Page 25 of The Highland Heir

Kieran flashed his white smile at the womanbefore offering a courtly bow, and Ella thought she saw the womanblush.

“When Ellisay would come to visit in thesummers, it would be a full week before every sentence from hermouth didn’t start with your name, lad. I had rather grown tired ofhearing how wonderful you were.”

Kieran laughed.

“I could say the same about ye upon herreturn to Caithness.”

Ella held out the bucket, and Kieran took itwithout complaint to go fill it at the well.

When he had left, Aunt Jenny turned to herwith a sly smile.

“Your lad has grown into a handsome man.”

“He isn’t my lad,” Ella said, hiding thesadness that truth brought to her. “He is to be married afterharvest.”

“But not to you?”

Ella laughed. “Nay. The Sinclair heir mustmarry well. Not to someone like me.”

“You were a laird’s granddaughter and now alaird’s niece.”

“I am of no consequence, and you well knowit. There is no alliance to come from marrying me. No riches orlands. Do you think Uncle William would agree to stop thieving theSinclair stock for my sake?”

“Ye know well enough he is only stealing backhis own cattle.”

“And I’m sure the Sinclairs think they aredoing the same. Which is probably why the wee altercations havenever grown into war between the clans. And no war means no need ofan alliance.” Ella shrugged, doing her best not to allow herdisappointment to show. Hopefully, her aunt wouldn’t notice howmuch thought she’d put into such a possible arrangement.

Jenny made an unhappy noise and brushed itoff with a wave of her hand. As if these things didn’t matter inthe Highlands. As if they weren’t the only things that mattered foranyone who would have the honor of marrying Kieran.

“It doesn’t matter. Kieran and I are friends.That is all that has ever been between us and all that I can hopewill remain after he weds.”

Ella recalled the night before, when he’dheld her and she’d felt his body respond to her. The thought of himholding another in the same way nearly stole her breath.

She had often thought of Kieran as hersalone. But it had always been friendship. She’d not wanted him toleave her behind to play with the other boys, so she’d made sure toplay what he wanted. But it was different now. It wasn’t justfriendship. She wanted him to be hers in every way.

Jenny frowned but said nothing else as Kieranentered again with the water.

“We’ll need some things for our meal.” Elliegathered the basket by the door, and Kieran followed after herwithout being asked. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him with her.But she also couldn’t be sure she did not.

She didn’t want to miss an opportunity towalk next to him as if she belonged there, but she also knew fromthe look on her aunt’s face that it would be unlikely they wouldremain friends after he married.

She should go alone so as to get used to sucha future, but instead she said nothing and allowed him to make thedecision to come along with her.

They stopped to purchase vegetables and aplump chicken for the stew she would make. As they were leaving, ayoung girl came up selling bundles of heather.

“For your lady,” the girl said to Kieran.

Ella opened her mouth to explain, but Kieransimply put a coin in the girl’s hand. Ella looked up at him insurprise, and he shrugged as if it was not something worth note. Toher, it was everything.

She thought of how their lives might be ifshe were his lady. When he would be laird and they would rule theSinclair clan together. It had not been something she’d thought ofduring all her woolgathering about her friend.

She had not been trained to be a lady; infact, she was rather the opposite. She didn’t know what wasexpected of a laird’s wife, for there had not been a ladyoverseeing Girnigoe Castle in all her days.

Surely, the lady of the keep would beresponsible for managing the castle as well as the staff. She’d berequired to see to the household ledgers and the larders.

Not to mention entertain guests and see totheir comfort.

She didn’t know the first thing aboutentertaining guests or how much food stores were needed to keep thecastle fed for the winter. Dara had always taken care of suchthings. But she bet the MacKenzie lass had been brought up to knowall these things.