Cillian scoffed before putting himself back in position, his practice sword held at the ready. “I’m nae seein’ anythin’ but yer constant grumblin’.”
Liam didn’t bother giving a response. He shot forward, delivering a series of blows to the dull wood in Cillian’s hands. With each swing of his own blade, he pushed out the nagging feeling that he would never get a minute free from Katherine so long as he was in the castle.
It wasn’t as if she were seeking him out, but it seemed as if she were everywhere that he went. Even moving through his days with an alternative schedule did nothing. This training sessionwith Cillian had been called when he’d run into Katherine passing by his study. She’d spoken to him about Agnes’s lessons, and he didn’t truly hear a single word of it. He was too distracted by the way her mouth had moved.
Cillian laughed, pushing forward harder. Liam blocked each of his blows expertly, having trained with his right-hand man since they were boys. It was rare that either of them was able to outmaneuver the other.
“I’ve been busy,” Liam said, taking advantage of a slight hesitation in Cillian’s footing. He pushed his way in, savagely knocking the wooden sword from Cillian’s grip. As it landed in the dirt with a dull thud, Liam said, “Nae only have I been fieldin’ missives from our allies along the coast, I’ve been sortin’ through over seventy years of property. I apologize if I’m nae chipper.”
“Ach, ye daenae have to take yer frustration out on me,” Cillian said though his tone was light. He seemed more than happy to oblige in drills. “But have ye considered doin’ somethin’ that’s nae centered on yer duties?”
“Ye’re startin’ to sound like Katherine,” Liam scoffed as he took a step back, watching Cillian gather his weapon. “Nae everyone has the luxury of takin’ a break whenever they please.”
“I suppose ye’re correct,” Cillian mused, resting the blade against his shoulder. “But we daenae have to continue sparrin’. Ye could go out on a ride.”
“Or I could inspect the stables,” Liam countered. Then, more seriously, he added, “They’re overdue. And I’m nae sure how effective our groom is with his trainin’. I saw him in the fields a few days ago, and I daenae ken if the animal was truly learnin’ anythin’.”
“Then inspect the stables,” Cillian said, understanding that this wasn’t a battle that he would be able to win. “Better than yer incessant tasks around the castle. I’ve been havin’ trouble keepin’ track of where ye get to.”
“There’s always much to be done,” Liam countered. And while hehadtaken advantage of throwing himself into every project he could, it wasn’t anywhere close to a lie. “And with the ceilidh approachin’, it’s even more important that I’m keepin’ everythin’ runnin’.”
“I’m only jestin’,” Cillian said, already making his way back to the castle, taking Liam’s sword as he went. “Do whatever it is that ye must. Ye ken yerself best.”
Then, he turned his gaze forward, leaving Liam to his self-imposed inspection. His friend was saying more than his words conveyed. He was sure, though, that Cillian thought Liam was avoiding something entirely different.
He didn’t waste any time crossing the grounds to get to the stables. Katherine and Agnes were together, doing a lesson in the solar if he wasn’t mistaken. For a while, he wouldn’t have to worry about running into her.
So, when he stepped through the open door, he nearly did a double take.
Katherine was stroking Brimstone’s muzzle affectionately while she spoke in soft tones to him. Agnes stood by, watching the two of them as if she were trying to understand what was going through each of their minds. Before Liam was able to decide how he’d react, his daughter spotted him.
“Father, are ye goin’ to ride as well?”
Liam’s jaw tightened. He’d known that Katherine had an undeniable connection with the stubborn creature, but he didn’t know that she’d been bringing Agnes to visit him. She was much too young for riding.
“Nay,” he said, clearing his throat. Staying as detached as he could, he continued, “I am here to inspect the stables.”
“The buildin’?” she asked, bold just like the woman standing next to her.
“Nae exactly,” he replied, his eyes scanning the stalls in search of the groom. “I need to ken how the animals are doin’ and how their trainings are comin’ along. And I must also ken how much feed we have available.”
“I see,” Agnes said before giving her attention to Katherine once more.
Though he wanted to reprimand Katherine and stop the lesson, he went directly to the groom instead. Reprimanding her would mean getting close to her. The stableboy, whose performance he wanted to check on, was in the pasture. At least, he’d be able to call for help if necessary.
“Me Laird,” the groom said, standing up as straight as possible when he saw Liam approaching, “I wasnae expectin’ ye.”
“This visit wasnae planned in advance,” Liam said, gritting his teeth when the sound of Katherine’s laughter reached his ears, “but I do believe it’s been nearly a month since I’ve come to collect reports. I’d like ye to hear everythin’.”
“All of the animals are healthy,” the groom said, gesturing to the horse behind him. “And I do believe that she’s expectin’ a foal.”
“Who is the sire?” he demanded.
“Brimstone.” The groom gestured to the horse that was being led from the barn by the two girls. “We’d like his strength and speed with her temperament.”
“I can only hope that the poor foal doesnae inherit his temperament,” Liam said, “but he is a handsome beast. It would be nice if it took after him. Now, the trainin’. Spare me nae details.”
The groom nodded before dutifully reporting on the training schedules, including how the younger stableboy was handlingthe newest horse. It was difficult to keep from turning around when he heard Katherine leading Brimstone out of the stables, and when he heard Agnes asking to ride, it took everything in him to keep from turning around.
