Page 87 of Once Upon A Haunted Castle
He slid a side glance to where she’d been gazing. “I assume ye were walking when ye were attacked.”
As he’d made the statement rather than asking an actual question, Senara didn’t bother to reply. Instead, she lifted her face toward the warmth of the sun and closed her eyes against its caress.
Perhaps it hadn’t been the wisest of choices to not be riding Norbert, but she knew well enough how to fend off attacks. Even Da always said what an incredibly lucky lass she was as she could always seem to manage herself out of awful situations.
“I’ll walk with ye.” The man’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
Senara opened her eyes and regarded him. His dark hair was not actually black, but a deep, deep brown with threads of red-gold, which near glowed in the sunlight.
“It isna necessary.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and only then realized it’d come loose during the fight.
“As ye can defend yerself.” He finished the sentence for her and went to claim the reins of his horse in a stubborn demonstration of his intent.
“I dinna need ye to walk with me,” Senara insisted.
“Perhaps I also prefer to tarry.” He said it with such a straight face, Senara couldn’t help but laugh.
“Fine,” she conceded. “I’m Senara. If we’re to be tarrying together, we ought to know one another’s names.”
He gave a courteous nod. “Gavin.”
Gavin.
It seemed a good name for a man so beautiful.
Aye, he’d be a fine travel companion for the rest of her journey until it ended at Castle of Park and her new life would officially begin.
*
Gavin MacDuff hadgiven only his name. Perhaps providing his full title would have seemed too pretentious a thing when Senara’s lack of wealth was so obvious with her simple gray cloth gown and her tired steed.
It also may have had to do with the assumption she wouldn’t care.
Gavin had rescued other women before. They’d all been grateful and eager to show their appreciation, especially after a shrewd assessment of his costly horse and clothing.
Though the lass had eventually remembered to thank him, she’d been ruffled at his interference.
“Ye’ve a fine sword on yer hip.” He nodded toward the leather-clad blade swinging beside the long line of her leg.
Her hand settled over the exposed hilt in a caring, protective gesture. “It was my da’s. He was a knight when I was a babe, but the king dinna much care for him speaking his mind and took it all away.” She spoke of her father’s loss of favor as if it were unimportant.
In a world dictated by the wealthy and the titled, her nonchalance offered a very foreign perspective.
Foreign and fascinating.
In fact, she’d never regarded his horse, or him, with the same assessing gaze other women did. Instead, she seemed to watch him with quiet observation. It made him wish he could see through her glass green eyes and into the sequestered thoughts beyond.
“He trained me with it when I was a wee lass,” she said. “Me and now my brother, Geordie.” She let her fingertips skim along the tops of the heather, leaving a ripple of purple flowers wavering in her wake. “They’re why I came all this way.”
“And why is that?” Gavin asked with genuine interest.
Even Senara’s posture was relaxed, as if she were without burden in her life. He envied her that.
No lairdship was stacked on her shoulders, no need for an heir pressing on her daily, no damn rejection to a marriage proposal to Colina MacKintosh.
Though it’d been a perfect match and could bring perpetual peace between their clans, her father had been adamant in his refusal without even listening to Gavin’s offer.
The very thought of it made his muscles tighten with frustration.
