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The study door loomed ahead, its dark wood polished to a dull sheen. Davina’s steps slowed, her shoulders rigid. Broderick reached for her wrist just as her hand rose to knock. Her pulse thrummed beneath his fingers, quick and uneven, a quiet temptation.

“Wait,” he whispered, keeping it between them. “We need a sign.”

Her brow furrowed, and she glanced up at him. “For what?”

“In case ye shut me out.”

“I won’t,” she said, her tone defensive.

His lips curved into a faint smile. “I admire yer confidence, but it’s best if we’re prepared. Ye’re prone to…well, shuttin’ me out.”

Her cheeks burned, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she tilted her head, considering. “Fine. What do you suggest?”

He released her wrist and scratched his temple, a subtle motion. “This. I’ll do it if I notice ye’ve gone silent. ”

Davina mirrored the gesture, her lips twitching into a wry smile. “Like this?”

“Aye, perfect.” His grin turned teasing. “See? We’re already workin’ as a team.”

She rolled her eyes, turned back to the door, and knocked firmly.

“Enter,” Tammus said, gruff and impatient.

Davina pushed open the door, and Broderick followed her inside. The room was bathed in the warm glow of the hearth, long shadows stretched across the walls lined with books and ledgers. Tammus stood by the mantle, one hand resting on the stone, his gaze fixed on the flames as if lost in thought.

“This is my space,” Davina’s thoughts whispered, short and bitter. “And yet he makes it feel like it belongs to him.”

Frustration roiled from her, a storm brewing just beneath the surface. Broderick felt the weight of it, thick and heavy, as though her emotions had taken on a life of their own. She halted a few paces inside the room, her chin lifting as Tammus turned to face them.

His expression was stern, his mouth pressed firmly as his cold gray eyes swept over Broderick. A frown formed, deepening the lines on his face. “Aye, Davina. Who is this?”

Her walls slammed into place like a portcullis. Broderick felt the sudden silence in his mind, the absence of her thoughts jarring. He mentally nudged her, pushing his thoughts through. “Relax, Blossom. Breathe deep.”

Davina’s chest rose and fell as she obeyed, and the tension in her shoulders eased slightly.

She stepped forward. “Uncle, this is Broderick MacDougal. He has been my advisor and protector since Ian’s passing.

I trust him, and I would like him to accompany me when I meet the suitors you’ve arranged. ”

Tammus’s frown deepened, his gaze narrowing on Broderick. “Protector, is it? And where do you live, MacDougal?”

“In th’ village,” Broderick lied smoothly, inclining his head. “I’m one o’ the shepherds.”

Tammus’s thoughts stirred like ripples in a pond. “Reasonable enough,” Broderick heard him think.

But Davina’s mind remained silent. Broderick cleared his throat and scratched his temple. Her eyes flicked to him, confusion flashing across her face before realization dawned. “Sorry,” she replied with her thoughts. “Can you hear me now?”

“Aye, Blossom.” He resisted the urge to smile.

Tammus stepped forward, his hand thrust out. “Well, then, MacDougal. Let’s see what kind of man my niece has taken into her confidence.”

“Milord,” Broderick said, inclining his head in a show of respect. “A pleasure to meet ye.” He stepped into the gesture.

This was no friendly handshake—it was a power play. A test. Tammus’s grip was firm, calculated, meant to dominate. Broderick met it without flinching, his fingers closing just as firmly around the older man’s hand.

The contact sparked a flicker of sensation—brief, but potent.

A glimpse into Tammus’s mind, where controlled calm barely held back a storm of distrust and worry.

He was far easier to read than his niece, and that was a blessing.

Broderick had fed from him once, shortly after Davina had fled Aberdeen.

Wiped the experience from Tammus’s mind as soon as Broderick had the information he needed—where to find Davina.

Still, there were gaps. What had changed in the time since? What weight now rested behind those gray eyes?

That was what Broderick needed to find out.

Urgency. It hit Broderick like a pulse of energy, hard and insistent.

Tammus was wound tight, his thoughts tangled with the weight of unfinished business back home.

Broderick glimpsed flashes of it—a ledger left open on a desk, a trade deal waiting for signatures.

Pressure bore down on Tammus, the kind that threatened to crack even a man as rigid as him.

The estate in Stewart Glen was a thorn in his side, a problem he’d been forced to handle when his time and resources were already stretched thin.

His niece’s predicament was an obstacle, one that needed solving quickly so he could return to Aberdeen and the business that was slipping through his fingers with every passing day.

The delay chafed at him, the thought of failure gnawing at his pride.

