Page 2 of The Curse of McMillan Castle
“It hasn’t yet.” I smiled at him as I patted his hand in dismissal of the conversation before moving to return toward his dinner. The sun was already setting, and I couldn’t stay with him as long today as I usually did.
“Yetis the word ye might should pay more mind to, lass.”
With my back still toward him as I ladled his dinner into a wooden bowl, I responded. “I think you’re overestimating my acting skills, Henry. I’m polite, but I don’t think anyone would describe me as happy.”
“Mayhap so. I doona wish to upset ye. Bring me my dinner, and tell me about something else that will make me envious that I wasna born in yer time.”
Happy to move away from the current conversation, I reached for his spoon and smiled as I faced him. “I promise you I will tell you more stories tomorrow, but tonight I must leave a little early. Tomorrow is Rosie’s birthday, and I have an important role to play in a surprise we have planned for her.”
I still wasn’t entirely sure what the surprise was. Cooper had been incredibly tight-lipped about it to me, but I left that part out of my explanation to Henry.
Henry smiled and nodded in understanding. He adored Rosie. At least twice a week she would come with me when I came to check in on him, and every time she came and I watched him interact with her, it saddened me that he didn’t have any grandchildren of his own. The old man would’ve been so good with them.
“Ach, o’course ye must. How old is the wee lass?”
Just thinking of her being a teenager now made me ache inside. “She’s not so wee anymore. She’s thirteen today.”
“Thirteen! Why, I married me Agatha when she was but thirteen.”
I shuddered at the horrifying thought. “Rosie won’t be getting married for another twenty years if I have anything to say about it.”
Henry laughed and reached for his dinner. “Alas, ’tis unlikely that ye will have much to say about it after a few more years. Best enjoy this time with her while ye can.”
Dread settled in my stomach as the truth I knew was spoken aloud. It seemed like yesterday I was bouncing her on my hip as she giggled and latched onto my hair before snuggling into my neck. I could still smell the sweet little baby smell of her if I closed my eyes and thought of it. How had time gone by so quickly?
At least the only young little gentleman currently determined to win over Rosie’s heart was three years her junior. I still had quite some time before I had to worry about Rosie’s heart being entirely broken.
Chapter 2
Cooper
Cooper stared down at his plans for Rosie’s surprise as anxiety built inside him. There was too much to do and far too little time in which to do it. He needed this to happen for her tonight. Rosie needed one good thing that was just hers. He knew how she tried to hide it from him—Rosie was good at keeping her feelings hidden—but Cooper could see just how difficult the move here had been for her.
He jumped at the sound of a knock on his bedroom door, quickly sliding his carefully drawn plans out of sight just in case it was Rosie.
“Come in.” He smiled as Rosie’s mother slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. “Hello, Ms. Madeline.”
She shook her head at him as she smiled. “Cooper, I’ve told you a hundred times. You don’t have to call me ‘Ms.’ Just call me Madeline.”
The young boy shrugged and shook his head. “Sorry, Ms. Madeline. It just doesn’t sound right without the Ms. at the beginning of it. What’s up?”
Cooper watched as Madeline lowered herself to the ground and sat cross-legged beside him.
“What’s up is that it’s time for you to spill the beans. If I’m going to keep Rosie distracted for the next handful of hours, I need to know what the surprise is.”
Cooper sighed and reached for the drawing underneath the edge of his bed.
“All right, I suppose it’s time. But you promise you won’t tell her, right?”
She held out her pinkie towards him. “Of course, I promise. I don’t want to ruin the surprise for her.”
Cooper took her pinkie as they swore secrecy then handed her the drawing.
“We are going to turn the old tower into a bedroom and study that’s just for Rosie!”
The young boy’s voice lifted with excitement as he smiled with pride at his idea. He did his best not to feel crestfallen when Madeline frowned at him.
“Oh, Cooper. There’s no way I can let you do that. The tower was supposed to be your room. I heard E-o and your mother talking about it just a few weeks ago. You’re getting older, and you’ve shared a room with your younger siblings for far too long. I know you’ve been looking forward to having your own space.”
