Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Flora walked out of the great hall, her shoulders held rigid, her spine straight as an arrow. For the third day in a row, she hadn’t had a chance to speak with Lucas. It was frustrating, but also seemed to confirm her most negative thoughts.
I truly am a ruined woman… I never had a chance to be anythin’ but this.
Despite her sour mood, the rest of the residents of Castle McGowan were cheerful.
As she made her way to the front door to escape and take a walk to clear her head, two maids walked by laughing loudly.
She paused for a moment, knowing that eavesdropping was wrong but unable to stop herself.
She wasn’t sure how else she could puzzle out the happenings within the castle without overstepping her position.
“... but ye must admit it’s been far too long since we’ve had a ceilidh.”
“Ye might be right,” the second said, the smile in her voice obvious. “That would mean quite a bit of work for us.”
“A wee bit of work is worth it to dance with the handsome men that live here. I’ve seen ye watchin’ them train.”
The rest of their discussion was swallowed by a squeal and frantic shushing. Flora felt even more downtrodden, wondering if she’d ever get the chance to be so carefree. Considering the course her life had taken up until this point, she was doubtful.
“Nay point in dwellin’ on it,” she told herself, pushing the heavy front door open. “I just need to clear me head. Then I’ll feel better.”
A cool breeze caressed her cheeks, blowing stray strands of her dark hair away from her face. The sun warmed her shoulders, and when she took a breath, she immediately felt a bit lighter. The freedom she had to come and go here was unlike anything that she’d ever dreamed of.
“Flora!” Elizabeth called to her after ten minutes of contemplative walking. “I’m happy ye’re here!”
“Ach, I was just takin’ a walk,” Flora responded, stopping her journey as the girl rushed toward her. “What are ye doin’ out here? Does yer maither ken where ye are?”
“Aye, I wanted to play, but she was busy,” Elizabeth said with a bit of a pout, crossing her arms over her chest. “So she told me to come play out here.” She paused again, her face lighting up as an idea seemed to strike her.
She clapped her hands together excitedly as she said, “Perhaps ye could play with me, Flora!”
Flora hesitated for a moment. She could use the distraction, and it wasn’t as if she had any obligations. Additionally, it was impossible to say no to the girl. How could anyone tell this sweet child they wouldn’t go along with whatever game she’d cooked up?
“Of course, I’ll play with ye,” Flora said, giving her the first real smile that she’d borne in days. “I could use a bit of fun.”
Elizabeth let out an excited cheer, bouncing on her toes as she grabbed onto Flora’s hand. Her excitement was contagious, and Flora found herself laughing along. She let herself be dragged off the path and toward the area where Elizabeth had been playing alone.
The girl stopped abruptly, a slight frown on her face. She stared up at Flora, chewing the inside of her cheek and digging her toe into the dirt beneath her as if she were deep in thought. Before Flora was given a chance to ask what was wrong, Elizabeth dropped her hand.
“I need one more person for the game I’d like to play,” she announced, putting her hands on her hips as the smile returned to her face. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Then, she took off, her short legs pumping so quickly that Flora worried she’d trip over the hem of her gown. When she was nearly out of sight, she stumbled a bit. Shaking her head, Flora took off after her, wanting to ensure she didn’t injure herself.
She wasn’t sure whom Elizabeth could possibly have in mind. Annabeth was busy, and she’d heard that Matthew had been assigned intense training. A maid, perhaps? Flora had overheard the conversation about a maid being thrown in the dungeons several days ago…
“Please!” Elizabeth said, her voice floating from around a corner as Flora approached the place she had disappeared to. “We need someone else for our game, Uncle Lucas. There’s nay one else who can play.”
“Yer maid doesnae want to play with ye?” Lucas replied, sounding as if he were close to giving in. “Ye ken I’m quite busy, Elizabeth.”
“Ye’re nae doin’ anythin’ right now,” she protested as Flora stepped into view, doing all but stomping her foot on the ground. “Besides, Flora’s waitin’ for us.”
Lucas’s eyes met Flora’s, and his tone became flat as he said, “Nay. Flora’s here, nae waitin’ for us.”
The lack of inflection in his voice felt like being plunged into a bath of cold water. She hadn’t been the only one pulling away; that much was obvious now. She tried to take a step back, to escape the situation, but Elizabeth turned and pinned her in place with a glare.
“I told ye to wait,” she said with a long-suffering sigh that seemed far too mature for her youth. “We cannae play here. Now, we all have to walk back.”
