He leftbefore she could respond, his long strides carrying him quickly down the corridor.
The unfamiliar lightnessin his chest troubled him. He’d meant only to avoid temptation by canceling their riding lesson. Instead, he’d found something potentially more dangerous—a woman whose company he genuinely enjoyed.
Nearly one hour later,Hector was staring at the same supply ledger he’d spread on his desk when he came in, seeing not the columns of numbers but Gabriella’s face as she spoke of selkies and folklore, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled.
He pushedthe book aside with a frustrated sigh. What was happening to him? He was Laird McCulloch—responsible for hundreds of lives, protector of his clan’s lands and future. He had no business being distracted by a lass who would be gone in less than a month.
A knockat the door interrupted his reverie.
“Enter,”he called, straightening in his chair.
Noah stepped inside,a rolled parchment in his hand. “News from our scouts,” he said without preamble.
Hector gesturedfor him to continue, grateful for the distraction.
“There have beenreports of a man matchin’ Lewis’s description near Inverness,” Noah began, unfolding the map on the desk. “Our men followed the trail, but…” He shook his head. “False lead. Just a merchant with similar colorin’.”
“Damnation.”Hector’s fist came down on the desk, rattling an inkwell. “He cannae have simply disappeared.”
“He kens ye’re lookin’for him. We’ll find him,” Noah assured him. “The man’s a coward, nae a ghost. There’s news that future hunts have been canceled.”
Hector nodded,though frustration still burned in his chest. Lewis needed to answer for what he’d done—not just to Gabriella, but to all the women he’d trafficked.
“There’s somethin’else.” Noah studied Hector’s face with the familiarity of a long friendship. “Ye seem… different today.”
“Different how?”Hector asked cautiously.
“Less like a bearwith a thorn in its paw.” Noah’s expression softened into a slight smile. “I passed the library earlier. Saw ye sittin’ with the lass.”
Hector’s jaw tightened. “Just checkin’on her well-being.”
“Of course,”Noah replied, his tone making it clear he didn’t believe that for a moment. “She’s settlin’ in well, then?”
“Well enough.”Hector turned to stare out the window, unwilling to meet his friend’s too-perceptive gaze. “She’s stronger than she looks.”
“Aye,she’d have to be, to survive what she did.” Noah paused, then added carefully, “It’s nae a crime to be attracted to her, Hector. She’s a bonny lass.”
“I’m tryin’to protect her, Noah.” For a moment, Hector looked troubled, but then the mask of strength slipped back into place. “Besides, what will it say about me if I bed her only for her to leave for France in three weeks?”
“So ye admitye’re attracted to her.”
Hector made a dismissive sound,turning back to his desk. “Like ye said, she’s bonny. I cannae treat her like other women. I made her a promise, and I’ll keep it.”
“And if she feels somethin’for ye?”
The question hitHector like a physical blow. He’d been trying not to think about the way Gabriella had looked last night, dressed in next to nothing. Or how her eyes had lit up when they spoke of folklore, how naturally conversation had flowed between them.
“She doesnae ken what she wants,”he muttered finally. “She’s been through hell, Noah. Held captive, starved, hunted like ananimal. Whatever she thinks she feels for me may just be… gratitude. Confusion.”
“Ye dinnae give her much credit.”
“And ye dinnae understand the situation,”he countered, though with less heat than earlier. “I rescued her from men who would have used her. What kind of man would I be if I did the same?”
Noah’s eyebrows rose.“Is that what ye think ye’d be doin’?”
“What else would it be?She’s leavin’, Noah. She made that clear from the start. France is her destination, and I dinnae want to make her change her mind.”
Hector gatheredthe maps and papers, organizing them with more attention than necessary. “I need to continue me work. Was there anythin’ else about Lewis?”
