They all collectively held their breath for a heartbeat before he let go.
The twang of the released bowstring cut through the air.
Thud!
The arrow hit dead center of the bull’s-eye.
The crowd went wild, clapping and cheering. Stu squealed and slipped under the rope, racing across to Ailean to congratulate him. Seeing the lad coming, Ailean scooped him up with one arm, spinning him around. Stu’s laughter echoed through the air.
A moment later, some of the other contestants swarmed around the winner, congratulating him. With a half-smile, Rowan moved aside to let them.
Then, spying Carrie and Fiona waiting at the edge of the ring, he walked across to them.
“Enjoy that, lasses?” he asked.
“Aye,” Carrie replied, grinning. “Ye almost had him.”
Rowan pulled a face. “Almostisn’t good enough. There can only be one winner.”
He moved closer still, halting before them. Then his attention flicked to Fiona and stayed there. The look of naked appreciation that flickered to life in his eyes made her breathing grow shallow. Not in excitement, but in panic.
Not this again.
She’d just mended things with Carrie, and this man seemed intent on driving a wedge between them.
“Ye’re looking lovely today, Fiona,” he said, his voice low and intimate.
Beside her, Carrie stilled. She didn’t need to look at her face to know that all joy had likely leached from it. Sadly, it didn’t matter that Rowan wasn’t interested in her. Carrie had carried a candle for him for so long that she couldn’t seem to douse it.
Forcing a smile, Fiona nodded to Rowan. “Thank ye. We lasses like to do our best for special occasions.” She gestured to her friend. “Have ye seen how bonnie Carrie looks in this shade? I swear it glows gold in the sunlight.”
He gave the lady’s maid a cursory glance before his attention returned to Fiona.
Discomfort wreathed up her spine, and she took an involuntary step back.
“I’ll be racing one of the laird’s coursers in a wee while,” he said then, his attention never wavering. “It would bring me luck if ye offered me a favor.”
She tensed.
‘Favors’ were courtly traditions that hailed from across the border in England. A knight before a tournament might request a ribbon or token from a lady. It was a way of signaling interest. And Fiona’s heart started to pound.Can’t he leave this be?
But Rowan had gathered steam now, confidence growing. His gaze flicked to the blue ribbon in her hair, the one that matched her kirtle.
“That ribbon would do nicely,” he said, with a smile, “if I may?”
Rooted to the spot, not daring to glance Carrie’s way, Fiona let him approach and untie the ribbon. He wrapped it around his wrist and winked.
“This will bring me luck indeed.”
“What will?”
Ailean approached then in long strides, having disentangled himself from Stu and the others.
Heat washed over Fiona.
This scene was going from bad to worse.
“I just asked the lovely Fiona for a favor for the horse race,” Rowan replied, a touch of coolness in his voice as he met Ailean’s eye.
