Page 17 of Wedded to the Twisted Highlander
“Melody,” Astrid warned.
“Sorry.”
Astrid walked over to the bed and pulled back the blankets. She waited for Melody to snuggle down before she pulled the covers over her.
“Do ye think MAstrid is lookin’ down on us? Helpin’ us?” Melody asked as Astrid leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.
“I’m sure she is. Now, go to sleep.” Astrid planted one more kiss on Melody’s forehead before moving back to the chair.
Despite the thick walls of the castle, and how high her room was, Astrid still didn’t feel safe. She shifted the chair to the corner of the room so she could have a full view of Melody and the door. Then, she took the fire iron and leaned it against the chair.
With everything in place, she sat down. The fire warmed her legs as she kept a keen eye on the door and the poker in her hand. Unfamiliar sounds haunted her dreams, mingling with wild and vivid images.
By the time dawn broke, Astrid had maybe four good hours of sleep. She stretched the aches from her bones and glanced around the room. Panic shot through her when she didn’t immediately recognize the unfamiliar surroundings. For a split second, she thought Jenson had found them and brought them back.
The door swung open, and she immediately raised the poker and swung it back, ready to strike.
Olivia’s eyes widened as she recoiled. Shame flooded Astrid as she realized her folly and lowered the poker.
“My word, are ye all right? I didnae mean to startle ye. Maybe we shouldnae have such things in our guest rooms?” Olivia gasped as she dared to snatch the poker from Astrid’s hands.
“I’m so sorry. Ye caught me off guard.”
“Aye, I can see that,” Olivia said as Melody stirred awake from the commotion.
“Och, good, ye’re awake,” another woman intoned as she skipped into the room like a ball of pure energy.
Astrid had never been around such cheery people before. Everyone working for Laird Chalium was miserable. Yet, here, it seemed everyone had a reason to smile.
“And here I was thinkin’ I was goin’ to have to disturb ye.”
“Aye, ye do,” Olivia snorted. “Besides, what are ye even doin’ here, Eileen? Are ye nae supposed to be catchin’ butterflies this morning?”
“I thought I’d show our hospitality,” Eileen said, nudging Olivia out of her way as she made a beeline for Astrid. She nodded to her and waved enthusiastically at Melody.
“Is that what ye’re callin’ yer entrance?” Olivia argued.
Astrid felt a pang of grief. How she wished her sister was still around. How many meaningless fights had they had when they were younger?
She looked at the two women and smiled.
“Be nice,” Eileen admonished with a scowl.
“I’m goin’ to get some food. If ye want some too, then I suggest ye follow me and nae wait. The men like to get to the best pickings, and if ye wait for too long, ye’ll be left wit’ nothing but scraps,” Olivia warned as she turned to the door.
“I’ll need to get Melody ready first,” Astrid said as she looked at the little girl’s smudged face.
But it wasn’t just Melody’s face that needed to be cleaned. Her dress was tattered and worn. The once-white fabric was now a brown color. No matter how many times Astrid washed it, she couldn’t get out the stains.
“Och, that reminds me,” Eileen piped up gleefully. “I brought ye something clean to wear. Thomas didnae tell us much, but he did mention that ye may nae have anything to wear.”
“Ye really didnae have to do that,” Astrid said as the doors to the room flew open once again.
Several maids entered the room, each holding a different dress in various sizes. Astrid’s chest tightened. Her anxiety spiked as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her first instinct was to send them all back. After all, there was only one reason a laird would send such lavish gifts so soon.
But as she glanced at Olivia and then at Eileen, a new, strange sensation came over her.
“Och, I did. Have ye seen what ye’re wearin’? I wouldnae want to go downstairs lookin’ like that and have the clansmen gawkin’ at me,” Olivia said with a toss of her hair. “Ye’d never hear the end of it.”
