Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
James exhaled sharply, dragging a hand briefly across his face. “Fool,” he muttered under his breath as he rode across the fields.
Callum galloped beside him.
The land stretched wide and open, yet he felt caged by thoughts he could not outrun.
She returned the kiss. Why did she do such a thing? Does she mean to drive me to madness?
He pushed the horse faster than necessary, jaw tight, eyes fixed ahead as though distance alone might bring clarity. But it did not. Eloise lingered stubbornly, unyielding in memory, the feel of her, the fire in her defiance, the way she had answered his kiss without hesitation.
“Ye’ve near worn that horse thin for nay reason at all,” Callum shouted beside him.
James did not look at him. “I ride as I please,” he replied.
Callum smirked faintly. “Aye, and brood as ye please as well, it seems.”
James shot him a brief glance. “Say what ye mean, Callum.”
Callum shrugged one shoulder. “I think ye’re runnin’ from somethin’,” he said simply.
James let out a low breath. “There’s nothin’ to run from,” he said.
Callum raised a brow. “Aye? Then why do we ride as if we're being chased?”
James’s grip tightened slightly on the reins. “Because I’ve made a mistake,” he said bluntly.
Callum tilted his head. “The lass?” he asked.
James did not answer immediately. “The arrangement,” he corrected after a moment. “It was meant to be simple.”
Callum chuckled under his breath. “Nothin’ about that lass is simple,” he said.
James’s expression darkened slightly. “That’s exactly the problem,” he muttered.
Callum studied him for a moment. “She reminds me of someone,” he said thoughtfully.
James’s eyes flicked toward him. “Who?” he asked.
Callum hesitated only briefly. “Jenny,” he said.
James’s horse slowed abruptly as his head snapped toward Callum.
“Daenae,” he said sharply, his voice cutting.
Callum held his gaze, unflinching. “I mean it kindly,” he said. “The way she cares… even for small things. The way she works besides the household. It’s the same.”
James shook his head, anger flaring. “Daenae compare them,” he said. “Jenny is gone.” His voice dropped lower. “And I will nae fail another woman under me protection.” The words came firm, almost harsh.
Callum nodded slowly. “Aye,” he said. “And ye shouldnae.” He let a beat pass before adding, quieter now, “But protection and love are nae the same thing.”
James stilled at that, the words striking deeper than expected. “There is nae love here,” he said quickly.
Callum gave him a long look. “Is there nae?” he asked.
James did not answer. “It is a marriage of convenience, that is all. I willnae have ye speak to me so. I am yer Laird. That is the end of the matter.”
They rode on in silence until the small village tavern came into view, its low roof and worn wood standing steady against the open land.
As they approached, a few villagers paused in their work, heads bowing respectfully.
“Me Laird,” one man called, dipping his head.
James gave a short nod in return, his posture shifting slightly back into command. He dismounted without ceremony, handing the reins off before stepping inside.
The tavern was warm and dim, filled with the scent of ale and smoke. Conversations quieted briefly at his entrance, a ripple of acknowledgment passing through the room.
James moved to a table without hesitation, Callum following close behind.
“Ale,” James said to the keeper, his tone leaving no room for delay. The man hurried to comply.
“Are we here to continue avoiding the castle,” Callum said.
James took the mug when it arrived, downing a long drink before answering.
“I’ve had matters to attend to,” he replied.
Callum huffed softly. “Aye, I’m sure she’s nae one of them,” he said.
James shot him a look. “Leave it. I've warned ye already,” he said.
Callum raised both hands slightly in mock surrender. “As ye wish,” he said.
Then, after a pause, “What of Mairead?”
James’s expression shifted again, more controlled now. “What of her?” he asked.
“She’s returned,” he said. “That will complicate things, will it nae?”
James let out a slow breath. “Aye,” he said. “I suppose it will.”
Callum studied him closely. “Did ye ever intend to marry her?” he asked.
James shook his head once. “Nay,” he said. “It was expected, but never agreed.”
Callum nodded. “That willnae matter to her,” he said.
“I ken,” James replied. “And I’ll deal with it.”
“Two women now,” he said lightly. “One expected, one unexpected.”
James gave him a hard look. “It isnae a game, Callum,” he said.
Callum’s expression softened slightly. “I ken that,” he said. “But ye’re treatin’ it like a battle.”
James looked down at his drink, his reflection faint in the surface.
“Because that’s what it feels like,” he said quietly.
Callum did not argue that. “Then be sure ye ken which side ye’re fightin’ on,” he said.
