Page 77 of The Highlander's Auctioned Bride
The carriage rolled to an uneven stop. She was surprised to see her father waiting for her in the doorway. A happy smile broke over his face as he descended the steps and opened the door for her.
“Me darling, Maisie!” he said with much joy. “Come, come inside, ye must be tired.”
She alighted and he embraced her, surprising her even more.
“Is all well, Faither?” she asked in confusion. He had never been so affectionate with her.
“Aye, I have missed ye, that is all.”
“Miss Maisie!” came a delighted cry from behind her and Maisie turned to see Dora running down the steps toward her.
She gave a happy laugh as Dora quite forgot herself and lunged into Maisie’s arms giving her a fierce hug under her father’s stern glare.
Dora disentangled herself from Maisie’s arms, looking rather sheepish, and swiftly grabbed one of Maisie’s bags and ran back inside.
Maisie chuckled as she looked at her father’s disapproving glare.
“Ye cannae blame me for making friends with some of the servants, Faither. She was a great comfort to me.”
He sighed and then he gave a little smirk of his own. “She has bothered me continually to replace the chess set ever since ye left.”
Maisie laughed. “Thank ye for giftin’ it to me.Didye buy another?”
“I did.”
“And have ye played her?”
Her father shook his head. “Of course nae, Maisie, she is a servant and I am the master of the house. I couldnae sit and play chess with her late into the evening. Dae be serious.”
Maisie rolled her eyes and handed her gloves to a new butler, who was a robust sort of gentleman with a rather savage look to him.
“This is Villers,” her father said. “There are only two servants in the house, and many of the rooms are temporarily shut up, but I’ll have Dora air your bedroom.”
“I’ll have it just right by suppertime, Miss Maisie!” Dora assured her.
Once Maisie had dispensed with her travel cloak she followed her father into his study. As she closed the door, she couldn’t help recalling the moment only weeks before when all had seemed lost as she had knelt by his side in this room.
He took his seat at his desk and indicated the chair before him, watching her carefully as she sat down.
“Ye look very well, Maisie.”
There was a weighted silence. Her father was never one to leap into a conversation without proper thought.
“Ye look better,” she answered honestly. There were still heavy bags under his eyes, but his complexion was fresher than it hadbeen. His hair was not looking quite so wild. “How have things been in Glasgow?”
“The warehouse is refurbished or will be within a number of days. I have a new client and a new shipment scheduled. If it comes off, which should be in three months’ time, I will be able to rebuild. We should be on an even keel by Yuletide.”
Maisie found herself grinning. “That’s wonderful, Faither, are ye nae happy? Ye seem downcast.”
“What has happened, Maisie?” her father leaned forward on his desk, his elbows settling into the worn grooves in the dark green leather.
Maisie sighed, leaning back in her chair, listening to the soft murmurs of the servants in the rooms above. The fire crackled, and it felt as though she had never left.
Perhaps I should stay here. James clearly doesnae wish for me to be with him. And yet I’m still the lady of his clan, there’s no changin’ that.She choked back a laugh as she imagined managing the castle from Larkhill.
“Nothin’ in particular,” she replied evenly, not wishing to disclose anything about the attacks. Her father would not allow her to return if she told him the truth, and she did not wish for anyone else to make that decision but her.
“Are things well with Laird MacLennan? Is he treatin’ ye as he should?
