Page 17 of In Bed with her Highland Foe

“Captain,” she began, but he cut in quickly.

“Ye should retire tae yer chamber, me lady. Ye wouldnae want the staff tae talk about ye entertaining the laird’s company before ye are wed.”

She flushed red, both with embarrassment and fury.

So, that is what he truly thinks of me!?

“Goodnight tae ye, me lady.” Laird Shay bowed and disappeared back down the corridor, moving so close to Captain Gilchrist’s shoulder that she couldn’t be sure if they had collided or not. Neither one of them showed a sign of it if they had .

Kyven continued to gawp at Gilchrist in fury, her face feeling as fiery as the torches on the walls, until the sounds of the footsteps in the corridor vanished. Then she approached him.

“What in the wee man above’s name dae ye think ye are doin’!?” she raged, striding toward him.

He didn’t answer, but a single eyebrow raised high across that frustratingly handsome face.

“Gilchrist! Ye overstepped the mark. Completely.”

“How?”

“How? Ye ask me that?” She waved her arms madly around. “I was alone with me… me betrothed –”

“Ye struggled tae call him that, dae ye nae?” Gilchrist cocked his head to the side. She felt penetrated by that gaze, the blue eyes seeing into the heart she was trying to hide. “Ye care nay more fer him than ye dae a passing stranger.”

“Ye are in nay place tae make such judgements.” She raised a hand and pointed it at him. “Ye are me dearest friend, Gilchrist, the closest I have in this castle, but ye arenae me guard dog. Ye willnae stand at me chamber door and forbid me betrothed tae… tae…”

“Kiss ye?” Gilchrist scoffed and shook his head. “Very well, fear nae. Ye willnae hear such objections from this friend again.” He turned on his heel and walked away.

“Gilchrist? Gilchrist, where are ye going?” She hurried after him, but he was moving away fast. “We arenae done with this argument!”

“Aye, we are,” he barked over his shoulder. “Ye may wish tae embarrass yerself with yer new betrothed, but I willnae be here tae witness it.”

“What does that mean?” She reached for his arm and pulled on it, but he was too tall and strong for her. He didn’t even have to jerk to pull out of her grasp and just keep on walking, leaving her behind. “Gilchrist!”

“Goodnight, Lady Kyven.”

She halted, nearly tripping on the stone floor beneath her as she marked the title. He rarely addressed her as ‘me lady’.

As she watched him walk away, she rather imagined there had been a new stone wall built in that castle, and it had been erected between her and Captain Gilchrist.

Gilchrist barged open the barracks door and shut it loudly behind him. In the room, Aaden jumped and nearly slid off his chair, raising his head sleepily.

“Ye have a habit of doing that at the moment, ye ken,” Aaden said, stifling a yawn. The sight of Aaden’s tiredness suddenly infuriated Gilchrist. He knew well enough where Aaden had spent the evening – with Helen, Kyven’s maid. The fact Aaden was having satisfaction when all Gilchrist felt was frustration, just augmented his anger. “I would ask what has ye this angry again, but I am going tae hazard a guess at Laird Shay and leave it at that.”

Gilchrist sat down on the other side of the table. They were in the small mess hall that belonged to the barracks. There was just one candle lit between them resting on the table, and the light flickered in the darkness, casting orange light and shadows across both men’s faces.

“Another drink?” Aaden offered into the silence. Gilchrist nodded. He waited until Aaden returned with a bottle of whisky. “Tae replace yers that I broke.”

Gilchrist thanked him and took a small sip from the glass poured out in front of him.

“What happened?” Aaden asked, stifling another yawn as he returned to his chair.

“She…” Gilchrist paused, inhaling the spiced scent of the whisky before he went on. “She nearly allowed Laird Shay tae kiss her,” he mumbled in derision. “Then she called me her friend. Her friend.”

“Aye, lovers should also be friends.”

“Nay, Aaden. That is all she sees me as. That’s it!” Gilchrist snapped loudly. He felt as if Kyven had driven a stake into his chest with those words. Never had he felt this pain before, never known the feeling as if he was being split into two. “I was trying tae protect her from the staff whispering about her, and what dae I get in return? I get her dismissal. I was put in me place tonight.”

“So, our mission tae make her fall in love with ye isnae off tae a great start –”