Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
“How are ye feelin’, Me Lady?” the healer asked, setting the empty infusion glass aside. “Ye’re lookin’ much better.”
“I’m feelin’ it,” Katherine said, swallowing again around the bitter, herbal aftertaste stuck to her tongue. “I believe gettin’ some sunlight and puttin’ me feet in the river a few days ago did me a lot of good.”
“I’d say so,” the healer agreed. “I would have preferred that ye rested longer, though. I havenae seen anyone as sick as ye in years. We didnae think that ye would pull through.”
“I’ve heard that I gave everyone quite a fright,” Katherine said, ducking her head.
She didn’t remember the worst of her illness. There were only the flashes of terrible dreams and the memory of an exhaustion so deep that she couldn’t open her eyes. Then, Liam was there looking as though he’d seen a ghost.
“Aye, ye did,” the healer confirmed. “I’ve never seen Laird MacDougal like that.”
The words hit Katherine so hard that the only thing she could do was nod.
She waited a beat, and when the healer said nothing else, she stood and walked to the door.
When she reached it, she looked over her shoulder and said, “Thank ye. I ken that I wouldnae have healed as quickly as I did without ye.”
“Ye should thank the Laird as well,” the healer said. “He’s the one that stayed with ye and kept yer temperature down. I’m sure that improved yer chances.”
The statement was another blow that Katherine couldn’t quite wrap her mind around. She’d been sitting with the information that he’d been with her all night since she’d fallen ill. Now, though, hearing that he had even played a role in her recovery was dizzying.
“I... I will be sure to tell him,” Katherine said, her voice stilted.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she moved through the corridors. She needed air, not because she was upset but because it felt like her heart was racing ahead. The space he’d kept between them was shrinking. There might be room for love in this marriage.
It willnae come fast. It may nae come at all. I need to keep meself from gettin’ too hopeful. He’s told me nae to expect it.
Instead, she tried to focus on what was happening.
The ceilidh was only three days away, and the preparations were in full swing.
Perhaps, after taking a short walk through the gardens, she could visit the kitchens and attempt to charm the cook into giving her a taste of the desserts he’d been preparing.
Stepping out of the castle and into the sun-warm air, she took a deep breath. A mix of floral sweetness wafted from the gardens. It was as if the wind was drawing her closer to the smell.
As she followed the scent, her face upturned to the sky. She moved carefully, not wanting to trip over the stones laid in the ground. Residents of the castle were out enjoying the weather, and she no longer felt as though she were a spectacle here. Instead, she was just part of the landscape.
It felt like true freedom.
For a few minutes, all she heard was distant laughter and birdsong. But as she walked deeper into the gardens, she picked up the low tone of Liam’s voice. Refusing to overthink her actions, she moved toward the sound.
When she came across Liam, she was almost surprised to see that Agnes was there with him. She looked almost confused, holding onto whatever he was saying. And Liam…
Liam was gesturing at the plants in front of them, his posture tense and proper. He was engaged but seemed like he wanted to be doing anything else. She moved closer quietly, trying to listen to what he was saying.
Is he… givin’ Agnes a lesson?
“Do ye remember what this one is called?” Liam asked, his fingers closing around a large leaf. He rubbed them together, clearly releasing the scent into the air. “Ye liked the smell, aye?”
“Aye,” Agnes said, her brow furrowing even further, “but I daenae remember the name.”
“This one, then,” Liam said, pointing to another plant.
“That one is mint,” Agnes said. “That’s easy.”
“And this one isnae?” Liam replied, sounding as if he truly couldn’t understand what a six-year-old would struggle with longer names. Perhaps it was because the child was so well-spoken. Katherine often forgot how young she was herself. “Ye truly cannae remember?”
“Nay,” she said, her frustration apparent on her face. “I am tryin’ but I cannae.”
Liam paused, his jaw tightening. It was clear he was struggling though he was trying his best. Katherine decided then, before he could get too upset, that it was time to step in.
