Page 48 of The Shadow of a Laird
“Elspeth, I am truly sorry,” he said as he picked up her hand and kissed it. “You’re right—I have been neglecting you. How long will it take to have your dress made?”
“About two weeks,” she replied. “There are hundreds of seed pearls to be sewn on it.”
“We can wait till after your dress is made,” he said, smiling warmly at her, “then we will set a date. A bride is the only one anyone is interested in on her wedding day, so you will want to look absolutely perfect. Nobody will give me a second glance.”
Elspeth smiled, although inside she was still fearful. Something about Gavin was not right these days; he was not the man he had been when they were first betrothed, but she could not put her finger on what the change was, even though she thought she knew what had caused it.
At first, she had thought the change in him was because of the renewed pressure of the Lairdship, but although she had no doubt that was part of it, it was more than that.
Then he looked around and waved to someone. “Excuse me, Elspeth. I have to speak to someone,” he said quickly. Then he was running away towards a small man whom she knew to be one of the stonemasons, and they began a spirited conversation.
Both of them were pointing to a spot where the foundations of a building were being laid, and it came to her suddenly thatmuch of his time these days was being spent in the village. Perhaps this building was a project of his, yet he had never spoken of it to her. Maybe he was building a town house for them, or a village hall; it was the kind of project that would interest him.
Elspeth watched him closely. He was dressed in his Sunday best, and the dark blues and greens in his Forsyth plaid made a stunning contrast to his bright red hair and made his green eyes even brighter. He was one of the most attractive men she had ever seen, he was wealthy, and they were about to be joined in the bonds of matrimony, so why was she not happy?
For the hundredth time, Elspeth reassured herself that Gavin was hers, and that no other woman could ever truly have his heart. She clung to this belief with all her might, though a persistent flutter of unease lingered in her chest. If Maura Hislop, or any other woman, dared to come between them, Elspeth knew she would have to act. She wasn’t certain how, but she would find a way—she had to. Her father was influential, after all, and she would draw on every ounce of his power if it meant securing their future together.
But what if she was wrong? What if this nagging suspicion was nothing more than her own insecurity playing tricks on her? She had no real proof that Gavin still harboured feelings for Maura—only a vague sense, a whisper of intuition that she couldn’t silence. Was she simply being foolish? They should be married by now; Gavin had had more than enough time.
What if her feelings were not reciprocated by Gavin? Her heart could not accept anything but true love. For her, it was not a marriage of convenience, or the alliance that brought her to Gavin’s side. She had loved him from the moment she met him as a child. Would she ever be happy with a man who could not give his whole heart to her?
She decided to speak to him about it when they returned to Duncairn, but she had a feeling of foreboding. Something was going to happen, but it would not be good. However, she vowed to herself that she would not settle, regardless of what happened.
Elspeth strolled casually over to the two men and smiled at the mason. She looked at Gavin, who introduced them.
“Lady Jamieson, this is Davie Morrison, the best stonemason in the district.”
Davie bowed to Elspeth. “Milady,” he said politely. He was a man in his fifties, but hard work had aged him prematurely, and Elspeth felt sorry for him.
“Will you be doing all the stonework yourself?” she asked.
“No, Milady.” Davie shook his head. “That would be too much work for one fellow. The Laird is payin’ four o’ us. He is a very generous man.” He smiled at Gavin, showing a row of yellow, misshapen teeth.
“Thank you, Mister Morrison,” Elspeth said, tilting her head and smiling. She looked at Gavin. “We must leave you now. I’m sure the laird is hungry. Time for lunch?”
Gavin laughed. “Definitely!”
He took her hand and led her to the carriage, then helped her inside. It was not a long journey to the castle, but Elspeth, rather than filling the time with small talk while Gavin pretended to be interested, asked him about the estate and the tenants. It was most unusual, he thought, and wondered what it meant; something did not feel right.
He was immensely relieved when they arrived back at the castle. He freshened up quickly, sat down at the table, and they began to eat. However, he sensed a change in the atmosphere; Elspeth was quieter, and she was not smiling. As well as that, she was toying with her food instead of eating it.
“Is the food not to your taste?” Gavin asked, frowning. “I can send for something else.”
“The food is fine, Gavin,” she replied, giving him a faint smile. However, she continued to push the meat around her plate and eventually left it almost untouched.
Gavin put a hand over hers on the table. “Elspeth, what is wrong?” he asked.
“I think we need to talk about something,” she answered.
Gavin felt a weight drop into his stomach, but he stayed calm. “Go ahead,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm.
“What is the building going up in the middle of the village?” Elspeth asked. “The one you needed the mason for?”
Gavin gave a little laugh. “Forgive me for not speaking of it, Elspeth, but I thought you already knew,” he said. “It’s an orphanage. I know the town needs one; there are too many children here with no parents and nowhere to go. The church helps as much as it can, and I donate too, but they need a proper building with bedrooms, bathrooms, places to play, and most importantly, a school. It was someone else’s dream to build it, but I feel it is my duty as Laird to make it happen, especially since I was such a bad Laird before.”
“I see.” Elspeth looked thoughtful. “Who was the person who had the dream?”
Gavin looked into her deep dark eyes and suddenly realised that she knew what was afoot. Had she known it for long, he wondered?