“I was worried ye were goin’ to fall,” Flora said, forcing normalcy into her voice. “I dinnae want ye to be hurt and waitin’ for someone to find ye.”
Her skin felt as if it were too tight under Lucas’s gaze. She wanted to run, but at the same time, she found herself hoping that he’d speak to her. After the heated kiss they’d shared and the terrifying interaction that had happened before it, her feelings were all out of sorts.
Even if we just spoke about the weather, maybe I’d be able to get meself back in order.
“I wasnae goin’ to fall!” Elizabeth protested, crossing her arms over her chest, completely oblivious to Flora’s internal dilemma.
“Ach, I’ve seen ye take a tumble or two,” Lucas observed, smiling with a warmth that Flora hadn’t seen from him before. “She was right to come after ye.”
Elizabeth groaned, throwing her arms in the air, and Flora couldn’t help but laugh at the dramatics. She covered her mouth with her hand as her shoulders shook. When she met Lucas’ gaze again, it was noticeably softer.
“I suppose that I can find time to indulge in yer game,” Lucas relented, his willingness surprising Flora. “Just to make sure ye daenae trip over yer own feet.”
“I willnae,” Elizabeth said, raising her nose in the air as she began to walk. “Now, can we play?”
“Aye, we can,” Lucas said, falling into step behind her and casting a look at Flora over his shoulder. “Ye best keep up, or she’ll start gettin’ demandin’.”
“She’s already demandin’,” Flora said fondly, following the two of them. “I daenae think there’s any avoidin’ that.”
They walked further from the castle than Flora had been so far. The grounds were gorgeous and well-manicured on their entire walk. She decided that she’d have to do further exploration when she didn’t have other obligations.
And this one is quite important.
“Elizabeth,” Lucas said, his voice tightening when a loch came into view. “Ye ken—”
“We’re nae playin’ in the loch, Uncle Lucas,” she sighed, sounding offended that Lucas would suggest she was heading toward the body of water. “It’s just bonnie here. And the flowers smell nice.”
“Ye cannae get too close to the water,” he said, the instruction uncharacteristically sharp compared to all the other interactions Flora had observed between Lucas and Elizabeth.
And the maids were discussin’ how angry he was about Elizabeth playin’ here… I still daenae ken why, though.
“I willnae, I promise,” Elizabeth assured, coming to a stop nearly twenty yards away from the shore. She turned toward both of them, her hands on her hips.
“What is it now?” Lucas asked, still tense but slightly less terse. A glimmer of his old fondness leaked back into his words.
“I forgot somethin’ in the castle,” she said, glancing between Flora and Lucas. She grabbed her skirt, pulling it up enough to show off her soft leather shoes. “I’ll be back!”
Elizabeth took off running once more, and Lucas only shook his head, staying right where he was standing.
As he crossed his arms over his chest, Flora took a step to follow.
He stopped her, saying, “She’ll be fine.
I have guards followin’ her, all hidden.
They’ve been watchin’ over her since the kidnappin’. ”
“That’s quite smart,” Flora said, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly. She hadn’t realized how badly she’d been hoping for an excuse to avoid this. Now that she was alone with him, she wasn’t sure how she should behave. “I’m sure she wouldnae like it if she kent she was bein’ watched.”
“Aye, she’d hate it,” Lucas agreed, a bit amused.
She nodded, her hands opening and closing at her sides as she searched for something to say. “Annabeth told me about her and Matthew’s romance.”
“Did she tell ye how me own braither thought I wouldnae approve of him marryin’ a villager?”
“She did,” Flora said.
“He’s a bit of an idiot,” Lucas said with a chuckle. “I dinnae have the chance to marry for love. Mine went badly. I wouldnae wish that for me brother, and I daenae care where someone comes from.”
A flurry of questions popped into her head. He’d given her a piece of his story, but it only made him more of an enigma.
His wife cannae still be around. Perhaps somethin’ happened here? Would I be allowed to ask?
Instead of probing into what she sensed could be a sore subject, fearing incurring his anger or frustration, Flora said, “Ye really daenae care about a person’s background? What about alliances with other clans?”
“There are more ways than marriage to create alliances,” he pointed out, meeting her eyes. “I’ve come to the conclusion that mixin’ marriage and politics only brings grief.”
The sensation that washed over her was bittersweet. His pain was obvious, but the sentiment was sweet. It warmed her in a curious way. She wondered if that meant there was hope for her, that someone would be able to overlook her scarred past.
He wouldnae. His position is too public. He wouldnae want that kind of scrutiny.