The thought made her shudder.
“I should leave,” she muttered.
Silence greeted her.
What did I expect? That he’d beg me to stay? Stupid, stupid.
She opened her eyes again, and this time she was determined to keep them open.
Rising unsteadily into a sitting position, she tugged her arms into her sleeves, hastily lacing up the front and covering herself. Next, she lifted her hands to her hair. It had come undone entirely, hanging heavily around her shoulders. She had no comb, so she hastily brushed her fingers through it, tidying it as much as possible. Once it was relatively untangled, she wound it into a braid. There was nothing to secure the end, of course, so she was forced to let go, watching the braid slowly unravel.
Her hands, she noticed, were shaking.
Aiden watched her, eyes unreadable. Clearing her throat—she’d give herself a sore throat at this rate—she scrambled off the bed, smoothing down her bodice and shaking out her skirt.
Slowly, Aiden rose. There was nothing unsteady about hishands, and no nervous coughing or clearing of the throat from him.
Did he ever care about me?
That was too painful a thought. It couldn’t be ignored forever, but thinking it now was certainly a bad idea.
“Lucas will see ye home safely,” he said bluntly, meeting her eyes.
Hannah nodded and forced herself to smile. “Thank ye. Goodbye, Aiden. Maybe we’ll see each other again soon.”
She didn’t give him a chance to respond, choosing instead to turn on her heel and stride hastily out of the room, never once looking back.
You couldn’t look back in life. It was never a good idea.
23
ONE WEEK LATER
Calder Castle
Clack.
A glass of whiskey landed on the table in front of Aiden’s blank gaze, making him jump.
“Well, now Ikenye arenae yerself,” Lucas remarked, stepping back and folding his arms across his chest. “Never would ye have let me sneak up on yer before.”
Aiden scowled at him. “Very funny. If ye must ken, I have a lot on me mind.”
“Aye, I bet ye do.” Lucas pursed his lips, watching him reach forward and pick up the glass.
Aiden took a long sip. It was the same whiskey he’d served Hannah that night seven days ago.
Why did ye think of that memory, fool?he chastised himself, scowling.
Clearing his throat, he glanced up at Lucas. “Pour yerself some. It isnae like ye to be backward in coming forward.”
Lucas gave a wry huff. “Be that as it may, there’s none left. That’s the last of it.”
Aiden stared down at the amber liquid, still rolling the flavor over his tongue. “Oh,” he murmured.
“So…” Lucas hooked an ankle around a nearby stool and pulled it close. He sat down with a thump. “Why daenae ye tell me what’s wrong?”
Aiden took another long sip, before he reminded himself to savor the drink. That was the last bottle of this particular whiskey, after all.
