Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Katherine hadn’t meant to miss supper in the great hall, but she could not bring herself to enter the castle for nearly an hour after Liam had caught her singing. She felt embarrassed. And even worse, she was ashamed that she didn’t ask him to accompany her.
It’s like he has given me just a taste of what I desire, and now, I’m insatiable.
As she approached the kitchens to request something small, she caught sight of a servant carrying two platters toward the great hall. They were laden with food rather than being empty. Curious, she followed.
There shouldnae be anyone dinin’ at this hour.
When she entered the mostly deserted hall, she heard two male voices. She couldn’t make out what they were saying; their words were low, and the finer details were drowned out by the crackle of the fire. It took her a moment to locate where they were seated.
Liam and Cillian were sharing a meal, both of their plates half-finished though it seemed the two of them were nowhere near done. On the table was a carafe of ale and a crystal bottle filled with whiskey. The two didn’t seem to realize that she had entered the room yet.
“Would ye be opposed to me joinin’ the two of ye?” she asked, prompting the men to pause their discussion.
“Have ye nae eaten?” Liam asked, already gesturing for the servant to bring a fresh plate. “Supper was served two hours ago.”
“I ken,” Katherine replied, taking the seat next to him. She kept a careful amount of distance between the two of them though she longed to sit closer. “I was restin’ after me walk and fell asleep.”
“Ye’re in luck, then. We’ve got more than enough to share,” Cillian said, pushing a plate piled with bannocks toward her. “Help yerself.”
“The cooks served us as if we were feedin’ me entire militia,” Liam said, watching as Katherine filled her plate with bits of haggis and neeps. “I do believe they are practicin’ for the ceilidh.”
There was a softened quality to his shoulders. His glass had a finger of whiskey in it, and it was clear to her that the two had been doing more drinking than eating. Not wanting to be left out, she filled her own glass with ale.
“Are ye lookin’ forward to it?” Cillian asked, curious and kind.
She hadn’t had the opportunity to interact with him much beyond polite words exchanged in passing. She’d yet to form a true opinion on him and his character. It struck her just how genuine his question seemed, as if he were truly curious about her thoughts.
“I am,” she said, sipping the bubbling, bitter liquid. It went down more smoothly than she was expecting. “Though I believe the ladies of Clan MacDougal are even more excited than I.”
“We havenae had a proper celebration in years,” Liam said, his eyes tracking Katherine’s hand as she took another long sip of her ale. “Of course, they’re lookin’ forward to it.”
“Perhaps,” Cillian said, leaning forward with a grin, his eyes fixed on Katherine, “ye should make it yer duty as Lady MacDougal to ensure we have regular celebrations.”
Katherine considered the suggestion as she took a bite of neeps. “I wouldnae be opposed to that though I cannae say that I have much experience in plannin’ things.”
“Ach, ye’re forgettin’ that the ladies would be more than happy to guide ye,” Liam said, picking up his glass and swirling the amber liquid in the bottom. “Ye saw just how excitable they were about helpin’ ye out. And I ken that Lady Elspeth is always lookin’ for a reason to assist others.”
“I quite like her,” Katherine said, remembering the way the woman had presented herself as an ally. “I’d enjoy gettin’ to ken her better.”
“I’ll ensure ye have plenty of opportunities,” Liam said decisively. He looked at Katherine’s plate. “Now, eat.”
Cillian laughed at the command but quickly stifled it when Liam shot him an unimpressed look.
She did as she was instructed, looking between the two of them, trying to parse out the conversation the two of them were having through their expressions.
As she washed down her mouthful of food with another swallow of ale, she tilted her head to the side.
“How long have the two of ye ken one another?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. “If I didnae ken any better, I would have thought ye were brothers.”
“We may as well be,” Cillian said with a chuckle. “We grew up with one another.”
“Me father took him in when he was a boy,” Liam said, finishing his whiskey and pouring a bit more. He was smiling. Katherine couldn’t help but think that it was a good look on him. “Made him me man-at-arms as soon as I inherited the title. I couldnae think of someone more capable.”
“Ye’re gettin’ soft on me, Liam,” Cillian laughed, finishing his own ale. “I daenae even recognize ye.”
“Ach, both of ye enjoy testin’ yer luck around me, daenae ye?” Liam scoffed.
“It’s quite rare we can get a reaction out of ye,” Cillian said as if that explained everything.
Liam grunted, and Katherine had to shove another mouthful of food into her mouth to keep from laughing. What Cillian said was correct, but she had been testing her luck with him today. She was content to eat as they provoked one another. It was quite entertaining.
For the next few minutes, they sat in comfortable silence. Katherine continued to eat her meal while the men imbibed. Liam’s knee rested against her thigh, a soft pressure at first then getting firmer when she didn’t pull away.
Heat bloomed from the point of contact. She could feel all of his strength, all of his power that he kept hidden, and the knowledge that he was choosing to maintain something so casual despite all of that, despite the distance that he’d so carefully maintained, made her heart beat faster in her chest.
