Page 35 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
Nathair looked up in surprise at the knock. “Away wi’ ye, William. Go an’ haunt the corridors an’ leave me in peace.”
The door creaked open. “I’m sorry, My Laird,” Magnolia’s slightly embarrassed voice came, followed by a peek of her face. “Commander Candlish seemed to think I should speak with you. If you’re busy, I’ll go on to bed.”
Chagrin and irritation flooded Nathair. He’d get William for this. Was this his friend’s idea of a joke? “Magnolia. Forgive me, I thought you were someone else.”
Magnolia hesitated, then pushed the door open a little further. She seemed wary of stepping inside as if she wasn’t sure what would happen if she did.
Aye, and nay more am I. Whatever happened to me self-control?
She hovered in the doorway and said, “Is, er, is everything quite all right?”
Nathair just managed not to laugh. “Aye, as grand as can be expected. Dinnae ye concern yerself. Away an’ get some rest.”
She nodded, looking a strange mix of disappointed and relieved. “Well, goodnight,” she said.
“Sleep well,” he replied softly, as she turned and closed the door behind her.
He looked back down at his papers, but the words were suddenly swimming in front of him. Was it so late? Was he exhausted?
Just distracted, ye old fool.
He grunted. Maybe he should turn in for the night, too. But after his discussion with William, it felt wrong to stop working. He picked up the letter he’d been trying to write for an hour, pleading with Laird MacCullen to be reasonable.
“She’s awfie pretty, that lass,”came a familiar voice in his mind. He knew that if he glanced around, he’d see his constant companion, Catrina’s apparition, once more.
“Agnes?” he asked out loud wearily. “Ye think I should wed her, then?”
Catrina’s willowy laugh echoed in his ears. “Dinnae play the fool wi’ me, Nathair Irvine. William and I, we can both see it, plain as day.”
He grunted, not turning. If he saw Catrina’s image, even in his mind, it might break him right now. “Dinnae ye worry, Cat. I ken what ye need from me. I’ll remain unwed, unbound, and focus only on Elaine.”
The wind outside the window sounded like a sigh, and he could hear Catrina’s voice once more. “Och, Nathair. For someone who spends a’ his time talkin’ to me in his imagination, ye sure dinnae listen to a word I say.”
Nathair straightened and turned despite himself, craving that glance at her, even if he was envisioning the whole thing.
But the room was empty.
There was no Catrina.
No Magnolia.
Nathair was alone.
10
The Ghillie Dhu
Nighttime in the Highlands was an ethereal experience compared to home. The sky seemed darker, the stars brighter, and though the summer wind was cooler than she was used to, it was a sweet bite. Magnolia could hear the insects chirping and singing in the grass as she wandered through the gardens.
It was far too late to be outside, but Magnolia had been restless for days. Her search had proven fruitless once more, and her self-doubt was beginning to rise. She and Elaine had visited the village a few times, only for Magnolia to find herself unwittingly making friends and having the time of her life.
Admit it, Magnolia; they’re good people. You just don’t know how to reconcile it with the truth.
Or rather, what she had believed was the truth. The whole mission, everything she’d held close to her heart: nothing seemed certain anymore. It was messing with her head, which was one of the reasons she’d wandered out into the grounds tonight.
Two weeks, now. Half the time has gone, and what do I have to show for it?
Little and less was the truthful answer. Magnolia sighed as she paced through Sandy’s neatly kept flowerbeds, the full moon high above her illuminating her path.
