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Domhnall didn’t know, and he certainly wasn’t going to ask. By how Katherine had acted in the last few moments, he would likely not get a lucid answer at any rate. There still remained a small niggle of suspicion in the back of his mind, but taking a moment to think about it, he couldn’t imagine what benefit she could get from being in his study.

After gazing down at her for another long moment, and coming to no conclusions of any harm she could do, he made the decision to just go with it.

“Shall we?” he said, gesturing to the corridor before them.

Still looking nervous, Katherine nodded her head eagerly, proving to be the most agreeable she had been since she arrived.

Maybe she was up tae something, but what, I cannae imagine.

Walking side by side, the complete opposite of moments before occurred, and the conversation fell into a silent lull. In truth, Domhnall did not really know what he ought to say. Indeed, she was going to become his wife, but so far, he could find nothing at all that they had in common.

Perhaps that’s because ye havenae taken the time tae get tae ken her.

That was true.

But where dae I begin?

They descended the large stone steps of the staircase, and Domhnall opened his mouth to speak, but a sound above him caught his attention, and glancing up, he watched a huge picture frame tumbling from the landing above.

Beside the banister, two servants gawked with their mouths open, both looking on in helpless terror as the picture plunged at great speed towards their laird and his bride-to-be.

Without thinking about it, Domhnall moved with lightning speed, and grabbing hold of Katherine, he lifted her fully off her feet, spinning her around while using his body to block her from being hit. Unfortunately, there was nowhere else for him to go, and though he had saved Katherine from injury, the corner of the frame caught him in his upper back.

“Argh,” he cried out in agony.

A second later, the frame crashed onto the stairs and splintered into hundreds of pieces, bouncing from one step to the next, before ending up in a destroyed mess on the floor at the bottom of the staircase.

Gently, he placed a panting and shocked Katherine back down on her feet, but she was already looking at him with great concern.

“You’re hurt,” she cried.

“I’ll be fine.”

Her eyes glared down at the huge, now destroyed frame. She then looked back up at him.

“As huge as you are, I cannot believe that to be true. Turn around.”

It was a demand he ordinarily would have scowled at. In fact, it was a demand he would never have heard from another lass in the castle. Apart from Enya and Thora. Only his sisters would dare to have ordered him about with such authority, and yet, he knew her instruction came from a place of concern, and thus, he did as she commanded.

“You’re bleeding, Domhnall,” she gasped. “Come. Let me take a look at it for you.”

Domhnall turned back to look at her. “I’ll go tae the healer.”

“It’s the least I can do after you just saved my life.”

“I hardly think I saved yer life, Katherine.”

She glared at him in disbelief. “Do you really think if that great big thing had hit me,” she threw a hand in the direction of the destroyed frame, “that I would not be injured beyond repair? Look at it! And now, I must repay the favor. Please, let me attend to it.”

With a heavy sigh, Domhnall eventually relented, and turning, they made their way back up the stairs. The two young servantboys were waiting for them, their heads bent, their hands in supplication, and both of them rambling how very sorry they were for making such a clumsy mistake.

“What were ye doing?” Domhnall asked.

“The wedding, me laird,” the younger of the two said. “We were cleaning the pictures in preparation fer the wedding.”

As irritated as he was, Domhnall knew they hadn’t let the frame fall on purpose, so he nodded. “Dinnae worry. Those frames are heavy. But try and be a little more careful in future. That was dangerous and that painting was a invaluable family heirloom.”

“Aye, me laird,” the boys said together contritely.