Page 112 of Laird of Flint
Suddenly Hew had a real reason he could give the abbot to travel to Dunlop—following up on a clue. While the physician was busy with the dying man at Kildunan, Hew could search Peris’s quarters.
Even better, the lady of the castle no doubt had keys to all the chambers. Carenza could give him access to the physician’s things. Looking for valuables among them wouldn’t take long. And then…
Then he and Carenza could take their time reuniting.
At least that was what he planned.
But the instant he strode into the crowded hall of Dunlop and spotted Carenza across the room, his heart leaped, and he forgot all about the first part of his mission.
His ceiling portraits hadn’t done her justice. Though her smile seemed strained as she spoke with two clanswomen near the stairwell, she looked more ravishing than he remembered.
A moment later, her meandering gaze halted on him. He saw her take a deep breath, and her tight smile broadened into a grin of pure pleasure.
He wanted to run to her. To sweep her up in his arms and kiss every inch of her face. To carry her up the stairs to her bedchamber and lock the door. To cast off his clothes and his inhibitions and make sweet love to her.
But they had to be cautious.
So he sauntered toward her, greeting clanfolk as he went, until he was close enough to see the shimmering delight in her eyes.
“Lady Carenza,” he said with a polite nod of his head.
“Sir Hew,” she replied in kind. “How nice to see ye. How long has it been? Thirty days? Three hundred?” She was teasing him.
He gave her a chiding smile. “Only a fortnight, my lady.”
She sighed. “Is that all?”
“Is that Sir Hew o’ Rivenloch?” her father suddenly bellowed, coming up to join them. “How’s your hand, lad?”
Hew held up his injured hand. The blisters were gone and the skin had healed with little scarring. “Well enough to grip an axe.”
“Good to hear.” He clapped a hand atop Hew’s shoulder. “’Tis time ye returned to us.” He leaned close to whisper loudly, “My daughter missed ye somethin’ fierce.”
“Da!” she scolded.
“’Tis true, lass,” he said. “Your smile’s grown a bit dim.”
Hew told him, “Alas, I fear I’m not returning just yet.”
“What?”
“I’ve only come to fetch a few of the physician’s things. He needs them at the monastery.”
“I see,” he said, disappointed. “Well, Carenza has the key to his quarters.” He gave her a wink. “Ye can let him in, aye?”
“O’ course.”
He gave Hew’s shoulder a squeeze. “Are ye sure ye won’t stay? It can’t be too excitin’, mopin’ about with monks.”
“I’m sure.”
That was a lie. He’d never been less sure. All he had to do was glance at Carenza’s face to cast a thousand doubts on his decision to return to Kildunan.
When they were out of hearing of her father, Carenza murmured, “Is that true? Did ye come to fetch Peris’s things?”
“Not exactly.”
She smiled. She hadn’t been so happy in a fortnight. Had it truly only been a fortnight? It felt like forever.
