She felt her words trail off into the emptiness of the great hall, hang there for a moment or two, then fall softly to the ground. She looked at Oliver in astonishment.
“Did I?”
He only returned her look steadily, but said nothing.
“What did I tell you?” she asked. “Or, more to the point, when?”
He smiled slightly. “Why don’t you come sit and be warm with me? And where’s your knife?”
She pursed her lips. “I won’t stab you in surprise if you say something unexpected.”
“You are fierce and saucy,” he said solemnly, “and I like to have all possibilities accounted for.”
She pulled her sheathed knife out of the pocket of what Elizabeth had called a dressing gown. “I wasn’t sure where else to keep it.” She pointed at her feet for inspection. “These pleasing shoes in this rosy color of sunset are not up to the task of hiding anything at all.”
He took her face in his hands, kissed the end of her nose, then smiled. “You are a wonder.”
She felt herself beginning to blush. “I’ll match my very fine shoes if you don’t stop with that.”
He smiled, took her hand, and pulled her over to the hearth.
“Who sits closer?”
“You do,” she said without hesitation, putting her knife back in her pocket. “I’ll be warm enough.”
“Chair or the floor?”
She looked down, then gestured toward the stone of the floor next to the hearth that was cleaner than she’d ever seen it before. Oliver nodded, sat with her, then took one of her hands in both his own. He glanced at her.
“I’m just keeping your hand warm and making certain you don’t catch a chill.”
“In truth?” she asked in surprise.
He laughed a little. “Actually, I just wanted to hold your hand, but, again, saucy lass with a sharp knife. A bloke can’t be too careful.”
She scowled at him. “You’re safe enough for the moment.”
“And so are you, and for more than just the moment.”
She considered the truth of that. She supposed it was also perhaps one of the more noteworthy events of her life to be sitting with an extremely braw man who held her hand because he was apparently daft enough to want to and there wasn’t a relative in sight demanding that she hie herself off to the kitchens and prepare a meal for them.
Her life had become very strange, indeed.
“Mairead?”
She looked at him and smiled reflexively. “Aye?”
He took her hand, laced his fingers with hers, then kissed the back of her hand. “I’m just happy you’re here.”
“I am, too.”
He sighed. “Unfortunately, you should probably go up to bed.”
“Don’t make me go.”
“Well,Idon’t want you to go,” he said, then he shot her a quick smile. “Jamie might take me outside and cut me to ribbons for keeping you downstairs, though, so keep that in mind.”
“I’ll protect you with my saucy blade.”
