Chapter Sixteen
There was naught more luxurious that a hot, scented bath after days of traveling. Moira felt refreshed as she ran a brush through her hair and then plaited it into a thick braid that she then looped into a bun and fastened it with pins.
Errol had bathed in another room and once he had finished, he returned to their room, and they went to supper. Clean and with a full belly, she was content.
But now she faced a dilemma, staring at the one bed that was the main focus of the room.
Of course, they had been in the situation afore, but she had Seema with her then, and Errol slept on the floor.
They’ve also been alone since Seema returned to MacLeod Keep.
They had spent the night together at the bothy as well.
But Errol had been injured and then they fought, and he had slept in the chair. She still felt guilty about that.
She didn’t understand her hesitation with their one bed situation now. The majority of this journey has just been the two of them.
So, it was silly that she was feeling the way she was. Nervous. As if this were the first time she was seeing Errol.
They’d kissed. Multiple times. Moira brought her fingertips up to her lips. She could still feel the warmth of Errol’s mouth.
She wanted to experience that feeling again.
Mayhap that was the reason she felt on edge. Conflicted. Like Errol was a piece of forbidden fruit that she wasn’t allowed. He had told her more than once the reasons why they couldn’t be together.
And then there was the death of his brother.
His family clearly blamed her clan for the attack, even though Moira could say with certainty that it wasn’t them.
But years of believing something didn’t just disappear overnight.
If that was what he truly believed, then it was his right to harbor such angry feelings toward her.
Yet, Errol had been naught but kind and gentlemanlike. Even at the start of their journey when he was grumpy because he didn’t want to assist, he still made sure she was safe and taken care of. He’d kept to himself, erecting walls to keep her out, but slowly, he’d been letting them down.
Yestereve, in the cave, those walls had crumbled. She got a glimpse of his soft, caring side.
And she liked it. A lot. He was endearing and thoughtful. And chivalrous. He had saved her from falling onto the rocks whilst they climbed. If she had slipped it surely would have meant her death.
But as they supped, she saw those walls building up again. She didn’t understand why. He’d shut down almost all of their conversations, telling her to finish her meal so they could return to the inn and rest afore continuing on.
The door opened and Errol walked in, his arms stacked with folded throws.
“What are ye doing?” she asked, sitting up straighter on the bed.
He gave her a droll look. “Making the floor a wee more comfortable to sleep on.”
“Errol.” She rolled her eyes. “Dinnae be ridiculous. Ye can sleep in the bed.”
“Absolutely no’.”
By the stubborn set of his jaw, she could tell that there was no way to sway Errol’s mind. Instead of trying to fight with him about it or convince him otherwise, she went to him and picked up a throw.
Unfolding it, she shook it out to lay it flat on the floor. Errol helped by snatching the opposite corners, making it easier to spread. Then they did the same for the next one. Grabbing a pillow off the bed, Moira added it to the makeshift pile.
“It doesnae look verra comfortable.”
“’Twill be fine. I have slept on worst.”
“The bed is plenty big. We wouldnae e’en touch each other if ye slept there.”
“I willnae. The bed is yers.” He ran his hands along his scalp. “’Tis no’ up for discussion.”
When she just stood there watching him, he sighed.
“Go to bed, Moira.” His voice was gruff.
She opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her with a lift of his large hand.
“Enough. Go to bed,” he ordered.
Irritated, she spun and sat down on the bed. “If you want me to get ready for bed, ye need to afford me my privacy to do so.” Her voice was snippy and clipped, but she didn’t care.
“Gladly. I shall be outside.”
Moira watched Errol as he shut the door behind him with a slam.
She hadn’t meant for him to leave the room completely.
He could have just turned his back. She blew out an exasperated breath and fell back on the bed, covering her eyes with her arm.
She would never understand men. After this trip, she didn’t plan to even try any more. It was a useless feat truth be told.
A knock sounded and she heard Errol through the door ask if she was ready.
“I havenae e’en started,” she answered back.
“Then ye should make haste.”
“Mayhap ye shouldnae tell me what to do,” she countered.
“Or mayhap, if ye dinnae finish up in three minutes, I will just walk into the room anyhow.”
