Page 50 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
Margaret nodded, and they watched the bird for quite a while. Usually, Brodrick would have gotten bored quickly and would have looked away from it, but something about watching a raven across the courtyard with his daughter was compellingly fulfilling. If this was all he had to do all day with Margaret, he was going to enjoy every second of it.
The bird squawked and flew off almost immediately, and Brodrick noticed Margaret shifting her gaze away from the pole.
“Right,” he said, pushing the door open and maintaining his grip on her hand as they walked into the castle. “This, of course, is the Great Hall,” he continued, sweeping his hand around. “’Tis the biggest room in the castle, ye see. ‘Tis where events and gatherings are held. ‘Tis also where the cèilidh will be held, and I plan on invitin’ as many lairds as possible.”
He noticed just how slightly tense Margaret grew at that, and so he decided to steer the conversation to another topic.
“Let us go to the corridor,” he suggested.
Margaret nodded, and they moved away from the Great Hall, walking past the fragmented sun rays that shone through the rather giant and incredibly high windows.
The interior looked incredibly magical, and Brodrick did not exactly like the fact that it took him walking around the castle with his daughter for him to properly realize this.
“Ye can see the very top of the castle from miles ahead. If ye’re hidin’ in the forest for any reason, ye can almost see the smoke risin’ from the chimneys. Isnae that something?”
Margaret nodded, a small smile on her face as she continued to look around.
Soon, they stopped in a corridor where several doors and a staircase leading upstairs seemed to stretch out before them.
“Ye want to check the doors or go up the stairs?” Brodrick asked, looking at her, the same indulgent look on his face.
Margaret narrowed her eyes as if considering his question. After a moment, she gestured down the corridor—the stairs could wait.
“’Tis what I would’ve done,” Brodrick said, a satisfied smile on his face. “I always say it is better to ken the enemy below ye so they dinnae surprise ye while ye attack the one above.”
They walked past the arrays of doors, which almost held nothing but food supplies and young animals that the castle residents either reared for the castle or themselves and the surgery.
“This is the surgery,” Brodrick added. “It is managed by a woman called Irene. She gave ye the berries, remember?”
Margaret nodded as he pushed the door open.
Irene stood near one of the tables, pounding some root into a small mortar. The acrid smell of barks and fruits invaded their nostrils as they walked in.
“M’Laird,” Irene greeted, a wide smile on her face as they approached her.
“Irene,” Brodrick returned as the old woman’s eyes flicked to Margaret.
“And who do we have here?” she asked, her smile widening further. “The young mistress of the castle. ‘Tis an honor to have ye in me surgery.”
As Margaret bobbed a little curtsy, Irene looked around her table, her eyes peeled as she looked for something.
“I am certain I have something that may…” she trailed off as she continued to search.
Brodrick watched her take almost everything on her table apart before moving on to the next table to search as well. Soon, she found it. A small purple vial.
“Here,” she murmured, handing the vial to Margaret. “Give me yer hand, M’Lady.”
Margaret did as she was told and stretched out her hand. Irene tapped the vial, and some of its content fell into Margaret’s pale hand.
“That, M’Lady, is tooth powder. Use it to clean yer teeth.”
Margaret nodded.
Irene looked up at Brodrick. “And if ye need anything to boost yer… activities with the governess, I shall be more than willin’ to help.”
Brodrick swallowed.What?
“What activities?”
