He shrugged and started off, stopping a few feet away and turning to look back. “I propose we picnic another date in the spring. With the plants coming up. So you can see what grows here, aye? Since yer curious about it.”
Picnic another date?She held back the laughter that threatened. Laughter that had nothing to do with his mangling of her terminology and everything to do with the intent behind the words.
“I would love to picnic another date with you in the spring.”
No question but that it was she who put the smile on his face that time. With a nod of his head, he turned and strode away, leaving her to stare after him, even after he’d turned the corner.
“It’s lovely to see the two of you coming together so nicely. Though of course it couldn’t be any other way.” Elesyria wandered into the garden and dropped to sit next to Dani. “Not that I was eavesdropping, you understand.”
“There’s no coming together,” Dani denied, irritated at having been caught staring after the man. “And you were too eavesdropping.”
Elesyria shrugged, her face a picture of happiness. “Perhaps I was. But you can hardly blame me. True love is hard to resist, and for a Faerie? It’s like honey and bees. Like fish and water. We’re drawn to it.”
“True love?” Dani laughed aloud. “I’m afraid you have your wires crossed, my friend. There’s nothing going on between us. Just the pretend thing I offered to do to help him with his brother. I already told you all about that.”
“Danielle.” Elesyria made a little clucking noise with her tongue. “Perhaps you can fool yourself, girl, but you’ve no hope of fooling me. I sense how you feel. And even if I didn’t, I asked the Goddess to send Malcolm’s SoulMate and here you are.”
The Faerie’s admission, so blatant, so matter-of-fact, weakened Dani’s knees, making her grateful she hadn’t attempted to stand.
“That was what you meant when you told him I’d been sent here for his benefit.”
Elesyria, poking through the leftovers in the basket, nodded her head. “Exactly. I’m still boggled that it took you both so long to realize it. As a result of his attempt to help my daughter, Malcolm deserved to be rewarded. You wanted what was intended for your life. Nothing is more intended or a better reward to the Fae than that they should find their other half. Their SoulMate. It’s what we all want most. And you, lucky girl, you’ve had it given to you.”
Dani didn’t feel very lucky. Though what Elesyria shared with her certainly explained why she felt the way she did, it didn’t explain Malcolm’s lack of reciprocation.
“Maybe you should explain all this to Malcolm. I’m not sure he’s feeling it.”
Now it was Elesyria’s turn to laugh. “Oh my dear, he’s . . . how did you say it? ‘Feeling it.’ Most definitely feeling it.”
For the first time in days, Dani felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest.
She could find a place for herself here. Things weren’t really so different. She’d proven that to herself this morning in the kitchens when she’d made friends with Ada and helped with the day’s bread baking. The moment she’d laid hands on that dough, she’d felt like she was where she belonged. She’d even offered to share her favorite recipes with the old cook, in trade for help in figuring out their conversions into current ingredients.
And now Malcolm. Learning that he felt about her the same way she felt about him?
It was like the old television commercials had claimed.
Priceless.
Seventeen
AS YOU DIRECTED, Eric has established the encampment on the site where Isabella’s cabin stood. There’s fresh water and natural shelter, all within a half day’s ride of the castle.”
Malcolm nodded his approval of the actions taken by Patrick and their captain of the guard.
“Have Eric bring their senior men here to meet with us for a final review of our plans.”
Plans that fell far short of satisfaction. Too many lives at risk for his taste. He would go forward, but stay vigilant for any opportunity that might present itself that would allow him to avoid open warfare.
Patrick waited at the door, eyes on the floor, hands behind his back, every fiber of his being radiating an unspoken dilemma.
“Something troubles you, brother?”
The pause before he spoke, before he even looked up, concerned Malcolm as much as any words his brother might have to say.
“In all the years I’ve followed yer lead, I’ve never questioned yer decisions and you’ve never failed to deliver. You’ve taken us from vagabond warriors to where we are today, with a home and a people to call our own.”
“But?”
