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Kenna smiled at him. “Of course. I am more than happy to help.” She paused, and her gaze drifted sideways once more before returning to look up into his eyes. “Will they stay for good?”
Keir heaved a deep sigh, wishing he could respond with a confident nod. Instead, all he could say was, “I hope so.”
* * *
“Let me hold the wee lassie.” Eoghan held out his hands, the look in his green eyes telling Kate that she could trust him. “I promise I shall stay right here. Right beside ye.”
With a glance at Frederica, Kate lessened her hold upon her daughter and then settled her gently into Eoghan’s arms. “Thank you,” she murmured, still feeling apprehensive.
Kate wished that feeling would go away, but it stubbornly remained.
“Go ahead, lass, eat,” Eoghan urged her, glancing down at her untouched plate. “Ye need it.” A warm smile came to his face as he met her eyes, and Kate felt something within her stir.
Still, Kate remembered that sort of smile from her husband. Long ago, he, too, had had an easy smile. It had charmed her, made her believe in him, and then…
Eoghan regarded her through slightly narrowed eyes. “Dunna worry,” he whispered, rocking Frederica back and forth. “I dunna have an ulterior motive. I simply know what ’tis like to live with a small babe and feel as though where two hands used to be enough, they suddenly are no longer.” He winked at her.
Surprising even herself, Kate laughed.
“Ye oughta do that more often, lass,” Eoghan replied with a wide smile. “It’ll do ye good.” He held her gaze for a moment longer, then glanced down at Frederica. “Would ye give me permission to take the wee one for a walk around the hall?”
Kate felt the breath catch in her throat.
“I promise I willna venture far. Ye’ll always be able to see us.” His right brow rose challengingly.
Kate swallowed hard, glancing across the table at Sarah, an encouraging smile upon her sister’s face. Then she drew in a slow breath and nodded to Eoghan.
As he rose from his seat, Frederica in his arms, Kate followed Eoghan’s every movement. The food on her plate forgotten, she watched him like a hawk, every muscle in her body screaming at her to rush after him and retrieve her child.
“Breathe, Kate,” Sarah whispered from across the table, and the moment Kate met her sister’s eyes, she exhaled a deep breath. “All is well. Trust me.”
Holding her sister’s gaze, Kate nodded, the movement soothing, for it eased her breathing and allowed her muscles to unclench. Forcing herself to reach for the food upon her plate, Kate allowed her gaze to sweep around the hall, now and then, glimpsing Eoghan and Frederica but not daring to linger. “I need to let this go,” Kate whispered to herself silently.I need this fear to be gone. I need to be myself again.
Kate’s gaze jarred to a halt when she suddenly spotted Keir and Kenna across the hall. They stood off in a far corner, speaking to one another quietly, their heads bent close. The expression upon Kenna’s face as she looked up at Keir was one Kate did not care for. Indeed, when the young woman reached out to touch Keir’s arm, Kate tensed.
Glancing across the table, Kate saw Sarah’s face bear a similar expression to her own, hurt in her eyes and her hands clenched.
“And we’re back,” Eoghan’s voice exclaimed beside her the moment before he reclaimed the seat he had left only moments earlier.
Kate smiled at him, relieved to see Frederica slumbering peacefully in his arms.
Eoghan held her gaze. “’Twas not so bad, was it?”
Kate shook her head, grateful. “I… I never doubted you, but…”
Eoghan placed a hand upon hers, holding her gaze even as Kate startled. “Ye needna explain yerself. Ye do what feels right, and whenever ye need a wee bit of help, ye’ll know where to find me.”
Touched, Kate nodded. “Thank you.” She truly liked the kindness in his eyes, the honest concern she saw there. And yet, it made her feel flustered, and she quickly averted her eyes.
As coincidence would have it, her gaze once more came to linger upon Keir and Kenna. “Did they ever have intentions toward one another?” Kate asked without thinking, feeling every muscle in her body still the moment the last word had left her lips.
Eoghan, though, merely looked at her with curiosity. “Who?”
Kate swallowed. “Your sister.”
Eoghan followed her gaze, a touch of annoyance coming to his eyes. “Well, Kenna took a shine to him early on.” He met her gaze. “I suppose ’tis probably just the natural reaction of a young girl toward her elder brother’s best friend.” He scoffed, then chuckled. “They’d make a terrible match.”
Kate felt her pulse calm. “Why?”
