Page 28 of Hunted By the Hard Highlander

Aurora let the boy lead her through the corridors, his excitement contagious. Despite the fact that she had not truly wished to join the supper at first, she found that she was more than a little curious about how the clan celebrated. Plus, she could not help but feel a bit giddy at her brother’s energy.

It had been so long since he had allowed himself to behave like a child that she was beginning to think that he had forgotten how. She would foster it in any way that she could, including allowing the castle to watch her as she took her meal.

“Laird Anderson,” Adair said as they rounded a corner and Hendry came into view.

He dropped Aurora’s hand and walked forward, giving the Laird a guard’s salute. It was proper, a child’s approximation of adulthood. Aurora was only more endeared to her brother.

“Ye should get into the great hall, lad,” Hendry said, clapping his hand over Adair’s shoulder and squeezing. “Ye daenae want to miss what the cook has prepared.”

“Aye!” Adair chirped, though it was obvious he was putting on his best ‘adult’ voice for Hendry.

As the boy was swallowed by the laughter and chatter of the clan, Aurora’s eyes swept over the man she would soon be married to. Her mouth went a little dry when she saw how his doublet hugged his shoulders and stretched across his chest. It was closed, but the tie at the top seemed to be barely hanging on.

And Saints, the way his kilt hung from his hips…

He looked every bit of a fearsome Highland Laird.

Without speaking, Hendry turned and offered her his arm. As she grabbed onto his elbow, she realized that he was even more reserved than he usually was. She knew he was a man of few words, but there was something troubling him; she was sure of it.

As they stepped inside, she pressed herself closer against him under the scrutiny of the clan. Hendry stiffened beside her, almost as if her presence was not welcome. But when she tried stepping away and creating more distance, he squeezed her fingers tighter between his forearm and bicep.

So he… doesnae mind me touchin’ him?

They were nearly halfway to the head table, the crowd around them turning back to their own conversations, when Aurora murmured, “There is somethin’ that troubles ye.”

Hendry grunted, though he did not say anything else. She considered dropping the subject, letting him remain silent, but she could not. There was a voice in her mind, one she could not ignore, that drove her to keep talking.

“What is it? Perhaps I could help ye.”

For a beat, she thought that he had ignored her. Then, so quietly that she almost did not hear him, Hendry said, “I sometimes wish that I hadnae imposed so many rules between the two of us.”

Almost immediately, Aurora’s cheeks flamed. She was not sure if he was speaking of the promise that he would not touch her until their wedding night or if he regretted that the two would soon lie together.

Though she did not answer, it felt as if his touch grew even more magnetic. And, when they finally reached the head table, it felt almost impossible to break away from him to take her seat.

* * *

“Adair, if ye are so tired, ye should go to bed,” Aurora said, her voice warm.

Her cheeks were pink from the ale she had been sipping. The tension that had wound itself through her shoulders had seeped out of her as the evening went on. Now, she seemed to be right at home, her plate cleaned and a contented smile on her lips.

“But I amnae tired,” the boy whined, blinking away the tears that had collected in the corners of his eyes when he had yawned a few minutes earlier. “And the celebration is still ongoin’.”

“Ach, look at the other tables, Adair,” Hendry said, gesturing to the great hall. A few people were beginning to move toward the atrium, preparing to retire for the evening. “The party is beginnin’ to wind down.”

For a moment, Adair looked as if he was going to pout or complain. But then, the boy seemed to remember himself. Clearing his throat and trying to put on his most adult expression, Adair said, “Ye have a point.”

“Mrs. Duncan can take ye to yer room,” Aurora said, looking over at the older woman who nodded and rose from her seat.

Without another complaint, Adair got up and allowed himself to be taken to bed. Hendry was not sure if the boy was simply obeying his sister or if it was the weight of his exhaustion. Though he had recovered, he had been on the brink of death. It would take more than a few weeks for his stamina to return.

“I hadnae realized that this evenin’ was the shootin’ dinner,” Aurora admitted, leaning slightly toward him.

“It was only mentioned to ye in passin’,” Hendry said, chastising himself for not ensuring she was properly informed. “I will make sure that ye always ken what will be happenin’.”

“I would appreciate that,” Aurora said, her gaze already on him when he turned to look at her once more. Her eyes flitted away, her cheeks getting even redder. “If I am meant to be part of the clan, I would like to ken what is happenin’. And I would like to help.”

“Mrs. Duncan is pleased that ye are so eager to help her around the castle,” Hendry said.