A Scotsman's Promise

Chapter 29

"Micara," Calen said to stop her, "Is something troubling ye?"

Cara looked at her feet. Her cheeks turned pink again.

Calen frowned. "Micara?" he pushed.

Cara took a breath and looked up again, "Nothing is wrong, Monsieur Donelly."

She dodged around him once again. Calen frowned again but he could not think of any reason she might be avoiding him. He shrugged; maybe Katrina could provide some insight.

He sought out his older sister whom he found hauling potatoes from the root cellar behind the house. He stopped her and took the basket from her. "I have a question for ye," he told her.

She cocked her eyebrow and held out her hand for the basket. Calen kept a hold of it and shook his head slightly.

Katrina rolled her eyes. "Aye, what is it?"

"What is wrong with Micara?"

"Nothing," she replied too quickly, "Now give me the potatoes."

Calen held the basket away, "Not yet. She seems odd tonight, why?"

Katrina crossed her arms. "Maggie said something that upset her."

Calen frowned in confusion. "Which was?"

Katrina held out her hand, "The potatoes first."

Calen handed her a single potato.

Katrina groaned. "She asked if Micara would marry ye if ye asked."

Calen's insides flipped. A loud silence filled his head. He breathed in slowly, careful to keep his expression neutral.

"What did she say?" he was surprised by how in control his voice sounded.

Katrina studied him a second before answering, "Well, she did nae say no." She snatched the basket from his hand and went inside.

Calen stayed where he was. It took him a moment to process what she had said. Micara had not said no. That did not mean she had said yes, but it had not been an immediate not. She had considered it, maybe even still did.

He did not know exactly what to do with the information. He had all but buried the hope that Micara would even consider someone like himself, or even want to consider someone like himself.

He had done very well at putting such thoughts from his mind. Until Trenton. Until the reality of her leaving had nearly put him on his knees. And again with the situation at the inn. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to feel. The disappointed reassignment he felt about the whole thing was suddenly gone. He didn't know where to go from there.

There was an odd haziness in his mind when he went into the cabin at supper time. Micara was across from him, glowing. He was reminded of her expression from that afternoon. He didn't think he'd seen her that excited the whole time he'd known her. When she had left the water and run to him and embraced him, he couldn't have been more surprised, or more pleased. Her unconventional clothes had been soaked, and her hair dripped in messy tangles, but her eyes sparkled and her smile lit up her face. She had never looked more beautiful.

Even now that she had changed her clothes and returned to a quieter, more proper mood, the smile and sparkle had stayed in place.

Calen had also noticed the change to the atmosphere of his home in the short time Micara had been there. Even just sitting down to dinner as they were now, the whole family seemed cheerier. Calen had even seen a smile grace his Da's face under his beard.

Calen liked what her presence did to his family. He did not want her to leave. And he knew exactly what he was going to do about it. For once he would do exactly as his Da suggested.