“Ye’ve been broodin’ more than usual,” Callum remarked, glancing over at him as they walked.
James huffed softly. “I’ve reason enough,” he replied.
Callum smirked faintly. “Aye, I’ve eyes, I’ve seen her too,” he said.
James shot him a look. “Daenae start,” he warned.
Callum only chuckled. “What is there to brood over. Ye have a bonnie lass ready to be yer wife. 'Tis a blessing.”
James didn't answer. The farce was taking its toll and he didn't want to lie to his right-hand man.
They came upon the first snare not long after, and James slowed, his brow furrowing slightly.
“That’s nay right,” he said, crouching to examine it. The cord had been loosened, the mechanism disturbed but not fully dismantled.
“It’s been tampered with,” Callum said, stepping closer.
James nodded once, his fingers brushing over the altered knot. “Aye, but not ruined,” he added. “Just enough to let whatever was caught slip free.”
Callum tilted his head. “Strange thing to do,” he said. “Who would bother?”
James straightened slowly, his gaze shifting back toward the castle. “I’ve a guess,” he said.
Callum’s brow lifted. “Do ye now?” he asked, amusement already creeping into his tone.
James did not answer at once, though his expression spoke plainly enough.
Callum let out a short laugh. “Yer betrothed?” he said, grinning openly. “A woman. Aye, that sounds about right.”
James exhaled sharply. “It’s nae somethin’ to laugh at,” he said. “She’s interferin’ with what keeps this place runnin’.”
Callum shrugged lightly. “Or she’s doin’ what comes natural to her,” he countered.
James glanced at him, irritation flickering. “And what would that be?” he asked.
Callum gestured vaguely toward the snare. “Showin’ a bit of mercy,” he said simply.
“This is nae about mercy, 'tis about survival. She must learn that,” James said.
Callum nodded. “Aye, and she’s survived well enough so far, has she nae?”
They moved on, though James’s thoughts remained tangled. “She’ll cause trouble if she keeps this up,” he said after a moment.
Callum glanced at him sidelong. “Or she’ll change a few things for the better,” he replied.
James scoffed softly. “Ye sound like the rest of them, the household love her,” he muttered.
Callum grinned. “And I cannae say I blame them.”
Callum said nothing more, though the knowing look did not leave his face. They walked on in silence, the forest closing around them once again. Yet even there, in the stillness he had once trusted, James found no peace from the truth pressing in.
The snares were loosening, the people were changing, and somewhere in the midst of it all, so was he.
James leaned against the mantle in the solar, one arm braced against the stone as the fire cast a low, flickering glow across the room. He had meant for this to be a simple conversation, controlled and measured, yet his thoughts refused to settle.
Keep yerself together, man. She is but a lass.
The door opened with a soft creak, and he straightened slightly as a servant ushered Eloise inside. His breath caught before he could stop it. The gown she wore dipped low at the neckline, the soft curve of her figure accentuated by the tight draw of the bodice, her form both elegant and impossible to ignore. His gaze lingered a moment too long on her bosom, before he forced it upward, meeting her eyes instead.
