“Life is filled with wonders, lass.”
Aye, like the fireflies dancing around his head, or the wind through the foothills that sounded like music.
“Is that why ye live here alone, instead of with the rest of yer kin at Tor Castle? Is it unpleasant there?”
“Nae. ’Tis my childhood home and I love it as such. But once I could no longer use my arm, I felt like a fool practicin’ when the physicians said ’twas useless. I came here and lived in my father’s house until we built mine together. I love it here, but I visit home from time to time.”
“Then, are ye ready to go back since yer arm is so much better?”
He walked a few more steps, then stopped and turned to her.
“I should return before my mother comes here.”
“Why?” she asked him. “I willna hurt her.”
His smile returned and Elspeth wondered how she would ever kill him. She was supposed to keep her purpose at the forefront of her thoughts, but she couldn’t do it with him. He was kind to her, and—dare she say it? Compassionate. Every time he spoke, he chipped away at her hatred and anger.
“’Tis no’ that,” he explained, or tried to. “I feel different and she will notice.”
Elspeth stared at him for a moment without blinking. “That leaves me with more questions than any explanation.”
He blew out a breath and began again. “She will nae longer leave us alone once she discovers who ye are and how I feel about ye.”
“How ye…? How do ye feel?”
“I care aboot ye, lass,” he said without hesitation. “I would…like ye to remain here.”
What? He was not serious, was he? He was teasing her, wasn’t he? She didn’t think he hated her, but she never thought he liked her enough to want her to stay. It was too sudden. She wasn’t prepared for the rush of emotions it ushered in. She knew what the emotions were while she held them back at the gates, even more reason she couldn’t allow herself to feel them for Logan Cameron.
“Ye dinna have to give me an answer now,” he allowed.
“An answer?”
“Aye, to whether or no’ ye want to stay here.”
She did. She did.
“Mr. Cameron?”
“Aye, lass?”
“When I was a child, I believed there were good-hearted people out there. I sought to be one of them. I did my best.”Until the night I caused…I caused the deaths of everyone in the village, everyone in my family by putting the guards to sleep so I could help ye.
She still didn’t possess the strength to confess the absolute truth to him, even if he suspected it. Mayhap, one day she would.
“But I learned that my dreams were just that. Dreams of a child. All the way up until now, I thought people like ye didna exist. Ye change my mind constantly, over and over again. I dinna want it to be ye. There are too many obstacles.”
He smiled, looking down at her. “I’m good at movin’ obstacles oot of my way, lass.”
She didn’t doubt it. He never gave up on his body. Even now, as they walked in the golden torchlight, he swung his arm, rotating his shoulder, practicing moving. She knew that if he ever set his mind to having her, he would stop at nothing.
“Miss Woodburn, some would call ye a fool to come with me in the dead of night.”
“Those are the ones who do not know ye,” she told him, casting away the concerns his warning conjured.
“So then,” he said with a smile lacing his voice, “have I earned the honor of not bein’ feared by ye?”
“Hmm, ye have good recollection,” she remarked, remembering when she told him he had to earn the honor of being a man she did not fear. “Aye, ye have earned that honor, Mr. Cameron. I dinna fear ye.”
