Page 19 of Sutherland's Secret
“What do ye need, lass?”
She took his hand and pressed a folded piece of parchment into it. He stared at her, the edges of the paper biting into his palm. She looked at him expectantly with those beautiful dark blue eyes.
He pulled his gaze away and made to open the note. She made a sound, took his hand, and curled his fingers into his palm, crinkling the paper. She pointed to the gates.
“Ye want me to read it after I leave?”
She nodded. As when they were alone in the great hall, the air around them thickened and pulsed with an attraction that was ill advised but impossible to ignore.Galadstamped his hoof and blew out a loud breath, breaking the spell between them. Brice mounted his horse, still clutching the note.
When they crested the hill and Castle Dornach had disappeared from sight, Brice pulled Galad to the side and motioned for his men to keep moving. He unfolded the paper.
One word was written on it.
Eleanor.
Chapter 9
It was time to stop hiding. Eleanor had never been one to hide. All her life she’d been a social creature, needing the company of others. Of course, the last few months—the last year—had not been normal for her, but she would no longer accept that as an excuse.
She had no idea what her future held, where she would be a year from now, a month from now, or even a week from now, but she did know that she could no longer take the charity of Sutherland without giving something in return.
Because she had no idea how to summon Cecilia, she waited until the afternoon for the maid to return to her chambers. As usual, Cecilia entered chatting, but Eleanor cut her off. She took Cecilia’s hand and led her to the cupboard of gowns in the other room.
“Do ye want to change yer gown?” Cecilia asked.
Eleanor shook her head and swept her arm up to indicate all of the gowns. While she liked the color blue as much as the next person, she wondered at the woman who wore only blue gowns. But learning about the woman wasn’t her mission right now. She tugged on Cecilia’s gown and looked at her hopefully.
“Ye want to wearmyclothes?”
Eleanor shook her head again and pondered how she was to express her needs. She pulled at the skirts of her gown and shook her head. She pointed to the other gowns in the cupboard and shook her head.
“These gowns are not to yer liking?” Cecilia asked.
Oh, dear. Now she thought that Eleanor was being ungrateful when the opposite was true.
Frustrated, Eleanor opened her mouth, determined to voice her needs, but of course nothing came out. What was wrong with her that her voice had deserted her? Was God punishing her? Good Lord, hadn’t she been punished enough?
She put her hand to her throat and tried again. A guttural sound emerged, startling both of them.
“Are ye trying to speak?” Cecilia asked. “Oh, do it again.” The girl clapped her hands and looked so pleased that Eleanor tried again, but no matter how hard she strained, no discernible word emerged. Just a strange, deep gruff sound. She threw her hands up in the air.
“No, no,” Cecilia said. “Ye must no’ give up. Ye do no’ like the gowns and so ye want another gown, am I right?”
Eleanor shook her head, then deliberately nodded.
Cecilia’s brows came together. “I’m rightandI’m wrong?”
Eleanor nodded and smiled and once again touched Cecilia’s plain linen gown.
Cecilia’s eyes brightened. “Ah. Ye want a gownlikemine.” Her brows lowered again. “Why would ye want a gown like mine if ye can have a very fine gown like these?”
Eleanor stepped in front of the cupboard and put her arms out to the sides as if blocking the cupboard, then pointed to Cecilia’s gown again.
“Very well,” Cecilia said with doubt in her voice. “I’ll fetch ye a plain gown like mine, but I think yer daft.”
She went to fetch the gown, and Eleanor smiled. That had been taxing, but she had accomplished what she’d wanted.
Cecilia returned and helped Eleanor dress. The gown was made of light gray linen and was very simple, with a belt at the waist and no adornments. Immediately Eleanor felt better in it. She forsook shoes, having noted that most Highland women didn’t wear shoes unless they were going to church. That was fine by her, since she had none. Her feet were healing nicely, and she enjoyed going barefoot, something she would never have done in her old life.
