“Ye may be right,” she said thoughtfully, forcing her voice steady. The path to Darragh’s office felt as if it were shortertoday. Almost without thinking, she admitted, “I do believe I’m beginnin’ to enjoy this place.”
I’m beginnin’ to enjoy Darragh’sworld.
The rest of the walk to the study was quiet. A different kind of discomfort washed over Amelia. She hadn’t considered that stepping into the life that happened in the keep would bring her solace. And now, she wasn’t sure how to reconcile that, the complicated feelings she had for the Laird who plucked her from the tower, and the deep-seated need to protect herself.
Both her body and her heart.
* * *
The knock came nearly an hour after Darragh had requested Amelia’s presence. He stopped his pacing, unclasping his hands from behind his back, and said, “Enter.”
Jinny stepped inside first, giving Darragh a polite nod as she held the door open for Amelia. Then, glancing between the two of them and lingering for a beat as if ensuring she was no longer needed, Jinny slipped back into the corridor. As soon as the door shut, his study seemed to warm up several degrees.
“Ye kept me waitin’,” he observed, taking in Amelia’s appearance.
The color had returned to her cheeks, and her body seemed to be filling out. There were no longer sharp angles at her elbows or the jutting collarbones that spoke of hunger and malnutrition. It was as if she became more beautiful each day she spent at the keep.
“I was in the middle of a task that required me concentration,” she explained, the words not an apology. She seemed almost stiff, like he’d inconvenienced her. “I couldnae drop it simply because ye wished to speak with me.”
“Most people livin’ in me keep wouldnae dare to keep me waitin’ when I’ve requested their presence directly,” he said with a hint of a challenge.
She rose to it, just as he’d come to expect from her. “Well, I’m nae most people, Laird Fraser.”
“Ach, and ye willnae let me forget it,” he murmured, taking a step toward her. “But me summons was time sensitive.”
“And yet ye still havenae told me why ye’ve called me,” she retorted. “I’ve got quite a busy schedule as well.”
There was a slight smirk on her face, an eyebrow raised almost playfully. The urge to grab her pink cheeks and bring their mouths together in another wild kiss was strong. This woman did nothing but test his resolve and restraint.
“I’ve nae hear about yer busy schedule,” he considered, crossing his arms. “Does it consist of wanderin’ about and doin’ as ye please.”
She bristled slightly, straightening her skirt as she narrowed her eyes. “Nay,” she said. “Just this afternoon, I took inventory of the linen stores.” She offered him the ledger she had tucked under her arm. “I’d recommend gettin’ more linens for everyday use. Ye have plenty for guests, but the stock ye have for residents is a bit dingy.”
“Ye’ve decided to put yerself to work, then?” he asked, flipping through the pages of her precise handwriting. “Ye ken that I daenae expect ye to do anythin’ but recover. Ye daenae owe me nor the keep anythin’.”
She froze at the statement, her shoulders hardening. “It’s nae about thinkin’ Ioweanyone,” she stated, her voice clipped. “I dinnae ask for ye to bring me here, nor will I make any requests. I’m keepin’ meself busy. Now, what is it that ye needed to speak with me about?”
Ach, if I push her any further, she’s goin’ to close herself off to me again.
And the last thing he wanted, though he was loath to admit it to even himself, was for Amelia to shut him out.
He cleared his throat, keeping the distance between them small. “I will be out of the castle for a week. I’m leavin’ this evenin’. Me horse is prepared.”
Something unreadable flashed across her features. It was gone before he could parse out the emotion. He had an inkling, though.
“It’s nae because of ye,” he assured when she met his eyes once more. “There’s another duty that’s demandin’ me attention.”
“I see,” she said, noticeably less tense. Looking away from him, a slight blush rising to her cheeks, she continued, “But I daenae ken why ye found it important to inform me.”
“Ye’d let yer mind run wild if I left the keep without speakin’ with ye first,” he explained. The way her breath caught was enough to tell him that she felt uncomfortably exposed.
“I daenae think I’d even notice ye were gone,” she argued, her tone chilled. “I’ve nae even seen ye at mealtimes.”
“I thought ye’d enjoy nae havin’ me breathin’ down yer neck as I managed other variables.” He took a step closer, making her tilt her head to maintain eye contact. “Is that what ye’d prefer? Me keepin’ a closer eye on ye?”
“That’s nae what I was sayin’,” she objected, the flush on her cheeks seeming to be a permanent fixture. She shifted, clearly resisting the urge to step back, still wanting to make herself seem unaffected. “I was simply informin’ ye that I wouldnae have noticed yer absence.”
Even as the words left her lips, her eyes flicked to the side. He smirked. The lass was lying, and she wanted herself to be convincing.
