Page 19 of Highland Spy

She straightened, and a line of worry creased her brows. “I need to check on Liv.”

“Ye need to eat. Ye’ll be no good to me being as thin as ye are.”

For the first time since training, her gaze dropped and slid to the side in a show of obvious discomfort. She didn’t speak, but instead gave a quiet nod.

Suddenly he found himself wishing for the irritated sigh women gave instead of this.

“I canna have ye getting sick,” he amended.

She nodded again and lifted her beautiful eyes to meet his.

“After ye eat, ye’ll have lessons with Delilah.”

The troubled expression lit with excitement. “Sword lessons?”

“Gaelic,” he replied. “And what Delilah likes to refer to as seduction.”

Ariana’s mouth fell open, and he anticipated a slew of questions.

Fortunately, Percy appeared between them, saving him from whatever it was Ariana intended to say.

“Your meal is waiting for you inside,” she said to Ariana with a gentle smile. “Head straight back when you go inside and you’ll find the kitchens. I’ve got a plate of food waiting for you.”

“Go on, then,” Connor said to Ariana. This time he made a point not to touch her skeletal back.

She picked up the daggers and deposited them into the weapons trunk before making her way indoors. Like a good soldier. Something akin to pride swelled in his chest.

He waited until she was out of sight before speaking. “The girl needs to put on some weight.”

“I’ve already seen to ordering more supplies and will ensure she eats between meals.” Percy tilted her head and looked behind Connor’s shoulder in thought. “I believe I have a tea I can make to strengthen her appetite.”

He squeezed her shoulder and smiled down at her. “I dinna know what I’d do without ye.”

“There’s something else.” She caught the end of a lock of hair and twisted it around her finger. “It’s the other girl, Liv.”

Everyone had been worried about the red-haired lass. Hell, even he’d been concerned at how pale she’d appeared when they arrived.

His gut tightened, like he’d been hit. “Is she dying?”

“Um…no.” Percy released the lock of hair and bit down on her lower lip. “She’s pregnant.”

Chapter 5

The afternoon found Ariana seated on flimsy pillows in a room swathed with so many lengths of brightly colored silks, the stone walls beneath were impossible to see. Delilah wore a soft velvet gown of crimson and her hair was neatly swept back into a complicated style Ariana had only seen at court.

Her face was smooth with seriousness when she settled onto the soft cushions.

“This is an education on seduction,” Delilah said in a reverent tone. “We know our beauty will aid us in gathering information and getting out of trouble. This tutelage is done in an effort to encourage us in feeling powerful enough to wield such a weapon.”

Ariana shifted on the thin pillow. The chill of the flagstones beneath seeped up through the flimsy padding and left her bottom cold.

She didn’t feel powerful. She felt silly.

And she wished Liv were well enough to be sitting beside her so they could laugh over the ridiculousness of it all together later.

Unperturbed by Ariana’s lack of enthusiasm, Delilah gave a smile as if they had a shared secret. “When you ask for something, make sure you look at a man with incredible interest. Depending on how important the request or how close you are, you may want to look at him the way you’d regard someone you were about to kiss.”

Ariana let her gaze skim across the silk wall hangings and shrugged. “I’ve not ever kissed a man.”