She sucked in her breath. He wouldn’t dare. Would he?
“Test me,” he called from the other side of the door as if he had read her mind.
Quickly she stripped out of her gown and into her shift, then hastily slipped under the blankets, drawing them up to her chin so that when Errol opened the door he would only see her head.
Just as he’d warned, he walked in without a care for whether or not she was dressed.
She pressed her lips together as she watched him move about the room. First, he stoked the fire in the fireplace and added another thick log, so they would be set for the night. Then he sat in the chair and watched the dancing flames for a few minutes afore he removed his boots.
He stood and pushed his trews down, his tunic fell mid-thigh, covering his buttocks, but she could see the muscles of his shapely legs. Strong legs that had been honed into hard muscle from hours upon hours of training.
Holding her breath, Moira waited for Errol to remove his tunic, but to her disappointment, he kept it on, extinguished the candle and climbed between the throws on the floor.
For a long time, she lay there quietly, until she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Errol?”
He sighed. “Aye?”
She smiled, she kenned he hadn’t fallen asleep, but then grew serious when she thought about what she was going to ask him, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.
“Is something amiss? Did I do aught wrong?”
“Nay.”
One word. That was all he said. Of course, she wasn’t happy with that answer and pushed on. “I dinnae believe ye. Ye’ve hardly said aught to me today. After the day we spent yesterday, it doesnae make sense. Surely I have done something to upset ye.”
“Moira, cease and let it go.”
“I willnae. I realize we havenae spent a lot of time together, but we have spent enough that ye should ken me better than that. What has changed?”
She heard him blow out a long breath.
“Naught has changed. I only realized that what we were doing was foolish and something that cannae continue.”
“Why no’? Ye cannae tell me that ye didnae enjoy our kisses, Errol MacLeod.”
“That is the reason why. I shouldnae have been enjoying them as much as I did. Need I remind ye that ye are a Hart? In no circumstance would what we have done be acceptable. ’Tis easier if we cease now, afore either of us get hurt.”
But it was too late for that. She was already hurting. Missing his touch. His kiss. His strong arms wrapping her in a warm embrace.
“On the morrow we will ride to our destination and then we are done with this wild chase. Ye will return home to Hartsmoor, and I will return to MacLeod Keep and life will go on as it was afore.”
“Can ye really just forget about what has happened betwixt us that easily?”
“Naught happened, Moira. Naught that mattered anyway.”
She gasped at his bluntness. He was lying. He had to be. She’d felt the caring in his touch. Seen the softness in his eyes. Those were real. And they meant something. He may not want to admit it, but it was true.
Even truer was the stabbing pain she felt at his admission. Like she had just been punched in the stomach.
Swiping at the tear that slipped from her eye, she clenched her fists. She refused to let him see how he affected her.
Nay, she didn’t need him to continue on. He had told her of the location whilst they supped earlier. She only needed to go Northeast, and it would take her to the final destination. She would find the final clue without him.
Being the bigger person, she would uphold her end of their deal and ensure that he gets the percentage of the treasure they had agreed upon, but other than that? There would be naught.
As she waited for Errol to fall asleep, a plan formed in her mind. Once she was certain he was asleep and would not wake, she would slip out of bed, quietly dress, then grab her bag and leave the room, hoping that the door would not creak and awaken him.
It seemed to take hours, but finally Errol’s breathing evened out, and every so often, he let out a soft snore, which she found endearing. But she couldn’t think about that. He wanted them to keep apart? Well, she would help him along with that.
Once dressed, she gathered her bag and tip-toed to the door, taking care to make as little noise as possible.
Just as she was about to disengage the latch, she remembered that she didn’t have any coin.
Errol had been paying for everything so far.
Traveling alone, she would more than likely come across something that she would have to pay for.
Leaving her bag near the door, she crept over to Errol’s bag and found the coin pouch he had tucked inside. She could take the whole thing with her and leave him with naught. Being the son of the laird, he would have no problem getting around, but she wasn’t spiteful.
Instead, she took a small handful and tucked the coins into her pocket, trying to minimize the jingling noise they made as they rubbed together.
Carefully opening the door, she said a silent prayer when it made no sound, and then she slipped outside into the dark, empty hall.