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“No kidding,” Sophie exclaimed. “At least you’ve had some years to get used to it. All of a sudden, I’m supposed to be a knight capable of attacking water beasts. Did I mention that I don’t like going into cold water? How am I supposed to kill a water horse if I can barely swim when it’s too cold?” Sophie demanded.
“Is that the thing you’re going to fixate on? Of all the intricacies and history that lies with the myths around this, you’re worried about getting in the cold water?” I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
Sophie brought her hands to her hips, and I could almost see her stamping her foot like a child having a tantrum. “Did I not mention that I hated cold water? This isn’t exactly a walk in the park for me.”
“Speaking of cold water,” I said. “It’s time for me to get out. I’m going numb.”
“Nobody is stopping you from getting out of the water,” Sophie said, her brow furrowed in thought. “So how am I supposed to just be a knight? Isn’t that, like, reserved for men? Or does it matter? We are in the days of gender fluid and non-binary. Well, at least acknowledging it more, as it’s been around forever but, nevertheless, I suppose that means it doesn’t matter what gender the knight is. Right?” Sophie scrunched up her face as she rambled and paced the banks of the river. I drew closer, wondering if she would even notice that I was naked, and a part of me wanted to test her response to me. I’m not saying it’s a great part of me, and yet, here I was. Even when I knew that she was the last person I should be getting involved with.
“I don’t think it’s about the gender of the knight, though I’ll admit that I had expected a man to take this position. However, it is the code of conduct and the characteristics of the person who makes the knight, not the gender.” The water was now at my waist, droplets running down my chest, and I paused a moment, wondering if Sophie would realize what was happening. I wasn’t a shy man, but I wanted to give her a moment to react.
“Okay, that’s fine. I like that. Right, so it’s not about whether I have the biggest dick or the strongest muscles. It’s really about how I carry myself. I mean, are any of the qualities of good knights about being organized or focused on details? Because I’m good at that. I can make a killer spreadsheet. Is that a knightly duty?” Sophie finally stopped talking, and her mouth dropped open as I walked out of the river completely naked.
“Aye, I can’t say that I know whether efficient spreadsheet skills fall under the duties of the knightly code, as I’m sure that’s more Agnes’s department, but we can be asking her later,” I said, leaning over to grab my T-shirt and dry the water from my chest. Sophie gaped at me, frozen, and my smile widened.
“You’re naked,” Sophie declared, all but stammering, her cheeks turning a delicious shade of pink.
“Aye, lassie,” I said, infusing my voice with a thicker accent. “Did you think I was swimming in my clothes then? You saw the pile right here.”
“I didn’t know. Most people wear swimming suits where I come from,” Sophie said. I noted that she didn’t turn away. Instead, her eyes dropped below my waist. Grateful that my arousal no longer showed, I winked at her.
“The water’s cold if you ken my meaning.”
Sophie’s hands flew to her face.
“You are an impossible one, aren’t you? You know exactly what you’re doing.” Sophie’s hands descended back to her hips. “You’re just trying to ruffle my feathers. I’m onto you. And I’m going to tell you that you can’t get rid of me this easily.”
“Who said that I’m trying to get rid of you?” I bent and pulled my jeans on, zipping them before walking closer to Sophie. Her eyes followed my legs all the way up my shirtless torso before finding my face. She bit that lower lip in her unconscious habit, and I desperately wanted to lean down and nibble it myself. Her eyes widened as though she understood where my thoughts had gone.
“You’ve been nothing but rude to me since my arrival. Not saying I don’t blame you”—Sophie held up her hand—“but nevertheless, it’s rude you’ve been, and I know you don’t want me here.”
“Don’t stay if you can’t cut it, Sophie.” I issued the challenge. “I lost my mother because of this. And my father, while alive, vacated shortly after. The Order of Caledonia isn’t for the faint of heart. And I’d rather soldier on without you than have someone who thinks this is just a whim or something fun to take a stab at, who will then up and leave us when we need her most. If that’s the way of it, and who you are as a person, don’t get our hopes up. I’d rather you leave now instead of making things worse.”
The moment drew out, suspended between us. Sophie grappled with the meaning of my words while, for the first time ever, I placed my future in someone else’s hands. I didn’t like this control she had over me, and it was a feeling that reminded me of being a child with no voice in my future.
I wanted Sophie to stay, but not if she couldn’t hack it. Even at the basest level, the responsibility of the upkeep and maintenance of a castle of this size as well as the holdings in town was enormous. It wasn’t meant to be managed carelessly from afar by someone unfamiliar with Loren Brae’s needs. I needed Sophie to stay for many reasons, one of which I wasn’t ready to admit.
“Is that a threat?” Sophie asked, raising her chin at me. I liked the spark of fire that came into her moody eyes and hoped that spoke of her spirit.
“I don’t have to threaten anything, but I can promise you this. If you hurt the people I love or play with their livelihoods, you will regret it.”
“And here I thought we’d made some headway just now,” Sophie said. Something about the way she crossed her arms and tilted her head made me think I was about to get scolded by my teacher. “I haven’t decided what I’m doing yet, Lachlan. I’m not prone to impulsive decisions, so I’m taking a little time to gather information. I’ll be sure to inform you of my decision when I’ve made one.” Sophie turned on her heels and stormed up to the top of the brae, turning back just as the clouds opened and icy droplets of rain began to fall. “And the next time you flash me, I won’t be as kind as I was today. You’ll need to protect your little man there—if I can even find him.”
My mouth dropped open as she disappeared over the banks.
“The water was bloody cold!” I shouted after her, glancing down at my jeans. Was I really that small? I hadn’t had any complaints in the past. Annoyance rippled through me along with a healthy appreciation for her banter. Despite everything, I laughed as the skies unleashed their fury, drenching me.
I guess that was the Scottish version of a cold shower.
CHAPTERELEVEN
Sophie
“I’m going to need details,” Matthew said later that evening as we walked into town. “Very exacting and in-depth details. Leave nothing out.”
“I mean you’ve got eyes in your head, don’t you? I’m sure you can imagine what he looks like without clothes on,” I said.
I snuggled more deeply into the sweater that Hilda had handed me before I left the house. A man’s sweater, it was a heather-green wool and smelled faintly of soap and smoke from the fireplace. I resisted asking if this was Lachlan’s sweater and had gratefully accepted the added layer of warmth. While everyone else had been walking around talking about what a mild day it had been, I continued adding layers from my meager supply of clothes. If I planned to stay here any longer, I would need a shopping trip soon before I caught my death from pneumonia.
