Page 62 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
“Aye, and we’ll bring a wax-of-lemon candle to keep away the midges,” Elaine said brightly. “So they dinnae cover us in bites or try to get at our food!”
“Smart lass,” Nathair said proudly. “I’ll meet ye both outside. Magnolia, could ye change Elaine into somethin’ a wee bit warmer if we’re gonnae be out late?”
“Yes, of course,” Magnolia agreed. She caught his glance, and heat flashed between his eyes and hers, causing a tinge of red on her cheeks. “I think I will change, as well.”
“Aye,” Nathair agreed. “Aye, me too, come to think o’ it. Shall we make it a proper fancy night?”
“Oh, yes!” Elaine piped up as Nathair put her back on the ground. “Come, Maggie. I ken exactly what I should wear!”
She grabbed Magnolia’s hand and pulled her away. Magnolia chanced one last warm look in Nathair’s direction before she allowed the child to spirit her away.
* * *
Nathair had just finished placing the spring wildflowers in the jar when his daughter and Magnolia arrived. Seeing them together after the events of the night before was almost too much for a man’s heart to bear.
“Dadaidh, look!” Elaine said, rushing ahead of her nanny slightly to sit opposite her father on the other side of the blanket. “Look, look. Me and Maggie are matchin’ again! Arenae we the bonniest lassies ye ever did see?”
It was true. They were both dressed in simple light-green day dresses, each with a slightly darker rose cape over their shoulders. The color popped oddly with Elaine’s fiery red hair, and it brought out the bright pink in Magnolia’s cheeks even more than usual.
Nathair grinned. “Aye, bonnier than a selkie wife, the pair o’ ye.” He was rewarded for that by Magnolia shifting in awkward, pleased embarrassment before she too took a seat at the blanket. “Elaine, did ye pick the outfits?”
“Oh, you could tell, could you?” Magnolia asked him. She was too refined to stick out her tongue, of course, but he could hear how much she’d wanted to in her voice.
“Aye!” Elaine told him, obviously very pleased with herself. “Aye, I kenned there was an old green dress somewhere, and I asked Maggie if she wouldnae pretty please put it on, and it fit! I love it when we match, it makes me feel like we’re a family.”
Magnolia reached for one of the wine glasses that Nathair had already poured and took a quiet sip. Nathair’s eyes were on her, eager to see her reaction when he said, “Well, in a strange way, we are a wee bit o’ a family, dinnae ye think so?”
Predictably, Magnolia almost choked on her wine, and hastily covered it with a delicate cough. Fortunately, Elaine didn’t seem to notice, instead looking thrilled at her father’s words as she helped herself to some bread and cheese.
“I think so, aye!” his daughter chirped. “I ken Maggie’s only been here for a month, but I cannae remember what it was like before. I’m so glad you’re here an’ that we got to meet ye! It’s like I was sleepin’ before, but now I’m nae. Like a good dream that ye started!”
She reached out and took Magnolia’s hand at that, and Nathair watched as the Englishwoman’s eyes shone with emotion.
“I’m glad to have met you, too,” Magnolia said quietly, squeezing Elaine’s hand gently. “Both of you.”
Elaine beamed. “Will ye stay forever, Maggie? We’d be happy to have ye. Betty loves ye, and so does the Cook, an’ Bernie said his mam thinks ye’re a real nice lass and she loves yer visits. Say ye’ll stay forever! Please?”
Nathair’s breath caught. He knew it was foolish, but suddenly the most essential thing in this or any world was that he heard the answer he wanted to from those lips.
“I…” Magnolia started. Nathair’s heart began to beat faster as he realized she was deliberately avoiding his eyes, looking anywhere else that she could except at him. “Well, Elaine, when I took this job, your Father and I agreed on a one-month provisional contract.”
“What’s a proficiencal construct?” Elaine asked through a mouthful of cheese.
Magnolia breathed out a chuckle. “A provisional contract. It means that your Father agreed to hire me on the grounds that, after one month, we would review how well I fitted into the job and then evaluate what happened next.”
“Oh,” Elaine said. “I see.” She thought about it for a minute then said, “Well, that’s a’right then. Because I really like ye very much an’ ye’re the first nanny I really like, so that means it’s fine.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Magnolia replied innocently, her expression remarkably plain. “I’m unsure if I have met all your Father’s requirements to remain a long-term asset of the household.”
She turned her face to Nathair then, and her eyes were sparkling.
Ye’re teasing me, ye witch!
Nathair found himself grinning at her gall, even as Elaine looked at him with worried eyes.
“Ye arenae gonnae send her away, are ye, Dadaidh?” she said.
“I—” Nathair started.
