He speared a piece of fruit with his fork as he asked, clearly unbothered by the letters. Her shoulders relaxed just a hair.
“Nay. He has written several times already. He is most curious about ye and yer clan. There is hardly more than rumor and legend about the infamous Laird Knox. I think he wants to ken how much of it is truth.”
“Ah.” Cameron sipped his tea, leaning back in his chair. “And did ye tell him I am as ruthless as they say?”
She almost sputtered out a hasty refusal but then she saw the gleam in his eyes that told her he was only teasing. Instead, a laugh slipped out, causing the rest of her body to relax all the way.
“Och, aye. I told him that ye have me locked in a dungeon and nae the most bonny rooms I have ever laid my eyes upon.”
Cameron chuckled and the sound sent chills over her skin. She spooned some oatmeal into her mouth to hide her smile.
They ate for several minutes in companionable silence, her nerves settling now that he knew about the messenger. She settled into just enjoying his company again. It was refreshing after spending most of last week either arguing with him or avoiding him altogether. When she was halfway through with her plate, she peaked a glance at him again.
“Ye seem to have recovered from yer illness from when I last saw ye. Yer color is back and yer breathing is normal again.”
He nodded, draining the last of his tea from his cup.
“Aye. I must admit, I felt much better after our discussion yesterday. It is always harder for me to control the breathing attacks when I am worried about something. After our fight in the library and then nae kenning what ye would do next, everything seemed to get worse. But I am recovered now. After a good night of sleep, I feel like myself again.”
She hated knowing that she had been the cause of his illness. He had been so weak, so frail when she saw him yesterday. He had nightmares and was drained of all his energy, all because she had run from him after an argument. She made a mental note never to do such a thing again.
When she met his eyes to respond, there was genuine remorse in them.
“I am verra sorry that I caused ye so much misery, Cameron.”
“I accept yer apology, though I do think there is a way to make it up to me, if ye are so inclined.”
His smile reminded her of one a mischievous cat might wear and she couldn’t help but take his bait.
“Och? What is that?”
“Spend the day with me.” He blurted the answer out as if any delay in responding might cause her to renege on her agreement. “I missed yer company this last week. And there is still so much I wish to ken about ye.”
She couldn’t keep the smile off her face if she tried, not that she did. At least, until thoughts of Alec drifted into her mind. She swallowed hard and looked down at her hands.
“I would love to spend the day with ye, Cameron, but I fear that would anger Alec. I still have nae talked to him. He would nae take it well to discover me with ye when I claimed the need for space.”
Cameron shrugged.
“He can nae be upset that ye are spending time with yer intended, who just so happens to be a Laird. I can demand it if I must, if that will make it easier to deal with him.”
She laughed, shaking her head at his suggestion.
“I am nae joking, Charlotte,” Cameron told her, his voice suddenly low and deep. “What Alec thinks matters to me only in that it matters to ye. Yer business with the stable boy will soon be over as will his control over ye. Ye must remember, ye will nae only be my wife but the new Lady Knox.”
A flutter went through her. Though they had talked about their impending marriage, he had never referred to her as his wife and certainly with not so much passion behind it. That, paired with the idea of being a Lady for such a powerful clan bolstered her confidence. If Cameron seemed to think she could do it, then she would do whatever it took to make him proud. His words lit a spark in her heart that she didn’t bother to hide as she smiled back at him.
