“Until tomorrow.”
Molly’s breath quickened a little. She wished that he would kiss her again like he had on the hilltop. She longed to feel his lips on hers, his arms around her. Was he thinking about the kiss too? Was that why his gaze had suddenly gone hot and intense? For one long, endless moment he stared at her and Molly thought he might do what she’d been hoping. But then he cleared his throat and stepped back. He walked to the door and opened it.
“Goodnight, Molly.” His voice was a soft rumble that sent a shiver up her spine.
“Goodnight, Conall.”
With that, he closed the door and was gone.
Chapter 16
Molly spent the restof the night tossing and turning, her mind racing with the implications of Conall’s words. Her heart ached for him, imagining what it would be like to have his own family be the monsters he was out to stop. How would he reconcile that with the loyalties and bonds of kinship that seemed so strong in this time?
And then there was the kiss. She couldn’t help but relive that moment on the hilltop when their eyes had met and everything else seemed to slip away. The way Conall had looked at her then...the way he’d kissed her..
So she lay awake most of the night but must have dozed off sometime near morning as she was awoken by a knock on her door.
She bolted upright, jumped out of bed, and hurried to open the door, thinking it was Conall come to take her on that tour he’d promised her. But to her surprise, a young woman stood there.
“Good morning, my lady,” she said cheerfully. “I trust ye slept well?”
Molly blinked in confusion. “I um...yes,” she lied. “Thank you.”
The young woman smiled. “I’ve brought a message from Lord Conall,” she said. “He apologizes that he’s been called away and willnae be able to take ye on a tour this morning.”
Molly felt her hopes sink. She forced a smile onto her face for the sake of politeness. “I see,” she said softly. “Well, thank you for bringing me the message.”
“Ye are most welcome, my lady. Would ye care to come down to the great hall for breakfast, or would ye like me to bring it up to yer room?”
The risk of running into anyone—especially Conall’s father—filled her with anxiety.
“I think I’ll eat up here if that’s okay.”
The maid curtsied and left quickly, leaving Molly feeling more than a little dejected. So much for spending some time with Conall. She closed the door and leaned against it, her eyes roving over the details of her bedroom. She could still barely believe this was real. She crossed to the bed and ran her hand over the smooth satin covers. Yes, this was very real.
Outside, it looked to be a bright, sunny day and she could see wisps of clouds scudding across the sky in a steady breeze. What was she supposed to do now? When she’d been with Conall, there hadn’t been that much time to think or to plan. She was forced to live in the moment. But now they’d stopped moving, how was she supposed to fill her time until Conall could take her back to that beach?
