“Daenae push yer luck, Katherine,” he warned, her name from his lips sending a shiver of warmth down her spine. “I have just told ye that ye were doin’ well. Daenae give me a reason to take it back.”
“Ye wouldnae,” she replied, reveling in the way his smirk seemed to deepen further.
“Ach, ye are much too bold,” he chastised her, all of the heat absent.
“I am simply sure that ye meant what ye said,” she said, drifting in closer. For the first time, she felt as if she could not only push her luck but test his patience. “Ye’re a man of yer word, are ye nae?”
“Aye,” he said, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I am.”
Then, his hand dropped, and he moved away in what she thought was an impressive display of control. Or maybe he was trying to make a point, teasing her right back. Her mind wasn’t working fast enough to understand what he meant.
“Enjoy yer walk, Katherine,” he said as he began to walk back toward the courtyard. She could hear the sounds of men gathered, likely guards, swapping shifts or taking part in a training exercise. “Ye truly look as if ye’re well once more. I am glad to see it.”
“Thank ye,” she said, her voice not nearly loud enough for him to pick up on.
She remained in place, watching Liam walk away with his shoulders back and a confident swagger that made her want tofollow him. When he disappeared from her view, she turned around. Her skin tingling from the lingering effects of his proximity, she stepped further into the gardens.
I willnae be able to keep meself still if I return to the castle now.
Seconds, then minutes, then half an hour passed, and she was still walking amongst the fragrant blooms. The giddy energy sticking to her just couldn’t be dispelled. She felt as though there had to be something she could do to steady herself.
She began to hum a familiar tune, the same one that she’d sung during the auction. It worked, the vibrations seeming to steady her as she walked. So, after confirming she was the only person around, she let herself sing the words aloud, her voice filling the space around her.
She felt strong, like she belonged. And she felt like she was finally out of the uncertainty that she’d grown up in.
* * *
Liam hadn’t gone back into the castle after overseeing the guards changing their posts. The staff was busy, rushing to and fro as they prepared to host the ceilidh. They didn’t need his oversight, and they were still on edge, seeming to expect him to demand reports the second they spotted him.
So, he busied himself by watching the horses in the pasture.
Leaning against the fence, he watched how Brimstone kept looking at the hills and fields. It almost seemed like he was always waiting for Katherine to come and pet his muzzle. Liam couldn’t deny that he sometimes found himself doing the same thing.
Just as he was about to straighten himself up and return to the castle, Brimstone’s ears perked. Liam looked over his shoulder, almost expecting to see Katherine approaching them, but surprisingly, there was no one else around.
“What did ye hear, ye wild beast?” Liam asked under his breath.
For a moment, he only heard the birds flittering from branch to branch in the trees around him. Then, he picked up a note that was distinctly human. Not only that, but it was familiar.
I ken that voice.
Without hesitation, Liam stepped away from the fenced pasture and followed the voice. The sound grew clearer with each step he took toward the gardens. He realized he knew the voice, and he knew the song.
It was Katherine, and she was singing the tune that had charmed his grandmother and grated on the nerves of the other bidders. He hadn’t realized that he’d missed her singing voice, and, as though drawn in by the clear, melodic words, he kept moving toward her.
When she came into sight, he kept moving though he slowed his pace to avoid startling her. Stopping a few meters away, he clasped his hands behind his back and enjoyed the show. Perhaps he should make his presence known.
But for a few moments, he wanted to enjoy this.
Though it wasn’t long before the song faltered. She repeated the previous phrase, but her voice faded as she continued. The loss of sound felt like losing his own breath.
“Ye daenae have to stop singin’,” Liam said, his voice loud in the relative peace. “The song was quite bonnie.”
Katherine jumped, turning around quickly. Her hand rested on her chest, and her mouth was slightly parted. The faint blush that colored her cheeks made her even more irresistible.
“It’s nae that I wish to stop,” Katherine said, holding his gaze despite her surprise and embarrassment. “It’s that I cannae seem to remember the rest of the words. Nae matter how hard I try.”
Ach, but I remember. That is a familiar song to me as well, lass.
