Page 59 of The Highlander's Auctioned Hellion
Lydia ran up the stairs to her bed chamber, bursting through the door.
Hannah gave a startled cry from where she was arranging her dresses in the wardrobe, and Lydia began hastily pulling at her gown.
“Whatever happened to you, M’Lady? You look as if you’ve been mauled by a bear!”
Lydia’s mind worked feverishly. “I tripped and fell,” she said, hoping her cheeks were not as scarlet as they felt. “Please help me dress, my mother has arrived.”
Hannah hurried about the room, collecting pins and clasps and pulling out a dark green gown from the wardrobe.
In a few minutes, Lydia was dressed, and Hannah speedily rearranged her hair in soft curls down her back, pinning the rest at the top of her head.
Lydia’s mind felt as if it was scattering in a thousand different directions. She had barely had time to process what had happened with Callum before the door was unlocked, and she had to go and greet her mother.
It was alarming how easy it had been to let her guard down with the Laird.
His strong hands and huge body had made her feel protected and safe, and now, sitting in her room, she was unsure how to feel at the memory.
Why did he touch me that way when he told me he had no interest in a wife? Was it just to pass the time? Does he care for me at all?
She rose, allowing Hannah to quickly inspect her before heading down to find her family.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her heart lifted as she heard a familiar little voice asking,“Where is Lydia?”from the entrance hall.
Breaking into a run, she skipped through the archway and cried out in delight as she saw Tommy beside her mother.
Her brother ran to her immediately, clutching tightly to her legs and squeezing so hard she thought he might topple her over.
“Your dress is so big!” Tommy said, stepping back and pulling the fabric out to look at it, and Lydia laughed.
Her mother approached and embraced her fiercely, something falling into place in Lydia’s chest as the two people she loved most in the world stood before her again.
“I am sorry your father is not with us,” her mother murmured. “He had several meetings in town, and?—”
“It is all right, Mama,” Lydia said, mindful of Tommy clutching at her skirts. “I know Father would not wish to trouble himself with such a journey. He is rid of me, that is all that matters to him.”
“You live in a real castle!” Tommy said loudly, tugging at her skirts again. “I could see it for miles before we arrived, and there is a great lake outside, too.”
Lydia smiled at his wide-eyed enthusiasm. “So there is, I would be happy to show you around, Tommy. You may even have some playmates when you meet the Laird’s nieces.”
Her mother’s gaze snapped to Lydia, her eyebrows raising.
“The Laird has nieces?” she asked, as Tommy sought out Lydia’s hand and held onto it tightly.
“Yes,” Lydia murmured. “They are twins and very sweet girls.”
“But he did not tell you of this before you came?” Her mother’s eyes were dark and assessing as they made their way through the corridor to the main hall.
“No, not at first.”
The Duchess said nothing more, but Lydia could feel her disapproval.
As they walked into the large space, however, the Duchess looked about her in awe, her mouth hanging open as she took in the grandeur of the structure.
The main hall was by far the most impressive of any room in the castle, banners and tapestries adorning every wall, and an enormous fireplace opposite them, four times as long as any in her father’s house.
“My goodness. How do you maintain such a place?” her mother asked quietly, and Lydia laughed.
“I am only just finding my way around it, Mama. But the housekeeper is very kind, and the Laird has given me a tour of the place.”