James did not respond, but the words stayed with him. His mind churned.
Eloise doesnae want me. She is using me to run from Laird Drummond and I will help her in that… and only that.
Eloise crossed the corridor with quiet purpose, her thoughts fixed firmly on one thing as she approached the door to James’s study.
I have nae spoken to him since he kissed me. Will he think me wanton? Does he want to speak to me at all?
She knocked once, then again, but received no answer. Frowning slightly, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, only to find the room empty, the fire low and the desk untouched. A faint disappointment settled in her chest before she pushed it aside.
“Of course he is nowhere to be found,” she muttered softly. Turning, she made her way back through the halls and out toward the castle gate.
A guard stood watch, straight-backed and alert, and he inclined his head as she approached.
“Have ye seen the Laird?” she asked.
The man nodded. “Aye, Miss,” he said. “He rode out with Callum earlier this morn.”
Eloise nodded once. “Thank ye,” she said, then hesitated. “May I leave word with ye?” she asked.
The guard bowed slightly. “Aye, of course.”
Eloise drew a steady breath. “Tell him I am seeking him.”
“It will be done,” the guard replied.
Eloise turned toward the gardens, drawn by the quiet they offered. The air was soft, the scent of earth and blooms as she walked between the rows of flowers.
She barely noticed the presence behind her until a voice spoke. “Ye seem to favor this place, as I do,” Mairead said lightly.
Eloise turned, finding her already close, her expression composed.
“It is quieter than the rest of the castle,” Eloise replied.
Mairead smiled. “Aye, that it is.”
They fell into step together without quite deciding to. “I’ve always loved the gardens,” Mairead said, her fingers brushing the leaves of a nearby plant. “There is somethin' steady about them. Ye tend them, and they answer in kind.”
Eloise glanced at her hands, noting the faint green stains at her fingertips. “Ye work here often, then?” she asked.
Mairead nodded. “Since I was a girl,” she said. “It was one of the few places where nay one expected anythin' of me. I could work with the plants.”
Eloise studied her quietly. “That sounds almost peaceful,” she said.
Mairead gave a small, knowing smile. “It can be,” she replied. “Though even gardens require careful watchin'.”
Eloise tilted her head slightly. “From what?” she asked.
Mairead’s gaze flickered briefly. “From what might grow where it shouldnae be,” she said.
The words were simple, but Eloise felt something beneath them.
They walked in silence for a moment, the air between them calm on the surface but unsettled beneath.
Eloise found herself watching Mairead more closely now, the ease of her movements, the quiet confidence in her voice. She wondered, not for the first time, how much the other woman knew.
Had James told her? That our engagement is a farce? Does she understand the truth of the arrangement, or does she believe it as the others do?
The thought created a jitter in Eloise’s chest. “Ye’ve been away long?” she asked instead.
“A month,” Mairead replied. “Long enough for things to change.” Her eyes met Eloise’s again. “Or so it seems.”
Eloise held her gaze. “Change is inevitable,” she said carefully.
Mairead’s smile returned, polite and unreadable. “Aye,” she said. “Though nae always welcome.” The tension sharpened slightly, though neither acknowledged it openly.
Before Eloise could respond, a familiar presence entered the space.
“I see ye’ve met,” James said, his voice cutting cleanly through the quiet.
Eloise turned at once, her breath catching faintly at the sight of him, though she masked it quickly.
Mairead turned as well, though Eloise noticed the slight hitch in her movement.
“James,” Mairead said, her voice softer now, and just barely unsteady.
James stepped closer, his gaze moving briefly between them before settling into its usual composed neutrality.
“Mairead,” he greeted with a short nod. “Yer return was sooner than expected.”
Mairead clasped her hands lightly. “I wished to come back,” she said. “There is much here that matters.”
Her voice steadied, but Eloise did not miss the effort behind it.
Eloise stood still, suddenly aware of the space she occupied.
Have I come between two lovers? Does James betray his heart by helping me avoid Drummond?
The thought sickened her. A sudden surge of jealousy flooded her. She pushed it away and smiled.
“I went to yer study,” she said to James, keeping her tone even. “Ye were gone.”
He glanced at her. “I had business beyond the walls,” he replied.
“I left word with the guard,” she added. “That I wished to speak with ye.”
James nodded once. “That is why I came to search for ye. We shall speak now,” he said.
Mairead’s gaze flickered between them, “I should leave ye to it,” she said after a moment, though her tone was carefully composed.
