Innes hummed to herself as they rode back towards the Keep, in time with the beat of the horses’ hooves below. The papers had been signed, the trader from Inverness would soon be bringing his wares to the Keep, and Innes had tucked one of the violets from the beautiful bouquet that her husband had brought her into her hair, the scent of it rising through her senses with every breath.
It was hard to imagine, if she were to be honest, that anything could have been better.
She slipped her hand a little higher on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. She could have sworn she saw him smile out of the corner of her eye, he knew exactly what he was doing. She could hardly wait to have him alone again, though she supposed it would be a while till they arrived back at the Keep…
But, just as they reached the fork of the road that would guide them back towards their home, Lachlan drew the horse to a halt. A little ahead of him, Keith noticed that the Laird had fallen back and cast a glance over his shoulder in confusion.
“You go on ahead,” Lachlan called to him. “And tell the cook not to wait fer us. We’ll be a while.”
Keith gave him a slightly surprised look but nodded before taking off back up towards the Keep. Innes shifted slightly in the saddle, bringing her mouth just a few inches from his ear.
“And where exactly are you whisking me off to, my Laird?”
“That would ruin the surprise,” he shot a grin back at her before he dug his heels into the sides of his horse and started along the other road that led along the hill.
And just like that, the two of them were alone together; even though they were still on the road, something seemed to have shifted between them now that it was just the two of them. The sound of hooves, a drumbeat that matched with that of her heart. She laid her head against his back and closed her eyes, letting the air wash over her, allowing herself to trust that wherever it was he was taking her, it would be a wonderful sight
Soon enough, the scent of the violet in her hair was overwhelmed with the sweet perfume of heather drifting from the hills. She opened her eyes to find that they had returned to the hill that he had brought her to before, the waves of heather rippling in gold and royal purple before them.
As he slowed the horse, taking her to the very same spot that they had attended the last time, she could not help but smile.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, his hands around her waist as he brought her to the ground.
“We didnae get to enjoy it last time,” he murmured. “What with… all that happened.”
She felt a twist in her heart at the memory of it, how the two of them had fought when they had been alone together. This place clearly meant a lot to him, and she was worried that she had stained it with the memory of their disagreement here.
“I’m sorry I didnae appreciate it the first time.”
“Ye’ve nothing to be sorry for,” he declared firmly, as he reached for a leather satchel that hung from the side of the saddle.
Breaking it open, he withdrew a blanket, along with a small flask of ale and some bread and cheese. As he carefully laid it out on the ground below, she pressed her lips together, a bubble of happiness rising up within her.
“When did you have time to plan all this?” she asked as he poured them both a cup of ale.
“When you were admiring every flower in the market,” he teased, holding his hand out.
She took the cup and brought it to her lips, and he reached out to tuck the violet behind her ear. His fingertips, even the barest graze of them, were enough to distract her from the meal at hand.
“Here, eat,” he told her, gesturing to the bread before them.
“I suppose I’ll have to, given that you told the cook not to wait fer us,” she joked, sinking down onto the blanket beside him.
Before them, the sun had begun to sit low in the sky, casting those gold-red rays across the hill before them. It looked, to her, as though they might have been the only people left in the world. Tearing off a piece of bread, she popped it in her mouth, finding her appetite rather dimmed by the thought of all else she was hungry for.
“What? You’d rather I had brought her out here to cook fer us?” he laughed. “I’m no’ sure what she could have done, so far from her kitchen.”
“She’s a fine cook,” she retorted. “I’m sure she’d have found some way to cook eggs on a warm rock or something of the kind.”
He chuckled again. She was starting to get used to the sound of his laughter, and the thought made her happy. Thatshemade him happy. When he had first taken her as a bride, she had imagined herself as nothing more than a way to get back at her brother, but now, she could see it for what it was. Something pure and sure, something as certain as he was.
“Well, you can be the one to propose the idea to her,” he added. “Though I’d like to see the look on her face when you do.”
The two of them moved between comfortable silence and teasing laughter as they ate and drank together. A far cry from the first time that they had come to this place together. It was as if the scales had been lifted from her eyes, and she could see him and his intentions for what they truly were. She only wished that she had been able to come to terms with them rather sooner than she had.
As she sipped on the last of her ale, she noticed him watching her. Not just looking at her, butwatchingher, as if there was something there he wished not to forget.
“What is it?” she asked him, feeling heat rise to her cheeks, though she was quite sure she could already tell what was going through his mind. “Ye’re looking at me as though I’m a meal you havenae had a chance to finish.”
