Gregor’s clean, earthy scent lingered on her hair and skin. And she would have to scrub it away only a few hours from now.
By then, he would be gone, and she would have to nurse her broken heart in secret, for besides Tessa, no one could know what she’d done, what they’d shared. All that would remain of their love would be in memory.
A sob rising in her throat, Birdie sped her pace, slipping and sliding the last few feet of the path. Once she was on the slick, rocky strand, she hastened to the solitude of the blind spot beneath the overhang.
But just as she was about to round the spit of land, a splash out in the kyle made her start. A moment later, a rock sailed through the air and plunked into the water.
Birdie turned the corner to find Padraig standing on the strand, tossed rocks into the kyle.
“Hello,” she said, approaching.
He jumped, then turned wide eyes on her.
“It’s all right,” she said quickly. “Ye arenae in any trouble.”
His slim shoulders relaxed, and he cast her an inquisitive gaze. “Da says I shouldnae play with things that arenae mine.”
Her heart melted for the lad. “That must be hard, given ye are away from yer keep and all yer own things.”
“Aye,” he nodded soberly. “And I left my jacks and my pigskin ball and my wooden sword and my chess board at home.”
“Goodness, ye already ken how to play chess?”
Padraig’s chest puffed with pride. “Cormack taught me.”
“What a good brother he is,” she replied faintly.
“Aye,” he said, plucking a rock from the ground and chucking it into the water. “But he and da are too busy for me.”
Birdie realized that she’d hardly given the poor lad a second thought in the midst of her own problems.
It must have been hard, and lonely, traveling from home so young and being expected to sit quietly within the world of adults. Though there were several children in the nearby village, there were none at the castle.
“I miss my ma and wee Jenny,” he said abruptly. “I hope we can go home soon. Will ye be coming with us?”
A knot lodged in Birdie’s throat. “Aye, I think I will be,” she managed to force out.
“Want to play the game I invented?” he asked, casting her a somewhat brighter look.
Birdie lifted her mouth into a smile. “Aye, please.”
“Ye see that piece of driftwood out there?” he said, pointing to the kyle.
“Aye.”
“Well, ye try to hit it with a rock. If the rock bounces off it, ye win.”
Sweet lad. “That sounds like an excellent game.”
Birdie bent and retrieved a handful of wet stones. Then they took turns lobbing them at the bit of floating driftwood as it meandered down the kyle.
It was a blessed relief to have even a few moments of unadulterated fun. Birdie and Padraig cheered each other on, moaning in frustration when a rock would sploosh into the water mere inches from the wood, and hooting in victory when they landed a direct hit. It was just the distraction she needed from the weight of sadness pressing on her chest.
So lost did she become in the game that she didn’t hear the crunch of boots on the strand’s rocks until whoever approached had nearly rounded the spit of land behind which they stood.
Her heart sank at the sound. It was likely one of the servants, come to draw her back to the castle to prepare for the feast that evening—and her engagement.
Or mayhap it was Lamond, who would no doubt scold her for slipping out of the guards’ view. He knew this was her favorite spot for solitude, yet he would periodically chide her for hiding here away from the protection of his men.
“Just another moment,” she called over her shoulder, hefting a smooth gray stone in her hand. A few more throws wouldn’t change things, but at least it would delay reality’s intrusion, if only briefly.
No answer came, but the scrabbling footsteps drew closer.
Odd. She held that thought as she lobbed her rock at the driftwood.
“Drat! Missed it by a hair. Did ye see that, Padraig?”
The lad sucked in a breath. Birdie glanced at him, prepared to share in mock misery at her near miss. But he was looking behind her. His blue eyes had gone round as two full moons.
Birdie whipped around. Two hulking men she didn’t recognize were stalking toward them.
Panic spiked in her gut, but she tried to quell it with reason. They could be Gunn warriors