Page 25 of The Curse of McMillan Castle
I snorted. Loudly. It was not a good sound.
“I’ve had exactly zero suitors, Duncan. I haven’t really had any interest in that.”
He said nothing for a moment. When he did speak again his voice was quieter.
“I see. I appreciate ye joining me. I shall enjoy yer company even so.”
I didn’t understand his meaning. He seemed deflated, saddened by something I’d said, but he moved on from the topic too quickly for me to inquire as to where I’d taken a misstep.
He asked me about Rosie. He spoke about his own home and told stories from his childhood. I hated that so many of my answers to him were lies. Even so, I enjoyed every minute I spent in his company. We chatted for hours. Long after all of the food was gone.
“I shall walk ye back to the castle, lass. I hope ye ken that I wished to escort ye to here from the castle as well, but Isobel insisted I clean meself up before ye arrived. She said that since ’twas still daylight, ye would be fine on yer own.”
Mention of walking back to the castle altered the mood in the room. I wasn’t ready to leave him, and I got the impression he wasn’t ready for me to leave him either. But as I glanced out the window to see the moon high in the sky, I knew it was time to leave.
“Isobel was right. I was fine walking here by myself. I’ll be fine walking back if you don’t want to make the trip.”
Duncan laughed and shook his head. “Do ye no’ remember me first night here? Baodan would ne’er allow it. I willna either. Just give me a moment to get me coat from me bedchamber. I will only be a moment.”
* * *
Duncan
Duncan barely made it to his bedchamber door before he heard the sound of Isobel and Gregor’s door open. The sound was quickly followed by the soft sound of Isobel’s voice behind him.
“’Tis going well, aye?”
He sighed as he faced her. “Nae, lass. Every moment has been torturous.”
Isobel’s face crinkled up in confusion.
“Nothing about it sounded torturous to me. What are ye talking about?”
Duncan crossed his arms in mock-horror. Of course Isobel had listened in.
“If ye’ve been listening, as ye plainly have, ye should ken. She doesna wish to have a suitor. She doesna see this night as I do. All night, I’ve grown madder for her with each passing moment, and all she’s done is try to protect me pride by accepting me invitation here. She doesna care for me, lass.”
The back of Isobel’s hand smacked him hard against the arm.
“Ye are a daft fool. She said no such thing. She was speaking in the past tense, no’ the present. Ask her and see for yerself.”
* * *
Madeline
Whatever had happened to him while retrieving his coat, Duncan’s mood was entirely different by the time he returned to my side.
Gone was the chatty, funny man I’d been with all night. Instead, as we made our way back to the castle, he was distracted, fidgety, and I could tell that as I spoke to him, he wasn’t really listening. I tried to blow it off, but ten minutes into our walk, I’d had enough.
I stopped and called out to him as he continued to walk ahead of me.
“What happened to you?”
He stopped, only then realizing that he’d traveled on ahead as he spun and faced me.
“I’m sorry. What did ye say, lass?”
“You’re acting strangely. Like you’re not here with me anymore. Are you okay?”
