“Och, lass,” Taryn said, her words choked with emotion. “I cannae promise that I will nae leave ye again. There is still much to be done. But I can promise ye that I will always, always come back to ye.”
“Swear?”
“I swear.” Taryn squeezed a little tighter, listening as Lachlan made introductions for James to the others who had waited to greet them.
When Elsie finally picked her head up from where it had been buried in Taryn’s neck, she caught sight of James. Never willing to be more than a few steps away from Taryn, he looked as though he was towering over them from their spot on the floor. Rising, Taryn scooped Elsie up with her.
“Elsie, I would like ye to meet James. He is the one who ensured I would get back home safely to ye.”
James gave Elsie a dashing smile and reached for her hand. The girl, now bashful and tired from the rush of emotions, let him take it, watching him through her eyelashes.
“It is an honor to meet ye, Elsie,” James said, pressing a kiss to the back of the girl’s hand.
“It is?” Elsie asked, warming up to James rather quickly.
Taryn suspected his handsome smile and playful green eyes had something to do with that.
“Och, aye. I suspect ye are the only person on this earth who loves Taryn as much as I do. It does me good to ken that someone else sees just how special she is. That makes ye verra special too.”
Elsie melted into giggles, completely and utterly charmed by James. Taryn nearly did the same.
“Taryn,” Elsie tried to whisper, tugging on a strand of her still matted and unwashed hair. “He said he loves ye! Did ye hear that?”
The adults laughed again, the innocence and awe that Elsie spoke with was too endearing to ignore.
“Aye, Elsie. I heard him. And I love him too.”
“Ye do?” She gasped, studying James with new eyes. After a moment, she faced him again and smiled. “It is verra nice tomeet ye, Mister James. Thank ye for bringing Taryn home to me.”
Taryn hugged the girl once more and then turned to her friends.
“Now what? We need to start making a plan for getting?—”
“Now,” James interrupted. “Ye take a bath. And then get some sleep. In a few days, when ye are feeling rested, we will start planning. But nae before then.”
“James is right,” Mary told her. “Ye have had a verra difficult few weeks. I have some herbs ready for ye. Go and soak. I will bring ye some tea later to help ye sleep.”
Lachlan and Aila nodded along, while Edith stepped forward to take a begrudging Elsie out of her arms. Outnumbered, Taryn accepted defeat and let James lead her away from the crowd and down the corridor.
“They will nae save themselves, ye ken,” he told her once they were alone. “Sorcha and Laura will need ye to be strong and healthy. There is nay telling the state we will find them in. So ye must take time to take care of yerself, and then we will go after them. I swear.”
The echo of Elsie’s words brought a smile to her face that stayed put as she pointed James in the direction of her rooms and waited for him to start the fire and fill the tub with hot water.
She sat in front of the vanity, gingerly taking a brush to her tangled hair, watching James work in the reflection. He caught her gaze as he poured the last bucket of water into the copper tub. The look he gave her warmed her cheeks until they were a bright pink.
“Would ye like me to leave?” he offered, his voice huskier and deeper than it had been minutes before.
Hesitantly, she shook her head.
“I will need help getting the knots out of my hair. And unbuttoning my dress.”
It didn’t matter that she could have asked Aila or Mary to help her. She wanted James close, she wanted to feel his hands run through her hair.
Nodding, as though any words would ruin the moment, James gestured for her to come stand in front of him and the fire. She did so, giving him her back while she watched the growing flames dance. His fingertips moved swiftly over the long row of tiny buttons that ran down the length of her back, each one exposing more and more of her shift. When he reached the end, her sleeves fell from her shoulders, pulling the rest of her dress down with it.
His breath was quick and warm on her neck, echoing the racing heartbeat that slammed into her ribs. When she didn’t move, he pressed a kiss, slow and tender, to the skin in between her neck and shoulder, sending shivers down her back.
“Get into the water, Taryn,” he told her, his voice even more gravely.
