Arianna sprinted toward a cluster of barrels, nearly caught before she twisted aside. “Ye’ll nae catch me so easily!” she called over her shoulder.
Ian watched from where he stood, arms folded loosely across his chest. The light bounced off her hair as she ran, her laughter unrestrained and full. A small child latched onto her hand, and she slowed just enough to guide him safely behind a cart.
“Quickly!” she urged. “This way!”
She was caught moments later and accepted her fate with dramatic despair. “Oh, I’ve been hunted down!” she cried, clutching her heart as the children collapsed in laughter around her.
Ian shook his head slightly, though warmth spread through him. She knelt in the grass, cheeks flushed, eyes bright, entirely atease among them. When she rose and brushed off her skirts, she glanced toward him, breathless.
“Did ye see?” she called.
“Aye,” he replied evenly. “Ye’ve a fierce competitive streak.”
She walked back to him, still smiling. “They nearly tired me out.”
“But they didnae,” he said.
A small girl hugged Arianna’s waist. Arianna rested her hand lightly over the child’s head for a brief moment, her touch instinctive and gentle.
Ian felt something shift inside him as he watched her. She would make a fine mother, he realized, the thought settling deep and certain. She had patience in her laughter and strength in her kindness.
She returned to his side, slightly out of breath. “They’ve far too much energy,” she teased.
“Ye kept pace well enough,” he replied.
She slipped her arm through his. “They’re good children.”
“They are,” he agreed quietly.
She tilted her head. “Ye care deeply for them.”
He met her gaze, holding it steady. “Aye,” he said simply.
She smiled at him again, softer this time. “I’m glad.”
He tightened his hold on her hand as they resumed their slow walk. “Come,” he murmured. “It grows late.”
She leaned closer as they walked, her earlier laughter still echoing faintly across the green. And as Ian led her through the village, he carried with him the image of her running free among children, bright as any lantern in the dark.
Ian could not stop watching her as they crossed toward the waiting carriage. The light clung to the curve of her cheek and traced the line of her throat, and he felt his pulse thicken with every step. Her gown, fitted close at the waist and soft along her hips, stirred memories of pale skin and bare shoulders glimpsed before. His blood ran hot, desire coiling tight and insistent in his chest.
“Ye’re quiet,” Arianna said softly, glancing at him from beneath her lashes.
“I’m thinkin’,” he answered, his voice lower than before.
“That sounds dangerous,” she teased lightly.
“For ye, mayhap,” he replied, holding her gaze a fraction too long.
He led her to the carriage and opened the door, steadying her hand as she stepped up.
“Thank ye,” she said politely, smoothing her skirts as she settled inside. He followed, pulling the door closed behind them, and the carriage jolted forward toward the castle.
The enclosed space felt smaller than it had earlier. Arianna’s scent, warm and faintly sweet, wrapped around him with every sway of the wheels. She turned toward him, cheeks still flushed from the cold air and laughter.
“Today was lovely,” she said gently. “I didnae expect…”
Her words faltered as he shifted closer. His restraint, stretched thin all day, finally snapped, or perhaps it was too much ale. He caught her by the waist, startling her, and tugged her firmly onto his lap.
