Eloise held her gaze. “Change is inevitable,” she said carefully.
Mairead’s smile returned, polite and unreadable. “Aye,” she said. “Though nae always welcome.” The tension sharpened slightly, though neither acknowledged it openly.
Before Eloise could respond, a familiar presence entered the space.
“I see ye’ve met,” James said, his voice cutting cleanly through the quiet.
Eloise turned at once, her breath catching faintly at the sight of him, though she masked it quickly.
Mairead turned as well, though Eloise noticed the slight hitch in her movement.
“James,” Mairead said, her voice softer now, and just barely unsteady.
James stepped closer, his gaze moving briefly between them before settling into its usual composed neutrality.
“Mairead,” he greeted with a short nod. “Yer return was sooner than expected.”
Mairead clasped her hands lightly. “I wished to come back,” she said. “There is much here that matters.”
Her voice steadied, but Eloise did not miss the effort behind it.
Eloise stood still, suddenly aware of the space she occupied.
Have I come between two lovers? Does James betray his heart by helping me avoid Drummond?
The thought sickened her. A sudden surge of jealousy flooded her. She pushed it away and smiled.
“I went to yer study,” she said to James, keeping her tone even. “Ye were gone.”
He glanced at her. “I had business beyond the walls,” he replied.
“I left word with the guard,” she added. “That I wished to speak with ye.”
James nodded once. “That is why I came to search for ye. We shall speak now,” he said.
Mairead’s gaze flickered between them, “I should leave ye to it,” she said after a moment, though her tone was carefully composed.
James inclined his head slightly. “As ye wish.”
Mairead turned, her steps measured as she walked away, though Eloise could not shake the feeling that she was being watched even as she left.
Eloise exhaled slowly, her attention returning to James. The air between them was no easier than it had been before.
James extended his hand without hesitation, his voice low but firm.
“Come,” he said. “We will speak in private. There's somethin' I also wish to talk of.”
Eloise glanced at his hand only briefly before placing hers in it, the contact sending an unwelcome warmth through her.
He led her through the corridors with quiet authority, his pace steady, his grip firm but not forceful. Neither of them spoke as they moved, though the silence was thick with everything left unsaid.
What does he wish to say? Is he about to call of this engagement? Have his true feelings for Mairead overcome him?
By the time they reached the solar, Eloise’s pulse had quickened despite her effort to remain composed. He released her hand as the door closed behind them.
She turned to face him at once not able to contain her words. “Does Mairead ken about us?” she asked, her tone direct.
James frowned slightly. “Ken what?” he asked.
