Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
T he game may have been one of Kathleen’s brightest ideas yet, as far as she was concerned. Though once again, Blaine had not shared too much about himself, she now knew a lot more than she had known only a couple of hours prior, and she had helped him open up a little. Surely, this was only a beginning.
Surely, he only needed a small nudge to tell her everything she wanted to know.
Once he had cleared the bed of the tray and everything they had eaten and drank while playing, Kathleen burrowed under the covers and proceeded to rid herself of the topmost layers of her clothes, tossing everything to the bottom of the bed. When Blaine caught sight of her writhing and wriggling under the covers as she tried her best to keep her body hidden while still undressing, he barked out a laugh, clearly amused by her antics .
“Ye could have asked me tae leave the room,” he pointed out.
“Or I could simply dae this,” said Kathleen.
Besides, she still had her shift on, as well as her stockings and several other layers. It would be improper for Blaine to see her like this, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Just as he had promised, he lay on the floor right next to her, never once making an attempt to climb onto the bed. Still, she was suddenly confronted by the fact that she had never shared a room with a man before, and now that they were confined in that small space together, she couldn’t ignore how inappropriate it was.
What would people say if they knew she and Blaine hardly knew each other? What if they started to talk? What if rumors spread?
But we’re so far from the castle. Nae one kens who I am here.
Or at least so Kathleen hoped. She didn’t look like a peasant by any means, but she also didn’t advertise the fact that she was Kathleen Mackintosh, the daughter of the laird’s advisor. Everyone would simply think she was another noble girl traveling with a relative, as long as neither she nor Blaine gave them a reason to think otherwise.
Turning her back to Blaine, she tried to calm her racing heart. Not only did she have her concerns about the rumors that could spread, but now she was beginning to have doubts regarding his promises.
It was true that if he so wished, he could have taken advantage of her already. It was true that he could have harmed her any of the times they had been alone in this journey, and yet he never once tried. If anything, he had saved her.
So why dinnae I trust him?
What was it about him that inspired this mistrust from her side? Could it be the scars that covered his face and hands, clear signs of violence that she could not overlook? But no, she had seen people with battle scars before and she had not been as reluctant to trust them. Could it be that there was something unquantifiable about him that made him seem untrustworthy? No. Save for the scars, he looked like a perfect gentleman.
Maybe I’m overthinkin’ this. Maybe it’s simply because it’s me first time bein’ alone with a man like this .
Any other time she had been left alone in a room with a man, he had been a relative—her father, her uncle, her cousins. But Blaine was nothing to her and so they didn’t have the familial tie.
The fire crackled quietly in the hearth. Through the window, the wind howled. Kathleen was hyper aware of every sound, every shadow in the room. Her slow, measured breaths didn’t help and neither did closing her eyes, trying to shut everything out. No matter how much she tried, Blaine’s presence was overwhelming, as though he were looming over the bed rather than lying on the floor next to it.
After a few moments, she felt a movement in the covers that startled her, and she almost jumped right out of them before she realized it was only Blaine tugging at the blanket. Frowning, Kathleen tugged it back, only for him to pull more insistently at the corner, trying to pull it towards him.
Cursing under her breath, Kathleen gave one final, decisive pull and ripped the blanket from Blaine’s grip. She didn’t miss the sigh that followed, long and weary and not a little frustrated.
For the better part of the night, Kathleen tossed and turned, trying her best—and failing—to fall asleep. Next to her, Blaine was too still, never once moving a muscle, and she didn’t know whether that was because he was that deeply asleep or because he was actually awake, just like her, and perfectly aware of just how restless she was .
When she chanced a glance at him in the dim light of the fire, she found him wide awake, watching the door.
This must be how he always is… always watchin’, always calculatin’.
When did he ever get the chance to sleep if he was always on such high alert? Kathleen had only missed half a night’s worth of sleep so far and she was certain she would be exhausted in the morning. How could Blaine spend his nights on guard and then go about his day as though he was well-rested?
And then there was another question in her mind, one she didn’t want to entertain at all.
What is it that he fears here?
With those concerns, Kathleen eventually fell asleep. The next time she opened her eyes, she didn’t know how much time had passed since she had fallen asleep, nor did she know what had woken her.
It certainly wasn’t the sun, as it hadn’t yet risen. When she sat up on the bed, she saw that Blaine was awake, too, his back straight as he clutched his blade in his hand, his gaze glued to the door. He looked like a wild animal ready to pounce, rigid, his muscles corded. The entire room felt weighed down with tension, the embers of the dying fire only making the shadows on the walls appear larger.
