Her gaze held his. Her eyes were still wide, still filled with fear. But there was something else there.
Pride.
His words had gotten to her.
And she should be proud. It’s nae every day that a lass gets the chance to kill her attacker.
Lord knows that Arthur was proud of her. So damned proud he was having a little trouble putting it into words. He also didn’t know her well enough to spring that on her.
So, instead, he reached forward carefully. His hand wrapped around the knife. Immediately, Marissa released it, seemingly glad to be rid of it.
“Michael taught us to always keep a knife in the bodices of our gowns when we travel,” she explained, her voice much more steady than it had been a moment ago.
Arthur smirked. “I’ll need to write to him and thank him for teachin’ me betrothed so well.”
She chuckled. The fear was fading from her features quickly. Finally, Marissa released a long breath and shook her shoulders, as if the act alone could rid her of what she’d just done.
“We need to get back on the road,” Arthur said. “But this time, ye’ll be sittin’ up front with me. I need to be able to keep an eye on ye.”
She nodded, not arguing as the pair of them clambered out of the confines of the carriage.
Arthur stood off to the side, extending his hand to help her up into the driver’s seat. He watched as she climbed up into it, settling down with a swish of her skirts.
He told her to stay there and stay alert as he slunk down the road and removed the felled tree that had been placed there to stop them. It rolled easily, and as he kicked it off the road, he turned back to the carriage and found Marissa watching him intently.
With purposeful strides, he made his way back to her. As he climbed up onto the wooden bench beside her, the corner of her mouth quirked into a smirk.
“It’s all right, ye ken,” she quipped, her voice sounding lighter than it had been since the fight had broken out.
“What is?”
He bent, grabbing hold of the reins and flicking them. He admired how calm the horses had been, how they had not so much as balked as the fight had broken out. Another thing that he’d thank Michael for. He’d expected it from his own horse, but the other had been a pleasant surprise.
“That ye want me up here so that I can protect ye,” Marissa answered. When Arthur looked at her, her smile was broad. “I willnae tell yer secret.”
She winked at him, and for the very first time since Arthur had met her, he couldn’t help but laugh.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Is that the castle?”
Marissa couldn’t hide the awe that had seeped into her voice, and when Arthur just gave her a quick nod, her mouth fell open in surprise.
“Ye said it was nothin’ but a house made of stone—that it was nothin’ special!” she exclaimed, giving him a smack on the arm. “Ye lied.”
“I didnae lie,” Arthur murmured with a shrug. “People live in a house. And it is where me kin and I live. It’s a house.”
It was so much more than just a house. The castle wasmassive. By far the largest she’d ever seen. And she had seen plenty of castles in her time living with Michael, as they’d attended various events hosted by other lairds.
But Castle Reid found a way to include both. As it grew nearer, Marissa couldn’t help but be impressed.
It’s more lovely than even Castle McEwan.
They passed under the gate, and she immediately spotted lush flower gardens filling a wide, expansive courtyard. Trees, lush and blooming, filled the space. And beyond the castle walls, the rolling hills of the Highlands could be seen in the distance.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
She had meant the words for herself only, but when the corner of Arthur’s mouth ticked up in satisfaction, she did not doubt that he had heard her.
