Page 96 of The Falconer

Kiaran shakes his head. ‘I can give you two.’

Two minutes. I doubt I can solve this complex a puzzle in such a short amount of time, in spite of my natural aptitude for such things. Mother used to sit for hours with me while I tried to solve increasingly difficult challenges. It’s how my love for engineering began: each machine became a different puzzle.

But this time I’ll be working alone, in the dark, in the middle of a battle. The enormity of what’s at stake is already making me feel queasy.

Perhaps I should lie again, tell them I’m confident enough to slay an army and live. But I can’t. The words stick in my throat. Kiaran would see right through it anyway, as he usually does, and Derrick would only worry—

Someone knocks on the drawing room door. ‘Lady Aileana?’ MacNab says. ‘Miss Stewart is here for fourhours.’

I feel my false smile settle into place. Perfect smile, perfect lie, perfect bloody life.

Chapter 32

Kiaran is at the door when Catherine enters. She doesn’t see him standing next to her.

‘I’ll return later tonight,’ he says before slipping out behind her. Catherine clearly can’t hear him, either, thank goodness.

‘Aileana?’ Catherine’s eyes are large with concern. ‘Are you all right?’

I realise I haven’t welcomed her. ‘I’m quite well. Do forgive me – I’m just a bit . . . flustered.’

Catherine smiles sympathetically and sits on the settee across from me, arranging the skirts of her light yellow dress. Her blonde hair, the same shade as Gavin’s, is pulled into a soft chignon. As usual, she looks fresh and lovely.

‘Of course you are. I know this situation with Gavin can’t have been easy on you.’

‘Aye,’ I choke out.

‘Wonderful response,’ Derrick says from my hair. ‘Try to sound a little less forced the next time you lie.’

Catherine either doesn’t notice my discomfort or has fallen back on Miss Ainsley’s rules for handling awkward situations. ‘I don’t blame you,’ she says wryly. ‘Iamglad that if you have to marry anyone, it’s my brother, but the circumstances—’ She pauses and takes a deep breath before asking, ‘Might I be candid?’

I try not to shift uneasily under her gaze. ‘Please do,’ I say, though I dread what she might have to say.

‘Were . . . were you and hereallycaught like . . .that?’ From her expression, I can only imaginethathas been warped by gossip into something utterly base and compromising.

‘No!’ My face burns. ‘Not at all. I promise.’

She looks a little more relieved. ‘What happened, then?’

‘Well, it’s rather awkward . . .’

Catherine waves her hands. ‘Oh, never mind. I don’t want to think about my brother kissing anyone.’

‘There was no kissing!’

At that precise moment, MacNab enters with another tea service. Catherine blushes, and I feel like crawling under the blasted table.

‘Thank you, MacNab,’ I say, ignoring Derrick’s snickering.

MacNab wisely betrays no indication that he heard what I said and leaves as quietly as he arrived. I press the button for tea and pour Catherine a cup. ‘No kissing,’ I say again.

Catherine takes the cup from me and sips. ‘I passed Gavin on the way here. He looked upset.’

I clear my throat. ‘This wedding business has been hard on both of us.’

Catherine nods in understanding. ‘Of course. Are you feeling better?’ Her brow furrows with concern. ‘Mother was quite . . . distressed about yesterday.’

‘I’m sure,’ I say, a bit weakly. ‘Aye, I’m better. I’ll have to send an apology to Lady Cassilis.’

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