Chapter 18
Evan stood in the courtyard, his gaze flicking from the horse in front of him to the path that led to the house.
His fingers drummed against the reins in an unconscious rhythm, unable to remain still. He had been restless from the second he’d risen this morning, unable to settle, eager and uncertain at the same time. He couldn’t quite decide if it was excitement or nerves—or a mixture of both—that was churning in his chest. But whatever it was, it had his heart pounding harder than usual. What if this was a terrible mistake? What if it all went wrong? What if—?
He clamped down on his thoughts before they could take hold.
It was an overcast morning, but the sun was trying to peek out from behind clouds that blanketed the sky. There was a slight chill in the air, the remnants of a night that had been colder than expected, but the warmth of the sun breaking through the clouds seemed like a good omen for what was to come.
Or so he hoped.
He glanced at the door. Where was she? He’d been waiting hours already! All right, that wasn’t strictly true, and he’d given her no warning of what he was up to, merely telling her to meet him in the courtyard after breakfast. But that seemed an age ago.Everyminute he spent away from Ruby felt like an age.
His thoughts flew back to the past few days, to how they’d spent their nights together, to how every time they touched, kissed, or even looked at each other, it felt like everything around them ceased to exist. It had been less than a week since they’d arrived at his brother’s estate, but the pull he felt toward her had only grown stronger with each passing day. The way she laughed, the way her eyes sparkled when she was amused—he couldn’t get enough of her.
He heard footsteps, turned and saw her standing at the top of the steps. Ruby spotted him and smiled softly, that smile that lit her eyes and took his breath away. Before he realized what he was doing, he was striding to her, lifting her chin, then gently kissing her, slow and deep. People might see, but he didn’t give a damn. Let them see. Let them gossip and whisper and wonder. It meant nothing to him.
When they finally pulled apart, he was breathless. She rested her hands against his chest and gazed up at him.
“Well,” she finally said. “That was quite the greeting.”
“I missed ye,” he murmured, his voice husky.
She grinned. “Then I’ll have to keep you waiting more often.” She took his hand, her fingers warm as they curled around his.
“Are ye ready?” he asked.
Ruby nodded. “Lead the way.”
Evan led her to the horse, boosted Ruby into the saddle, then swung up behind her. It was the same beast he’d loaned from the innkeeper in Edinburgh and no doubt by now the innkeeper was wondering where he’d got to. After all, Evan hadn’t planned on staying and had intended to take the horse—and himself—straight back to the capital. But his plans, like so much in his life recently, had changed. He’d have to speak to Niall and see about getting some kind of recompense sent to the innkeeper.
They left the manor house behind and rode through Niall and Charlie’s estate, passing the neatly cultivated fields, thescattered cottages, and around the back of the hill on which the windmill stood. He could hear the distant hum of workers in the fields, the occasional shout as someone called to their fellows, and he felt an unexpected pull in his chest. This was the life his family had once lived, the land they had once called home. He hadn’t been a part of it for so long and yet, something about it was beginning to feel familiar.
After around half an hour of riding, they reached the low wall that marked the boundary of Niall’s estate. He didn’t pause. If he did, he might lose his courage completely, so he booted the horse in the ribs, sending him jumping over the wall and landing lightly on the other side.
Ruby yelped in surprise.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I should have warned ye about that.”
“Yes, please. So I can get off and walk next time.”
He nudged the horse into a canter along a track that skirted a thick stand of fir trees, dipped into a shallow dell, and then came out the other side onto a broad, flat meadow alive with wildflowers. On the far side stood a boarded-up house —small, by some standards, but still standing proudly against the sweeping hills that rose behind. It was sturdy, solid, with thick stone walls and a thatched roof that looked like it needed some attention. He pulled the horse to a halt in front of it.
“Here we are,” he announced.
Ruby looked at the house, her brow furrowed. “Where is ‘here’?”
Evan dismounted, his boots thudding against the hard-packed ground. He walked over to the door, pulling at the heavy boards that had been nailed across it. The wood creaked as it came loose, and the door swung open with a protesting groan.
“This,” he said, holding up a hand to help Ruby down. “Is my manor house. Or, at least, it wasmeantto be. It came with myportion of my family’s lands after we’d finished carving it up into a bleeding mess.”
Ruby blinked in surprise, but said nothing as she walked inside. Evan followed, stepping into a long-disused sitting room. Dust hung in the air, and the smell of neglect and damp was heavy, and yet...something about the place felt...right.
“It isnae as grand as Niall’s manor,” he said, “Andcertainlynot as grand as Bryce’s, but well, it’s what ye see. It would have been my home if I had stayed.”
Ruby was quiet for a long moment, her gaze taking in the room. “Your home?” she said softly.
He nodded, and suddenly words were pouring out of him. “I...I brought ye here because I...I’m starting to realize something.” He walked over to her and took her hands in his. “I’m starting to realize that another life might be possible. One where I stop running. One where Istay.” He took a deep breath, steeled his courage and gestured to the house, the land, the life he’d abandoned. “One where this becomesours.”
