Page 34 of Kilty Plea
Of course, the boy didn’t answer, but he trotted alongside Payton soon enough. The man glanced over at him; Lenny was frowning, his attention on the snow before him.
“Lenny, ye’ve been treated well since arriving at MacIntyre Castle?” he asked softly.
The lad glanced at him, then back at the snow, and finally nodded.
Och, well, at least he’d answer, if he didn’t want to speak.
“Are ye sleeping with Flora to protect her, or because ye dinnae want to sleep elsewhere?”
The lad kept his gaze square on the snow.
Payton raised a brow at Flora, who sighed. “Lenny! Same question, only ‘tis coming from me, aye?”
The boy shrugged. “I’m no’ scared to sleep in the stables, if that’s what ye’re asking. I can leave ye two alone.”
“’Tis no’ that,” she began gently. “Payton and I…we’re no’ really married. We’re sort of…” She hesitated, then shook her head. “I dinnae ken. But we havenae been married by the church.”
“Aye,” Payton jumped in, “but my family thinks we’re married, and I’ll no’ have yer sister shamed by announcing we’re no’.”
The stubborn set of Lenny’s jaw reminded Payton of his sister. The lad kept his attention on Flora. “Why are ye pretending then? Why do ye no’ want her shamed?”
Payton raised his brows, as his boots crunched over the packed snow. The lad was clearly desperate for the answer, but he was still pretending to speak only to Flora. When he looked over at the woman in question, Payton was surprised to find her staring up at him.
“I confess,” she said quietly, rubbing her brow, “that I had the same question for ye, Payton. Things just became so…busy. And then Lenny was with us, and I didnae think ye wanted to have this conversation with him around…”
Hestilldidn’t.
The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and the snow glistened on the pine boughs. ‘Twas far too beautiful a day to verbal vomit one’s feelings all over the path.
Instead, he pointed to footprints on one side of the path. “Look, a hare’s been through here. If we had a bow, we could catch supper.”
“Flora,” Lenny snapped, “tell yer pretend husband to stop changing the subject.”
“Pretend husband,” Flora echoed, “stop changing the subject.”
Payton hummed. “A fat rabbit, roasted in its own juices. Mayhap with parsnips and carrots—”
“Payton!” blurted Lenny, who then winced. “I mean, Flora, does hewantto be married to ye?”
“Payton.” She nudged him with her hip as they strolled. “If ye dinnae want to be married to me, ye didnae have to announce to yer family that wewere. I thought ye didnae believe the Abbot’s ceremony was binding.”
“I dinnae,” he muttered under his breath. Then he exhaled—a cloud of vapor wrapping through his beard—and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I thought ye didnae either.”
“Aye,” she said carefully. “But I’m no’ the one who told yer mother I was yer wife.”
“And I’m wonderingwhy,” Lenny added on.
“Because!” Payton exploded, turning suddenly and reaching for Flora. If he’d thought about it at all, he would’ve said that he intended to grab her shoulders, mayhap to shake her into understanding. But somehow his hands went to her face, his hands cradling her jaw, his thumbs resting on her cheeks as he looked into her eyes.
“Because, lass,” he rasped, watching those beautiful eyes shade from blue to green. “Because. I couldnae stand the thought of them thinking ye were less than ye are. I didnae want them to force ye away from MacIntyre land afore ye could find yer brother. I didnae want my mother to think ye were a servant—or worse, my leman!” He tugged her closer. “And I didnae want to be parted from ye.”
Her lips had formed a little “oh” of surprise, but he didn’t want to give her time to respond. Was afraidhowshe would respond.
Instead, he kissed her.
This wasn’t the same kiss they’d shared in the inn, the night he’d showed her his face for the first time; that one had been hot and desperate, a fire he thought might consume him.
Thiskiss…
