Page 18 of Saved By the Highland Beast
Libby sat on the sofa. She was wearing a black dress. Her face was turned down and covered in long strands of her hair, while her hands were neatly clasped on her lap.
“Mama, why won’t you answer me?” Sophia began to feel uneasy.
Her head suddenly snapped around as she heard a sound coming from the door. There was a man standing in the doorway with a top hat and cane. His powder blue suit was neatly trimmed and pristine, and his black shoes were shiny. His face was turned to the ground just as the face of her mother had been.
“Who are you?” She began to cry when she could finally speak again. “Why are you doing this to me?! I don’t deserve this!”
The man reached into the breast pocket of his coat and pulled out a folded envelope.
“No!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “Stop doing this to me! Go away!”
The man suddenly ran toward her as she fell back onto the carpet.
Sophia’s body jerked as she awoke in bed. Her skin was covered in sweat, and the sheets were clammy. Using the back of her hands to rub the sleep from her eyes, she reached over and felt for the matches beside her bed. She ignited one and sat upright, using both hands to light the candle.
The nightmares had been plaguing her for a few weeks now ever since she had come to the castle. The uncertainty of who the man was and being away from her mother for such a long time were wearing on her mind.
She swung her legs off the bed and took a few deep breaths. This evening’s nightmare had been the worst she’d had. Deciding that sleep was no longer an option, she reached for her grey shawl at the foot of the bed and draped it over her nightgown before reaching for the candle. “Warm milk is exactly what I need right now,” she whispered to the room at large.
* * *
Dean shoved another bannock into his mouth as he stared at the immaculately clean surfaces in the castle kitchen. He loved the way the copper pots gleaned in the flickering light of the candles. Cleanliness had always brought him peace. Even as a child, he had liked order and punctuality. His mother had often commented on the fact and said he would make a grand laird someday with his penchant for details.
He began to panic when he heard footsteps coming down the hall and tried his best to hide his stack of bannocks behind the fruit bowl that lay in the center of the table. His endeavors failed as the baked bread fell out over the table.
Looking up, he saw Sophia standing in the doorway with a candle in her hand. Her nightgown was visible beneath the grey shawl he had given her. She looked from his face to the messy table, and then back at his face again. He felt like a naughty child that had been caught in the act.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would come and warm myself some milk,” she explained without mentioning anything about the bannocks.
Dean sat in stunned silence for a while and stared at her, unsure of what he should do in a situation like that. In all his years as laird of the castle, he’d never once been caught in the act of stealing bannocks in the middle of the night. Not even the cook or one of the maids had happened upon him in the act.
“I can go back to my room,” she said uncertainly after a while. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“Nay.” He finally came to his senses and stood. “Please come an’ have a seat.” He gestured toward the kitchen table. “Ye didnae disturb me.”
She seemed relieved when he asked her to stay.
“I was just havin’ a bite to eat, but yer welcome to join me. I’ll warm some milk for both of us.”
Sophia smiled and took a seat as he walked around the table and retrieved a small saucepan from one of the shelves. Luckily, the cook had left the milk out after she’d prepared the supper. After filling the pot to the brim, Dean worked on lighting the fire. It didn’t take long, as the coals were still hot from a few hours prior.
“I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” Sophia apologized again when he sat across from her at the table with two empty mugs in his hand.
“There’s nae need to apologize,” he said sheepishly, glancing at the bannocks. “I should nae have been down here, but sneakin’ the fresh bannocks has been a ritual of mine since I was a wee bairn.”
The lightness of her laughter echoed throughout the kitchen. “I did notice that you have a certain fondness for them.”
He rubbed the back of his neck as he felt her teasing tone lowering his barriers. “Aye, I love the taste.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” She smiled warmly at him in a manner that tugged at the strings of his heart. “We all have a weakness.”
“What’s yours, then?”
“Fine,” she said after a brief pause. “Since I’ve already walked in on you indulging in yours, I’ll tell you mine.” She lifted a finger and pointed it at him. “But don’t you dare laugh.”
“Laird’s honor.” He made a cross over his heart.
She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes. “Cheese.”
