Lady Eilean

Chapter 31

As I made my way down to the great hall, the extra-clean glow of the castle surprised me. Bess ran a tight ship, and Stormway always hummed with efficiency and tidiness, but it was as if the servants had given more care in the scrubbing and polishing. Perhaps everyone was desperate for a small celebration.

Once I entered the hall, it relieved me to see that effort transferred to everyone's appearance. The servants and maids and all of Alex's and Calum's men were and starched and bright-eyed. There wasn't a greasy, muddy, or care-worn stitch of fabric to be seen.

Wearing a glorious greatcoat of burnt, mellow-orange silk, Alex was a vision. The fine cut of his coat was perfectly tailored around his wide shoulders. The suit seemed to absorb the light of the room and then brazenly bounce it off the planes of his face and the curls in his hair with artful temptation. It was like a halo. He bowed from his perch before the head table as I entered the room.

As if following his lead, the room went still and everyone rose to bow as I made my way down the length of the hall.

Overwhelmed with the attention and the flush of embarrassment at having so many eyes on me, I locked eyes with Alex and allowed his steady gaze to usher me forward. He looked somewhat ravaged, his expression haunted and hungry.

Calum, who stood to his right, offered his most flamboyant of courtly deference as I arrived before him. He wore a brocade suit in a cheerful robin's egg blue that made his dark features stark in the dim, flickering light. He had powered his black hair white and applied a false mole on his cheek in the shape of a crescent moon. I laughed at his dedication to formality.

Bess, on Alex's left, was resplendent in a new gown of rich pink that reminded me of her wedding gown. The fabric was bright and warm against her milky-white skin. Her cheeks and eyes seemed to sparkle. She was flushed with obvious happiness, and she offered me a deep curtsy. I reached out to grab her arms. To prevent this show of reverence. Calum clucked at me and shook his head. I allowed the bow. Wallis stood beside her mother in a dress made from matching fabric. She giggled at her mother's curtsy before offering me one of her own. It was rather like watching a bright-cheeked doll come to life.

"My, my, don't we all clean up attractively," I said, accepting Alex's hand as I stepped onto the raised platform upon which the head table was placed.

"We do what we can, but none compare to you, fair lady," Calum offered, ever the charmer.

Alex said nothing, but offered me a wink and gripped my hand in his own. He did not drop the hold on me and I did not think of freeing myself from it. The comfort of his hand in mine offered unquestionable security.

I found, as our eyes met, that I could not breathe. I watched as Alex scanned my face with a dreamy, open-mouthed look. A sudden, incessant excitement filled me from my toes to my ears. I was glad for the dim room which hid the heat of my cheeks. Alex consumed me entirely. I had forgotten, after years of mud-covered work and mended clothes, how handsome he was. The remembrance made me unsteady on my feet.

"You look very nice," I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper.

Alex cleared his throat, but his voice was rough as he said, "You're a wonder, Eilean. The most beautiful creature that's ever lived."

His words felt like a riptide, a sudden pulling under. I found myself a poor swimmer. As my mind churned, trying to think of something witty or clever or lovely to say, I became conscious of the spectacle the two of us made staring at each other. Of Calum hovering behind Alex, a faint chuckle passing from his lips. The sound of Bess shushing Wallis and turning her away from launching at me for a hug. The room was full of people, silently watching this moment between us.