts that she tried to push away, thoughts where she wanted more than talking.
But if she was not going to rob him tonight then she would have to wait and leave him wanting more. Men always liked the chase. They were hunters at heart, after all. She needed to make herself unavailable to him, so she wore an apologetic look on her face.
“I’m afraid I must return tae my room. My Uncle would be worried about me if he knew that I stayed up sae late in a placelike this. If I want tae find ye again, tae thank ye, should I come tae the camp?” she asked.
“Or ye can find me right here. I am staying in this tavern for now, while my father’s men erect the tents,” he said. A flash of excitement crackled inside at the thought of him being so close.
“Then perhaps I will see ye in the morning.”
“In fact, I insist upon it,” he said, taking her hand in his. “It hae been most pleasing tae meet ye, Miss McKenzie. I only wish that our time taegether hae nae been sae short.”
“There is always taemorrow,” she said. He bowed to kiss her hand, and she bent her knees in a curtsey, inclining her head. She slipped into the role of a noblewoman so easily that she may as well have been born into it, and perhaps it was only right that she claimed a place in that world for herself. Perhaps she did not simply need to rob Finlay. Perhaps she could make him fall in love with her.
5
Anne pulled herself away from Finlay, forcing herself to not look back at him, even though she could feel the warmth of his gaze staring at her. She needed him to want to chase her, to believe that she was elusive. She slipped between the crowd, eventually disappearing from his view, as she returned to Rory and then led him upstairs. Her quickened heart was still fluttering and the sizzling heat had yet to dissipate from her skin. The excitement she shared with Finlay was replayed again and again in her mind, and she had to fight every instinct in her body to not rush downstairs, throw caution to the wind, and spend the rest of the night with him.
“Things went well then?” Rory asked, throwing himself on the bed. The mattress creaked under his weight. He placed his hands on his chest and looked up at the ceiling.
“Indeed they did. I think I hae found my target, and I might even be able tae get more from him than mere coin,” she positioned herself in front of a mirror and admired her beauty. The mirror was angled in such a direction that she could see Rory rolling his eyes. She ignored him.
“Just be careful. I dinnae want ye getting in trouble. And I dinnae want ye falling in love with him,” Rory said.
Anne whirled around, narrowing her eyes at him. “Love? Ye know I would nae be sae foolish,” the words seared the air, and it was clear she was acting a little too defensively. “He is the one who shall fall in love with me.” She took a breath to calm herself down. “Now, did ye see any of his allies watching?”
“Nae. He seemed tae be alone.”
“He said his father hae men, but if I can keep him away from them then I shall be able tae weave my spell before any of them hae a chance tae raise the alarm. Then, once he hae fallen in love with me, none of them shall be able to convince him that he is making a mistake. It’s all falling intae place, Rory,” she turned back to her reflection and smiled, thinking to herself that this was the woman she was always meant to be. The compliment Finlay paid her nestled in her mind and made her realize that she did indeed resemble her mother. She had found the manner of nobility easy to feign, although it was hard not to think about the fact that Finlay had fallen for a lie.
She slowly peeled away the dress, hanging it neatly in the closet. She unclasped the necklace and rested her hand against the part of her chest against which his fingers had brushed. A sensation of heat burned her once again. She also clutched her hand, caressing the smooth skin where his lips had blessed her with a kiss. She closed her eyes for a moment, wishing that it all could have been genuine. There had been a time when she had dreamt of falling in love with all her heart, but now love was a thing of trickery and deceit. She pulled on her plain clothes and then stared at herself in the mirror, knowing that a man like Finlay would never fall for her if he knew what she was truly like. If he had caught her while she had been wearing this he wouldhave smiled, yes, and perhaps patted her rump for good measure before sending her on her way. She was not meant to be the wife of a nobleman.
She was not meant to be anything.
Her heart burned with emotion and she had to steel herself against these feelings. This was all about getting a better life for herself and Rory so that he would not have to feel forced into going to battle. In a sense she felt like she was the one going into battle, putting herself at risk in order to earn money, knowing that one wrong move could be fatal. She had to be as nimble as a warrior, and resolute as well. It was all about survival, and she just wished that Rory could understand this.
She turned to speak to him, but he was already asleep. Soft snores emanated from his mouth and his head lolled against the pillow. She climbed into bed herself and then blew out the candle, plunging them into darkness. She had to pull the blanket right over her head, however, as the noise in the clan persisted long into the night. Downstairs the party continued, while outside people were still cavorting with each other, taking delight in this vast gathering. She couldn’t stop thinking of Finlay, and she hoped that he was downstairs now, thinking of her whenever another woman caught his eye, knowing that they paled in comparison to the woman she presented herself as.
Finlay cast an admiring, and regretful, look towards the charming Miss McKenzie as she drifted away like an ethereal spirit, returning to some strange realm that was barred to mortals. The smile lingered on his lips and his eyes sparkled with affection… and opportunity. It had been a shame she wouldnot spend more of the night with him but as she said; there was always tomorrow.
He looked around, thought he had done enough for the night, and then left the tavern. He pushed his way through the crowd and dipped his head, keeping to the shadows as he passed the guards. They were kept busy with all the guests. Finlay grit his teeth and glared at them all, thinking that this was the best thing to ever have been done. They were all fools, and he was the only one who knew it. On more than one occasion his swift pace was disrupted by crowds, and he kept having to feign politeness when what he really wanted was to curse them for being so doltish. None of them were supposed to be here. None of them truly understood what this clan was like, and he glared at them all with dark eyes.
His path took him away from the crowds. The cacophony receded into silence, and the bright lights of the taverns winked away as the cloak of the night sky enveloped him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he managed to get away from the other people. They all seemed so arrogant and smug, reveling in their gluttony and their greed, wearing their ambition nakedly. They were drenched in riches and flaunted it all. It was a gaudy display and it made Finlay’s stomach turn. They had no shame, no modesty, and it made him wonder if there was any honor left in the world at all.
Of course, those people would be quick to talk about honor. They were always quick to cast aspersions upon people of whom they did not approve, banishing those they deemed villains. Well, they didn’t know everything, and soon enough Finlay would prove them wrong. He considered himself a wolf prowling among a herd of witless sheep, all of them blind to his true nature. A wicked smile stretched across his face and he felt priderise within him. It had taken a long time to get back here. The path had been grueling. It had taken a heavy toll on his heart, but he was not about to deny his fate. He was an older man than he had been when he left. The boy had been forced to shed his innocence, severing the naivety of youth, forging himself into a survivor.
And now the survivor had returned.
He made his way to a farmhouse at the edge of the village, far from the celebrations. Finlay skulked in the darkness, hiding behind the corner of the stable as the old farmer went about his business. The man walked with a stooped back, looking every one of his years. He worked the land, toiling day after day, his muscles knotted with tension, his bones grinding into dust because nobody could relieve him of his duties. Finlay grit his teeth, trying to quell the surge of guilt that rose up as bile in his throat.
What was he supposed to do, stride up to the door and fling it open, declaring that he had returned? Was he supposed to fling his arms around his father as though no time had passed at all? He couldn’t be sure that his father wouldn’t raise the alarm and bring the forces of the guards to the farmhouse. He was a good man, and would not want to harbor a criminal. No, it was probably better for Brandon that he never be reunited with his disappointment of a son. Finlay had brought him enough trouble already, he didn’t need to interrupt this peaceful night and make it more complicated.
It was a shame though, because there was something sad about watching this lonely man in his empty house, shuffling around in cavernous rooms while everyone else cavorted together.
