“Oh…”
Matthew laughed under his breath. “Ye daenae need to be so sad abou
t it. She lived a full life and so did me faither.”
She looked at him. Matthew caught her eyes and she looked away. “Aye, I suppose ye’re right.”
An awkward silence wrapped around them. At least, on Jonet’s part, Matthew could tell. She was nibbling on her lip now, and he could clearly see her trying to fish for something to say to keep the silence from dragging on longer.
“I see ye and me faither have grown close,” she spoke after a while.
Matthew shook his head. “Nae really, though I do think he likes me.”
Jonet snorted. “I bet ye are the one who invited yerself to breakfast.”
“I actually came by to see ye so we could leave out to me secret spot earlier and he invited me.” Matthew flashed her a dazzling smile. “And if the Laird himself issues an invite then who am I to say nay?”
Matthew chuckled when he caught her rolling her eyes. Again, they fell silent, but this was a more comfortable one. He would often look at her, feasting his eyes on her beauty. If she was aware of his glances, she made no indication. After a while, Matthew was certain she was not paying him any mind. She was twisting her mouth from side to side again and he knew she had gone back to trying to determine where she was being led to.
It would be another hour before they arrived. Jonet asked Matthew a few more questions about this secret location, but they yielded nothing more than confusion. He toyed with her some on occasion, offering her cryptic answers that he knew would only steer her in the wrong direction. Other times, he answered honestly yet the truth did nothing to help her.
Before too long, they had arrived.
“We need to dismount,” he told her when they came to halt. “It’s on foot from here.”
“Is it much farther?”
“We’re close,” he assured her.
Jonet did as she was told and joined him by his side as he led her down past the crags and stones. They had left the smooth terrain behind which was the beauty of this land. The many dips and curves and rocky clusters was what served to hide this beautiful spot from undiscerning eyes. A wintry breeze was wafting over the terrain, bringing the scent of the pine trees in the distance. It had always been one of Jonet’s favorite smells.
He led the way, humming with excitement. He was not lying when he told her he had learned of this place through his mother. Matthew was not sure why he had told her that. He did not even know why he was bringing her here. He simply wrote it off as a good way to get her to fall for him, a surefire way to the Lairdship.
So, he did not know why his heart was beating madly when they finally arrived. Jonet gasped loudly at the sight before her and Matthew instantly smiled, pleased at her reaction.
“Matthew,” she breathed, wandering closer. “This is beautiful.”
It certainly was. It was a small pool of water, which might have sprung from an underground river. Hidden away behind overhanging rocks, Matthew knew the best times to see such a place. Right now was the first time, where the sun was positioned at the right spot, casting its golden rays to shimmer on the pool’s surface. The second time was at night, when the mood took that spot and the pool would shine in an ethereal glow.
Jonet wandered over to the edge of the pool and crouched. Matthew came to stand behind her.
“How deep is it?” she asked. “Can I swim in it?”
“The water level stops at me chest so ye should be able to swim around a little, though yer feet will touch the ground.”
“Oh, it’s so pretty. Ye’re right, I would have never kent about this place.”
“Are ye happy I brought ye here?” he asked as he came to sit next to her.
Matthew thought he knew Jonet a little bit now. With the way she had been acting since morning, he knew his pseudo-innocent question would make her think about her answer, looking up at him. He casually dipped his feet into the water and then faced her. She looked away.
“It isnae bad,” she agreed noncommittally. She joined him by putting her own feet in the water, but there was a person-sized amount of space between them.
“Wonderful. Then me surprise was a success.”
“Daenae get too cocky now. It doesnae mean I wish to marry ye.”
“Who said anythin’ about marriage?” he asked, eyes widening. He watched with satisfaction as her cheeks went pink. “Is that what ye’ve been thinkin’ of on the way here, Jonet?”