“Come, let us go home.”
Catriona wondered what he meant by that. Did he realise that, for her, home was wherever Finn was?
***
Moonlight lit the small chamber of Glencolum keep, seeping through the shutters and dancing over the heavy drapes and simple furnishings. Catriona shuddered beneath the bedding yet she was not cold. She swiped a frustrated hand through her hair and sat. Yet again, she was confined to the walls of a castle and her future drifted in front of her, governed by others. The tightening in her chest forced her out of bed and to the window.
Pressing open the shutters, she leaned out and drew in the clean night air, eyes fluttering closed. Her body ached—bruises marred it, but nothing compared to the agony in her chest. Her home was lost to her. Her family dead. As much as her father and sister had not been kind people, she had always longed for their love. Now she would never have it. She opened her eyes and surveyed the rugged scenery around Glencolum. The tips of the mountains glistened under the half moon and great rocks sat at awkward angles between them. More dramatic than the landscape of Kilcree, she felt an affinity with it. A need to run amongst the valleys and boulders and lose herself.
But circumstances trapped her. She’d yet to speak with Lorna but the lady of the keep, Alana, had assured her she had a home for as long as she needed. Surely it would not be long until the king found her a husband and married her off. All she had left now was a sizeable dowry—incentive enough for many suitors.
Catriona trembled. Enough to drive a man to madness. Gillean wouldn’t be the only man to think he could command a woman with force.
And no other man could claim her heart. It throbbed as a reminder of her love for Finn.
She hadn’t seen him since she’d been ushered into the chambers, exhausted and filthy, by a fussing Alana while the laird, Morgann, threatened all kinds of vengeance. Now bathed and in a clean chemise, restlessness consumed her.
A breath ensnared in her throat when her gaze settled on a shadowy figure. He turned from his spot on a low wall and faced her. Had she called his name? He froze and though unable to see his eyes, he surely saw her. Frissons like lightning bolts ran between them. She gripped the shutter edge. Should she go to him? She longed to fling her arms around those slumped shoulders and tell him of her love but she’d gone to him before. She could not keep throwing herself at his feet.
Finn rose, still facing her window then turned abruptly. Catriona sagged, the thump in her ears her only company. The impending sense of loneliness crept over her but she held her shoulders stiff. She had seen off worse dangers and survived. With the help of a good man, she had almost overcome her demons and her encounter with Laird Gillean proved how strong she could be.
A light tap at her door made her hold her breath. Her muscles stiffened, refusing to let her turn.
“Enter,” she croaked out.
The squeak of hinges. Footsteps. Whispers of fabric and long strides.
Hands came upon her arms and spun her around. She released the breath and wilted. With savage speed, his mouth met hers, hard and claiming. Catriona gasped when his hands found her waist and pulled her tight against him.
Too soon, his mouth left hers and he stared down at her, expression grim, eyes solemn. She twined her fingers into his shirt and toyed with his pin, tracing the circular knot pattern.
“How is Lorna?” she asked when silence loomed.
“She grieves.”
She nodded. She never understood what sat between Lorna and Logan but clearly it had been more than just friendship. Pain lodged in her throat. She had been so close to losing Finn too.
“He was a good friend to ye too.”
“Aye, he was. He shall be greatly missed. He taught me much.” Finn released a light laugh. “Ach, even in death the man is teaching me.” Hands on her arms, he manoeuvred her over to the bed and bade her to sit.
While she pondered what he meant, he lit a candle and placed himself beside the bed. The straw mattress dipped under his weight and he grasped her hand. In the candlelight the true seriousness of his expression made her stomach churn.
“I have been but a fool. I have denied myself happiness and ye too. To hurt myself is forgivable, but to hurt ye, isnae.”
“Finn....”
He pressed a finger to her lips and smiled when she couldn’t resist kissing the finger.
“Ye have shown so much strength and I have been naught but a coward. Ye offered me love and friendship....”
“I lied to ye.” she interjected.
“Well we willnae mention that bit.” He chuckled. “Logan and Lorna missed out on happiness,” he continued, “but Logan never gave up. He fought until the end for my sister’s love and I will do the same. I love ye, my Catie.”