Darach scowled. “Soon. I’ll inform her once the scouts are back from their expedition.”
“I just wish this matter will be done with soon enough. I’d rather her out of here and Kenn back home.”
“Aye, for different reasons, but I am eager tae be rid of the lass as well.”
A rustle sounded behind them, and Darach swung around to see Jane standing a short distance away, her face drawn into an impassive mask as she stared at them. He cursed under his breath.
“Ach, brother,” Morven muttered when he also caught a glimpse of her.
“Jane… what are ye doing out here? ‘Tis cold, and the sun’s nae out yet. Ye should go back inside before ye catch a chill,” Darach told her, hoping she had only just arrived and hadn’t listened to their conversation.
The sad look on her face made it apparent that she’d heard enough.
“I saw ye from the window and came to ask ye about one of the books from yer library. But… is it true my faither has made nae attempts tae save me?”
Darach knew not how to tell her the truth and couldn’t bear the pain she’d feel. It was her only hope, and he couldn’t take that away.
“‘Tis quite unladylike tae eavesdrop,” he uttered in a cold tone. “And I’d think someone like ye would be wiser than believe what she hears. Guess ye might nae be the person I thought ye were.”
Darach watched the frost return to her eyes double-fold. But it was better than sorrow. She gave a stiff nod and then turned back into the keep.
Darach sighed and glanced over at Morven. His brother had a little smile on his face.
“Why’d ye do that?”
Darach shrugged. “Think I prefer her angry than hopeless.”
Morven burst into laughter as he lifted the flask to his lips to finish the rest of the liquor.
* * *
Jane didn’t see Darach for the remainder of the day. He didn't even come in for supper, leaving her alone in the cold great hall with Lorna. The lass was cheerful as usual, but Jane couldn't bring herself to smile. She'd stayed in the keep since the morning, not because he'd told her to, but because she couldn't think of anything to say or do. Her thoughts had raced because of what she had overheard him tell his brother.
Does he really want tae get rid of me quickly?
She’d thought they were finding common ground after their time in the library, and she was disappointed to hear him utter those words. The food stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t force it down, no matter how hard she tried. Her mind was caught between wanting to see him and wanting him to stay away from her.
He could rot.She decided as she dropped her spoon into her soup and walked away from the table. She wasn’t going to sit around pining for a man who did not want to see her; it was past time she sought her bed. When she got in, a meager light brightened the chamber, and the warm glow chased away some of the chill. She promptly climbed beneath the furs on her bed and closed her eyes immediately, waiting for sleep.
At first, her mind was occupied with all that had transpired in the last fortnight. She thought about it all in trepidation. She was afraid of her future, afraid that her father wouldn’t come to her rescue and that she couldn’t predict what side of Darach would turn up each day. The thoughts were still on her mind when she finally drifted off to sleep.
When she came back to consciousness, she immediately knew she wasn’t alone in the room. But rather than bolt upward and demand who was in her chamber, she silently observed the intruder standing in the shadows.
Her cheeks warmed with blood as she shivered, knowing thatsensation had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the beautiful warrior standing in her room. The furs on her bed rubbing the night shift against her skin felt sensual, and her entire body was heightened in sensitivity. She almost thrust upward, begging for his touch. She'd been craving it since the library incident, and the thought of him touching the tightened areas of her body flashed through her mind. Her legs twitched as a warm ache developed between them.
How could this man hold such a power over her body?
She stirred restlessly, no longer able to lie still. Darach heard and stepped into the light, hard and fierce looking as always but with a smile on his face. She swallowed nervously as her gaze finally lifted to meet his.
“So ye are awake.” His look suggested that the prospect amused him.
“Of course I am awake. I have an intruder in my chamber.” His presence was far too much for her to be able to lie in rest. She scowled and sat up, realizing too late that the movement would bare her night shift to his gaze, and she quickly dragged up the furs to cover herself.
He cocked one eyebrow as if to tell her the action was absurd. “I’d have thought I’d seen ye in more intimate clothes, my lady.”
“I’d have thought ye were wise enough nae tae mention all ye’ve seen.”
“How fierce ye look, my lady. Have I told ye how appealing I find ye when ye scowl at me?”