Emma knew that if she were to accept Vaughn, she would make him miserable. If not today, then eventually, and she could not do that to him. He deserved better.
As though to prove her right, Finn stepped into the hall in that moment…
…and Emma’s heart leapt as though it wished to break from her chest and rush to his side.
As though he were a part of her, she felt him near, and the look in his eyes spoke of more than interest or even affection. It reminded her of the day he had found her by the loch after her father’s burial.
Inexplicably, her eyes were drawn to him, and the very sight of him made the breath catch in her throat. Her head spun, and yet, she felt deliriously happy.
Finn, too, seemed eager to seek her out. Gone was the hateful glare of the past years, replaced by a look that spoke of utter longing and devotion, emotions so overwhelming that he needed to take a deep breath to contain them.
Out of the corner of her eye, Emma noticed Vaughn starting toward her.
Swept up in the very sight of her, Finn tensed when he noticed Vaughn’s attention drawn to the beautiful woman near the fire, her cheeks flushed with warmth and her brown eyes aglow like the embers in the hearth.
His heart banged against his rib cage in panic, and fear flooded his blood, quickly carried into every fibre of his body.
Beside him, Garrett chuckled, “I guess yer heart just spoke loud and clear.”
Finn inhaled a deep breath, fighting the urge to delay Vaughn’s progress across the room by all means necessary.
“Dunno stand here like a fool,” Garrett hissed in a whisper. “Go and tell the lass how ye feel…before ‘tis too late.” Then his friend gave him a determined shove and sent him on his way.
Finn’s feet moved on their own, his gaze incapable of looking anywhere but at Vaughn and Emma. The moment the other man reached her side, Finn groaned under his breath, wishing he had not hesitated. What were they talking about? Was Vaughn asking for her hand in this very moment?
Would that not be cruel irony? The moment Finn had finally worked up the nerve to address the woman he had loved for seven years was the very moment another stole her away?
Squinting his eyes, Finn watched them as Vaughn offered Emma his hand to help her to her feet. Then he smiled at her, slightly bowing his head before he spoke.
Finn could have screamed in frustration, his eyes glued to the young couple by the hearth, wishing and at the same time fearing to know what was being said.
Then Vaughn’s face stilled, and Finn stopped in his tracks, his heart slamming to a halt as hope surged through his being.
More words were exchanged, and Finn reminded himself to put one foot in front of the other. He could not falter now.
“Pardon me,” he said rather formally when he reached their side. His gaze met Vaughn’s, dark and forlorn, and then turned to Emma, her own saddened as well. What had passed between them? “Emma, may I speak to ye for a moment.”
Gritting his teeth, Vaughn inhaled a deep breath, and for a short moment, his gaze returned to Emma, a hint of incredulity in it. Then he mumbled something under his breath and stalked off.
When Finn turned to look at Emma, sadness as well as a hint of guilt clung to her face, and yet, there was something in her eyes that gave him hope. A smile seemed to tickle her lips, and the brown in her eyes shone deeper and warmer than he had ever seen it. “Can I speak to ye?”
This time, she did smile. “Aye,” came her voice, light and breathy as though her own heart was racing as fast as his.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Finn took her by the elbow and guided her to the back of the hall and out into the corridor where they had kissed only a few hours ago. All the while, his heart thudded wildly in his chest, afraid to have been misled and be rejected by her.
Still, he needed to know if she cared for him or he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Chapter Nine
Forever in a Day
Emma’s heart still ached for Vaughn, her inner eye unable to abandon the disappointed look on his face when she had stopped him before he could ask for her hand. He had looked so hopeful and eager, no apprehension in his heart with regard to her answer. Disappointment had come swift and mercilessly, and yet, the blue in his eyes had not spoken of a crushed heart. Had his regard for her truly been as deep as she had feared? Perhaps he would recover swiftly and would soon be able to grant his heart to a woman who could offer him hers in return.
Emma could only hope so.
The look on Finn’s face when he had stepped up to her and Vaughn had been one of tense apprehension. Even now his hand on her elbow felt hardened by trepidation as he led her away.
Without looking at one another, they walked out into the corridor where he had found her earlier that evening, and Emma’s breath caught in her throat at the memory of their encounter. Never in her life had she felt closer to anyone but in that moment. The way he had looked at her, spoken to her, the way he had said her name, his voice heavy with affection, and yet, vibrating with impatience, daring her to evade his question, had felt utterly wonderful as though they had always been close, kindred spirits, kept apart by circumstance. Did she dare believe it to be true?
Afraid of what he might say to her, and yet,
