Duncan met his gaze. “Then we will find another way.”
“Ye may nae have the luxury of time tae find one,” Iain reminded him, as a true friend always would. “MacKenzie is nae longer a distant concern. He is breathing down our necks. Ye ken that.”
“Aye,” Duncan nodded. “I will speak with her today.”
Iain inclined his head, though whether in agreement or acceptance of what could not be changed was not entirely clear.
“See that ye dae,” he urged. “Fer all our sakes.”
Duncan gave a brief nod, his thoughts already elsewhere, no longer upon the Council, nor even upon Fraser’s offer, but upon the woman who had, in so short a time, altered the course of every decision before him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The corridor beyond the dining hall was quiet, save for the soft echo of retreating footsteps and the distant murmur of voices now shut away behind closed doors. Elaina walked beside Catriona, though her thoughts still lingered at the breakfast table, caught upon the tension she had not quite understood but had certainly felt.
Catriona, by contrast, appeared incapable of such solemn reflection for long.
“Well,” she said brightly, clasping her hands together as they slowed near the bend that led to their chambers, “that was most dramatic, was it nae? Me braither dismissing us with such urgency, why one would almost think the fate of the Highlands rests upon whatever it is he refuses tae say aloud.”
Elaina managed a faint smile, though her unease did not entirely lift. “Dae ye ken what it is about?”
Catriona tilted her head thoughtfully, though there was a spark of curiosity rather than concern in her expression. “If I did, I assure ye I should nae be standing here wondering,” she replied. “But I intend tae discover it soon enough.”
Elaina hesitated. She knew that her presence there was still wrapped under a veil of secrecy, and neither Catriona nor Duncan deserved that.
There was something she had long held too closely to share, something that felt at once fragile and defining, and yet, standing there beside Catriona, whose warmth had, in so short a time, become both disarming and comforting, she found herself less inclined to keep it guarded.
“Catriona,” she said more quietly now, “may I ask ye something?”
Catriona turned to her at once, with a bright smile. “Anything.”
Elaina’s gaze dropped briefly, her fingers folding together as though steadying her resolve. “Can I trust ye… as a friend?”
For a single instant, Catriona looked almost scandalized.
She placed a hand lightly against her chest in mock offense. “Me dear Elaina, I am deeply wounded that ye should even think it necessary tae ask.”
Despite herself, Elaina felt the corner of her mouth lift.
“Ye have me confidence entirely,” Catriona continued reassuringly. “I shall guard it with me life, if required, but I hope it willnae come tae such extremes.”
Encouraged, Elaina drew a quiet breath.
“Me maither…” she began, and in that single word, she felt more than love and sorrow alone. “She taught me everything I ken. Healing, herbs, how tae observe, how tae listen. She used tae say that knowledge was of little use if nae guided by kindness. She wanted…” Elaina paused, as though the words required more care than she had expected. “She wanted me tae marry a man who was kind and honorable, someone who would nae treat me as…” She trailed off, though the meaning lingered plainly enough. “She said she would dae anything tae ensure that I didnae live as she had.”
For a moment, neither spoke. Then, with a sudden brightness that seemed to gather the gravity of the moment and gently turn it toward something lighter, Catriona smiled.
“Then I should say,” she declared, “that yer maither has done exceedingly well.”
Elaina blinked. “I beg yer pardon?”
“Why, she has led ye here, of course,” Catriona said, as though it were the most obvious conclusion in the world. “And I cannae imagine a more suitable outcome tae her wishes.”
Elaina stared at her, startled. “Ye cannae mean?—”
“Oh, I very much can,” Catriona replied, and her eyes were alight with quiet satisfaction. “Dinnae look so surprised. Confinement, ye see, has made me exceptionally observant. When one is denied the freedom tae go where one pleases, one must instead learn tae see what others miss.”
Elaina’s composure faltered slightly beneath that steady gaze.