“That one is marjoram,” Katherine said, drawing both of their attention.
His head snapped toward her. He frowned, looking more upset about being caught teaching Agnes than about being corrected. Agnes, however, grinned at Katherine’s presence.
“I have trouble rememberin’ the names,” Agnes admitted, stepping over to Katherine.
“There are just so many of them, and all of them have different uses.” She pointed at the plant, the round green leaves swaying slightly in the breeze.
“And some of them look so similar. What if I need somethin’ for digestion but grab somethin’ for a headache instead? ”
“Well, it willnae hurt ye to treat a headache rather than a stomachache,” Katherine said thoughtfully.
She looked at the herb garden, considering how overwhelming it would be for a girl as young as her to learn all the names and uses.
“Perhaps we can devise a method that will help ye remember the names and what each plant does. But the names should come first.”
“Father was tryin’,” Agnes said, the frustration still there even though she was trying to be diplomatic.
She’s glad that he’s helpin’ her, even if she doesnae like the way he teaches her.
“I’m sure ye learned somethin’,” Katherine said with a grin. “Yer father is smart; ye saw it with how well he kent the lands. Some subjects are easier to teach than others. I didnae ken a thing about the lands.”
“I suppose ye’re correct,” Agnes sighed. She looked back at the marjoram. “I think that I will remember marjoram now, though.”
“Ye’ve done well today,” Liam said, finally speaking up. His surprise was gone, tempered by something that looked like fondness for the girl. “Ye can go back to the castle, Agnes.”
“Aye, Father,” Agnes said. She looked back at Katherine, gesturing for her to bend down. When Katherine’s ear was even with her mouth, she whispered, “Marigold brought berries today, and I’m goin’ to get some from the cook. Olivia should be bringin’ more tomorrow.”
With a giggle, Agnes ran off toward the castle doors. Katherine covered her mouth, her own laughs bubbling out of her. It seemed that Agnes became more and more like her every day.
“Ye undermine me,” Liam said, his tone surprising her. He was playful; the stiffness from her interruption now faded.
“I wanted to help her,” Katherine replied, stepping a bit closer to him. “I imagine it’s difficult to keep everythin’ straight. It took me a long while to memorize the plants that wouldnae poison me and even longer to learn what the ones that were healin’ did.”
Liam made a low noise of acknowledgment, turning to face her fully. He slid closer, and her heartbeat picked up. The air seemed to grow still. She could feel his breath against her skin, count each light freckle that had appeared on the bridge of his nose.
“Are ye plannin’ on doin’ that again?” he asked, so low she had to strain to hear him.
She was caught by his gravitational pull now. As helpless to his presence as the Moon was to the Earth. They were so near that she almost forgot that he’d asked her anything.
“I might,” Katherine finally said, barely above a whisper, “if it’s good for her.”
Liam laughed, a soft, incredulous chuckle. For a moment, he just studied her, the corner of his mouth lifted in a way that made him nearly irresistible. Then, he murmured, “She does better when ye’re the one teachin’ her.”
Her breath caught, the admission feeling so unlike him that she couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. Even weeks ago, she would have thought it to be impossible for him to admit that her methods were better than his. Or, at least, she wouldn’t have imagined that he’d admit it directly to her.
“Are ye admittin’ that ye’re wrong?” she breathed, laughing a bit despite herself at the ridiculousness of his words.
“Daenae push yer luck, Katherine,” he warned, her name from his lips sending a shiver of warmth down her spine. “I have just told ye that ye were doin’ well. Daenae give me a reason to take it back.”
“Ye wouldnae,” she replied, reveling in the way his smirk seemed to deepen further.
“Ach, ye are much too bold,” he chastised her, all of the heat absent.
“I am simply sure that ye meant what ye said,” she said, drifting in closer. For the first time, she felt as if she could not only push her luck but test his patience. “Ye’re a man of yer word, are ye nae?”
“Aye,” he said, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I am.”
