Page 20 of Highland Ghost

“And neither did I ask ye to,” he answered.

“Bram is hungry, and so am I,” said Matilda. “Let’s get something to eat.”

“Aye,” agreed Kellina. “If Nash and North are no’ goin’ to be able to leave here until tomorrow, then we’d better just make the best of it.”

“By all means,” said Ian, extending his arm. “My castle is yers,” he told the women with a slight bow as they walked past him and into the great hall.

“Ye dinna look so guid,” said Caitlin, picking a piece of lint off her bodice. She was wearing her own clothes again, now that they were dry.

“I didna sleep at all,” he told her. “I saw ye in the garden last night after ye left my room.”

“Ye did?” Her eyes snapped up to his, and he swore he saw a flush redden her face. “I needed some fresh air, that’s all. If ye’re lookin’ for yer tunic, I left it at the foot of my bed.”

“I’m glad ye have yer own clothes back.”

She scowled at him.

“I mean – that ye’re no’ wearin’ Sylvia’s clothes anymore. I didna mind that ye wore mine.”

“I’m wearin’ my own undergarments, too, in case ye’re wonderin’. Now excuse me, I’d like to get somethin’ to break the fast.”

“Caitlin,” he called out as she walked past him. She stopped and turned around.

“What is it?”

“I – I’m sorry. For everythin’.”

“Ye should be.” She lifted her nose in the air. “I almost fell for yer deception, and would have regretted it for the rest of my life. My short life,” she added, driving the dagger deeper into his heart.

“I was wrong,” he told her. “I was only thinkin’ of myself, and I hope ye can forgive me.”

“Hmph,” she said, once again picking at invisible lint on her clothes.

“I was wonderin’ . . . I mean . . . since ye willna be able to leave until the men sleep off the whisky . . . if ye’d like to take a walk with me later.”

“Whatever for?” she asked.

“I dinna ken. I suppose . . . just so I can have a few more minutes to look at ye before I never see ye again.”

“If I agree to it, ye understand that it will change nothin’. I still willna marry ye.”

“I ken,” he said softly. “And neither do I want ye to ever regret it . . . no matter what happens.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll meet ye in the stable in an hour. I have somewhere I’d like to take ye since it seems it’s goin’ to be a beautiful day.”

“Well . . . all right,” she said, looking over to her friends and then back to him again. “Would it be all right if I asked my friends to join us?”

“I was hopin’ we’d have some time alone . . . to get to ken each other.”

“I dinna see why we need to get to ken each other since we’ll never see each other again.”

“Well, just forget the whole thing, then.” He started to walk away, but her hand on his arm stopped him. He looked back to see her beautiful face as she stared at him with concern.

“If it means that much to ye, then I’ll come alone,” she told him. “I mean . . . since this will be the last time we ever see each other, I suppose it would be all right to go unescorted.”

“I’ll see ye in an hour,” he said, reaching out and brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. She didn’t flinch or pull away like he thought she would. Instead, her eyes closed and she gently leaned in to his touch.

It was bittersweet, because he knew this one last day with Caitlin was all he’d have. But he’d go to his grave remembering her sweet face, always wondering if they could have fallen in love if they had not broken the betrothal after all.