Page 22 of Her Scot of Bygones
His troubled gaze flickered from where he’d propped the Viking Turned Evan's Blade against the wall, back to me before he finally relented. “Aye, lass, you’re probably right.” He sat, settled his gaze on the fire, and sighed. “We first met as wee things when I wandered onto Sutherland land without realizing it. Whilst our clans didnae particularly get on well, ‘tis safe to say things have escalated over the years. Not much, but enough to be wary when on each other’s territory.”
“Yet still allies, however strained for the sake of king and country,” I said softly, sitting in the other chair. “Until Aspen traveled back and the pact ignited, only making things more tense.”
“To say the least.” He sipped his whisky and grunted with approval at its bold, smoky flavor. “So ‘tis unfortunate to know the friendship Evan and I once shared is coming back to haunt me.”
I could understand his angst, but for some reason, I didn’t feel the same. Not like he did, and it made no sense given itmight land me with the Sutherlands. That is, of course, unless Evan and I were in love, and I was finding comfort in the inevitable.
“Go on,” I urged, encouraging Lucas to eat because I knew it would comfort him. “How did a woman break you two apart? Seems like a silly reason to ruin a friendship.”
“Yet it did…shedid.” Lucas scowled at his cake but complied and took a bite, his eyes drifting a little at the sweet taste.
“Bloodyhell, lass,” he groaned with approval after swallowing. “Whatisthis?”
“Something I think might have been one of your favorites.” I listed off the ingredients, all of which could be found right here in the Scottish Highlands. “I added a little something extra this time to soothe your nerves.”
“’Tis a liquor of some sort as you would call it in your era, aye?”
“That’s right.” I smiled. “It isn’t strong…just soothing.”
As it were, I would be the last person to give someone alcohol without their knowledge, considering my mother and her struggle with addiction, but I suspected my inner beast had prompted me to, so I did.
“’Tis verra good, lass.” A small smile curled his mouth despite the topic. “I will have to be careful and battle often, or I may not be as fit as I am now, should I indulge in your cooking.”
My heart leapt a little, and a blush warmed my cheeks not just at his praise but the implication he intended we be together always.
“Because I do,” he murmured, catching my thoughts. His expression grew serious again. “I dinnae know how yet, if things dinnae go well with Evan, but I verra much do want ye if ye’ll have me.”
I’ll admit it was on the tip of my tongue to say yes, but I hesitated because the truth was, we didn’t know what washeading our way. Better yet,who, and I worried about hurting either of them. It was strange feeling that way, given I’d never even met Evan, and he might be destined to take me away from Lucas, but I did.
“Tell me what happened between you and Evan,” I prompted, delicately redirecting the conversation for now. “Who was the girl?”
He took another bite of cake and seemed to mull over how to tell me. “’Twas Laird Dugal Sutherland’s wife, Lilias, before they married.”
“Lilias,” I exclaimed, caught off guard by that. “You mean the woman who helped Aspen when she was at Sutherland Castle?” I arched my eyebrows. “My so called half sister, whom I just found out about?”
“Aye,” he confirmed. “We were all verra young, but still. She and I had struck up a friendship, and he knew I wanted to court her, bedamned the tension betwixt our clans, yet he pursued her anyway. And he didnae stop until…”
“Until what?” I prompted when he trailed off, and his brow furrowed as if he were confused by something.
“For the life of me, I cannae remember how it ended betwixt the three of us.” He frowned at me and shook his head. “I swore I did, but now ‘tis just not there anymore.” He narrowed his eyes. “How is that possible?”
“I couldn’t say.” I lowered the piece of cake I was about to bite into, surprised I’d eaten almost as much as he had, wondering if my dragon was up to something mystical. “Did you tell your kin? Maybe you could connect with them telepathically and find out?”
“I already did, and Broderick said I never did,” he replied. “I only claimed Evan had stolen her from me, and that was it. Our friendship was over. But, I never provided details.”
“Hmm.” I tried to think what that might mean, but became distracted by a strange warmth fanning out from my stomach as if the liquor might have been more potent than I thought. It almost felt like a comforting glow washing through me as my gaze remained on Lucas. A glow that seemed to prompt me to murmur, “Maybe because you never really knew the details.”
Seeming to sense what I was experiencing, or maybe even experiencing the same thing, his gaze drifted to mine and lingered. “Mayhap I didnae.”
Almost as if it took both of us to acknowledge that, something incredible happened. Something that was going to change my world forever, whether I ended up with the enemy or not.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
–Lucas–
ONE MOMENT I was enjoying the delicious treat Hazel made for me, and the next, I was trying to remember how things had ended between me, Evan, and Lilias, but for the life of me, I couldn’t.
Then things only grew more confusing.
