“Laudanum smells good on ye,” he teased, his tone low but clear enough to carry.
A laugh escaped her lips, light and genuine. For a moment, she forgot the room, forgot the weight of their stares, and let the sound ring. She left her hand in his for longer than necessary, until Alasdair cleared his throat.
The sound cut sharply through the air, and she exhaled. Finn released her hand at once and stepped back with a sheepish smile. Lily rolled her eyes, suppressing another laugh, and reached for a chair. She dragged it slightly away from where Alasdair sat and prepared to lower herself.
“There,” she said, half to herself.
“Yer chair is here.” Alasdair gestured to the empty space beside him.
Her eyebrows arched. “I prefer this one.”
Before Alasdair could speak again, Colm leaned forward, his voice low but crisp. “The Lady always sits beside the Laird. ‘Tis custom, lass. And tradition isnae lightly cast aside.”
Lily inhaled, then released a breath through her nose. She tilted her head toward Colm and offered a thin smile. “Well, we wouldnae want to disrespect tradition now, would we?”
Her skirt swished as she turned, carrying herself with deliberate grace to the seat at Alasdair’s side. She lowered herself into it, the closeness between them impossible to ignore.
His shoulder brushed hers as he leaned closer and whispered, “Why do ye still wear these ugly dresses?”
Lily turned her head, her lips barely parted, her smirk soft and sharp all at once. “Because I enjoy it.”
Colm cleared his throat and leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table, a hint of nervousness on his face.
“Let us start with the first order of business,” he said, his sharp eyes flicking to Lily. “First, we must thank ye, Lady MacRay, for tendin’ to the wounded. Those men fought bravely in the war, and if ye hadnae arrived when ye did?—”
“Ye mean if I hadnae been kidnapped?” Lily cut in before she could stop herself.
The men froze, and for the span of three seconds, not a soul moved. Every elder stared at her, their jaws slack as if she had grown a second head. Her eyes darted to Alasdair, whose jaw was tense and his eyes glued to the wooden table.
She returned her gaze to the councilmen and arched an eyebrow, refusing to back down. “Och, gentlemen, ‘twas just a joke. Tradition allows a lady to jest, does it nae?”
The tension crackled, and Thomas chuckled first, a short bark that broke the dam, and the others followed. Soon, laughter filled the hall.
A smile tugged at Lily’s lips as she watched Angus slap the table over and over while shaking his head in utter amusement.
“Quite the sharp tongue on ye, me Lady,” Trevor said, wiping his eyes.
“Ye will fit right in with the council,” Angus added, eliciting another round of laughter.
Lily smiled faintly, though inwardly she wondered how often she would have to use humor as a shield here.
Colm composed himself and dipped his head. “As I was saying, we have ye to thank. Because of yer skill and persistence, we may be better prepared should another war come.”
Her spine stiffened. “Another war?” She swallowed. “I’ve only come to treat the wounded from this one. When another comes, ye must seek another healer because I willnae be staying here.”
Again, silence thickened like smoke in the hall. Her words seemed to ring quite harsher than intended.
Good God, how long would she have to keep this going?
When the silence grew rather uncomfortable, she tilted her head and forced a smile. “That, too, was a jest,” she quipped.
Another wave of relieved laughter erupted, though it was fainter this time and edged with unease.
She turned toward Alasdair. He met her eyes briefly, his expression unreadable, before leaning back in his chair as if washing his hands of her provocation.
Jacob spoke next, cutting off her exchange, his voice just a bit smoother than Colm’s and much more careful. “As ye can see, Lady MacRay, we daenae have many alliances. The war has shown us just where we stand in the hierarchy of things, and if we are being frank with ourselves, we daenae like it. We are at a great disadvantage, and the only way we can escape this predicament is to join forces with other clans.”
Lily nodded, considering his words. Unlike Colm, Jacob sounded much more confident and relaxed enough to convey exactly what the purpose of the meeting was.
