Perhaps this will be simple after all.
He straightened in his seat, reaching for the bottle to pour himself another measure of whiskey. His eyes caught a faint shift in Caelan’s expression a moment too late.
“Perhaps we should drink to patience as well,” Caelan said, not bothering to hide his smirk. “Ye’ll be needing a great deal of it with that one.”
Aaron arched his brow slightly. He wondered for a moment how Caelan had been able to tell that he was thinking about her, but then he chose not to question it.
“She’s too stubborn,” Caelan continued, draining his cup. “Perhaps even more than ye are.”
Aaron did not answer immediately.
He looked at the amber liquor in his cup, his mind drifting again to the scent of wild lavender that had slowly begun to haunt his memory, even when she was nowhere near him.
A soft breath escaped his lips, and he closed his eyes again, completely relaxing into his seat.
Or perhaps this month will be hell.
“Aye,” he replied before his thoughts began to drift again. “I ken that well enough.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Edith sighed, tossing and turning in her large, feathered bed for the umpteenth time.
It was nothing short of ironic.
For the first time in her life, she had a bedchamber larger than any she’d ever imagined or wished for. And yet it felt as though she was lying in a shoebox, trapped there against her will.
It was nearly dawn. The sound of the midnight guards patrolling the castle had long since faded, and those after it, too.
She groaned, pushing off the soft fur blanket that now felt heavy atop her body. She had not slept all night. Her head ached slightly as she slid out of bed, her bare feet meeting the surprisingly cold stone floor.
The fire in the grate had yet to burn out, and the chamber was warm. Yet the air felt thick in her lungs, heavy with the weightof her arrangement with Aaron and everything else that might come with it.
What have I gotten meself into?
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, padding across the room toward the window. The cold Highland breeze blew against her face as she pushed open the wooden shutters, and she inhaled, allowing the fresh air to fill her lungs.
She immediately felt better.
The chill eased the pressure behind her eyes, and for a brief moment, her headache ebbed.
She stayed there for a moment, her fingers resting against the frame as she enjoyed the early morning air against her skin.
Perhaps the cold is what I need to numb me mind.
The idea felt great. Her hazy mind latched onto it at once, and she headed straight to the door, pulling it slightly open to peek outside.
Och.
Her eyes caught a flicker of light down the corridor, and she immediately stepped back, shutting the door a touch too loudly.
Damn me.
How could she have forgotten that her new chamber was right across from Aaron’s?
She pressed her ear against the wooden door and listened for movement from the other side.
Nothing. Surely, he is asleep.
