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Her brows rose. “’Tis the way of the world.”
“’Tis a bloody brutal world.”
She turned away to pick up her stockings and various parts of her costume. “I thought you already knew that,” she said.
She heard his footfalls coming behind her. He turned her with gentle pressure on her shoulders. Greer looked into her face, sliding his thumb over her cheek. “Well, I know ye to be beautiful, Lucy Cranfield, inside and outside. But that doesn’t matter at all until ye believe that to be true.”
She gave him a smile but knew it was sad. “Thank you for the compliment.” She looked over her shoulder at her clothes across the bed. “Now help me put myself together so I don’t get caught in the hall undressed or in the same gown I wore last night.”
Greer let her go. She watched him walk with the grace of a predator, his taut backside a thing of beauty. It was a shame to cover it.
He stopped before a wooden chest where he’d apparently stored his clothes. He threw on a new tunic and grabbed up his long length of plaid, deftly folding it to cinch around his waist, the sash over one shoulder.
“Such a simple design,” she said. “Do the ladies in the north wear such a costume?”
He walked over barefooted to pull her stay laces tighter. “Nay. They wear petticoats and stays like ye. Silk and velvet at the Edinburgh court, but coarser fabric on the populace.”
Dressed, Lucy leaned in to kiss her lover before leaving the room.Lover. She had a lover. And not just any lover, but this amazing creature who thought she was beautiful. Her stomach fluttered.
“I will walk ye back,” he said, going to the door.
“No.” She pressed into him and inhaled their combined scent. “Getting caught in my gown from last night would be bad enough, but if you were with me, then we would both be slandered.”
“I care not.”
She hugged him and stepped back. “I do.” He frowned at her fiercely, but she smiled. “I know now that you don’t eat the wings off little sparrows, so you can stop frowning and gnashing your teeth.”
“I’m not gnashing my teeth,” he grumbled and rubbed his jaw line.
“I’ll go wash and change, and we can meet for the morning meal as if we haven’t seen each other since the celebration last night.”
He kissed her soundly but let her pull away. “I’ll be in the kitchens or the Great Hall,” he said, finally opening the door for her to slip into the corridor.
Lucy strode on her bare feet through the darkness. Movement behind some doors made her hurry as if pursued by the devil. Yet she couldn’t help the joy that filled her. She was deliciously sore from being loved so thoroughly.
She rounded the corner onto her hall and caught herself. William stood before her door.God’s teeth. Before she could turn around, he saw her. “Lucy, you are already…” His words trailed off as he took in her gown. A grimace of pain pinched his features. “You’ve been out all night.”
Lucy hurried forward. “Come inside,” she whispered. There was no need to bring Cordelia into this if it could be helped. She unlocked the door and pushed inside. William continued to stand in the corridor.
“You were withhimall night?” he asked.
She turned to him. “William,” she said, coming closer. “We can never…” She tipped her head slightly, wishing she knew how to soften the blow. “I think of you as a brother.”
“And you let yourself fall prey to a seducing Highlander,” he said, accusation in his voice. “He will leave you here, Lucy. Sullied and alone.”
She knew he was hurt, but his tone bordered on cruel, and his words picked away at her confidence. “Don’t try to hurt me because you hurt, William. ’Twas unintentional.”
He took a deep breath, his fingers lifting up through his red hair until it nearly stood on end. His eyes drifted to the floor. “You have a letter,” he said, nodding to the ground, and pivoted on his heel.
“William,” she said, but he continued to stride down the corridor.
Lucy exhaled long and shut her door, her gaze turning to the folded letter that had been pushed underneath. It was folded in an intricate locking design that required her to tear it to open.
Dearest Lucy,
As beautiful as you are, it will never work between us. I must return to Scotland, and you must remain here in the service of your queen. I do not wish to harm you any further, so I will not speak of this, but you must know that whatever was to be between us cannot be. It would be best if we do not engage in any further correspondence or discussion. I will know you understand when you completely ignore me.
Never Yours,
