Page 11 of Claimed By the Heartless Highlander
Brown eyes shot up to his. “Did she step on yer foot, Me Laird? She does that with new partners sometimes, but nae often. She’s fairly graceful most of the time.”
The girl’s eyes turned wistful. “I’ll miss her when she leaves with ye. She taught Grace and me how to dance. And how to sew, and how to read and write and do calculations for the kitchens and the stillroom. She always makes me copies of her books, especially the herbals and the pattern books.”
He was a bit surprised to hear that Ailis would do so much. Such things were usually the duties of a mother or an aunt. He’d noted that there seemed to be no Lady Clyde, but it was clear that had been true for far longer than he’d supposed.
“Is she a good teacher?”
Freya’s eyes lit up. “Aye. She’s patient and gentle and makes it all good fun, even when Grace was bent on mischief more often than not.”
“That’s good to ken.”
He couldn’t imagine letting a stranger near his Lily, and Ailis was still that to him. But in a month, she’d be his wife, living in his castle. And soon, Lily would be old enough to start needing lessons of the kind he was ill-equipped to give her. He’d been increasingly worried about what would happen when she reached that age.
If Ailis was everything her sister said, then maybe, just maybe, Lily could have the life Daisy would have wanted her to have.
He smiled at the shy young lass beside him. “I ken ye’ll miss yer sister, but I hope ye ken I’ll nae prevent her from returning to visit ye. After we’re wed, I’ll make arrangements to let her come home as frequently as she likes.”
The smile that lit up her face was worth the slight twisting in his gut at the idea of following through with that promise. But he’d given his word to Ailis that he’d not ask anything of her, and that certainly included keeping her away from her family.
He rose from the table, noting that the musicians were preparing for another song, and offered the lass his hand. “I may be betrothed to yer sister, but I’d be remiss as yer future braither-in-law if I didnae offer ye a dance.”
Freya was no Ailis, and neither was Grace, with whom he danced the next group reel. They elicited none of the same heat in his blood that their sister did. The smile that graced Ailis’s face, however, when she spotted him guiding her sisters through the steps of different dances, more than made up for it.
CHAPTER6
The next morningfound Ailis nursing a headache and a large amount of exasperation as she and Duncan loaded their bags onto a set of horses. She’d drunk more wine than what she was used to as part of her plan.
Despite the headache, her first action was to go straight to her desk. In the chaos of yesterday, she’d not taken the time to pen a letter to her friends regarding the events of the day before.
The letter was short. It had to be, since she needed to write out three copies.
Beloved friend,
You’ll never know what has happened. It appears that, contrary to rumors and legend, Laird Muir is NOT dead, nor a moorland spirit, nor a Fae creature. He is, in fact, a flesh-and-blood man. And somehow, he received all the letters I wrote in jest.
As of yesterday afternoon, I am engaged to Laird Muir, and the wedding is being planned for a month from now. Today, I will be departing for his castle, wherever that is, to spend the month getting to know him better.
The reality of this Beastly Laird is difficult to understand. He is stern and stoic, but sometimes I think I see signs of something softer underneath. Whatever the truth of it, he’s certainly handsome enough, and he has said he will give me the freedom to live me life.
I will write again after I’m settled, and I’ll try to make arrangements to visit soon. Wish me well, for I think I might need it!
Ailis Anderson of Clan Clyde.
She’d just finished the third copy when twin knocks on her door made her look up.
Freya and Grace stood there, both wide-eyed with apprehension.
Grace looked uncharacteristically solemn. “We thought ye might need help.” A brief spark of humor flickered in her eyes. “Otherwise, Freya thinks ye’ll pack all yer books and forget that ye need clothin’ too.”
“Och, I wouldnae be so foolish. But I’d welcome the help, for I’ll admit I’m a wee bit overwhelmed with how fast everythin’ is happenin’.”
“And ye look as if ye had too much to drink.” Grace smirked.
“That too, ye little brat. But dinnae tell Faither.” Ailis hugged her sister, and the three of them set out sorting what would be packed for the day’s journey, and what would be left to send in after the wedding.
Fortunately, Freya had read some of the herbals she’d copied out for Isobel, and managed to produce a decent remedy for her headache. The taste was vile, but at least the headache faded and left Ailis clearer-headed.
A pity her sister couldn’t do anything about the embarrassment she felt about her behavior, especially since it hadn’t succeeded in persuading her new betrothed that he was better off finding another lass.
