Page 61 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
“Are ye feelin’ better?” she asked gently.
Lily nodded, avoiding her gaze. “I’m sorry. I wasnae really sick. I just… I dinnae like that man.”
Erica’s hands stilled on her mare’s saddle. “Ye dinnae have to apologize, Lily. I dinnae like him either.”
Lily looked up at her, her gray eyes filled with determination. “He shouldnae talk to ye like that.”
Erica’s heart swelled with affection for the girl. “Ye’re right. And I willnae let him get away with it.” She reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Lily’s face. “Thank ye for speakin’ up. That was very brave of ye.”
Lily’s lips curled into a small smile. “I just didnae want him to upset ye anymore.”
Erica hugged her gently. “Ye’re a good girl, Lily.”
“Did ye hear what he said when we rode off?” Lily asked.
Erica had all but forgotten that part.
“Until next time, Me Lady,”she recalled him saying, and her guess was confirmed when Lily repeated those exact same words.
“Dinnae worry, lass. Yer uncle will be hearin’ all about it.”
Satisfied, Lily smiled widely and turned to unbridle her pony. Erica did the same with her mare.
As they finished untacking the horses, Erica’s thoughts drifted back to Hunter.
His stallion isnae back yet, nor is Calvin’s…
She turned toward the castle, hoping to glimpse some sign of him, but the windows of his chambers and study were dark. The worry she’d managed to push aside earlier crept back in.
“Where are ye, Hunter?” she muttered under her breath, her gaze lingering on the horizon before she ducked back into the safety of the castle.
The castle halls were quieter than usual as she made her way toward the kitchens. The soft clicking of her boots against the stone floors echoed faintly, a reminder of how hollow the space felt without Hunter’s presence. The scent of baking bread filled the air, but it did little to distract her from the gnawing worry in her chest.
Hunter had been gone since yesterday afternoon; she had been so sure that he would return by tonight. However, as the sky darkened, it became harder to ignore the questions niggling at her.
What if somethin’ happened to him? What if he doesnae come back tonight?
As she rounded the corner, a flurry of movement caught her eye.
Kara emerged from a side corridor, carrying a stack of folded linens. Her usually composed demeanor was gone. Her auburn hair had escaped her neat braid, her cheeks were flushed, and her steps lacked their usual grace.
“Kara!” Erica stepped forward instinctively, putting a hand on top of the linens before they toppled over. “Are ye all right?”
Kara barely glanced at her. “Fine,” she said shortly, adjusting her grip on the bundle.
“Ye dinnae look fine,” Erica insisted gently, trying to catch her eyes. “What’s goin’ on?”
“One of the maids is sick, and someone has to pick up the slack,” Kara replied tersely. She shifted the pile in her arms and looked over Erica’s shoulder, as though scanning for an escape route.
“I didnae realize,” Erica said, frowning. “Ye have taken on all of her duties?”
Kara nodded stiffly. “It needed to be done. Better to offer than to be told.”
“That’s nae fair to ye, though. Does this have anythin’ to do with how cross ye were the other day? I’m sorry I didnae follow up with ye then,” Erica murmured. “If ye had told me, I could’ve arranged for more help.”
Kara’s lips pressed together into a thin line, and for a moment, it looked like she might argue. Instead, she muttered, “It’s nothin’ I cannae handle, Me Lady.”
Erica blinked at the uncharacteristic sharpness of her voice. “Are ye sure? Ye seem?—”
