“I thought ye might be hungry, so Cook is making something to break your fast and will send it up when ’tis ready.”
“Have ye eaten yet?”
“Nay. Just a cup of tea. I thought we could break our fast together.”
“I would verra much like that.”
He smiled and slapped his knee as he straightened. “Perfect.” He went to the windows and pulled open the drapes, securing them in the hooks on each side of the pane. There were three large windows in this room. In front of the middle one, a round table with two chairs was set up. “We can eat here if ye like?”
She realized she still sat with the covers pulled up and flushed. Sensing her distress, he turned and took a sudden intense interest in the grounds below. Understanding what he was doing, she slipped out from the covers and pulled on her robe. It was light blue and thick enough that it covered what she was wearing underneath. She tied the cinch and walked over to Finlay, peering down to see what he was looking at.
It was literally naught. A stone pathway that appeared to loop around the exterior, which was empty.
“Thank ye,” she said warmly.
He raised a brow at her. “For?”
“My privacy. E’en though we are closed together in this room, ye have allowed me privacy and I verra much appreciate it.”
He smiled. “Whate’er I can do to make ye feel comfortable, I shall strive to do so.” A soft knock sounded. “Ah, that should be our meal.” He left the window to fetch the tray and she took a seat.
She watched his confident strides as he approached the table, setting the tray down and moving the items so he could divest of the tray.
“Let us see what Cook has served up for us.” He took the cover off one dish to reveal toast. Under another was eggs. The last one held pork. “What would you like?”
The smells filling the room were like heaven to Willamina’s senses and her stomach answered with a loud growl. Embarrassed, she clutched at her stomach.
He lifted a brow. “I ken that means ye are verra hungry and would like at least one of e’erything.” Filling a plate with more food than she could possibly eat, he set it down in front of her and then poured her a cup of tea, adding two sugar cubes and a splash of milk, just as she liked.
The small gesture that showed her he had been paying attention when they had dined together previously warmed her heart, and had the veil that she viewed him through lifting.
With his own plate filled, he sat back and studied her.
She felt her skin flush under the scrutiny. Then she remembered she was in her robe and had not brushed her hair and probably looked a mess.
“Ye look beautiful,” he said, reading her mind.
Not knowing how to react, she picked up her tea cup and took a long sip.
“I was thinking that since we are practically mandated to our chamber for the next few days at the verra least, that we could spend some time getting to ken each other better.”
Of all the things she expected Finlay to say, that was not one of them at all. But also her nerves jumped into her throat. She cleared her throat and tilted her head before meeting his eyes. “What would ye like to ken?”
“Why did your cousin insist ye leave Inverness when ye love it so much?”
Well, if that didn’t get right to the point, she did not ken what would. “’Tis complicated.” She took a bite of toast, chewing slowly.
“How so? Your old friends at the theater gave me a glimpse, but no’ enough to understand the gravity of what happened. And something most certainly happened. Ye ken my secret. ’Tis time to reveal yours.”
He took a sip of tea and looked at her expectantly.
When she didn’t speak up, he continued to talk. “Ye seem to long to go back e’en though something clearly happened there aside from your marriage. I thought that now that we are married, we could make the trip.”
“What?” Her brows rose in shock. She would like naught more than to return to the city she grew up in. Where all her memories were made. Both good and bad. But did she dare? She was unsure what their reception would be once people learned she was back, especially after seeing Clarice and Viola. “I am no’ so sure that is the best of ideas.”
“Did something happen there? Other than your husband? Your cousin eluded to some controversy but didna expound any further.”
“Did he?”