Suddenly, a rich, steady sound began to emanate from him. At first, she went completely still. It was familiar, the words to the song she had been singing flowing from his lips. It was the folk song that Katherine’s maids had sung to her when she was small.
She longed to join him, but she still couldn’t remember the last verse. Turning her head, she watched the way his mouth moved, curving around the Gaelic words in a way that raised gooseflesh on her arms. Then, he got to the part of the song she’d forgotten.
Her jaw dropped. Without the same hesitation she’d had, he sang as if the words had been imprinted on his brain, as though they were second nature.
When he finished singing, she couldn’t bring herself to look away. Liam turned to look at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Across from them, Cillian let out a low whistle, drawing Liam’s attention away from Katherine.
“Ye’ve an early mornin’, do ye nae?” Liam asked flatly.
It was a clear dismissal, and Cillian was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. He took his glass, finishing the last dregs of whiskey before pushing himself to his feet. “Aye. Ye’re correct. Ye two shouldnae stay up too late.”
“Ye’re nae in the position to be givin’ me orders,” Liam said though the words weren’t sharp and the ghost of a smirk settled on his lips.
“It’s nae an order, Me Laird,” Cillian replied with a cheeky grin. “It is simply a suggestion for yer own health.”
“Ye’ve never been concerned with me health a day in yer life,” Liam scoffed.
Cillian gave an exaggerated bow, saying nothing more as he left the great hall. Liam rolled his eyes at his friend’s behavior. Katherine couldn’t take her eyes off Liam, though. She still couldn’t believe what she’d heard.
When could he have learned that song? Did he ken the words all long?
“Did I surprise ye?” Liam asked when Cillian was gone, and the doors closed behind him.
Katherine startled at the intensity of his gaze when he turned to her. The room narrowed down to the two of them. She forced her breathing to steady before she answered.
“Aye, ye did,” she confirmed. “I wasnae expectin’ ye to ken that song.”
“I kent it earlier today when ye were singin’,” he said, the pressure of his knee increasing against the supple flesh of her thigh. “Me mother used to sing it to me.”
The admission made her breath catch. Her fingers twitched around her utensil. For reasons she couldn’t fully articulate, she wanted to reach out to him and to make the contact even deeper, but something stopped her.
* * *
Liam watched the way Katherine’s mind processed the information he’d shared. Her eyes stayed wide open, her mouth parted. He couldn’t tell whether she was upset or simply seeing him in a different light.
“Ye ken the song,” she finally said again, a small hint of what sounded like accusation there.
Her cheeks were flushed from the ale, and her body was irresistibly warm. It seemed that her lips were pinker than normal, and her eyes were half-lidded, making her look sinfully desirable.
“I donae want ye to think I was criticizin’ yer singin’ earlier,” he said, feeling as though he owed her the truth.
She’s owed as much. I didnae stop her earlier because I didnae want to intrude.
“I see,” she said, running her finger over the rim of her glass. “So ye kent it when I sang at the auction?”
“Aye, I did,” he confirmed. He shifted away, finally removing the pressure from her thigh. She seemed to feel the loss just as acutely as he did. “But it was yer voice and nae the song that I was drawn to. That Lady Agnes was drawn to.”
Katherine nodded, seemingly unwilling to look at him. He wished he could hear her thoughts and see the things she was quietly struggling with. Instead, he let the silence sit for a long moment.
“I believe Agnes would like it if ye put her to bed,” he said finally, loath to end their time together but knowing that if they sat like this any longer, he might push her past her point of comfort. “Ye should leave as well.”
“Ye’re correct,” Katherine agreed softly, letting her hand fall away from her ale.
She rose slowly, each one of her movements looking painfully deliberate. As she made her way toward the door, her shoes clicked against the stone and echoed in the mostly empty hall. He watched, surprised when she stopped at the doors, turning around to look at him once more.
“Me Laird,” she said, a strange mix of formality and familiarity.
A savage, unwelcome desire to grab hold of her and pull her close overtook him.
“Yer voice is captivatin’. I do hope that ye’ll sing for us again.
” She paused once more, visibly weighing her next words.
He squeezed his hands tighter at his sides, his knuckles straining against the pressure.
“Or if ye willnae sing for everyone, I hope that ye’ll sing again for me. ”
Even though she turned around quickly, he could see that a deep blush was blooming over her cheeks. She was out of the hall before he could say anything else, the doors swinging shut behind her. For a long moment, Liam did nothing but stare at the place she’d been standing only moments before.
When he regained his senses, he turned his focus to her cup. It was still almost full with only a few sips gone. On the rim, he noticed the marks her lips had left. Seeing it was tempting, a reminder of how much he craved the warm feel of her mouth against his.
Before he allowed himself to think too hard about his next move, he took hold of the glass. As if he were holding a sacred artifact, he brought the mug to his lips. Slowly, he took a long drag from the place where Katherine had been drinking.
Then, he set the glass aside, sighing to himself. It felt almost unfair to keep the gap he’d dug between them in place. He needed to do something to start bridging it.