Page 13 of Stealing a Kilted Heart

CHAPTER SIX

This is me chance. I must impress him.

Fia and Bane stood right in front of Laird Stewart’s study, both of them staring at the door, unmoving. Bane’s hand hovered just over the door, ready to knock, but neither of them was certain they were truly prepared. Fia’s heart beat wildly in her chest, and she could see the beads of sweat forming on Bane’s forehead as he, too, began to stress over their first meeting with the laird.

They both knew that everything depended on it. If, for any reason, the laird disliked them, he could easily kick them out of the castle and send them back to Duror, and neither of them wanted to go back there, although for different reasons. In the single day they had spent in the castle, Bane had become too attached to the luxuries this life offered to go back to the village and to their former habits. Fia could understand that. She, too, wanted to stay there, not only so she could prove herself to Callum, but also because life in the castle was simply nicer and easier. They didn’t need to worry about their basic needs being met anymore. They didn’t really need to worry about anything.

“I’ll dae it,” Bane said, but then he still hesitated. It was Fia, in the end, who took the initiative and knocked on the laird’s door, opening it once the man called for them to enter from the other side.

Laird Stewart’s study was, predictably, opulent, like the rest of the castle. Fia’s first intuition that a place like that was bound to have rich tapestries and beautiful paintings and thick carpets had been correct. There was a warmth to every hallway, a lavish and palatial comfort that no house in the village had, not even those of the wealthier residents. Fia hadn’t seen any of the other rooms of the castle, but if they were anything like Laird Stewart’s study, with the intricately carved furniture, the shelves upon shelves of books, and the large, imposing portrait of an older man across from his desk, then they were bound to inspire awe as well.

“Miss MacKenzie, Mr.—”

Laird Stewart was standing to greet them, but when he got to Bane’s name, he paused, looking uncertain.

“Graham,” said Bane and then, almost as an afterthought, bowed. Fia caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye and was quick to follow, offering the laird an awkward curtsy. “Me laird.”

“Mr. Graham,” Laird Stewart said, gesturing to them to take a seat on the two carved wooden and leather armchairs that stood before his desk. He waited for them to be seated before he, too, sat back down, steepling his fingers in front of his face as he peered at the two of them. “I wished tae welcome ye tae the castle personally. I hope yer first day here was pleasant.”

“Very much so,” said Bane. “Thank ye, me laird. This is an incredible opportunity fer Fia.”

The laird’s piercing gaze found Fia then, his blue eyes zeroing in on her. For the first time since entering the room, Fia took a moment to examine him and observe as much as she could about him. It was difficult to focus, but she forced herself to breathe, to take her time and, most importantly, to try and appear as normal as possible.

Laird Stewart was a handsome man, there was no doubt about it. His black hair framed a wide, regal forehead, the ends of it curling just past the beginning of his sharp jaw. He had a strong, aquiline nose and eyes that slanted ever so slightly upwards, but the general gentleness of his features was heavily offset by the numerous battle scars on his skin, which covered much of what Fia could see of his body. He would have seemed intimidating to her had it not been for his kind and warm welcome, but to Fia, at least, the scars he sported only served to make him even more alluring, giving him a mysterious edge.

It would make her task much easier. Not only did Laird Stewart have a reputation—which seemed to be true—of being kind, but he was also very handsome, and so Fia was certain she would have no reason to fake her attraction towards him.

Then again, if he was so kind and so handsome, the matter of his celibacy only became more confusing and complicated. Was he truly so peculiar when it came to the women he liked? Did he only like very specific women, and would Fia be able to fit the bill?

Or was there perhaps a different issue, something she had not yet foreseen?

Knox didn’t know what it was he had been expecting when Magnus had told him about Fia MacKenzie, but this was certainly not it. From the moment she stepped into the room, Knox felt as though she had ignited the air around her, like her presence was enough to draw all the oxygen out of the room. He found it difficult to breathe and difficult to talk—two things with which he had never had any trouble at all in the past.

She was a beautiful woman, with long, honey blonde hair that fell in shiny waves down her back, and her eyes, that piercing green that reminded Knox of the deepest forests, held such kindness that he could hardly bring himself to look at her. There was something special about that woman, he knew. There was something that set her apart from anyone else, and all he wanted to do was learn everything there was to know about her.

He only hoped he was hiding it well.

Dragging his gaze to Fia, Knox gave her a small, but warm, smile. He was Laird Stuart, for God’s sake. He could have a conversation with a beautiful woman without losing his head.

“An’ ye, Miss MacKenzie? Did ye speak with Effie?”

“Och aye,” said Fia, her voice trembling just a little. Nervousness, Knox supposed—people were often nervous when they first spoke to him. “We have already established a good rapport, me laird. She is a very kind an’ clever woman.”

“That she is,” said Knox. Then, he proceeded to peer between Fia and Bane, glancing back and forth with a small frown on his face. There was something he wanted to ask, a question that had been gnawing at him from the moment the two of them stepped into the room, but didn’t quite know how to phrase it.

Under any other circumstances, he wouldn’t have asked, but seeing as they carried different last names and Fia had already caught his attention, he simply couldn’t stop himself.

“Dae ye two plan on gettin’ wedded soon?”

The question made Bane choke on air, slamming his fist against his chest as he coughed wildly. Fia, her eyes wide, shook her head frantically at Knox as she reached over and slapped Bane’s back, trying to help him recover.

Knox half-stood from his chair, uncertain of what to do, but Fia waved him off as Bane slowly got himself under control, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. This was not the kind of reaction he thought he would have gotten from either of them, and it only confused him even further. Were they not a couple? Being nothing more than friends sounded unlikely to him. If Knox had a woman like that by his side, he would do his best to have her.

“Forgive me,” said Knox as he sat back down on his seat. “I didnae ken it was such an… awkward topic.”

“Nay, nay,” said Fia waving her hand dismissively with a chuckle. “It is only that Bane an’ I…. well, we’re like siblings. We’re nae bound by blood, but I was taken in by his family when I was younger, so we grew up together. Trust me, me laird, we dinnae have any plans o’ ever bein’ wedded.”

Knox said nothing more on the matter, but he was not entirely convinced. He didn’t want to press either of them—that would be terribly rude of him, after all—but he didn’t really believe that Bane would have never even attempted a relationship between the two of them.