Page 79 of Forbidden Kilted Highlander

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Her own chamber felt colder now. Emptier.

Agnes sat on the edge of the bed for a long moment, hands clasped in her lap, the quiet pressing in too tightly. Tav hadn’t spoken to her since that day in his room. Three days of silence. Three days where she'd passed him in corridors only to feel the chill of his absence more keenly than any wound.

And now Caithness. With his steady voice and quiet reverence, offering her a choice that should have brought relief, but instead left her splintered. He'd promised she could walk away. That the alliance would hold, even if she chose Tav. Wasn’t that what she'd wanted all this time? So why did she feel like she was standing on the edge of a cliff with no wind at her back?

The ride back to the castle had been nearly silent, each of them wrapped in their own thoughts. She hadn’t known what to say after what he’d offered her. Not after the way he’d looked at her with that solemn understanding. She’d stared at the path ahead, reins loose in her hands, the rhythm of the horse beneath her the only thing grounding her. And still, through the tangle of emotions inside her, one thing had shone through—gratitude. She was immensely grateful to Caithness for his patience, his clarity and the gentleness with which he had handed her the choice for her own future.

And yet, her head was spinning, gratitude warring with guilt. Hope twisted into confusion. She didn’t know what to make of any of it. Tav hadn’t spoken to her in days. Her heart felt like it was still caught in his hands, whether he wanted it or not. And now another man who was good, kind and honorable, had given her the one thing she never expected. It felt like the ground was shifting beneath her, and she didn’t know which way to lean.

She rose and crossed to the bell cord, pulling it gently. Minutes later, Paisley arrived, her smile bright but measured.

"Me lady?"

Agnes managed a nod. "Could ye draw me a bath?"

"Of course. Right away."

As the door shut, Agnes stared out the window, her reflection faint in the glass. She didn’t know what would come next, but she knew that she couldn’t go back to pretending.

A while later, Agnes sank low into the bath with a sigh that rippled the surface, the warm water licking up to her shoulders like a balm. Her hair was pinned atop her head in a loose coil, and tendrils had already begun to fall, curling damply against her cheeks. The heat soaked into her bones, easing the ache from her back and dulling the quiet throb in her thighs. Even her heart, still tangled in the knot Tav had left behind, seemed to slow its frantic pace.

Paisley knelt nearby, dropping one final scoop of fragrant lavender salts into the steaming tub. "There," she said with a little nod of satisfaction. "That should help ye feel better."

Agnes snorted softly. "I have felt better."

Paisley arched a brow. "Well, ye make it look elegant."

That drew a small, but real laugh out of her. Agnes let her head tip back against the curved edge of the tub, closing her eyes for a long breath.

"It’s been a strange few days," she murmured. "Strange, and long, and somehow every moment was too fast and too slow."

"Aye," Paisley agreed, rising to her feet and wiping her hands on her apron. "But ye’re here now. In a warm room, with hot water, and me fer company. Could be worse."

"Much worse," Agnes agreed. "But..."

Paisley tilted her head. "But?"

Agnes opened her eyes and stared at the rising steam. "This trip has wrung me out, Paisley. There were days I didnae ken if we’d make it. Nights I wanted tae scream but had tae stay silent. And...”

She trailed off.

"And?" Paisley prompted, voice light but not unkind.

Agnes hesitated, then waved a hand vaguely. "And then emotions got... complicated."

"Oh, I see." Paisley’s eyes sparkled as she knelt by the side of the tub. "Ye’ve had quite the journey. But ye’ve left all that behind now, haven’t ye?"

Agnes blinked. "I suppose I have."

Paisley gave a nod, brushing a loose curl behind Agnes’ ear like a sister might. "Ye’re safe here now. Nay more runnin’ or lookin’ over yer shoulder. Just rest."

Agnes let out a slow breath and sank lower until the water brushed her chin. "It feels strange. Tae stop movin’. Tae just… be."

"Strange, but good," Paisley said with a small smile. She stepped toward the door. "Now, I’m goin’ tae fetch ye somethin’ tae eat afore ye faint dead away in that tub."

Agnes waved a hand vaguely. "Fine, thank ye."