Page 41 of The Falconer

Catherine follows my gaze and grasps a cup of punch. ‘It’s best to ignore them, just like you told me to.’

‘Ask her. Why. She is starving.Meeee!’ Derrick wails.

‘Fine,’ I snap, startling Catherine. She stares at me in concern. ‘Forgive me, but do you have something small to eat? I fear I might not last until supper.’

‘Of course,’ she says. ‘I believe cook is preparing more refreshments in the kitchen. They should be out soon.’

‘Oh, thank God,’ Derrick says. ‘I’m away to the kitchen to steal the refreshments. Don’t do anything foolish while I’m gone.’

He flies off in a blur of light. Thank heavens. When Dante described the circles of Hell, he clearly forgot the one where a hungry pixie sits on one’s shoulder for eternity.

‘So what happened yesterday?’ Catherine says.

‘Yesterday?’ I say warily.

‘At the Nor’ Loch,’ Catherine says. ‘I really didn’t mind the walk home with Dona.’

Damn Kiaran MacKay and his meddling. Either he didn’t clear her memory, or he shoved some new events in there. Who knows what I’m supposed to remember?

‘Aye. It was enjoyable,’ I say hastily. Did he make her think we all walked home together, then?

Catherine frowns. ‘You walked home by yourself? My goodness, you should have let me stay with you. So you weren’t able to fix the ornithopter?’

For God’s sake, what did Kiaran do to her? ‘It’s fixed. Fit and ready to fly.’

‘But you just said—’

‘Everything is quite fine,’ I say, with a wave of my hand. ‘So what did your mother think of your little unescorted outing yesterday?’

Catherine shifts her gaze and takes a sip of punch. Even the gold lighting from the candles betrays the flush that creeps up her neck. ‘Well,’ she says carefully. ‘Well. She—’

‘Wait! Let me guess. She called you an insolent girl and had you read fromMiss Ainsley’s Book of Etiquette and Reflections on Societal Conduct?’

She scrunches her nose and drinks again. I’ll wager she’s the one wishing the punch had whisky in it this time. ‘Yes to both. Then she had me recite chapter nineteen entirely from memory.’

‘Ah,’ I say. ‘“Appropriate Behaviour Inside and Outside of the Home.” But surely that’s the mostexcitingchapter.’

‘You think so only because you’ve broken every rule stated there.’

I glance at the kitchen door. What could Derrick possibly be doing in there that’s taking so long? The pixie could devour a whole table of food in a few short minutes. ‘I admit nothing.’

‘At least Gavin was there to save me.’ Catherine shakes her head. ‘If he hadn’t interrupted, I’m sure she would have had me recite the whole blasted book.’

‘Speaking of,’ I say, looking behind her, ‘where is your brother? I thought I saw him briefly before—’

‘He’s right behind you,’ a low voice murmurs in my ear.

I jump and Catherine laughs.

Oh, my. Gavin’s blond hair is slightly mussed. His wide blue eyes are as lovely as ever. In a mere two years, he has managed to grow much taller than I remember him being, almost Kiaran’s height. I have to tip my head back to look at him.

His smile is slow and rather charming. ‘All grown up, I see.’ His voice betrays a hint of an accent he must have picked up at Oxford.

I realise I’ve been staring and I blush. I hold out my hand. ‘Gavin,’ I say. I allow myself that familiarity. ‘Or should I call youLord Gallowaynow?’

A distant relative of Gavin’s passed just last year, leaving Gavin with an earldom, a fortune to add to what he inherited from his father, and a few other properties in Scotland. It’s strange to hear him referred to as the Earl of Galloway now.

‘You can call me whatever you like,’ he says, releasing my hand. He glances at his sister with a teasing smile. ‘Though I rather think Catherine should use my title.’

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