Page 16 of A Two-Faced Laird
He visualised Edina’s face as she had left his father’s office. She had been frightened—no, terrified, and he felt desperately ashamed. So far, he could not say that he had shown her one good facet of his character.
He had been sullen, then self-pitying, then angry, and he had not once given her a smile of really good humour, or any sign that he could be happy. They had never shared a joke together as they had done as children, but they had both changed a lot since then.
Could he still be happy now that his brother was not there, though? As well as being family, they had been such good friends, laughing and play-fighting together, wrestling, boxing and doing all the usual madcap things that young healthy men indulged in. He had many other friends, of course—he was not a recluse—but without his brother nothing seemed to be quite as much fun.
His mind went back to Edina again. As he slipped between the bedclothes, he wished she were here with him, if only to keep him warm and talk to him. He could imagine them lying together, skin to skin, her lips so close to his he could almost taste them.
Lewis knew that his father wanted to marry him off to one of the Lairds’ daughters in the area. This would make allies out oftwo families and join their assets together, strengthening both of them. Love was not necessary, and Lewis did not have any preferences—another Lady Findlay was only necessary to carry on the family name.
This would have been quite an acceptable situation until Edina’s arrival, but now? Even if he had wanted to marry her, she was not from a high enough rung on the social ladder, had no dowry or property, and no one had ever heard of her or her family. As well as that, after the way he had treated her, he doubted if she would entertain the idea of marrying him.
No, it was out of the question. Anyway, he was not in love with her. He closed his eyes, but it was a long time before sleep claimed him.
6
Whatever resentment Edina had been feeling the evening before, disappeared the moment she saw the faces of the children in the church hall the next morning. They were bright and eager, and then she showed them the slates and chalks she had brought for them so that she could teach them to read. There was almost a stampede, so eager was each one of them to get their hands on one, and Edina felt herself well up with joy inside. The ability to read, write and count was going to be her gift to the children of Achnabreck, and she could not wait to bestow it.
Edina had been so nervous about her first real lesson with the children that she had hardly been able to sleep that night. As soon as she saw their obvious enthusiasm, though, the ability to instruct them came flowing out of her.
She had had a bigger version of their slates erected in the hall, and she began by writing down the alphabet on it and instructing them to copy it. Some children were better than others, of course, and Edina soon learned the ones with whom she would have to spend more time. However, she did not grudge them one extra minute, since she was learning as muchfrom them as they were from her. Their eagerness fuelled her willingness to instruct them.
When the children rose to go home, one of the little girls came up to Edina and wrapped her arms around her hips.
“I have never had a mammy,” she said sadly, then her whole face brightened up as she smiled at her. “But if I had, I would have wanted her tae be just like you, Mistress. I like ye very much. We a’ dae.”
She scampered away before Edina could think of a reply, but as she rode back to the castle, she felt a warmth spreading through her. She was making a difference, or hoped she was. If things happened the way she intended them to, these young people would have a better life because of her. Of course, she could not claim all the credit; there were many others involved; cooks, seamstresses, and the carpenters who were busy making desks and chairs. They were all contributing to the children’s welfare and education in their own way.
Edina had never really thought about having children before, but now that she had experienced their warmth and enthusiasm, she felt for the first time that she could actually be a mother. Of course, that begged the question, who would the father be?
As soon as Edina rode through the gates, however, her spirits plunged. She saw Lewis striding across the courtyard, but she made no effort to speak to him. He tossed a glance at her and carried on walking, and Edina made her way to the dining room.
She was disappointed to find that she would have to eat her midday meal alone, since her menfolk were busy with tenants’ matters and her mother and Lady Findlay were out visiting friends. Of course, Lewis had disappeared and was nowhere to be found.
Once she had finished her meal and pushed her empty plate away, Edina sat and thought about Aidan for a while. Lewis had not wanted to discuss him at all, and the people in Achnabreckhad been distinctly hostile when she spoke of him. Whenever she had mentioned his name, there had been a bristling anger, and if the brothers had been as drunk and aggressive as they had described, she could understand that response.
As well as that, Lewis had been a different person since she came back. She knew that he missed Aidan terribly, and wondered if that was the reason he was so cold to her. However, she had no way of knowing for certain, since she had no brothers or sisters herself. She knew that her mother had miscarried many times and that being the only surviving child, she was doubly precious to her as a result. Lewis had only one brother, so perhaps the fact that he had lost him, albeit only temporarily, had rendered him unable or unwilling to get close to anyone else.
Wait till Aidan gets back!Edina thought angrily.I will give him a piece of my mind!
Then she thought about what Aidan’s return would be like, and realised that although she would be angry with him, she would also be extremely glad to see him. She might even throw a feast in his honour!
However, she had a sneaking feeling that she was missing something. The villagers had been honest with her, granted, but Lewis had not, and his parents had both been distinctly evasive, as had her own.
I have to find out what he is hiding,she mused, then tried to work out a plan of action. Her first idea was to try to enter Lewis’s bedchamber, but that was always locked when he was not there, and he kept the only key. The Laird and her father were using his study, and it was unlikely that she would find anything there anyway.
What about Aidan’s room?she thought suddenly. She knew where it was, but thought that it might be locked and preserved, as it had been before Aidan’s departure.
She crept upstairs and tried the door and to her surprise, it was unlocked, and she cautiously stepped inside, half-expecting it to be occupied, but the room was empty.
It had obviously not been used for a long time, though, since the furniture was covered in dust sheets and smelled stale and unused. The brown brocade curtains at the windows had faded to a dirty grey, and the fireplace had ashes in it that had obviously been there for years.
When Edina looked up she saw a gorgeously carved ceiling, as well as plaster curlicues it was decorated with hundreds of thickly woven spider webs. It could have been a beautiful room, but it had been left to rot, and Edina was appalled. How had this been allowed to happen? When Aidan came back from the sea, he would be furious.
She could remember him being fastidious about the tiniest things, like a chip on his favourite wooden sword or a dirt mark on the general of his toy army’s uniform.
She smiled at the thought, then laughed softly as she saw the offending officer standing on the desk, looking clean and smart, if a little dusty. In her mind’s eye, she saw the little Aidan marching his toy army along his imaginary battlefield, looking comically fierce and letting out imaginary blood-curdling war cries.
However, she had no time to savour the memory, since she heard footsteps approaching and stopping outside the door. The loud, heavy footfalls could only belong to one person—Lewis.
