When the spins came – these dances seemed full of spins – Dominic twirled her so fast and hard that her feet came away from the floor. Paisley shrieked despite herself, laughter bubbling up in her throat. The music got faster still, the audience clapping along in time, and she felt dizzy and exhilarated all at once, as if she might actually leave the floor and fly.
Without warning, Dominic picked her up by the waist and tossed – actually tossed – her into the air, even though the dance didn't seem to call for it, and peoplecheered. Paisley realized that she was laughing, head thrown back, careless of howfastshe looked, and Dominic was laughing too, his grim face smoothed out into something happy and carefree.
As abruptly as it had begun, the dance stopped with a flourish, and the dancers skidded to a halt. Off-balance, Paisley rested her hands on Dominic's upper arms, laughing and breathless. The dancers and audience exploded into cheers and applause – no graceful, stately bows here – and chatter broke out again.
"Yer first Ceilidh dance, if ye daenae count the one with Rabbie, which I daenae. What did ye think?" Dominic asked, grinning.
"Istilldon't know the steps!" she gasped.
"Ah, nobody really knows the steps. Now, while ye are getting back yer breath, I have someone I want ye to meet."
"Who?"
Dominic winced. "Me maither."
16
Catriona watched her son and his pretty guest approach.
An English girl, of all people! She'd known, of course, from the moment the two of them stepped foot in the Keep, that her son was bringing a female guest, and that guest was an English lassie.
Fascinating, really.
She'd watched them dance together and found her heart aching in the way that only a parent's heart can ache in happiness for a child.
It was blindingly obvious – to Catriona, at least – that her son was in love. In love with the English girl.
Just when I think he can't surprise me anymore,she thought wryly.
The lass was pretty, though, remarkably so. She had golden-brown hair, blue-green eyes, and a pretty sort of pointed face that looked very well indeed beside Dominic and his grim-faced good looks.
They approached Catriona's seat – a throne, really, draped with velvet and a few furs – and the English lassie made a wobbly curtsy.
"This is Paisley, Maither," Dominic said, a hint of wariness in his voice. "Me guest."
"Yer betrothed, if the rumors are to be believed," Catriona responded lightly.
Dominic sucked in a breath, eyes widening. He couldn't possibly be surprised that his mother had heard the news. She kneweverythingthat went on in the Keep. He glanced nervously at the girl, and that shocked Catriona more than anything else.
Her son? Nervous? On edge? Unbelievable.
Catriona turned her attention back to the girl. Her sources had informed her that the new hireling atTheSinnerwas in fact an English lady, daughter of some rich lord or another. That was an interesting development, and one that naturally prompted a great many questions.
But Catriona was nothing if not patient, and she was prepared to wait for those questions.
"Since ye are here with yer betrothed," she said lightly, not bothering to point out that she, as his mother, should probably have been informed of abetrothal, "A dance with her has been offered as a prize for an archery competition."
The girl blinked, glancing nervously up at Dominic.
Dominic, for his part, blanched. "Ye dinnae tell me that, Ma."
"Aye, well, it's a recent development. People here are very keen to meet their new lady-to-be, and a great many people have entered the competition."
"I daenae want anyone else to dance with her."
Dominic flinched at his own words, as if taken aback. "That is," he continued, a little abashed, "I daenae want... um, I..."
"I suggest ye enter the archery competition yerself, then," Catriona suggested sweetly. "Win yerself. It's being held out in the courtyard. It starts in about ten minutes, I believe. Ye can leave the lassie with me. I'm sure we can entertain ourselves while ye are gone."
