Page 4 of To Wed a Laird
Nell took Rose’s boots off and put them by the fire to dry, then helped her to strip off her damp clothes. Having done that,she turned back the blankets and helped Rose into bed before tucking her in, in a manner that reminded her of her mother.
“Rest for a wee while,” Nell told her. “When I come back, I will bring ye somethin’ tae eat an’ we can go an’ see Elspeth. Ye’ve had a long day.”
“Thank you, Nell,” Rose replied.
Nell smiled and left, closing the door softly behind her. Rose’s eyes drifted shut as the clean linen sheets wrapped her in warmth and softness. Gone was the jolting rattle of the carriage and the discomfort of her cold, damp clothes, and the feeling of peace that stole over her was blissful.
Her headache had thankfully dulled, and although she was still hungry, it was not bad enough to keep her awake. She sank into a dreamless sleep.
Meanwhile, Nell had made her way down to the Laird’s office, since he had asked to see her after she had made Rose comfortable. Nell had been with him and with his father before him, for as long as he could remember, and he trusted her implicitly.
In his view, there was no better judge of character than Nell. Her opinion was the only one he sought in this situation, since she never failed to give him anything less than the truth, even if it was sometimes brutal.
She entered his study and sat down opposite him, facing him across the desk and looking at him with narrowed eyes. “Ye look tired, M’Laird,” she observed.
“It has been a very busy day,” he replied, yawning. “One of those days when nothing seems to go right.” He poured out two glasses of ale from the pitcher on his desk and handed one toher. “But I have not asked you here to talk about me. I want to know what you think of the new governess. Do you think this one will be better than the others?”
Nell took a sip of her ale and smiled. “M’Laird, dae ye ever meet somebody an’ like them straight away?”
“Like love at first sight?” he asked.
Nell laughed. “No’ quite like that, M’Laird. But ye know, I had a good feelin’ about that lassie as soon as I laid eyes on her. She looks kind, an’ there is somethin’ strong about her. I feel it. I think she is the best of a’ the women who have applied for the position so far, an’ there is somethin’ about her that I think Elspeth will like. An’ she is English, like Lady Catherine.”
Cormac nodded slowly. “You know that I place great faith in your judgement, Nell,” he said, smiling at her. “So I hope you are right because my daughter needs a steady hand.”
Nell finished her ale and stood up. “I think this one is the right one, M’Laird. You wait an’ see.”
Cormac watched her as she walked out, then laid his head on his folded hands on the desk. He felt utterly wrung out and exhausted, and the day was only halfway through.
CHAPTER TWO
Rose openedher eyes a short while later, and for a moment she looked around in panic, wondering where she was and how she had got there. She had expected to be cold, damp, and sore, but instead she was wrapped in comfort and warmth, and she lay for a few more moments savouring it.
Her memory returned, and with it a flutter of apprehension. She thought of the looming, bulky figure of the Laird and his fearsome expression as he glared at her from under his dark brows. Rose wondered if he had been deeply disappointed in what he saw because he had certainly not given her a warm welcome.
Then she remembered that she had been warned that many Scots men were very forbidding at first, and it did not help that Laird MacTavish looked as though he could fell a tree with one hand tied behind his back!
Rose knew she had to rise from her bed and go to meet Elspeth, but she was so comfortable that pushing aside the warm blankets was the last thing she wanted to do. Especially since the weather outside had not improved… Accordingly, she sighed and closed her eyes again, hoping that sleep would come and take her back into its warm embrace.
However, it was not to be. At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door, and Rose heard the rustle of skirts and quiet footsteps. She sat up and saw Nell putting a tray on the table, and the delicious aroma of the food that rested on it made her mouth water.
Nell smiled at her. “Ye are just like Lady Catherine. She used tae go tae see her family in England an’ come back absolutely exhausted. She would sleep like the dead—sometimes for a full day.”
Rose was about to ask a question about the Laird’s former wife, but something, a certain sadness in Nell’s expression stopped her.
That was when she realised that she had very little experience of what to say and do around the people in Inverrigg Castle yet. She would probably have to walk on eggshells for a while until she found out what would upset them, and of course Lady MacTavish’s death was still a sore point.
“I was really tired,” Rose admitted, “and this is such a comfortable bed.”
“Let’s get ye fed,” Nell said briskly. “Ye look as if ye need it.”
Rose sat down at the table and looked at what seemed like a veritable feast of mutton stew with turnips and kale, freshly baked bread and a plate of raspberries and hazelnuts. Nell poured both of them a cup of ale which Rose drank thirstily, then licked her lips in appreciation.
“That is delicious,” she said appreciatively, smiling at Nell.
“We brew it here at the castle,” Nell informed her. “It is made from our own barley an’ hops, an’ the brewster is one o’ many generations o’ his family that has worked at the castle. They say it is a secret recipe.” She laughed. “I am no’ sae sure about that, but it is very good ale.”
“Indeed!” Rose agreed as she began to dig into the mass of food on her plate. When she had first looked at it, she hadthought she would never be able to finish it all, but she had underestimated her own hunger. In less than ten minutes she was satisfied, and looked up at Nell, who was grinning at her.
