He was shaking his head at her when a knock came at the door. As Peggy opened it, Finlay recognized the MacTavish plaid the man wore and sat upright.
When Peggy brought him the note, he read it quickly. Kyla wanted to meet with him to discuss a business proposition. Was the following day acceptable? She would be happy to meet him at Galbury. He hastily scrawled a reply agreeing and sent it back with the messenger. How slowly the time would pass as he awaited her arrival.
22
Kyla was embarrassed by the amount of care she took in dressing the next morning. Really, Finlay had seen her in all sorts of attire—and none at all on more than one occasion. What did it matter what she looked like today? However, she couldn’t help herself, and brushed her hair and rouged her cheeks to look her best.
She picked up the papers she had carefully crafted outlining her proposal and slipped them in the saddlebag before mounting Cadarn to leave for Galbury.
It felt good to finally be back on her horse—truly back on her horse. She had been for a short ride yesterday to make sure she didn’t feel any dizziness or lightheadedness while riding, but she seemed to be perfectly fine.
The air was damp, the day gray, but the morning mist was beautiful as she rode through the forests and then along the water’s edge. Her heart was beating fast as she anticipated the morning’s meeting. Would Finlay be quiet and hard to read? Angry? She couldn’t see him being particularly pleasant.
And would he agree to her plan? That was another factor she wasn’t sure of. The more she thought of it, she couldn’t see many advantages for him. Perhaps they could work together to implement some of the ideas she had discussed with him, but beyond that, he had his brothers and Peggy to help him—provided they all stayed and didn’t head west to join Callum.
Her father and Rory had already agreed to the plan, so long as they received funds and Darfield remained their home. It was a good deal for them, which they had realized from the start. But how would Finlay feel about it?
She was a ball of nerves by the time she reached Galbury.
As she rode into the yard, Peggy came running out the door, enveloping her in an embrace once she dismounted.
“Kyla!” she exclaimed. “I trust you are well, since you’ve ridden here on your own, although I would like to have seen someone accompanying you in case anything should have happened. I’ve so missed you since you left. We all have—especially Finlay.”
“Oh, I’m not so sure about that.”
“Kyla, you are both daft. He loves you. You must know that.”
“Peggy, you’re sweet, but you know that he doesn’t love me—not the way I need him to.”
Peggy dismissed her words with a wave of her hand.
“Talk to him. Tell him how you feel. It’s why you came, is it not?”
“No,” Kyla responded quickly. Too quickly, she realized. “I came to talk about the lands.”
“Mm, hmm,” Peggy raised her eyebrows as she led Kyla into the castle once a groom took Cadarn. She turned back to Kyla.
“Do you know he sat by your side for two days straight? He didn’t eat. He barely drank, he barely slept, and when he did, it was beside you, watching for any type of movement from you. It nearly destroyed him.”
Kyla stared at her in wonder. What was she going on about? Finlay hadn’t been there when she woke up.
“But when I woke only your mother was with me,” she countered, “and then my father said—”
“You believed your father?” Peggy interjected. “Kyla, he came and incited Finlay to go with Rory to find the man that did this to you. That’s where he was at the time. Rory likely would have killed the man had Finlay not been there. Finlay returned just minutes after you left that night. He has been devastated.”
Kyla shook her head. That couldn’t be true. Could it?
“Why did no one tell me?”
“My mother and I regret we didna say anything. She was afraid of upsetting you so soon after you woke as she wasn’t sure what Finlay had done in his anger. She wishes now we would have said something. We had thought once Finlay returned all would be well but you left so quickly. It appears your father and brother took advantage of the fact that you wanted to leave.”
Kyla opened her mouth to deny Peggy’s statement, but then closed it firmly once more as she realized the truth of Peggy’s words. With her return, her family would retain the association with the McDougalls through marriage yet have her at home to manage their lands.
She exhaled loudly as she placed her head in her hands.
She had been so stupid. What to do now?
* * *
Finlay raised his head when he heard the steps at the door, followed by a soft knock.
He stood and opened the door, his gaze on Kyla, who stood on the other side. They looked at one another, unmoving as the silence stretched between them. Finally, he ushered her into his study and pulled out a chair for her, but she didn’t sit. She just stood steps within the doorway, staring at him.
“It’s good to see you,” he said, stiltedly. “You look well.”
“Finlay, I…”
“I just want you to know that I understand why you left. You fulfilled your end of the bargain, and I was not the man you wanted me to be. I will not hold it against you in our future business relationship.”
He was proud that he had managed to say it all without emotion.
“Did you—”
“I said it was fine.”
“Let me finish, damn it,” she finally snapped out as he somehow seemed to have sparked her ire with his quick dismissal of her words. “I am asking you a question. Did you stay with me the entire time I was
