One of the guards nodded quickly. “Aye, me Laird,” he replied.
James continued without hesitation. “And if ye see movement in the lower treeline, ye bring it to me, nay exceptions.”
The men dispersed immediately, moving with practiced urgency.
James turned toward a waiting horse, adjusting the straps of his saddle with efficient movements. Eloise stopped walking without realizing it, watching from the edge of the yard. There was something about the way he moved, controlled, certain, as though the world bent slightly around his decisions.
He swung himself into the saddle with ease, gathering the reins in one hand.
“Ride out!” he called to the remaining riders beside him. “And daenae return without eyes on every path!”
The riders spurred forward. The horse surged beneath him, powerful and fast. Wind caught his cloak as he rode out through the gates, disappearing toward the treeline with unwavering purpose.
Eloise’s breath caught in her throat before she could stop it. It was not just command she saw, it was certainty and dominance shaped into motion. And despite everything she told herself, despite every argument and frustration between them, her heart fluttered at the sight of him.
She stood there long after he vanished from view, realizing only then that no amount of work, distraction, or distance would keep him out of her thoughts for long.
God help me. Why does this man have such a hold on me?
Eloise folded cloth she had helped weave in her bedchamber, when the door opened without warning. She turned sharply, irritation already rising, and found James stepping inside.
“Ye daenae knock?” she demanded placing her hands on her hips.
James closed the door behind him with calm indifference. “I daenae need to,” he said simply. “This is me castle.”
“It is me room,” she corrected.
James did not react to her tone, only stepped further inside with measured pace. His eyes were already on her, assessing, unreadable. “I heard ye received a letter,” he said.
Eloise blinked, caught off guard by the shift. “Aye, I did,” she answered carefully. There was something in his voice that made her cautious.
James held out his hand. “Give it to me.” The command was immediate, unsoftened.
Eloise stared at him in disbelief. “Why?” she asked sharply.
His expression did not change. “Because I said so.” A quiet tension filled the room, thick and rising.
Eloise shook her head once. “Nay.”
James took one slow step closer. “Our agreement,” he said, voice lowering, “is that ye will do as I say. Now hand it over.”
Eloise lifted her chin, refusing to retreat. “Aye, I agreed to that but nae to sharing me personal possessions,” she shot back, “nae to be commanded like property.”
James’s gaze sharpened at that, but he did not raise his voice. “I must ken all correspondence,” he replied. “That is how safety is kept in me world.”
Eloise let out a breath of frustration. “I deserve privacy,” she said firmly.
For a moment, neither moved. Then James spoke again, quieter but more dangerous. “Either give it to me,” he said, “or I will turn this room upside down until I find it.”
Eloise’s eyes widened slightly. “Ye wouldnae dare,” she said, though uncertainty flickered beneath her defiance. James did not answer. Instead, he turned and walked straight to her desk.
Eloise followed him instantly, outrage building. “Stop,” she said, voice rising. “Ye have nay right.”
James ignored her and began opening drawers with controlled precision. “Ye think I will trust what I cannae see?” he asked.
Eloise stepped closer. “Ye think ye can just take whatever ye want?” she snapped. “That is exactly what I am starting to believe about ye.”
Then he pulled out the letter. “This?” he asked.
