Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The sun broke sharp and crisp over the horizon as Eleanor climbed from her bed, dressed, and pulled on her cloak. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts from the previous evening and a sleepless night.
He kissed me.
The pit of her stomach knotted again as she thought of his hands on her body and lips devouring hers. Heat crept up the back of her neck as she paused for a moment. Why had he kissed her? Had it been pure lust, or was there a spark that she had been denying from the start?
Her pulse fluttered as she pushed the thoughts aside. She had only known Callum for a little over a week, and already he was beginning to present a very real distraction to her.
I need to carry on with me day.
Deciding that she needed to keep herself fully focused on finding her brother, she left her chambers and headed downstairs. An early morning ride was exactly what she needed to clear her thoughts.
Most of the servants were already milling about by the time she reached the courtyard that would lead her to the stables she had glimpsed upon arrival.
Some of the soldiers were already training as their swords clanked together with a metallic zing that sliced through the air.
The sound made her shiver as she hugged her arms around her waist and averted her gaze. The reminder of fighting was far too much for her to bear when her brother was missing, and a sense of unease had settled over the castle.
He is still alive. I just ken it.
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her tears at bay. The rest of the servants and soldiers did not seem to mind her presence at all as she descended the stone steps and spotted Marion from across the yard.
The young girl’s cheeks were aflame as her eyes remained fixed on someone across the yard.
The linen hung limply in her hands, half in the tub of soapy water and half in the air, while she used her other hand to prop up the heavy laundry stone in the water.
She did not seem to be aware of anything around her other than the object of her fascination.
Following her line of sight, Eleanor turned her head to see Iain leaning against a post; he was chatting somewhat flirtatiously with one of the other maids.
The young girl’s long blonde hair hung down her back in an intricate braid as she leaned in closer and laughed softly at something that Iain had said. She was petite and quite delicate-looking in her plain grey dress.
Does he nae ken how Marion feels?
Eleanor’s heart broke for her maid as she looked back at Marion, who could not tear her eyes away from the pair. Her expression was blank and fixed as she reached up and placed a single strand of hair behind her ear.
I have to say somethin’.
A sad smile kissed Eleanor’s lips as she headed in Marion’s direction, her boots squelching in the mud as she walked. She reached the girl’s side, yet her presence did little to summon Marion’s attention and gaze. “Marion?”
Water sprayed through the air, soaking Eleanor almost instantly as she stood blinking in the aftermath of Marion’s fright.
“Mistress!” Marion jumped to her feet, utterly mortified at having soaked Eleanor.
“Well, now I am awake,” Eleanor rubbed the soapy water from her eyes and face, feeling the sting of the cool air around her.
“Mistress, I honestly didnae see ye there!” Marion panicked before rushing to get a clean piece of linen off the line behind her. Hurrying back, she handed it to Eleanor, who began to dry her face.
“There is nae need to fuss, Marion, it was only an accident.” Eleanor attempted to reassure her.
The maid’s face brightened even further as a sheepish look came over her face. “I wasnae payin’ attention, Mistress. I am sorry.” She looked down after glancing to the side, her face falling into a sad look of regret.
Feeling sorry for her, Eleanor began to speak, but her words quickly trailed off as she caught sight of Iain. “It is really nothin’…”
The maid beside him stood laughing as he looked at Marion with a blank expression. Did he think her clumsy or foolish? Nothing in his eyes gave away how he was feeling, nor did he laugh along with the pretty girl at his side.
It wasnae nothin’.
Eleanor turned back to Marion, feeling a wave of pity for the young girl who so prized her romance novels and stories. Water dripped from her hair, yet she did not seem to care, keeping her head low as she began to move the piece of linen against the laundry stone in her bucket.
“Marion, why do ye nae go and get cleaned up? Ye can come back to yer duties once ye have gotten a dry dress,” Eleanor suggested while using the piece of linen to dry her own sodden hair.
Sniffing back her non-existent tears, Marion got to her feet and attempted to dry her hands on her wet apron. “Thank ye, Mistress, I think I shall do just that.” She sniffed once, attempting to hide her emotions before turning away and heading back toward the castle.
Watching her go, Eleanor sighed. It was never easy dealing with matters of the heart. Especially not when one was as romantic as Marion.
Her gaze drifted back to Iain and the girl who seemed to have won his attention again as they whispered under their breaths in what seemed like a deep conversation.
He doesnae care.
Anger suddenly flared in her chest as she fought the urge to march right over to him and shake some sense into his stubborn male skull.
Had he not been running and laughing with Marion at the ceilidh?
He might not have been flirting, but if he did not feel the same way as Marion, he should have told her so she could mend her heart and move on with her life.
It seemed highly unlikely to her that the man was utterly oblivious, not when Marion followed his movements and hung on his every word. She tore her gaze away from Iain with a shake of her head and froze.
How long had Callum been standing in the doorway of the castle?
His deep eyes pinned her in place, making her pulse jump and her heart skip a beat. Would they talk about the kiss? Or, had it meant nothing to him at all?
What does it mean to me?
The question caught her off guard as she suddenly tore her eyes away from him and hurried in the direction of the stables.
The kiss was nothing but a heated moment of foolishness between them.
There was no use in dwelling on the matter when there were more important things to occupy her thoughts.
The least of those things was wondering what Callum had been thinking while looking at her with such an intensity in his gaze.
Two hours had passed since Callum had seen Eleanor riding away from the castle on a mare. He told himself that she was just following up on leads regarding her brother, but a small part of him wanted to go after her.
She has every right. She isnae a prisoner. But where is she?
Callum swung the axe through the air, bringing it down on the log with so much force that splinters of wood flew through the air like little daggers.
