Miranda groaned and grabbed her own robe, wincing as she wrapped it around herself, and hurried after Gwenys, who had to be running to the Royal Suite to report the news to Douglas.
She caught up to Gwenys as the door to the Royal Suite opened.
Solway stood there frowning and with his shirt off again. Honestly, did this man sleep naked? Well, he probably did.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Gwenys tore past him and flung herself into Douglas’s arms. “She said yes! If the invitation is still open, we’ll come and visit you this summer.”
Douglas laughed and hugged her. “July and August?”
Gwenys turned to Miranda, awaiting her answer.
“July, and we’ll see how it goes about August.”
“Ye’re welcome to stay forever,” Douglas said with heartfelt sincerity, and hugged Gwenys again.
Solway glanced at them, chuckled, and then turned back to Miranda with a soft look in his eyes. “Ye did the right thing,” he said in a whispered rumble that was deliciously smooth and deep. “I know how hard this is for ye.”
She nodded. “I don’t want to see her hurt. This scares me so much. But I also want to give her the chance of happiness.”
“Ye wouldn’t have agreed to it if yer heart had doubts about Douglas.” He gave her cheek a light caress. “May I speak plainly?”
She nodded.
“Douglas was born with an old soul. Even as a lad he was serious, never shirked in his duties, and gave his whole heart to everything he did. I can see he has given his heart to Gwenys. She is the one likely to give hurt if her feelings for him change. His won’t ever change. He’s made his choice, and it is Gwenys.”
Miranda closed her eyes and swallowed hard. “I felt this, too.”
“Ye’ll be coming up here with Gwenys. I’m glad, for I’ll also be here. This will give ye time to get to know me better. Do ye think ye can stand to be my company for an entire month or even two if Gwenys asks to remain through August as well? I know I am a big oaf and obviously anidjitaround ladies. But I would sorely love to have ye with me…with us.”
Her eyes widened as she stared up at him.
Two months with Solway? It would be heaven for her.
And also the most frightening thing imaginable. What if she fell in love with him?
What if he then betrayed her?
Chapter Six
Miranda had tokeep reminding herself that she was doing the right thing and not leading Gwenys toward heartbreak. But the smile on Douglas’s face as they joined him and Solway for breakfast in the inn’s dining room early the following morning proved she had made the right decision in agreeing to return to Scotland in July.
The young man’s eyes lit up brighter than the biggest stars in heaven the moment he noticed Gwenys walk in.
Gwenys sported a similar smile as Douglas rose and approached her with a plate in hand. “Let me help ye,” he said, leading her to a long table laden with silver salvers set up against the hearth wall. The most intoxicating aromas were rising from those salvers, which were filled with anything one’s stomach could desire. Eggs, bacon, sausages, oatmeal, oatcakes, fruit, scones, kippers, and grayish boiled things that Miranda had never dared taste.
Solway noticed the direction of her gaze. “That’s haggis. I would no’ recommend yer trying it this morning if ye’ve never had it before.”
Miranda laughed. “Duly noted. In truth, it does not look in the least tempting.”
“Och, it isn’t. But that’s why we Scots insist on devouring it,” he said with a grin. “We love to torture ourselves with challenges.”
“Another of those manly shows of strength?”
“Aye, lass.”
His smile melted her heart despite her determination to remain unaffected by him. He was making it impossible to ignore this unfamiliar sparkle of happiness spreading throughout her body and deep into her soul.
