“Ach, both of ye enjoy testin’ yer luck around me, daenae ye?” Liam scoffed.
“It’s quite rare we can get a reaction out of ye,” Cillian said as if that explained everything.
Liam grunted, and Katherine had to shove another mouthful of food into her mouth to keep from laughing. What Cillian said was correct, but shehadbeen testing her luck with him today. She was content to eat as they provoked one another. It was quite entertaining.
For the next few minutes, they sat in comfortable silence. Katherine continued to eat her meal while the men imbibed. Liam’s knee rested against her thigh, a soft pressure at first then getting firmer when she didn’t pull away.
Heat bloomed from the point of contact. She could feel all of his strength, all of his power that he kept hidden, and the knowledge that he was choosing to maintain something so casual despite all of that, despite the distance that he’d so carefully maintained, made her heart beat faster in her chest.
Suddenly, a rich, steady sound began to emanate from him. At first, she went completely still. It was familiar, the words to the song she had been singing flowing from his lips. It was the folk song that Katherine’s maids had sung to her when she was small.
She longed to join him, but she still couldn’t remember the last verse. Turning her head, she watched the way his mouth moved, curving around the Gaelic words in a way that raised gooseflesh on her arms. Then, he got to the part of the song she’d forgotten.
Her jaw dropped. Without the same hesitation she’d had, he sang as if the words had been imprinted on his brain, as though they were second nature.
When he finished singing, she couldn’t bring herself to look away. Liam turned to look at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Across from them, Cillian let out a low whistle, drawing Liam’s attention away from Katherine.
“Ye’ve an early mornin’, do ye nae?” Liam asked flatly.
It was a clear dismissal, and Cillian was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He took his glass, finishing the last dregs of whiskey before pushing himself to his feet. “Aye. Ye’re correct. Ye two shouldnae stay up too late.”
“Ye’re nae in the position to be givin’ me orders,” Liam said though the words weren’t sharp and the ghost of a smirk settled on his lips.
“It’s nae an order, Me Laird,” Cillian replied with a cheeky grin. “It is simply a suggestion for yer own health.”
“Ye’ve never been concerned with me health a day in yer life,” Liam scoffed.
Cillian gave an exaggerated bow, saying nothing more as he left the great hall. Liam rolled his eyes at his friend’s behavior. Katherine couldn’t take her eyes off Liam, though. She still couldn’t believe what she’d heard.
When could he have learned that song? Did he ken the words all long?
“Did I surprise ye?” Liam asked when Cillian was gone, and the doors closed behind him.
Katherine startled at the intensity of his gaze when he turned to her. The room narrowed down to the two of them. She forced her breathing to steady before she answered.
“Aye, ye did,” she confirmed. “I wasnae expectin’ ye to ken that song.”
“I kent it earlier today when ye were singin’,” he said, the pressure of his knee increasing against the supple flesh of her thigh. “Me mother used to sing it to me.”
The admission made her breath catch. Her fingers twitched around her utensil. For reasons she couldn’t fully articulate, shewanted to reach out to him and to make the contact even deeper, but something stopped her.
* * *
Liam watched the way Katherine’s mind processed the information he’d shared. Her eyes stayed wide open, her mouth parted. He couldn’t tell whether she was upset or simply seeing him in a different light.
“Ye ken the song,” she finally said again, a small hint of what sounded like accusation there.
Her cheeks were flushed from the ale, and her body was irresistibly warm. It seemed that her lips were pinker than normal, and her eyes were half-lidded, making her look sinfully desirable.
“I donae want ye to think I was criticizin’ yer singin’ earlier,” he said, feeling as though he owed her the truth.
She’s owed as much. I didnae stop her earlier because I didnae want to intrude.
“I see,” she said, running her finger over the rim of her glass. “So ye kent it when I sang at the auction?”
“Aye, I did,” he confirmed. He shifted away, finally removing the pressure from her thigh. She seemed to feel the loss just asacutely as he did. “But it was yer voice and nae the song that I was drawn to. That Lady Agnes was drawn to.”
Katherine nodded, seemingly unwilling to look at him. He wished he could hear her thoughts and see the things she was quietly struggling with. Instead, he let the silence sit for a long moment.
