“Agnes,” he said finally, not taking his eyes off the curious woman in front of him, “perhaps ye should see if yer great-grandmother would like to read to ye from yer book of stories.”
Understanding the dismissal, his daughter left the room without another word. Her maid trailed along behind her, leaving Liam alone with Katherine. The space between them seemed to shrink even further as the two girls’ footsteps disappeared down the hallway.
She was still watching him with warm, open eyes. He didn’t know how to respond to her. It wasn’t so much that she had shared something so personal with him but that she still wore that expression. Want welled up in his chest—to protect her, to pull her closer, to push her away, to do anything but simply stand here looking at her.
I cannae make her a target.
“Ye’re doin’ well with Agnes,” he said finally, not shifting away. There were many truths he couldn’t tell her, but this was one he could grant. “She took to ye quickly. That’s rare for her.”
Katherine’s expression softened, her smile turning more genuine and reflective. He could practically see the compliment brightening her entire demeanor. She would be a good guardian for Agnes, he realized.
Nothing more, not a true romantic partner to him. That would be a step too far. The distance would keep her safe, keep Agnes from losing another important person.
“She’s easy to care for,” Katherine said, her eyes seeming to grow warmer. “I’ve never met a more polite child. Nor one as eager as she is to learn. She was aghast that I suggest we take a day to relax.”
“She’s bright,” Liam agreed, unable to deny the surge of pride he felt at the praise Agnes had garnered. “And she doesnae enjoy wastin’ her time.”
“Ye ken,” Katherine continued after a beat, light but underscored with something completely unreadable to him, something that threatened to shake his entire foundation, “children are often quite easy to care for when they’re allowed to be children.”
Liam stiffened, standing taller as his eyes narrowed. He couldn’t tell what she was trying to say. The light delivery could easily be covering for a jibe he wasn’t meant to pick up on. His defenses snapped violently back into place.
“She is nae neglected,” he said slowly, taking two careful steps back from her. “Nor is she forced to be anythin’ but a child.”
The distance gave him clarity. He hadn’t realized how her rosewater scent had overwhelmed his senses, made him blind to his own directives. Being too close to her was risky. He couldn’t think clearly. It was as if the entire world shrank to Katherine, making him lose sight of why he kept so much distance from everyone else.
“I didnae say that she was,” Katherine said, taking a step of her own away from him, her tone shifting to something almost apologetic.
Suddenly, it seemed as if she’d lost the ability to look him in the eye. She fell silent, the air between them seeming to twist itself into thick knots the longer it went on. The sinking feeling felt even more damning, like she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.
She doesnae have any room to pass judgment on how I’m raisin’ me daughter.
“Right,” he growled, watching her for signs that she was pleased with the slight. She kept her head down, trying to hide even though she was in plain sight. “Perhaps ye should get to whatever lesson ye have planned.”
“Of course,” she muttered, adjusting the bundle in her arms. Pink began to bloom across the bridge of her nose. She opened her mouth twice before she finally managed to squeak out, “I didnae?—”
“It doesnae matter, Katherine,” Liam said, the sharpness of his voice making her flinch. He nearly regretted being so harsh, but the implications of what she’d just said lingered at the front of his mind. It was something that he couldn’t seem to shake. “As I said earlier. I daenae have time for play.”
How dare she try to backtrack now? We both ken what she said.
Before he could regret his earlier praise, Liam stepped around her and headed for the door. He felt her eyes on his back as he left, hearing the ghost of the words that were on the tip of her tongue. It took a lot of strength to resist turning around one last time.
Chapter Ten
Katherine’s entire body shook as she walked through the corridor to Lady Agnes’s chambers. As much as she longed to hide away, she was still in charge of educating a wee lass. So, she forced herself to take deep breaths as she slowed her steps.
She needed as much time to steady herself as she could get.
“I didnae mean to insult him,” she muttered to herself, taking care to keep her eyes ahead of her. She might combust if she ran into someone again. Not when she was still grappling with her mishap. “I just meant…”
Even in her own mind, she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d meant. Implying that Agnes was neglected was far from her intention. It was simply that the child rarely allowed herself to play. At no point had she meant that it was anything other than a byproduct of the child’s disposition.
I suppose I was tryin’ to comment on how she’s startin’ to open up to me.
“Why are ye pacin’ the corridor, dear? And what have ye brought all those linens for?”
Lady Agnes’ voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She was watching with an amused smile. There was no judgment there, simply an entertained understanding. Katherine looked down at the stack of fabric in her hands then at the woman once more. She hadn’t realized she’d arrived. Perhaps she wasn't paying attention as well as she thought.
At least I didnae run headfirst into anyone.
