Iris rounded on her brother, far too confused to start in on him right now.
“I stepped in a hole,” she lied, thrusting a hand through her tangled hair. “’Tis all.”
His gaze narrowed but she pushed past him, making certain that the advisor had seen her before making her way toward her tent. She wanted to be alone, away from everyone right now so she could figure out these feelings that were swirling within her.
9
“Wot happened out there?”
James turned to find Matteau approaching him, a worried look on his face.
“I dinnae know why ye care. Ye won.”
His closest friend smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Aye, I did. I was always the better rider between the lot of us.”
James rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to grooming his horse, knowing that no one else was going to do so. Besides, the horse had performed well today and he wanted to show his gratitude.
“I ran intae a bit of trouble.”
“Trouble?” Matteau echoed. “Wot sort of trouble?”
“I got held up behind a slow rider,” James lied, dropping the brush back into the bag at his feet. “It doesnae matter. I still crossed the line before the last participant did.”
He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t been eliminated after everything that had happened, but apparently four riders had to be rescued in the moors, meaning that four riders were now no longer a threat.
He was glad to hear that Iris had made it back safely, but he hadn’t seen her since his return, knowing that at some point, they were going to have to discuss what had happened.
Perhaps without shouting at each other.
After patting his horse’s neck, he placed the grain bucket before him and turned toward Matteau, who was still looking at him with a bit of concern on his face.
“Wot?”
“Have ye talked with yer da?”
“Nay,” James replied, concern now crossing his face as well. “He doesnae wish tae talk tae me. He wants tae tell me everything I am doing wrong as his son.”
Even if he had won the race, his father wouldn’t have been there to congratulate him. James was well aware of the fact that he had caused the rift between them.
“Aye, ye’re probably right,” Matteau sighed, kicking at the dirt. “The laird gave ye his permission. Surely he can understand that.”
“He will just be upset with him as well,” James shot back, thinking of his conversation with the laird. They both were bristling at when his father would launch his attack again. “And I didnae prove mahself taeday.”
“Dinnae be so hard on yerself,” Matteau said, placing his hand on James’s shoulder. “There are many more chances coming. That is, if ye can beat me, of course.”
The two friends shared a laugh before Matteau walked off, leaving James to his thoughts. James finished with his horse and led it to the fence that had been erected for everyone to use, turning it loose to graze on the plentiful grass. While he wouldn’t ever regret what he did this morning in saving Iris, it did set him back in his quest to prove himself to his father and to his clan.
He had accomplished nothing this morning.
With a sigh, he walked away from the fence and back toward the camp. Luncheon was already underway, the air ripe with the smell of roasting meat from various pits around the camp. Though he didn’t wish to do so, James made his way to his own clan’s tents. He couldn’t hide from them, and considering they had been laughing at him for years, this was not going to be any different.
A few of the warriors were gathered around the bonfire in front of their encampment when James arrived, the fire spit full of sizzling meats ripe for the picking.
“Och there he is!” one of them called out, drawing the attention of the others that were gathered. “One of our own fair participants of the games!”
James felt the dull flush of embarrassment rise on his neck, attempting to keep his expression void of what he was really feeling.
