Page 37 of Claimed By the Heartless Highlander
Both of them plunged their hands into the flour dust, then sat to work kneading the bread loaves into shape to make sure all the ingredients were well mixed.
They were about ready to mold the loaves to be set aside for baking when the kitchen door opened again. Ailis paid it no mind until she heard Diane murmur, “Me Laird.”
Duncan stood in the doorway. She suspected he’d come looking for Lily, but his eyes were fixed on her as he approached the bench they were sitting on.
“Lily, lass… ‘tis time for ye to get cleaned up for breakfast.” He hesitated. “And if it’s nae too much trouble, I’d like a word with ye, Lady Ailis.”
Ailis was tempted to refuse, but she’d not embarrass him in front of his people. “Aye. As ye wish.” She dusted off her hands and skirt. “But I need to wash meself, so I’d prefer if we could speak in me rooms.”
“I have nay issue with that.”
Together, the two of them took Lily to her maids to wash up and then made their way to Ailis’s rooms.
Once inside, Ailis turned to him. “What is it ye want to speak to me about?”
“I feel as if I upset ye last night. I ken ye’re frustrated with the situation, but?—”
“But ye have nay intention of doin’ anythin’ about it, like tellin’ me what I ought to ken?” She was hoping she was wrong, but she was in no mood to dance around the matter if she wasn’t.
“Ailis… it’s nae that I dinnae trust ye. It’s just that there are things I dinnae speak about to others. If ye’ll give me time…”
“How much time? A month? A year? Longer?”
“I cannae say.”
Disappointment filled her. “Cannae or willnae… what’s yer reason for clinging to me so tightly, and keeping secrets like a wall between us at the same time?”
“I have me reasons. If ye’ll just trust me… and stay with me…”
She didn’t want to hear any more. Duncan’s words had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in actually explaining things to her. Or offering a meaningful apology.
Ailis finished cleaning her hands and fixed her hair, then met his gaze. “It seems ye have nothin’ to say to me, after all. In which case, I have nothin’ to say either. If ye’ll excuse me.”
With that, she left the room and left him standing there, in silence.
If excuses and walls were all he was prepared to offer her, then silence was all she had left to give in return.
Jack Wallace also became a familiar, and welcome, face following that conversation. He kept an eye on both Ailis and Lily, and though he was no more forthcoming with information than Duncan, he was a good deal more cheerful to be around.
Duncan. He was the source of the sleepless nights and headaches that plagued her daily as she played with Lily and prepared for her journey. He was constantly about. That was to be expected, of course, since it was his home and he was the Laird, but that made seeing him no easier.
She avoided him as much as she could. She asked for quills, paper and ink from the servants when she needed them, and made her travel plans with the help of Jack and a few of the maids and guards. When she had to speak to Duncan, she limited herself to meaningless platitudes and escaped the conversation as soon as she could.
He wanted her to stay, and he wanted her to uphold their agreement. But he didn’t want it enough to tell her the things she ought to know. He insisted on leaving her in the dark, as if she was a child Lily’s age, or simple-minded and slow-witted.
It was as if he didn’t expect her to notice anything of import, or care, despite the fact that he ought to have known better. Instead, she was forced to observe the changes around the castle without the slightest idea of why they were occurring.
She didn’t know why the number of the guards on the wall had doubled over the past few days, or why the stables were nearly empty because of the number of scouts patrolling the borders. She didn’t know why she was shadowed by two men on any trip out of the main keep, and five men if she was with Lily.
She tried asking Jack on the fourth day.
Jack sighed. “’Tis on the Laird’s orders that the number of guards on the wall increase. More than that, I cannae say.”
She swallowed back her frustration. “But why nae? I’m the Laird’s betrothed. Surely I can ken at least that much. Is there some danger or threat I need to be aware of, as I’m to be travelin’ soon?”
“The Laird says ye dinnae need to worry about it. He says yer safety will be assured.” Jack’s eyes were sympathetic. “Ailis… I ken ye’re frustrated, but Duncan… he has his reasons…”
“And I cannae ken those, any more than I can ken why the castle is on high alert and every move I make is watched.” She wanted to slap Jack, but she restrained herself. He was only the messenger, after all. She took a deep breath. “I understand. If ye’ll excuse me…”
