He followed after her, catching her arm. “Sophia…” It was not proper, he told himself, and released her. There was no point trying to win her over when he had already made up his mind to not be with her. It was not an easy decision, and she would not understand. She didn’t have to.
Sophia picked up a glass of something clear and sparkling. “I should return to my sister now, milaird.” He wanted to hold her back, to shout to the hall at large how much he wanted her—how much he desired her to be his wife—but he found no words.
“Milaird,” Logan called out to him from behind. “For God’s sake, wherewereye?”
He rolled his neck. Logan always chose the wrong time to pester him. “I told ye—I needed time to think.”
“Ye must have thought a lot!” his uncle howled. “Look at Gregor! The poor man cannae hold down his dram. An’ his daughter, well, I suppose it’s a miracle she did nae eat the table itself before ye came back.” Logan chuckled, which meant he was not mad at all.
Kendrick looked down at Sophia. She was sipping at her glass, listening.
He did not want to entertain his uncle any more than he had to, it was not his jesting that angered him. The feast would come to an end soon, and he would have to announce his bride—a bride that did not interest him.
And Reed would make a proposal to Sophia as soon as he found out she was unchained.
Reed will make a proposal to Sophia.The words suddenly made more sense to him.There was no way that would happen...But what if it did?He would not stop them; he had no real reason to.
“Reed!” Sophia cried happily. Kendrick turned and saw him standing there even though he said he wouldn’t attend. Why had he changed his mind?
“Oh! I have missed ye, Reed,” Sophia continued. “What happened to yer arm?”
Reed shrugged, beaming. Kendrick rolled his eyes. Rolling one’s eyes was not for men—it was a thing the lassies did out of jealousy, but he was not jealous. Still, something niggled at him. He leaned a little closer to them.
“I saved a wee lad from a horse,” Reed replied, grinning so much it must have hurt.
“Ye’ve always been a gentle and kind man, Reed.” Sophia pressed a hand to her cheek. “I have missed seeing ye.”
For all Kendrick knew, Reed was nothing close to a gentleman. He knew better than Sophia where he spent his nights, and with whom.
Who am I to talk? Reed is much better than I will ever be. At least his father is no murderer.
“Milaird,” Reed said, gesturing Kendrick over. He pretended not to have heard, but there was no escape. Reed excused himself from Sophia and dashed up to him.
“Ye said ye would not return, didn’t ye? How are ye faring?” Reed asked.
“I dinnae have a choice,” Kendrick explained. “Ye wouldn’t understand.”
“Ye are alaird,” Reed argued. “There is nothing ye must do if ye choose not to.”
“Aye, I suppose that is why I am being forced to snatch a bride,” Kendrick retorted. “Ye’re older and naeone bothers ye about such things.”
“Tis true, milaird, but it’s a small price a laird has to pay,” Reed insisted. “Made up yer mind yet?”
“I would rather ye ask if I will marry Sophia,” Kendrick suggested. “But we ken what I will say.” No doubt, she was the reason Reed had come after all. His friend was doing nothing wrong, yet all Kendrick wanted was to keep him away from her—to keepallmen away from her.
“Aye, we ken,” Reed interjected. “Sophia turned out a very bonnie lass, did she nae?”
“I did nae notice.” Kendrick tried to hold back a smile.
“She talks like a real bright lass, too,” Reed added. “Very few lassies in the clan can be that clever, I tell ye.”
“Did ye come to taunt me about lassies and Sophia?”
“Does it bother ye?”
“Does what bother me?” Kendrick shrugged.
“Ye ken—that I will propose to Sophia if ye dinnae,” Reed whispered.