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All sensual tension left, and she closed her eyes and held her breath to keep from crying at Camden stating her deepest fears out loud. Finally, she was able to speak, albeit in a shaky voice. “I dinnae wish to imagine it, much less live it. The sad reality is that many women face a very sad fate.”

Whether she imagined it or not, it seemed Camden’s body stiffened, and suddenly it felt as if some sort of space appeared between them.

“Do ye…” he began, then cleared his throat. “Do ye spend a great deal of time with yer brother?”

“I do, aye,” Anne replied unsure why he’d asked. “As I imagine ye do with Beitris and yer aunt, and uncle.”

He chuckled softly, the deep grumble in his chest vibrating through her. “Not so much Beitris as of late. I spend a great deal of time with Brae, the injured lad now. He has decided to become my apprentice.”

Thankfully, their conversation shifted, but still, Anne wondered what he’d begun to ask before changing his mind and asking about time with her brother. Obviously, both had decided to skirt the topic of what had happened between them.

Anne said, “I am glad to hear that Brae has such aspirations. With Beitris living away from the village, Brae can fill in for ye when ye have other duties. From what I hear, soon several women will be delivering bairns. Then there are the farming injuries once the warmer weather comes upon us.”

“Ye are an observant woman. Not everyone notices things as such. There are several elderly who require constant care as well,” he hesitated for a beat. “There is much to be done, not just for a healer, but also for someone who does nae mind caring for others.”

“There is.” Anne let out a sigh suddenly wishing they could continue riding and talking. Despite the attraction to him, even before she’d accepted it, she’s always felt a comfortable rapport with Camden. They’d had long discussions about healing practices, about her work with the elderly. Through the years, she’d kept herself protected from any kind of fanciful thoughts about him. After all, he’d always seemed closed off, an obvious boundary between them. It was best to make it clear that they could only remain friends.

“Camden?” Anne said her voice low.

“Aye?”

“Do ye think it best if—”

“We have arrived,” Moyra called out, saving Anne from asking the question that she’d not been sure how to form.

Camden led the horse forward to the side of the church. Then asked, “What were ye going to ask?”

“Never mind, it was something silly,” Anne lied, letting out a sigh when he dismounted, leaving her to feel not only adrift emotionally, but also terrified of how to go about climbing down.

“Lean forward over the horse’s neck, then slide sideways toward me,” Camden directed. When she did as he instructed she slid easily from the horse’s back and into his arms.

As he lowered her to stand, their gazes clashed, his hands lingering around her waist longer than was appropriate until someone cleared their throat. Her brother. Of course.

Chapter Nine

“I am displeased,” Moyra announced following Camden as he hoisted a shovel and made his way to help dig Agnes’s grave. As there was only the vicar, Gowan, and him, it would be several hours of work.

Camden wasn’t surprised at Moyra’s pronouncement. In truth he’d expected that she’d be upset. Although it wasn’t in his nature to purposely hurt a woman, he had to speak with Moyra and inform her he would never marry her. Unfortunately, this wasn’t that moment.

“Why did ye choose her to ride with ye?” Moyra asked with a pout, sliding an angry glare toward Anne, who was a short distance away speaking to the vicar and her brother.

“This is nae the place for this conversation,” Camden said. “We must start with the digging. It will take several hours.”

Moyra’s face hardened, nostrils flared, and lips pressed together, then she slid her gaze to the side in thought. When she looked in his direction again, suddenly her expression softened, and she gave him an unsettling flirty look. Speaking in a louder tone, she said, “Aye, I will expect to see ye later. We can go for a walk and spend time alone.”

Moyra lifted to her toes and kissed his jaw. “I best go; Mum is expecting me.” Not leaving space between them, her lips curved. “Come fetch me when ye are done here, love.”

That’s when he noted that Effie and Anne had closed the distance and had heard every word of Moyra’s statement.

Sweat trickled down Camden’s back as he and Gowan were helped to climb out of the grave. Another pair of men had arrived to help lower the simple wooden box down into the hole. To his astonishment, Brae had managed to walk there and now stood next to Anne, both watching from a nearby tree.

Effie neared and handed him a small cloth to wipe his face. Her gaze lingering on him, lips pressed together, a glint of annoyance in her eyes. “I dinnae like that Moyra woman. She is not a kind sort,” Effie pronounced. “Ye should find yerself someone better.”

Camden was about to reply when Gowan cut in. “Effie, hand me the cloth ye brought?”

She turned to Gowan, hands on her hips. “Why would I do that? Ye daft ogre.”

It was hard not to laugh when Gowan turned to look at him. Camden pressed his lips together, fighting to keep a straight face. Was something afoot between Effie and Gowan?