Page 86 of Laird of Steel
Shite. This was a disaster. Now everyone would know. Everyone would realize it was Merraid—not Sir Gellir—who’d written the verses for Lady Carenza. And once she found out…
“Shite.”
“Och, Merraid,” Ede cried, touching her arm in sympathy. “Ye shouldn’t have to hide your love.”
Swannoc nodded, placing a hand on Merraid’s shoulder. “Not when ’tis so deep and so pure.”
“Lady Carenza must be told,” Ede decided. “She has to know how ye feel.”
Davy furrowed earnest brows. “Ye’re a better match for him anyway. He can’t wed that Sobbin’ Sybil.”
“There has to be a way to make this right,” Ede insisted.
Swannoc intoned,“Amor vincit omnia.’Tis the Rivenloch creed. Love conquers all.”
“Even when romance seems hopeless,” Ede said.
Merraid blinked. For the love of Mary… Things were even more twisted than she thought. The servants had not only overheard her dictating the missives to Carenza. They believed the words were Merraid’s confession of her love for Gellir.
In a way, that was true. She’d poured her heart into every word.
To be honest, she was touched by the servants’ reaction. Their intentions were noble. They wished to help two star-crossed lovers. They naively believed the power of love could bridge the chasm between a commoner and a noble.
But they were wrong. And she had to think of a way to discourage their matchmaking efforts.
She took a step back, shaking off their hands.
“Ye’ve got it all wrong,” she scoffed. “I don’t have feelin’s for Sir Gellir. I asked him to copy my words down…for someone else.”
“Someone else?” Ede said. She looked crestfallen.
“What someone else?” Davy asked.
Merraid sniffed. “’Tisn’t your affair.”
“But ye sounded so sincere,” Ede said.
“I was. But my words weren’t for Sir Gellir.”
“I don’t believe ye,” Swannoc decided.
“I don’t care whether ye believe me or not. ’Tis true.”
The young maidservant gave her a sly look. “Why would ye need Sir Gellir to copy your words when ye can make your own letters?”
Swannoc was a savvy lass.
But Merraid was a quick thinker.
“My scribin’ is pitiful. I didn’t want to waste the laird’s good parchment.”
By her silence, Swannoc believed that. Fortunately, it didn’t occur to her that anyone Merraid would woo probably couldn’t read.
“Now will ye get out o’ my way and let me bring the lady her breakfast?”
Davy stood his ground and gave the other two a nervous glance.
“Och nay,” Ede wailed, wringing her hands.