The information that poured into Broderick’s mind happened in the span of mere seconds.

He released Tammus’s hand, his expression unchanged, though his mind churned with what he’d uncovered.

Tammus wasn’t just a man trying to protect his family’s honor—he was a man desperate to protect his own success. That desperation could be leveraged.

When Tammus retreated behind the desk, his eyes narrowed. “You seem familiar. Have we met before?”

Broderick’s smile didn’t falter. “Nay formally, sir. But livin’ in the village, it’s likely ye’ve seen me in passin’.”

Tammus grunted and turned his attention back to Davina. “And here I thought you were of a mind that you didn’t need a man around, niece. Yet you rely on MacDougal for advice and protection. Seems you’ve proven my point.”

Davina’s jaw tightened, but before she could respond, Tammus continued, his gaze cutting back to Broderick. “By the way, where were you when she was attacked?”

Broderick caught the faint twitch of Tammus’s lips, the hint of a smirk. He warned Davina mentally, “He’s baitin’ ye, lass. Don’t give him what he wants.”

But Davina seethed before snapping, “Fergus MacLeod attacked me in the middle of the night, Uncle.”

Tammus’s smirk faded, but he nodded. “Precisely my point. MacDougal isn’t your husband. He can only protect you so much.” His gaze shifted back to Broderick. “So, tell me, lad. Are you interested in wedding my niece?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with implication. Davina stiffened beside him, her thoughts a sudden swirl of panic and disbelief.

He let the silence stretch for a moment before replying, his tone measured. “I appreciate the proposition, milord, but I’m no’ the marryin’ type.”

Tammus’s eyes narrowed. “Nor do you seem to be the greedy type. I expected you to jump at the chance to claim land and a prosperous business.”

Broderick cleared his throat and scratched his temple, the motion casual. “The man does have a point, lass,” he teased Davina. “A fortune to claim, and a bonnie lass to warm my bed.”

“Don’t you dare!” she snapped internally.

A roguish smile curved his lips. “’Tis a mighty generous offer, sir, but I’ll admit, she’s a bit too…” He paused, pretending to search for the word.

“Stubborn?” Tammus supplied.

Broderick nodded. “Aye, ye’ve a keen insight, milord. That’s the word.”

Davina seethed beside him, her temper flaring like a spark to dry tinder. “What are you doing?”

“Ye want me to win him over, don’t ye?”

“If I were to marry,” Broderick added aloud, “I’d like my wife to be a little more… ”

“Submissive?” Tammus offered again.

Broderick chuckled softly. “Ye’ve a way with words, milord. I’ll say that.”

Davina straightened, her voice tight but controlled. “Uncle, do I have your permission to let Broderick accompany me with the suitors?”

Tammus studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Aye. I see no harm in it. In fact, I welcome his help.”

Davina’s face lit with satisfaction as Tammus relented. “Thank you, Uncle.” She curtsied with a grace that belied the frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior. Then briskly turned toward the door, clearly eager to escape the room.

“Hold, niece,” Tammus barked, cutting her retreat short.

She paused, spine straightening once more.

Tammus’s gaze drifted to Broderick. “I expect regular reports. You’ll keep me apprised of any…unsavory developments?”

Broderick dipped his chin. “Of course, milord. Ye’ll know all ye need tae know.”

Davina gave Broderick a sidelong glance, her thoughts brushing his mind again—dry and laced with irritation. “You enjoyed that far too much.”

Broderick offered a crooked smile as they left the room. “Aye, but admit it…it worked.”

“Oh, and Davina.”

She froze mid-step, her shoulders tightening before she turned back to face Tammus, her expression carefully composed. “Aye, Uncle?”

“I can’t find where you’ve been keeping the rest of the books for the business transactions in all this mess.” His gaze hardened, scrutinizing her. “Where are they?”

“ Of all the… ” Davina’s jaw ticked, but she walked to the shelf behind him.

Broderick sensed the elder man’s insecurities about his inability to quickly get the information he needed to assess the estate. It had nothing to do with the condition of the office. The study was pristine, organized, and in order.

Davina’s hand was steady as she pulled down a thick leather-bound ledger.

She placed it firmly on the desk before her uncle.

“Here,” she said, her tone brusque but polite.

“You’ll find the most recent entries in the back, including yesterday’s transaction.

I paid the shepherds their share of the profits from the last shipment of wool MacLeod sold. ”

As Davina folded her arms and stood dutifully behind her uncle, Tammus flipped through the pages, his thumb tracing the tidy columns of figures. The faintest nod of approval softened his stern expression. “Hmph,” he muttered. “It appears in order.”