Page 69 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
“Ava, I?—”
“I mean, he does seem responsible, does he not? He’s your brother’s right-hand man, after all. Which means he must have shown his loyalty somehow. From the little I know of him, he truly does seem like a good man,” Ava continued.
Flora’s eyes traveled to the dress in her hands. Ava could see it clearly now, the red shade on the woman’s cheeks.
“He does seem like a gentleman, does he nae?” Flora murmured.
Ava nodded. “Do not worry about having to tell anyone, do you hear me? When there’s something to tell, the right people would hear it.”
Flora nodded. “Well, we need to teach ye some proper dances. I’d do it meself, but I am needed in the kitchens for the rest of the day.”
A brief moment of silence passed between them as Ava’s eyes lingered on Flora. She seemed deep in thought. Her brow was furrowed, and she had the most contemplative expression on her face.
Suddenly, her face lit up as if she just had the brightest idea. “Maybe me braither could teach ye?”
Ava opened her mouth to object, ready to come up with reasons as to why that was not exactly the best idea.
But she was interrupted by a gruff and unmistakable voice at the door. “Teach her what?”
The three of them turned to the door and found Brodrick lingering in the doorway, leaning against the jamb, his arms folded tight across his chest. Something about the way the fragmented rays of the setting sun shone on his face caused Ava’s heart to skip a beat.
“Dance,” Margaret replied, much to Flora’s surprise—which Ava made sure she managed to hide one more time.
Brodrick frowned. “Dance?”
“The lady doesnae ken a lick of Scottish dances,” Flora explained. “Someone has to teach her, and it cannae be me.”
“Why do I have to teach her?” Brodrick asked, dropping his hands to his sides.
Flora shook her head in despair. “Would ye rather I call one of yer men to do it?”
Brodrick shuffled his feet, and Ava could see it on his face. The idea did not exactly sit well with him.
“I suppose,” he relented, his tone hesitant.
“Good,” Flora muttered.
“Guests,” Brodrick said, gesturing in the direction of the Great Hall.
Flora shook her head and turned to Ava. “This is what ten years of war does to a man.” She got off the , dusting the specks of dust off her dress. “It makes him grumpy and say words likeguestsinstead of tellin’ me to attend to the guests in the Great Hall.”
Ava and Margaret laughed.
“Why dinnae ye have yer first lesson now?” Flora suggested.
Ava opened her mouth to give some kind of excuse, but Brodrick beat her to it, again.
“Nay, I need to?—”
“It can wait, Brodrick. I am incredibly certain of that,” Flora insisted, then beckoned to Margaret. “Come, child. Let us welcome theguests. Because I am most definitely certain that yer faither willnae,” she called, mimicking Brodrick’s voice.
Margaret laughed and took Flora’s hand, and soon they both made their way out of the room. Brodrick walked in further, and Flora reached for the door handle.
“Please, the cèilidh is tomorrow. She needs to ken a handful of dances before then.”
Before Ava could object, and before Brodrick could say anything, Flora shut the door tight behind her, locking them both in.
* * *
