Page 45 of The Rogue’s Redemption

“If only your reputation were as pristine as mine, you’d have an easier time of it.”

Reid’s bitter laugh was all too real. “Aye, who’d want their sister to marry the arse of the Kerr family?”

Aidan winked and began to walk away. “I think that description may be a bit too kind,” he said, already laughing at his own joke.

Was he really that bad?

* * *

“Sister.”

Allie laughed. “Brother.”

She couldn’t have been happier to see Aidan. The unusual tension between her and Gillian chafed—enough so that she would have snuck out of the hall had her sister not been so carefully watching her. Though their discussion had not even skirted Reid Kerr, the topic had shadowed everything that was said between them.

She’d seen Reid, of course, though she’d pretended not to.

“You’ve arrived just in time,” Allie said, lifting her goblet to Aidan.

“For what?”

“My soundness of mind.”

Though tradition dictated that Aidan should sit on his brother’s left, he’d started sitting next to her after they began their training. She had never been more grateful for the arrangement than she was this evening.

They chatted idly for a few moments, Allie straining to ignore the flash of a royal blue surcoat moving from the hall’s entrance. Best to let Gillian believe she’d heeded her advice for now, until her sister calmed down enough to act more reasonably.

Then Aidan caught her off guard by saying, “When you first asked me to train you, I wondered if you felt unsafe here. I considered explaining to you that you’d always be safe here, and that arming yourself was not necessary—”

“But you did not.” Allie took a deep sip of the French red wine, allowing it to slip down her throat. Where was he going with this?

“Nay. I knew it would not dissuade you. Besides, I began to understand why you wanted it so badly.”

“Hmm, that is quite a feat since I hardly understand it myself.”

Aidan sighed and looked out into the crowd. She could not allow her gaze to follow his, though she felt certain he was staring at a certain rogue in a blue surcoat.

“You wanted adventure but were told to remain inside Lyndwood—”

“For my own protection,” she whispered, repeating what she’d been told over and over again.

“You wanted your sister to be happy, but your father promised her to Covington.”

Allie swallowed. “So we would not lose Lyndwood.”

“You wanted to learn the healing arts, but your parents would not allow it.”

Allie placed her goblet back onto the table. “It was not necessary for me to do so. We had a healer already—”

“And you wanted to learn to train with the longsword. I figured I could at least give you that—just one of the things you wanted.” He paused, staring at her intently. “And now there is something else that you want,” he whispered. “And I will help you get that too.”

This time, she did look into the crowd. And when her eyes met Reid’s, she nearly lost control. The look on his face . . . she would never forget it. He wanted her. Nay, it was more than that. He needed her.

“Why?” she asked, turning back. “Why have you always been so kind to me, Aidan?”

His smile was so kind, so loving. She marveled over how accepted this man had made her feel, right from the beginning of her time at Highgate.

“Because there is something I want too.”