Page 41 of Claimed By a Ruthless Scot
“So ye did notice me.”
The pestle continued its slow rotation inside the mortar.
“I noticed ye several moments ago.”
“Yet ye didnae bother tae look.”
“I am working.”
Duncan shifted slightly against the doorframe, folding his arms.
“Aye,” he said mildly. “Ye appear very dedicated tae it.”
Another slow grind of the herbs.
“And now that ye have announced yer presence,” she added calmly, “perhaps ye might explain it.”
Duncan found, somewhat annoyingly, that the simple question did not come with a simple answer. Because he could hardly say the truth, that he had been unable to stop thinking about her since the morning, also that the image of her emerging from theloch had followed him through half a dozen attempts at reading a letter.
Instead, he cleared his throat lightly. “I only came tae see how ye were settling in.”
The pestle slowed again.
“And,” Duncan continued, choosing his words with care, “whether there was anything ye might be needing, such as supplies or assistance. Whatever a healer requires tae dae her work properly.”
This time the pestle stopped entirely. She remained still, then she finally turned. The sunlight caught her face as she faced him, and Duncan felt a brief, unwelcome tightening in his chest.
She smiled as she spoke. “Well,” she said, wiping a trace of green powder from her fingers onto a cloth beside the table, “that is unexpectedly considerate.”
Duncan lifted a brow. “Are ye surprised?”
“A little.”
Her eyes moved briefly around the room before returning to him.
“But I am perfectly fine,” she continued. “The room is warm, the light is excellent fer drying herbs, and the castle seems tae possess a rather impressive supply of remedies already.”
“That would be because the previous healer was with us fer many years.”
“Then said healer had excellent habits.”
Duncan nodded once. “And ye require naething?”
“Naething.”
She tilted her head slightly as she studied him. “In fact,” she added lightly, “I might even say that ye are daein’ a very good job of making me comfortable here.”
She didn’t say that mockingly, but she wasn’t completely serious either. He straightened a little from the doorframe.
“High praise.”
Elaina’s smile widened just a fraction.
“Careful, me laird,” she said. “If ye continue behaving so reasonably…” She let the thought hang there a moment. “…ye might even begin tae earn me trust.”
Duncan opened his mouth to answer. He was not entirely certain what he intended to say, something teasing, most likely, but the words never came.
That was the exact moment that the door burst open, with the sort of enthusiastic energy that made even the hinges protest loudly.
