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I’m goin’ tae miss her. That’s what this funny feelin’ is.
It astounded Fin that he had known her for such a short time, but she had this sort of impact on him. He did not understand how it was possible, given that he still knew so little about her. But that was the thing… he wanted to know so much more. He wanted to know everything. And knowing he was likely not going to get the chance is what was causing the strange emotions swirling around inside of him.
And as he looked at her on the other side of his desk, at the expression on her face and the guarded look in her eye, he wondered if she was feeling the same way. Or whether it was like it was with her brother… that he merely saw what he wanted to see.
“Tis a shame ye’re leavin’ so soon,” Fin said with a small smile. “I was hopin’ tae have another talk over meat pies.”
“I would have enjoyed that, Fin.”
“Aye. I would’ve tae.”
They sat together in silence for a long moment, neither of them speaking or moving. They sat like they had been frozen in time, their bodies taut, and their gazes locked together. Although thoughts about Ivy swirled through his mind, he was also thinking about the problem at hand at the same time. The problem being her brother.
He wondered if she might know who he was meeting with in the garden last night. Maybe she could provide some clarity one way or the other. She could prove to him that it was all totally innocent, that Castor was meeting with somebody who had nothing to do with what happened in the small hours this morning.
Or, she could confirm for him that the man he met with was the same man the Duke’s guard had in custody. If she knew the name of the man her brother was meeting with, she could put an end to this once and for all. It would expose her brother as the man behind the assassination attempts on the Duke and Gillian.
But that left him with a dilemma. He did not believe she would knowingly expose her brother. Fin did not believe she was a part of the conspiracy, but at the same time, she did not think she would intentionally incriminate Castor. Regardless of how frustrated she might get with him, he was her brother. Family. And if there was one thing Fin had learned about the English, it was that they put an extraordinary value on family and loyalty.
Are we Scots any different in that way? I know I would dae just about bleedin’ anythin’ Col asked me tae dae.
But still, Fin knew he needed to ask Ivy if she knew anything. But he also knew he needed to be delicate. He needed to poke around the edges of the topic of her brother. He knew he was selfish and that he was delicate only because he did not want to offend her. He did not want to upset her or risk Ivy’s wrath.
He wanted to leave things on good terms simply because she made him feel things he was not used to feeling. Fin knew that he liked Ivy and wanted to keep in her good graces. But that meant he was going to need to question her - gently. The problem was, he did not know how to be delicate. He was a man who faced things head-on and did not dance around the issues.
“What is it?” Ivy asked as she cocked her head at him. “You look vexed.”
He chuckled softly. “That is me natural state of bein’, lass.”
She smiled. “You are not so disagreeable as you think, Fin.”
“Ye say that because ye havenae been around me for long,” he said with a grin. “Ask anybody who’s kent me for a while.”
She favored him with a smile that made his heart turn somersaults in his chest. It was a reaction he had never had for a woman before. She made him feel new things. Unexpected. Things that made him feel a lightness inside of him that was strange and yet… nice. And he wanted to hold onto that for a while longer. He wanted to explore that with her and see where it went. He wanted to see if she did indeed feel the same way because although he thought he could see it in her eyes, Fin was not sure his judgment could be trusted when it came to her.
But I have a job tae dae. Before anythin’ else, I need tae find out who tried to kill the Duke and Col. Who almost killed Gillian.
Fin let out a long sigh knowing that he very well might be saying goodbye to Ivy in a very different way here shortly. But it was his duty. His responsibility. And he would not - could not - let Col down.
“I need tae ask ye somethin’, Ivy.”
“Sure, go ahead,” she replied. “Ask me anything.”
Fin looked down at the top of the desk and frowned. And when he looked back up at her, he could see a flash of concern on Ivy’s face. He was apparently not doing a very good job of hiding his vexation.
“I saw yer braither in the garden with somebody last night. I couldnae see who it was - they had the hood of their cloak pulled low,” he said. “I need tae ken if he told ye about anybody he was meetin’ with.”
She looked at him strangely for a moment, seeming to be somewhat uncertain of what Fin meant by the question.
“No, he did not tell me he was meeting with anybody last night,” she said. “But that is not surprising. He does not tell me much.”
Fin sighed. “So he didnae mention meetin’ anybody? Nae even in passin’?”
“What is this about, Fin?”
He gnawed on his bottom lip and looked away, unwilling to meet her eyes. He felt conflicted. Coming here to find the would-be assassin was a duty he took very seriously, and it was a duty he had vowed to see through to the end. But on the other hand, he did not want to ruin things with Ivy before they began. And that was something he thought was sure to happen if he pursued her brother.
But I have nay choice. I have tae dae me bleedin’ duty.