James inclined his head slightly. “As ye wish.”
Mairead turned, her steps measured as she walked away, though Eloise could not shake the feeling that she was being watched even as she left.
Eloise exhaled slowly, her attention returning to James. The air between them was no easier than it had been before.
James extended his hand without hesitation, his voice low but firm.
“Come,” he said. “We will speak in private. There's somethin' I also wish to talk of.”
Eloise glanced at his hand only briefly before placing hers in it, the contact sending an unwelcome warmth through her.
He led her through the corridors with quiet authority, his pace steady, his grip firm but not forceful. Neither of them spoke as they moved, though the silence was thick with everything left unsaid.
What does he wish to say? Is he about to call of this engagement? Have his true feelings for Mairead overcome him?
By the time they reached the solar, Eloise’s pulse had quickened despite her effort to remain composed. He released her hand as the door closed behind them.
She turned to face him at once not able to contain her words. “Does Mairead ken about us?” she asked, her tone direct.
James frowned slightly. “Ken what?” he asked.
Eloise lifted her chin. “That this engagement is a farce,” she said. “That it is nae real.”
The reaction was immediate, his expression sharpened, surprise cutting through his usual control. “Nay,” he said firmly. “Why would I tell Mairead that of all people?”
Eloise studied him closely. “So she doesnae ken?” she pressed.
“Nae one does,” he replied. “Only ye and I ken the truth.”
Eloise exhaled quietly, some tension easing from her shoulders.
“Very well,” she said.
Ask him if he loves Mairead. I must ken the truth of it.
There was a pause before she added, “Then what was it ye wished to speak with me about?”
James crossed the room slowly, his gaze steady on her. “A letter was sent,” he said. “To yer family.”
Eloise’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Aye,” she said. “It was.”
He stopped a few steps from her. “I want to ken what it said,” he added.
Her expression cooled instantly. “Of course ye do,” she said. “Here ye are again, tryin' to control everythin' I do.”
“This is me castle,” he said evenly. “I must remain aware of anythin’ that may affect it.”
Eloise folded her arms. “It was a letter to me family, nae a threat to yer walls,” she replied.
“That doesnae mean it is without consequence,” he countered.
She let out a sharp breath. “I invited me cousin,” she said plainly. “Beatrice. I asked her to come here.”
James stilled, his expression darkening. “Ye did what?” he asked.
Eloise held her ground. “I invited her,” she repeated. “I cannae stand to be without family any longer.”
His voice rose slightly, frustration breaking through. “The marriage is nae real,” he said. “What will she think when she arrives and sees this?” He said closing the distance between them.
Eloise’s heart beat faster, though not entirely from the argument.
“She will think what she sees,” Eloise replied, though her thoughts betrayed her, flickering instead to the memory of his lips against hers.
James ran a hand through his hair. “If she has any sense, she will see through it,” he said.
Eloise stepped closer, her voice tightening. “She willnae, nay one else does,” she said.
He stopped, turning back to her. “Ye risk more than yerself with this,” he said.
“If she figures it out. Or ye confide the truth in her and she lets it slip…”
“I willnae,” Eloise cut in. “I willnae tell her, and she is loyal.”
“Ye place a great deal of trust in her,” he said.
Eloise lifted her chin. “More than I have reason to place in anyone else,” she replied.
The words hung between them, heavier than she intended. His gaze shifted, something flickering in his expression.
“Ye have reason to trust me,” he said quietly, his voice suddenly thick and hoarse.
Eloise’s breath caught slightly, her thoughts slipping again to that moment, the heat of him, the way he had pulled her close.
“I hardly ken who ye are,” she said.
She watched his gaze shift to her lips. “Aye,” he said. “Ye do.”
Eloise swallowed, her pulse quickening. She could feel the pull again, unwelcome and undeniable.
“Then I only ask ye to trust me now,” she said, though her voice wavered slightly. “Let me have this.”
He held her gaze for a long moment, tension evident in every line of him.
Finally, he exhaled sharply. “Fine,” he said. “She may come.”
Eloise blinked, surprised. “Truly?” she asked.
He nodded once, though his expression remained guarded. “But if yer cousin has any sense,” he added, “she will figure out that we are lying and ye will have to deal with that.”
Eloise gave a small, humorless smile. “Then we shall both hope she lacks sense,” she said.
James did not smile. He only watched her, then turned and walked to the door.
“When she arrives, watch yer tongue. This castle has ears,” he said, then he walked out.