He inhaled, a soft grin forming over his mouth. “Ye are very good at surprising me, Ella Sutherland,” he whispered.

How surprised would he be if she sliced his throat as he slept next to her? The thought made it impossible to swallow, her entire chest caught in tight agony.

Cain turned slowly toward his aunt and sister, one arm keeping Ella against his side. “There is no shame in kissing one’s betrothed,” he said.

Ella straightened, pulling away, and was finally able to inhale. Her hair was wild and her gown askew. She tugged at the skirt to straighten it around her hips, thankful that the material was wool and not velvet to show exactly what part of her anatomy she had been rubbing against Cain.

Make them believe I care for him, she thought, her stomach hardening into a knot. Make Cain believe. To convince him that he could be vulnerable around her, she might have to pretend to fall in love with him. The physical pain in her stomach made her back up to sit on the bed. Her whole life had been a lie. Why did this one bother her so much?

Hannah’s face was crimson, and Merida wore a wicked grin. “Aye,” Merida said. “Although kissing the lass so fiercely her clothes nearly burned off her requires some teasing.”

“And your…” Hannah trailed off as she flapped a hand toward his kilt, averting her eyes.

Cain reached down and adjusted his cod, although his obvious arousal wasn’t something that could be hidden. “Is there something ye wanted?” he asked. “She will be coming below to eat and drink.”

“We wanted to show Ella…” Merida nodded to Hannah, who brought forth a rose-colored gown. “It is the gown Cain’s mother, Alice Sinclair, wore to wed.”

It was beautiful, but all Ella could do was nod. Marrying her son in her gown and then killing him? She would surely go to Hell. Had Kenneth considered her soul with his whispered command?

Cain cleared his throat. “I believe she would like ye, Ella, and would be honored if ye wore it.” The kindness in his voice tortured her even more.

Merida smiled broadly. “We will fit it to ye then.”

“On the morrow,” Cain said. “Ella was about to come below to eat more than tarts.”

Ugh. How could she eat with the heaviness of her thoughts?

Both ladies looked to her as if waiting to see if she had conceded. “I lost the chess game, and I keep my promises,” Ella said. She stood, walking forward on numb legs.

Hannah and Merida parted to let her out first. Ella stepped lightly down the winding stairway, her head held level as she passed Thomas. She kept a confident expression on her face, as if the very foundation of her world had not just turned on end above in her tiny round room.