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Brianagh smiled blandly at a laird who passed by their table, then replied, “Well, you gave him the obligatory dance that his father secured. So, the next dance he asks of you, kindly inform him you’re waiting for Aidan.

Then ask him how his dance with Brigit went.

That ought to give him an idea that your heart isn’t with him. ”

Emma nodded her assent, and when he approached her again, she did exactly that. His enthusiasm dimmed, but he remained cordial and pleasant before excusing himself.

“Works like a charm every time,” Bri noted with satisfaction. “The language of love is the same no matter the century. Though I’m not sure it’ll be enough to put him off you completely.”

Emma snorted. “At least I’m learning a lot about medieval matchmaking.”

“There is that,” Bri agreed, and they dissolved into giggles.

“I wonder what you ladies find so humorous,” a deep voice asked from behind them.

Brianagh dropped her head back and gazed adoringly at her husband. “Girl talk. Where did you go for so long? Lairds have been asking for you.”

“We went to his solar, to weep over the expense of your little event,” Aidan said as he approached them.

Emma gave him her back .

“Saints, Bri, there must be at least a hundred people here, eating through your larder!”

“I’m not worried,” Bri replied. “They’re here to see a wedding, Aidan. I plan to give them just that. Speaking of, how was your dance with Monaghan?” Brianagh asked Emma.

Emma shot her a murderous glare, but Bri kept her expression serene.

“Perhaps I could have the next dance, Lady Emma?”

Her answer was immediate. “No.”

“Emma,” Bri said quietly, “you just told Monaghan you were waiting for Aidan.”

Emma grit her teeth and shot an accusatory glare at Brianagh. “Whose side are you on?”

“Love’s side. Always love.”

Aidan came around to her front and kneeled in front of her. “I beg of you, a single dance. Let me apologize for my harsh words at supper. I was out of line.”

He waited patiently for her answer, and despite her anger, her heart began to thump in triple overtime. She nodded her head wordlessly. He slowly brought her hand up from her lap, turned it over, and kissed the inside of her wrist. She gasped softly, and felt his smile against her skin.

Carefully, he placed her hand back in her lap. “You won’t regret it.”

“Oh, I think I will,” she disagreed.

The current dance ended and the musicians placed their instruments aside.

“I’ll find you when the musicians strike up another chord, then.” Aidan turned to his brother and murmured in Gaelic, “Susceptibility.”

Nioclas tipped his head, and Aidan left the three of them staring after him, Bri and Nioclas in amusement, Emma in angry confusion.

Again.

When the music did start up again, Nioclas offered Emma his hand before Aidan could make his way across the great hall.

Emma took it, suspicious. Instead of leading her to the line of people forming for the next dance, he walked with her slowly around the room.

He greeted various people as they circled the tables and introduced her to almost everyone.

Emma knew better than to question what he was doing in front of others.

He was the laird, and if he wanted to walk her around the room, he would walk her around the room.

That was Medieval Culture 101.

After awhile, Nioclas leaned down and said quietly, “If I might ask you a few questions, Lady Emma?”

“Um, sure,” she replied nervously.

“I do not mean to intimidate you.” He motioned for her to head toward the enormous hearth.

“Well, you do,” she replied boldly. “You’re very serious.”

“In comparison to my younger brother?” he asked, stopping when they reached the wall.

“Not just him. Everyone. You seem like someone I don’t want to cross.”

“Intelligent observation. A key trait in a life partner,” Nioclas mused.

Before she could respond to that, he went on, “Aidan was but seven years old when our mother was killed. He witnessed it. He came to me, terrified as any child would be, and unsure who he could trust. You see, it was our sire who killed her. Aidan’s faith in people was shaken that day, and I made certain that he could always rely on me to be the one constant in his life.

He needed a lot of time to learn how to trust again, but he did it.

I never left him behind, never put him in a place where he wasn’t safe from the world.

When he was old enough to begin training, I ensured he stayed at the castle instead of being sent to a neighboring ally, because— again—he needed reassurance that he had at least one person on his side. ”

“I had no idea,” Emma whispered.

“When he went missing on a mission I assigned him, I was destroyed. I blamed myself for many years, and just when I’d given up hope of ever seeing my brother in this world again, he comes riding into my bailey as though he just left last week. I wondered why he was able to return now.”

Your guess is as good as mine , she thought with a snort.

