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As she felt the familiar weight of his unwavering gaze on her, her cheeks turned crimson. His narrowed eyes indicated that he, too, was thinking about everything that had occurred between them the night before. Edna was encouraged just by the fact that he was willing to talk to her again. She could sense the determination and purpose that radiated from his very being, and it was clear that he knew exactly what he wanted. She, on the other hand, was uncertain about everything, fearful of the position of power he must hold within the clan.
Regardless, she could sense the warmth in his gaze as he looked at her. One thing she was certain had not changed — his eyes were filled with the zeal he had displayed the night before. She was surethat everything he had told herwas true. She turned to face her mother, thinking quickly of a way to slip away.
She assured Ronin with a quick nod of her head that she would meet him. He understood her signal and returned her nod. She noticed that the three guards were asking questions, while her mother was still talking to her friend. She knew her absence would go unnoticed, but she needed an excuse in case shestarted looking for her.
“Mother,” she called.
“Yes, Edna?”
"I need to fetchsome herbs, and thento thechurch. I will meet ye backhome," she replied softly, watching her mother's worried expression.
“I cannot allow ye to venture out all by yerself after what has happened yesterday. Why don’t ye meet me back here after church, so we can go home together?”
"It isn't that far, mother, plenty of people will be around.I'll make arrangements to walk home with someone," Edna reasoned, hoping her mother would agree to her plan.
“Just promise me ye will be safe,” her mother answered.
“I promise,” she placed a soft kiss on her mother’s cheek and headed towards the herb stall.
She spent a few minutes there buying herbs so that her mother would know shewasn't lying. She knew she had to be cautious around Ronin because she didn't know who he was or what his role in the clan was. He was still a stranger to her. He was standing just a few feet away from her, and she could hear him speak with an elderly gentleman at the stall. He was asking basic questions such as where the man lived and if he had seen anything related to the murder the night before. She was about to say something when she heard footsteps approaching him. She watched from the corner of her eye as the two men stood face to face.
“Milaird, I don’t think anyone here has seen anything,” the guard said. Edna couldn't believe her ears. The guard referred to Ronin as the laird and shestruggled to make sense of the situation. The guards were from the royal castle and reported directly to the lairdess. Everyone in the clan knewthat shehad a son who had been sent to France to further his education. Shefelt a faint ringing in her ears as the reality of the situation dawned on her, but she couldn't quite believe it. She knew Ronin was the son who had been sent away, and that he was the future heir but she didn't want to believe it.
The man she kissed last night could be the son of the man who murdered her father and destroyed her entire family. Edna could feel the blood draining from her face. To calm her racing nerves, she took deep breaths and closed her eyes. This was not the time to be alarmed. She needed to check with Ronin before getting carried away with this new information. She eventually returned to her senses and refocused on the conversation going on behind her.
“You all head back to the castle. I will meet you there shortly,” Ronin said and Edna knew that he was sending them away because he wished to meet her. She quickly paid the man for the herbs and walked in the direction of the church hoping that Ronin was following her.
She turned around when she reached a secluded alley, and her gaze was drawn to Ronin, who was standing just behind her. He approached her and hugged her without saying anything. Edna sighed as she inhaled his familiar odor. Edna couldn't help but smile as he kissed her on the cheek. Her emotions were in a state of upheaval. Her mind was consumed by constant thoughts of him, and her body was consumed by desire for him, despite the fact that he was most likely a member of the family responsible for her father's death.But she was being pulled by a force stronger than her own choosing.
“I missed ye,” she whispered.
“I missed you too.”
“So ye found out about the murder too?”
“Yes, right after I woke up this morning,” he answered; his tone turning solemn. Edna could tell he was bothered by the incident. Despite this, all shecould think about was what she had heard him say to the guard. She knew she had to ask him right away or she'd lose her nerve.
“Ronin, can I ask ye something and promise that ye will reply truthfully?”
“Anything.”
“Are ye the heir to the lairdship?” Edna watched as his eyes grew serious and he waited a few seconds before finally replying. That was answer enough.
“I am.” she had never felt more conflicted.
CHAPTERELEVEN
Edna kept staring at Ronin, dazed. She knew what all of this meant. She was well aware that his acceptance of the lairdship, of being the laird's son, meant only one thing; he was the son of the man who killed her father. He was her family's worst enemy, and being with him was nothing short of a betrayal of her late father's memory. Her breath caught in her throat, and she pushed him away to stand a short distance away from him.
“Edna, listen to me,” he whispered as he came to stand behind her and held her by the elbow. She was powerless against him so she turned around to look at him.
“Ronin, ye already ken who I am? Don’t ye?” she asked softly; not knowing what to think or what to believe. His hesitation to answer her had been proof that he knew exactly who she was and why she had asked him the question.
“Yes. Last night, when my friend Lachlan saw us together, he told me who you were. He asked me to stay away from you,” Ronin confessed; releasing her.
“Then why didn’t ye?”
“Why didn’t I what?”
