“That is understandable, given how ye were betrayed.” She proceeded cautiously yet still guarded.
Looking down at the mug of ale in his hands, Callum allowed himself to go back to a time that he never spoke of. “It is nae just because of that betrayal. Me father was betrayed by one of his bannermen, stabbed in the back before he had a chance to defend himself.”
Her mouth opened slightly in shock. “I am sorry,” she whispered.
“Aye, as am I. When ye left this mornin’ without sayin’ where ye were headed, I found meself thinkin’ about that again. Ye are by nae means a prisoner in this castle, so it wasnae right of me to bite at ye.”
A soft smile touched her lips as she looked at him. “If it makes ye feel any better, I cannae betray the only man who is likelyto help me find me, brother. Nobody else in this castle kens me story besides ye and Iain. And by the looks of things, Iain has his hands full with the lasses.”
Her words made him smirk as he recalled the incident with the soapy laundry water. “Aye, the man doesnae ken if he is comin’ or goin’ when it comes to the lasses.”
Her laughter filled the air with a gentle sound that soothed his nerves. It was easier to talk to her than he had imagined. She listened contentedly and made no judgments about anything he said.
“I suppose ye will have yer hands full as well when I return to Edinburgh in time.” She shook her head in amusement.
“What do ye mean?” He watched her carefully over the rim of his mug, sipping his ale slowly as the warm liquid stung the back of his throat.
The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile, yet he was not sure if she was sad, happy, or even relieved. “Ye will have to find someone to marry once our arrangement has served its purpose. I am certain the lasses were fightin’ over ye before I came along.” Her voice caught slightly in her throat as if she had gasped.
“I never wanted to marry before ye came along.” He glanced down at his mug of ale again, uncertain of how much of his past he wanted to reveal to her.
Lifting her eyebrow, she sat patiently watching him, expectant of what he would say next.
Taking a moment to compose himself, Callum downed the rest of his ale before speaking. “Me mother died givin’ birth when I was just a bairn. I remember the house goin’ quiet when she took her last breath. The bairn didnae live. Me father never showed how it affected him. Marriage and death were simply a part of life. He ruled with an iron fist and did what needed to be done.”
Her eyes softened as she looked at him, while her lips parted ever so slightly as she let out a breath. “That must have been so hard for ye.”
Callum simply nodded as he placed his mug on the table beside his chair. There was no use beating a dead horse. He had told her about his past, and there was nothing more to be said.
“I lost me brother when he was just a bairn as well. Me father and Andrew said that it wasnae me fault, but it wouldnae have happened if I had been payin’ more attention.” Her lips quivered ever so slightly as she averted her gaze and stared into the fire.
She is hurtin’.
Lifting himself from the chair, Callum took their mugs and made his way over to the desk, pouring them some more ale. It had always been difficult for him to speak of the past, but Eleanor seemed as if she needed to get her story off her chest. He walked back to the fire and handed her the mug, taking his seat again before sitting in silence.
She breathed in deeply as her shoulders rose and fell. “Me youngest brother was swimming while I was readin’. I was supposed to be watchin’ him, but by the time I noticed anythin’, he had already gone under the lake.” Her eyes began to shimmer as she quickly looked away and covertly wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “I have never read another novel again. Love and dreams only lead to hurt and death.”
We believe the same.
Callum suddenly felt a kinship with her that he had never felt with anyone else. Eleanor understood that love and the notion of affection never led to anything good.
“I am sorry, I am blatherin’ like a fool.” She looked back at him and forced a smile, her eyes reddened from the tears she refused to spill.
“Ye daenae have to apologize, lass. I ken very well now why ye need to find yer brother. Ye have already lost one. For what it is worth, I will try everythin’ in me power to uncover what happened to him.”
Even if I daenae think he is alive.
He lifted his glass in a silent promise before taking a sip as he watched her lips touch the rim of her glass. Perfect, kissable lips that haunted his dreams.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The great hall of Castle Fraser glowed with warmth and life.
Torches lined the stone walls, their flames dancing in iron brackets. Long tables had been pushed aside to create space in the center of the hall, while musicians occupied a small platform near the hearth. The lively sound of fiddles and pipes filled the air, accompanied by laughter and conversation from every corner of the room.
Eleanor paused in the doorway as she was passing with a new stack of documents in her arms. She had been gathering new scrolls from the council chambers and had intended to spend the evening going through them all. “What is all this?” she asked, nodding her head toward all of the commotion as servants bustled about.
Marion, who had just been coming out of the hall, clasped her hands together and grinned gleefully. “It is only a ceilidh, milady.”