Page 126 of Hollow Court
I was strikingly aware of the space between us, and each heartbeat as it pulsed loudly in my veins. It wasn’t just his attention on me that had time standing still, it was also just…him.
Somehow, in the hour since I shoved him out onto the balcony, the man had completely transformed. I had seen him clean shaven with freshly pressed clothes and perfectly tousled hair before. He was always attractive.
But this was different.
His suit jacket was a deep shade of evergreen with golden striping, and a sprig of heather rested in his pocket. The jacket itself was cut a little tighter than his usual style, emphasizing his trim waist and broad chest.
Perhaps the best part of all, though…instead of trousers, he was wearing one of the skirts that some of the lairds here preferred. I hadn’t thought they were attractive at all until this one. Perhaps it was the man in the skirt that made it attractive?
Until this very moment, I would never have dreamed that calves could be…appealing. But I had been wrong. So, so wrong.
The flames from earlier returned, and a wave of heat spread through me. I swallowed hard as Davin cleared his throat.
“Eyes up here, Lina,” he said.
His voice was deeper than usual, which was not helping my current situation at all. Worse still, the cocky bastard was perfectly aware of his effect on me.
He shook his head, a smirk teasing the corner of his full lips. “It’s called a kilt.”
I raised my brows and nodded, keeping my features carefully neutral. “Mhmm.”
“They’re very manly,” he added, a playful edge of defensiveness to his tone.
“I can see that,” I said, nodding with mock seriousness.
“Well, if you’re all done ogling me, we should probably get going,” he said, offering me his arm.
I took it, suppressing a smirk of my own.
We met his family near the front doors where Jocelyn gave everyone a onceover and a speech about how important impressions were at the festival.
It wasn’t hard to remember that we needed to put on a show. After weeks of doing just that, it was practically ingrained in us.
But after last night, it didn’t feel like a show anymore.
It felt like a small taste of the life we could have.
* * *
It made sense now,why the Lochlannians chose this week to have their festival. The leaves were painted in vibrant hues, displaying an array of oranges and reds, yellows and purples, and everything in between.
Colorful lanterns hung from the trees, and pumpkins were artfully arranged along each street corner around the booths and games that spread throughout the entire village.
I suspected, though, that the soldiers lined around the village were new this year.
We hadn’t heard a whisper about the rebels in weeks. But that didn’t mean they weren’t still lurking close by.
“There are so many people here,” I commented as we passed a large crowd lined up around a stall selling hot cider and spiced pumpkin treats. “It’s hard to believe there are any left for the festivals at the other estates.”
Davin’s brow furrowed, his head tilting slightly. “There’s only one other festival, and it’s up at Castle Chridhe.”
I thought back to my conversation with his mother, rather certain I hadn’t misunderstood her.
“None of the other lairds host them?” I clarified.
“No.” He shook his head, leading me to the center of the village square. “Chridhe for the north, and it used to be Alech for the south, but Aunt Isla and Uncle Finn were happy to let us take over the social events since Lithlinglau is more centrally located down here.”
I turned and caught sight of Jocelyn, smiling graciously at the villagers, not looking half as devious as I knew her to be.