And then, Kathleen knew what it was that had woken her. Through the small gap at the bottom of the door, she caught another shadow—a slow, measured movement, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Kathleen’s blood ran cold in her veins. Her worst fear had just come true; but who could it be? Had someone followed her there? Or had someone followed Blaine there? The latter was much more likely, given she didn’t have any enemies, at least none she knew of.
Could it be the Campbells?
Glancing at Blaine, Kathleen found him tilting his head towards the bed and pressing his index fingers against his lips, telling her silently to stay quiet. And perhaps for the first time in her life, Kathleen obeyed instantly. She had no desire to attract any attention to her and Blaine or do anything to put the two of them in danger. He was the one who knew what to do in situations like that, and it was time for Kathleen to trust him fully.
Second after agonizing second passed with the shadow lingering by their door. The stillness around them was oppressive—even the wind seemed to have stopped, the room plunged in absolute silence. Outside, small sounds still rang in the night—the distant neigh of a horse, the rhythmic drip-drip-drip of water from the corner of a roof, the footsteps of a group of drunkards returning to their homes. In that small room, there was nothing but silence and fear, and the bone-aching chill that came with them.
Time stretched and warped, and by the time the shadow retreated, Kathleen didn’t know how much time had passed. Only then did Blaine relax a little, his back falling against the side of the bed, but his blade never left his hand. He still clutched the hilt tightly, so much so that his knuckles had turned bone-white.
Could this have been nothing but a coincidence? Could the shadow have simply belonged to another patron, someone who was staying in one of the other rooms? Maybe both Kathleen and Blaine had been too suspicious after the attack from the Campbell men.
Or maybe we are right tae be cautious.
If this was truly someone who was after Kathleen, regardless of the reason, she was lucky that Blaine was there with her. She didn’t even want to consider what may have happened to her had she been alone, as she had originally planned. And only now, after being attacked once and potentially being followed, did she understand the true weight of her actions .
She had left the safety of her home, rushing off unthinkingly into danger. From the first moment she had stepped foot out of the castle grounds, she had simply assumed that everything would work out in her favor, that this journey would be as any other she had taken with her father and their guards, but she couldn’t have been more wrong.
She had tempted fate and was finding out how cruel it could be. And yet, she still refused to return home when Fenella needed her.
Blaine had half a mind to throw the door open and see what was on the other side. It could very easily be a Campbell soldier, someone who had followed them—Kathleen—there. It could even be one of the other patrons who thought they could try their luck with her, mistakenly thinking that Blaine wasn’t in the same room. Or it could simply be a coincidence, but that seemed like the least likely option to Blaine.
Either way, he didn’t sleep. He stayed where he was, with his back against the side of the bed, his gaze trained on the door and any hint of shadow that showed through the gap at the bottom. No matter how heavy his eyes got, no matter how much he craved sleep, he did his best to fight it, knowing very well that if he didn’t, they could very easily be in trouble.
Never had a man caught him by surprise, and it wouldn’t change now .
On the bed, Kathleen was once again restless, tossing and turning, just like she had at the start of the night. For a while, she had fallen asleep, and so had Blaine, but now neither of them seemed willing or capable of sleeping again.
After a while of silence, he felt her lean closer, her voice soft as she spoke.
“How come ye never let yer guard down?” she asked. “Ye’ve barely slept at all an’ the moment somethin’ was wrong, ye were awake. Daesnae it get tirin’?”
Of course it did. Blaine couldn’t remember the last time he had truly gotten some rest, no matter how well-deserved it was. He was always on the move, always working towards something, and the entire time, he couldn’t let his guard down even for a moment. He didn’t have the luxury of a castle or a sheltered life.
For a while, he didn’t respond. His gaze unfocused, the details of the room turning fuzzy in the dim light of the dying fire. He did wish he could close his eyes and rest but he kept them open, useless as that would now be in a sudden attack or fight.
“It isnae easy tae stop old habits,” he told Kathleen in the end. “I am a warrior. I am trained fer this. Anythin’ else… it’s unnatural tae me. ”
Kathleen hummed softly but said nothing else. Blaine only heard her settle back onto the bed, tossing and turning for a while longer until she finally stopped. Whether or not she fell asleep, he didn’t know—he didn’t dare take a peek at her, not when he feared she would be watching.
And for the rest of the night, he stayed awake, guarding the door like a loyal beast.