The smell of sawdust was sharp and crisp, honing his thoughts like the blade honed the wood.
There were servants who could chop the wood for him, but he liked to work his tension out on menial tasks whenever his mind was a mess.
Worry coursed through his veins despite his best efforts.
Anything could have happened to her on the ride, and it was downright foolish of her not to have told anyone where she was going.
“What did that log do to ye?” Iain came striding toward him with a smirk on his face, not caring that Callum was in a bad mood.
Yanking the axe from the chopping stump beneath the now broken log, Callum wiped his brow on his arm. “What is it to ye? Have ye never seen a Laird chop wood?” he grumbled, setting the axe against the stump that used to be a giant oak.
The rest of the courtyard remained empty save for a few soldiers who were milling about. The servants never stayed around when Callum was chopping wood.
Laughing, Iain shook his head before stopping beside Callum and leaning against the fence, crossing his boots at the ankles. “Do ye want to talk about it, or will restockin’ the castle fires solve all of yer problems?”
Callum glared at him and clenched his jaw. “If ye are nae careful, it will be yer head on this choppin’ block. Have ye settled matters with Marion yet?”
Iain’s body instantly stiffened at the mention of the maid’s name. “I daenae ken what ye are sayin’,” he said just as stiffly as his rigid posture.
“Ye ken very well that the lass has taken a fancy to ye. Her father willnae look kindly on the matter if ye daenae set her straight. If ye daenae wish to court her, tell her.” Callum narrowed his eyes, feeling the exertion of his efforts in his arms and thighs.
It was nothing for him to chop wood, but the effort he placed behind each swing had almost split the chopping block in two.
The air between them grew quiet as Iain looked at his boots. “I daenae ken if I wish to court the lass or nae. She is bonnie, but her head is always in the clouds.”
“And is Freya bonnier than Marion?” Callum asked him directly, wanting to address disharmony in his clan. It was one thing to allow clan members to settle matters on their own, but another thing when those matters began to interfere with their chores.
Iain clenched his jaw this time and looked up. “I ken that ye are the Laird, me Laird, but what I do in me free time is none of yer business. The matter with Marion and Freya will be settled in good time.”
“As long as ye settle it before anyone gets hurt. It may have been water this time, it could be Marion or someone else’s hand next time under the laundry stone,” Callum snapped back, still feeling the irritation of not knowing where Eleanor had gotten to.
Coming up straight, Iain seemed to bristle at the comment.
“It wasnae me fault that Marion wasnae payin’ attention.
Freya and I were discussin’ clan matters, and just so that ye ken, I told her nae to laugh at Marion.
Freya told me nae to speak to Marion like that, and now she is mad at me,” he grumbled.
Callum smirked, trying to keep himself from laughing. Iain was such a transparent man, yet he could not seem to admit matters to himself. He cared for Marion enough to start an argument with one of the most beautiful maids in the castle, yet he would not admit to the reasoning.
“I daenae see what is amusin’, me Laird. Freya can be quite difficult when she doesnae get her way.” He let out a sigh that made Callum laugh properly this time.
The moment of respite, however, was very short-lived as the sound of a horse’s hooves drew their attention toward the castle gates.
Callum’s jaw clenched again as he saw Eleanor riding toward them, her braid flaring behind her in the wind along with her cape.
Iain strode toward Callum and clapped him on the shoulder. “I daenae think ye should be focusin’ on me when ye have yer own matters to settle. Yer bride-to-be has been gone for hours without tellin’ ye where she went.” He strode off in the opposite direction without saying another word.
Irritation flared in his chest again as relief mingled with frustration. She was not a prisoner in his castle, but that did not mean that she had the right to ride off without telling him where she was going.
He waited until she brought her horse to a slow trot and stopped at the stables before making his way toward her. “And where have ye been for so many hours?” he growled at her, stopping beside the horse just as she dismounted.
His sudden approach caught her off guard, and she took a step back. “I went for a ride,” she said softly as her brow furrowed into a frown.
“Without askin’ or even sayin’ where ye were headed?” He took hold of the reins and began to guide the horse into the stables.
“I wanted to get some fresh air, and just what do ye think ye are doin’?” she began to protest as she hurried after him, practically running as she tried to keep up.
“I am placin’ me horse back in her stall. Ye may want to ask next time ye decide to go off on yer own,” he avoided looking at her as his anger flared.
The smell of fresh hay filled his senses as he entered the empty stables and headed toward a stall at the end.
“I am perfectly capable of leadin’ the horse to her stall, me Laird. And I am to be a prisoner in yer castle?” She took hold of the reins just as she caught up to him.
Finally snapping, Callum rounded on her, pulling the reins from her hands as he closed the distance between them.
“I never said that ye were a prisoner, lass, but I did warn ye that the castle wasnae safe. I daenae have time to worry about ye when I daenae even ken whom I can trust!” He raised his voice, backing her into a stall as he let go of the reins and allowed the horse to wander to her stall.
Eleanor’s eyes widened as her mouth fell slightly open.
I shouldnae have spoken to her like that.
Callum’s anger subsided a little as he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. The look in Eleanor’s eyes again tugged at his chest when he opened his eyes.
She did not look sad or even hurt, yet there was something in her eyes that made him regret his temper.
“I see. I will be more careful to run matters by ye first in the future, me Laird. Now, if ye would excuse me, I would like to go back to me chambers, that is if ye daenae mind.” She lifted her chin defiantly in the air as she pursed her lips into a thin line and pushed past him.
He swore under his breath, watching her walk away from him.
I should go after her…
His fists clenched at his sides, yet his feet refused to move.