“I can’t imagine she took that well.”
“Probably not.”
Sliding my arm around her shoulders, I hugged her to my side. Eredine tensed for a second before she relaxed into me. “Is this why you’ve been quiet all week?”
“Aren’t I always quiet?” she teased.
I chuckled. “More so than usual.”
Ery nodded. “I just … I know there are more good people than bad, and most of our guests are really nice and respectful. But knowing there are people like Iris Benning out there in the world makes me sad. I don’t understand them. I don’t understand that need to cause others pain. To be so focused on obtaining what you want, you don’t care who you hurt or destroy to get it.”
“Hey.” I gently grasped her by the chin to turn her face to look at me. Staring into those haunted eyes, I wished like fuck I could take away every bad thing that had happened to this woman. But first I needed to know what those things were. “I’m sorry if you’ve met more than your fair share of shitty people … but do you know how much more of a miracle it is, then, that you are who you are, Ery?”
“And who do you think I am?” she whispered.
My chest suddenly felt too tight and my words came out hoarse. “You are good. From the tips of your toes to the ends of your curls … you’re nothing but good, through and through.”
Her eyes widened as the air charged and crackled between us. “Arran …”
Rational thought left me as my eyes dropped to her perfect mouth, and my head descended—
“There you are, Uncle Arran!” Eilidh’s voice was like a lasso, jolting me from Eredine.
She stared up at me wide-eyed before Eilidh’s arms came around Ery’s neck. Eilidh pressed her cheek to Ery’s, and her entire expression melted into warmth and affection.
“Hey, sweetie.” She rubbed Eilidh’s arm. “All okay?”
“Yup.” Eilidh pressed a quick kiss to Ery’s cheek. “Mum told me to come get you because her and Aunt Arro are talking about the weddings.” Arro and Thane would be sharing a wedding day this summer. Eilidh’s dark blue gaze cut to me. “Uncle Arran, will you come help me win against Lewis on the Nintendo? He’s being really annoying and smug.”
My lips twitched at her use of the word smug, and I nodded. “Come on, then.”
We stood, and I tried to catch Eredine’s eyes to see how she was feeling about our near kiss, but she wouldn’t look at me.
And I was worried that pretty much said it all.
5
EREDINE
While I usually had time between my morning and afternoon classes to leave the estate for lunch with either Arran or one of the girls, Monday was not that day. Perhaps to counteract a weekend of eating and drinking, Mondays were always my busiest.
For almost two years, I’d eaten lunch in the studio on the first day of the week, until Lachlan had enough of me being antisocial and maneuvered me into the staff lunchroom at the castle. To my surprise, the men and women who worked at the spa—a separate building a short drive from the castle—ate their lunch here, too, since the estate chef served the staff lunch. The food was fantastic, making it worth the trek over.
I began a friendly acquaintance with a couple of the spa ladies and ate with them every Monday.
Call it my Spidey senses or whatever, but I knew as soon as I walked into the lunchroom today that something was up. I felt eyes on me from all over, and as I approached the pass-through where we place our order, I glanced over my shoulder at the spa girls and noted they were watching me too.
Unease shifted through me, but I chose an option off today’s small menu. The kitchen staff member in charge today, Ali, said he’d give me a shout when it was ready.
Sucking in a breath, I walked toward the table, eyeballing the girls.
“Hey,” I said quietly as I took the empty chair they’d left for me.
They exchanged a look, and then Michelle, a masseuse from Inverness, said, “Notice anything strange in your classes this morning?”
I couldn’t say that I had. I frowned. “Not really.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Considering the gossip, I thought you would have noticed.”
I tensed. “What gossip?”
Natalia, a young woman originally from Glasgow, had escaped her massive Scottish-Italian family there for a little privacy up here. She shared a lodge on the estate with a few of the other young staffers. She leaned toward me. “Iris Benning told anyone she could that you’re a snake who lied and got her thrown out. A few of the members were gossiping about it at the spa this morning.”
“Saying what?” I gritted out, anger filling my belly.
“Iris told them not to trust you. They were …” Natalia shot a look at Michelle, who scowled. “They were talking about whether they’d come back to your class.”