Then, his hand dropped, and he moved away in what she thought was an impressive display of control. Or maybe he was trying to make a point, teasing her right back. Her mind wasn’t working fast enough to understand what he meant.
“Enjoy yer walk, Katherine,” he said as he began to walk back toward the courtyard. She could hear the sounds of men gathered, likely guards, swapping shifts or taking part in a training exercise. “Ye truly look as if ye’re well once more. I am glad to see it.”
“Thank ye,” she said, her voice not nearly loud enough for him to pick up on.
She remained in place, watching Liam walk away with his shoulders back and a confident swagger that made her want to follow him. When he disappeared from her view, she turned around. Her skin tingling from the lingering effects of his proximity, she stepped further into the gardens.
I willnae be able to keep meself still if I return to the castle now.
Seconds, then minutes, then half an hour passed, and she was still walking amongst the fragrant blooms. The giddy energy sticking to her just couldn’t be dispelled. She felt as though there had to be something she could do to steady herself.
She began to hum a familiar tune, the same one that she’d sung during the auction. It worked, the vibrations seeming to steady her as she walked. So, after confirming she was the only person around, she let herself sing the words aloud, her voice filling the space around her.
She felt strong, like she belonged. And she felt like she was finally out of the uncertainty that she’d grown up in.
* * *
Liam hadn’t gone back into the castle after overseeing the guards changing their posts. The staff was busy, rushing to and fro as they prepared to host the ceilidh. They didn’t need his oversight, and they were still on edge, seeming to expect him to demand reports the second they spotted him.
So, he busied himself by watching the horses in the pasture.
Leaning against the fence, he watched how Brimstone kept looking at the hills and fields. It almost seemed like he was always waiting for Katherine to come and pet his muzzle. Liam couldn’t deny that he sometimes found himself doing the same thing.
Just as he was about to straighten himself up and return to the castle, Brimstone’s ears perked. Liam looked over his shoulder, almost expecting to see Katherine approaching them, but surprisingly, there was no one else around.
“What did ye hear, ye wild beast?” Liam asked under his breath.
For a moment, he only heard the birds flittering from branch to branch in the trees around him. Then, he picked up a note that was distinctly human. Not only that, but it was familiar.
I ken that voice.
Without hesitation, Liam stepped away from the fenced pasture and followed the voice. The sound grew clearer with each step he took toward the gardens. He realized he knew the voice, and he knew the song.
It was Katherine, and she was singing the tune that had charmed his grandmother and grated on the nerves of the other bidders. He hadn’t realized that he’d missed her singing voice, and, as though drawn in by the clear, melodic words, he kept moving toward her.
When she came into sight, he kept moving though he slowed his pace to avoid startling her. Stopping a few meters away, he clasped his hands behind his back and enjoyed the show. Perhaps he should make his presence known.
But for a few moments, he wanted to enjoy this.
Though it wasn’t long before the song faltered. She repeated the previous phrase, but her voice faded as she continued. The loss of sound felt like losing his own breath.
“Ye daenae have to stop singin’,” Liam said, his voice loud in the relative peace. “The song was quite bonnie.”
Katherine jumped, turning around quickly. Her hand rested on her chest, and her mouth was slightly parted. The faint blush that colored her cheeks made her even more irresistible.
“It’s nae that I wish to stop,” Katherine said, holding his gaze despite her surprise and embarrassment. “It’s that I cannae seem to remember the rest of the words. Nae matter how hard I try.”
Ach, but I remember. That is a familiar song to me as well, lass.
“Perhaps it will return to ye,” he said, forcing himself to keep from insisting. As much as he wanted to give her the rest of the words, he could sense that he’d intruded on a moment that wasn’t meant for him. “I will leave ye to the rest of yer walk.”
Giving her a sharp, polite bow, Liam turned away. Going back to the castle felt like the most difficult thing he’d ever done. It was made even more unbearable by the weight of her eyes on him.
I cannae let meself lose control so quickly.