Adwen smiled, his heart speeding up at the mere thought of another spirited exchange with the feisty lass. “Aye, though she willna agree to come, no if she knows where she’s going.”
Isobel gave him a slight push out the door, laughing as she did so. “Aye, she will. Doona worry. And thank ye, Adwen.” She followed him outside and leaned up to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. “I canna tell ye what this means to me.”
Adwen nodded and turned to walk with Orick to the horses.
*
“I prefer the man I saw back there.” Orick pointed back in the direction of the inn as they rode away. Adwen shrugged in response.
“What man? ’Twas only us there this morning.”
“Ye know my meaning well enough, Adwen. I have no seen ye be so genuine around a lass in a long time, no since yer mother. Ye allowed Isobel to see the man that ye truly are. And ’tis that man, no the arrogant bastard ye usually are, that could make any lass fall in love with him.”
Only one lass filled his mind as he thought on Orick’s words. Perhaps most lassies would fall for the man Isobel had seen, but he doubted that even that man would be enough to capture the heart of a lass like Jane.
CHAPTER 12
The morning sun did little to warm the air, and I shivered as I hurried to ready my horse in an effort to make up for the time I lost by oversleeping. At this rate, no matter how much Gregor and Isobel needed some help, they were bound to fire me.
Not only were my bread baking skills abysmal, but I’d also behaved poorly the night before, allowing them to walk up on me while I assaulted Orick’s lips with my own—not that Orick seemed to have minded it overmuch. And now, to top everything off, I’d awakened far past my normal time. More than likely, Isobel had been forced to cook breakfast for the insufferable idiot and Orick by herself.
Eoghanan’s news had turned out to be unworthy of the sinking sensation that flooded my chest at its first mention. In truth, the only news he had to bear was that Baodan now knew everything—I’d already assumed as much. How could he not when I’d been a complete no-show for dinner?
While Eoghanan had apparently smoothed things over rather well, I knew he still expected me to discuss everything with Baodan myself. Expectations aside, I didn’t have time to appease him, or anyone else around the castle, on this particular morning
“Ye are late, lass.”
I’d just mounted my horse when Gregor’s voice reached me.
Guilt washed over me as I realized he must have come in search of me. Either that or he’d made the trip to do exactly what I expected, and he intended to fire my bad-cooking, kiss-a-total-stranger, lazy and irresponsible ass.
“I…I’m so sorry, Gregor. I overslept. I owe you a huge apology.” I spoke before I faced him, afraid to see the look of frustration on his face. His hand reached up to pat my horse.
“Doona worry, lass. I only speak to ye in jest. We kept ye far too late last evening. Ye should have slept in just as ye have done.”
I faced him, feeling no better despite the kindness of his words. “No, I shouldn’t have. I must be needed or you wouldn’t have ridden all the way here to collect me. I truly am sorry.”
“Jane. I am no the kind of man to say things that I doona mean, no unless I mean to tease ye. If I say ye should have slept in, ’tis what ye should have done. I dinna come here to ‘collect’ ye. I came here to speak with the laird—to ask forgiveness for keeping ye and explain the need we have of ye.”
“Oh. And what did he say?”
“He said ’twas no his place to keep ye from doing as ye wish, whether he thinks it proper or no. Then he said something about his wife being much the same way—that there was no use in denying ye, for ye will do as ye please with or without permission.”
I laughed, knowing Mitsy well enough after my time here to know that what Baodan had said was very much true. She was just as strong-willed as me and, if possible, even more forward with her words.
“Well, that’s great. Then we don’t have to be so secretive about me working at the inn anymore.”
“Aye, ’twill be a pleasant change. I’ve enough to worry over without keeping secrets. What do ye say we ride together?”
*
A strong northern breeze blew through the air even cooler than it had been to begin with, and each of our horses seemed to move slower as a result. It seemed we’d ridden miles; although in truth, it couldn’t have been more than a quarter of one, before Gregor broke the awkward silence and spoke.
“Last evening, ye said that ye meant to prove something by kissing the lad. Forgive me, Jane, but I canna make sense of just what that might be.”
“He thought—not the one I kissed, the other one. He thought…you know, I really don’t think you want to know, Gregor.”
He laughed and nodded. “Aye, fine. ’Tis for the best, I suppose.”