Arran Conall made his way down to the stables for his daily ride. The remaining men of what was formerly the Kinnaird Clan remained camped out on the castle grounds, nearly two months after the demise of the clan’s wretched laird.
Laird Kinnaird had given birth to no sons and, with his daughter still unmarried, the clan remained at Conall Castle under his brother’s blessing while they tried to sort out a way to name their next leader.
Arran found himself stifled, standing in an open field. Now, with guests tucked into every free corner of the castle and its grounds, his daily work and rides in the stables were all that kept him from insanity.
He needed to keep busy anyway. The loss of his beloved Blaire to a century beyond his comprehension occupied his thoughts every moment. He was happy that his brother had found love in his new wife, Bri, but with her face so similar to Blaire’s, it only reminded him of his own heartache every time he laid eyes on his new sister-in-law.
If he’d known his rejection of Blaire would have sent her so far from him, he would have defied his brother and never let her go. He would live with the regret of hurting her for the rest of his life.
Arran shook his head, doing his best to shake all thoughts of his beloved from his conscious mind. He saw enough of her in his dreams. It was torture to see her in the recesses of his mind when he was awake as well.
Rounding the corner of the entrance to the stables, he found Edana Kinnaird, the daughter of the late, villainous laird, feeding an apple to his brother’s old horse, Griffin. The stables were usually occupied by only the castle’s fleet of horses along with the old stable master, Kip. But Arran was surprised to find that his spirits lifted at the sight of his new friend.
While many women and children of Kinnaird’s clan had stayed inside the castle, Edana was the only one who had her own room upstairs along with members of the family. For the past months, Edana had stayed in his late mother’s room just down the hall from his own. He saw her often, and although she always kept their conversations short, he could tell by the way she watched him that she fancied him.
He could never return her feelings, his own heart swept away to a different time with another lass. If he’d met Edana only a year ago, he’d have already tupped her repeatedly and tossed her aside without so much as another thought. But Blaire had changed him irreparably, and it caused him to look at Edana’s feelings toward him in a kinder light. He liked the lass, and he respected her. He wanted to do all he could to show her friendship.
She’d been through much as a child, living with her brute of a father, who Arran was certain had abused the young girl physically, and mayhap even in more unthinkable ways as well. From what he could see, she was a kindhearted lass, and with all her family gone, he knew she must be terrified over the uncertainty of her own future.
Smiling wide, he made his way toward her, reaching up to rub Griffin behind his ears.
“Ah, Griffin. Ye sure are a lucky lad today, are ye no? I’m sure ye are glad to be receiving such a treat from a lady rather than me or Kip, aye?” Arran winked at Edana and turned to address her. “Ye shall spoil him, lass. I fear he shall never take an apple from me again. He’ll always want to eat it out of yer delicate hands.”
Edana blushed, and Arran didn’t miss how she averted her eyes from him before speaking.
“Nay, I doubt it. He doesna seem too particular about who’s giving him the treat. He only wants to eat the apple.”
“I doona know about that. I canna think of a time I’ve seen him look so pleased. What are ye doing down here? I doona believe I’ve seen ye here before.” Arran continued to stroke Griffin, hoping that if he looked distracted with the horse, it would ease Edana’s nerves.
“I’m grateful that ye and yer brother have allowed me to stay here. Lady Bri is exceedingly kind, but I tire of being indoors, and I canna stand to hear the men speak any further about how they shall replace me father.”
Edana’s brow creased in a pained expression, and Arran reached forward to place a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She jerked away from him as if touched by fire, and Arran quickly went back to stroking Griffin. “I doona blame ye for needing to get away, but doona be worried about yer clan, lass. No matter who takes over as laird, ye shall no lose yer place in the castle. I promise that I’ll see that ye are provided for just as ye have always been.”
Arran glanced quickly in Edana’s direction as she fumbled with her hands nervously, obviously unsure of how to respond. He dinna press her and turned to see to the other horses. As he walked away, she finally spoke again.