“I believe he came because he needed the reassurance that the most important thing in his life would be protected while he dispatched the threat.” Nioclas surveyed the crowd, then back at her. “ ’Tis a difficult thing in your time to dispatch a threat.”

“He plans to dispatch Ben?” Emma asked, her mind whirling. “As in kill him?”

“I’m unsure. Do not think him cruel or evil,” Nioclas warned. “Our time has certain rules that govern it. Death is the only thing that will stop a man who wants you dead. You or him, Lady Emma.” He took a breath. “I’m asking you to try to place your trust in the man Aidan is.”

She pressed her lips together. “With all due respect, Laird MacWilliam, your brother has made it very clear that I’m nothing to him.”

He inclined his head. “It seems to be a very large thing to bring you here if you truly mean nothing to him.”

“You cannot hide behind my brother,” Aidan interrupted as he approached them, smiling. “I’ve come for my dance, Lady Emma.”

Nioclas gave her a swift bow and walked away without further comment.

“Your brother is a little scary,” she admitted, watching Nioclas as he rejoined Brianagh.

“He only appears so, to properly intimidate the other clans. He keeps peace through his reputation of war. ”

“Reputation of war? Yeah. Scary.”

“Unfortunately,” Aidan said as he led her into the throng of dancers, “that’s life here. Peace one moment, war the next. Do you know the steps?”

“Of war?” she asked.

“No, the dance,” he said, laughter in his eyes.

“It’s hard to keep up with you sometimes,” she said on a sigh. “You change topics very quickly.”

“I like to keep your mind engaged. So,” he responded with a cheeky grin, “do you know the steps?”

“No,” she admitted, refusing to be stymied by his sudden, inexplicable good cheer. “But then again, you knew that.”

“True, I did. Which is why I told Nick to take you around the hall during the first set. This second set is not a structured dance.”

“You are making my life difficult,” Emma whispered as he pulled her in close.

“You realize that if you just gave into my charm, your life would be so much easier.”

“Easier? Hardly. It would be so much more complicated.”

He didn’t respond. Emma thought back to the Aidan of the last few weeks.

She thought of how easy it would be to wake up next to him every morning, laugh with him every day, and feel the erratic beat of her heart each time his eyes devoured her, dark with desire.

She thought about what his brother said, and oh, how she wanted to give in to him.

But she’d given her heart away before, hadn’t she?

And all she received from that was constant fear and a very real death threat.

Here she was, her heart so entwined with this man, and Aidan had all but admitted he only needed her to fulfill some obligation to his cousin.

She had to untangle herself, and fast.

Aidan spun her suddenly, then drew her even closer to him .

“Stop thinking so hard,” he murmured. “Let me help you separate the men from the boys, Emma. Men stand by their vows.”

“And boys don’t?” she replied, leaning back slightly.

“I think you know the answer to that.”

He spun her again, bringing her flush against his chest. “Sometimes, when your soul finds its mate, it lets out a great sigh, and with it, you fall.”

“When you fall, you get hurt,” Emma replied curtly.

He placed his lips against her ear. “I’ll catch you, Emmaline. I vow it. Let yourself fall.”

The music stopped, and the people around them clapped for the musicians. Aidan bowed slightly. “When you’re ready, I’ll be here. Arms open.” He winked. “You just have to trust me.”

“Easier said than done.”

“I am truly sorry for my words at supper. I was jealous. I saw Monaghan flirting with you, and you looked so smitten.”

“Smitten?” she echoed.

“Aye. Your face flushed a lovely pink, your eyes sparkled, and you smiled at him. As selfish as it is, I want all your smiles.”

She frowned. “You know, someone else wanted all my smiles, too. And now he wants me dead. I won’t be a fool twice.”

His eyes flashed. “I’m not MacDermott.”

“Well, you sure acted like him tonight,” she shot back.

Immediately contrite, he inclined his head.

“I deserved that. I can only vow that it will never happen again, and if you were to grace me with one more chance, I’d like to spend the rest of my life proving to you that I am the man who will protect you with his life.

” He gave a swift bow before taking his leave.

I don’t want protection , she thought morosely as she watched his retreating back. She caught sight of Brianagh and Nioclas together, and she swallowed thickly. What did she want?

Safety. Peace. Happiness.

But above all, she admitted as she thought back to Brianagh’s words, she wanted to be on love’s side, too.