Highlander's Trials of Fire

Matthew glanced at Jonet before returning his attention to Rinalda. “I heard Jonet was up here and so I couldnae resist meself. Breakfast is hardly any fun without her around.”

Jonet tore her eyes away from him.

Why? Why does it feel as if he’s grown more handsome than before?

She kept her eyes on her food, even as her mother said, “I daenae think I’m ever goin’ to get used to such flattery from ye.” She laughed. “Come, sit down then.”

Matthew rested his tray on the side of the bed before he fetched a chair from the other side of the room and put it next to Jonet. Her heart was pounding, but she didn’t dare to look up at him. She schooled her expression as best as she could, forcing herself to eat even though her appetite was yet to return.

“Ye’re just in time, Matthew,” Rinalda said, and Jonet tensed, knowing what was to come. “We were just talkin’ about ye.”

“Maither!”

Rinalda blinked innocently at her. “Oh, did I say we were talkin’ about ye? Forgive me, I meant to say I was thinkin’ about ye and here ye are showin’ up at me door. Ye must be able to read thoughts.”

“Jonet certainly thinks I do,” Matthew chuckled.

Rinalda laughed as well. “I wouldnae be surprised. When she was younger, she would believe anythin’ that seemed out of this world. Magic, ghosts, ye name it.”

“Maither,” Jonet whispered quietly. “I daena

e think Matthew cares to hear about this.”

“On the contrary, Lady MacLagain,” Matthew spoke up. “I daenae think anythin’ would make me happier.”

Rinalda laughed heartily. “Please, call me Rinalda.”

Jonet kept her eyes on her food. She knew there was no stopping her mother and even though the last thing she wanted was to be near Matthew right now, she could not deny how her body was reacting to him. Snippets of last night popped into her mind and, though she tried to push them away, her nipples peaked in response to them. Discreetly, Jonet brushed her hair over her shoulder, hoping to disguise any obvious reaction she might have been having to his presence.

“Oh, ye would have loved her when she was a wee lass,” Rinalda went on saying. “She was the most spirited lass who never kent how to stay still. If ye took her eyes off her for a second, she would go racin’ away. Goodness, just thinkin’ about the near heart attack she would give me whenever we were outdoors is making me flustered.”

Matthew chuckled. Jonet felt his eyes on her and she ignored it to the best of her abilities. “Somehow, I’m nae surprised by any of that.”

“Aye, she still has a bit of that liveliness in her now, though she’s become somethin’ of a worrywart as she grew up.”

“Maither…”

Rinalda ignored her, as Jonet expected. “And yet, when she was a child her Faither never worried about her. Even when she would disappear for the entire day and was nowhere to be found, he would just wave his hand and say, ‘She kens how to find her way back’. Can ye believe that?”

“Actually, I can,” Matthew smirked. “Laird MacLagain is by far the most easygoin’ man I ken. He accepted me as a potential suitor for her the moment I told him I could hunt, after all.”

Rinalda let out a wheezing laugh. Jonet looked up in concern, but she waved her off. “Sounds just like me husband. I always tell him to be a little more discernin’ but, he’s done well without me naggin’.”

Jonet relaxed, a little relieved that the conversation had reverted away from her. Though she was hardly holding out much hope. She continued to focus on her breakfast, not tasting any of it. With barely any sleep last night and her mind racing through so many things, the last thing she wanted to do was listen to her mother talk about what an unruly child she had been.

She had woken before dawn and had gone riding with Freya to clear her head some, to think on the advice Jonathan had given her. She had hoped that when she returned, everything would be made clearer for her, but the moment she spotted Matthew in the stables, the past hour had seemed for naught.

I cannae think when he’s here. I have to leave. I should go to the loch for a swim and maybe I’ll feel better.

She rose. “Ye two seem to be havin’ a nice time so I’ll excuse meself.”

“Jonet,” her mother called, but Jonet was already walking away, leaving her food behind.

A part of her knew that Matthew would follow—and hoped that he would. The other part wanted to be away from him, to run the way her instinct was telling her to do. Her feelings for him were growing, were becoming so out of control that she could only give in to the one logical emotion that came out of all of this.

Her fear.

“Jonet!”