Page 46 of An English Rose for the Highlander
“I am glad to hear that you have several clients, but you must not overwork yourself, Mirren. You came all this way just to help us, and while I am most grateful, I also know that it was a laborious journey you did not have to undertake. A well-deserved rest is due.”
Nodding her head with a sigh, Mirren smiled through the obvious guilt that took over her expression.
“Perhaps you are right. Still, I am happy to say that I can survive well thanks to my position. And I do love the work.”
At that, Dominik’s curiosity flared, and he leaned forward onto his hand as he used the other to pick up and nibble on a bit of cheese they’d brought with.
“And what do ye love about the work, Miss Wood? Have there been any truly wonderful tales? I’m sure me wife would love to hear it.”
Rose scoffed lightly, but there was no missing her smile. She patted him on the arm before turning to Mirren again and shrugging while she said, “I will admit to a natural curiosity. You match couples, after all. Wondering if there have been any genuine love stories during all your time doing it is to be expected.”
Mirren chuckled and nodded. “I have indeed had several lovely stories; couples who’ve found matches who were previously at the end of their ropes. Though I imagine that the wilder the match, the more entertaining from a listener’s point of view.”
Giggling as she sipped at a bit of wine from the basket, Rose leaned in.
“Oh, do go on.”
In a tale for the ages, Mirren indeed went on, regaling the Laird and Lady of the time she was contacted to assist a foreign princess with finding a match, a woman she would not name for privacy’s sake, and one who ended up falling in love with the brother of the man she suggested. They eloped together in secret, but she humorously still took credit for introducing them.
Rose laughed heartily at the story, and in truth, Dominik was solely focused on her reaction, genuinely enjoying himself to see his wife so entertained. She listened attentively and appeared to derive considerable insight from Mirren’s remarks; both individuals evidently appreciated the quality of their interaction. It was a delight, warming Dominik much more than expected.
“Oh, look.” Rose pushed up from lying on the blanket on her side, making her way to standing. “Fiona is there. I wish to inquire with her about the upcoming visits from the clan for healing. Excuse me for just a moment.”
Taking her leave, Dominik watched Rose as she hurried toward the healer’s apprentice, unaware of how Mirren watched him.
“She seems so very different from when I first met her.”
Returning his attention to the matchmaker, Dominik furrowed his brow as he set down his cup of wine, cocking his head at her.
“What do ye mean? How was she back then?”
Shaking her head, Miss Wood held up a hand in surrender. “Oh, no. I am sorry if I’ve upset you. It is nothing to be worried over. She was just much quieter then. Your wife was coming off the heels of a disastrous near marriage after all. I could tell the moment she walked in how distraught she was.”
“Oh, I see.” Dominik could feel his body tensing reflexively. He glanced Rose’s way, his eyes tracking her intently, and henoted that rush of irritation and anger at the mention of his wife’s previous arrangement. Had he the means to find the fellow, Dominik would have very much liked to challenge him appropriately. The day in the inn was far from enough.
“You look as though you will strangle your cup, my laird. Can I take it that you have had thepleasureof meeting the man?”
He faced Mirren with a strict nod, trying to rein in his anger. “Aye. I have. I am sorry to say that the man left the encounter as pristine as he entered it.”
A snort of laughter left Mirren. “I see. Well, it is good to know that I have matched Rose with someone who would take her honor and happiness so seriously. She is luckier than I realized, my laird. I do hope this nonsense with the officials resolves quickly.”
The conversation between them came to a pause, silence settled in until Rose returned. It hit Dominik so suddenly after hearing Mirren’s words that she not only believed that he cared deeply for Rose, but that she was also not wrong.
He did.
It was an unfamiliar and shaking revelation, and before he could think of something to say back, Rose settled down on the blanket next to him again, filling the quiet with her light, pleasant voice.
“Fiona has said there is a fair to be held in the village just down the road from the castle. I would be delighted to attend.”
Dominik nodded. “Aye. I do believe it is time for them to host it once more. They do so frequently, at least once per year. It…it would be me pleasure to take ye.”
Rose grinned from ear to ear, and Mirren cast a knowing glance his way. Dominik remained silent after that, allowing the women to converse before they needed to go back inside the keep.
News of the English officials planned arrival had spread through the keep, and nervous tension loomed over the entire population of the castle like a persistent rain cloud. Only seven days before they would make their appearance, and Rose knew that Dominik dreaded the day as much as she did.
She was endlessly filled with anxiety, her mind flitting from worry to worry, a bumblebee in search of tense pollen. As Rose proceeded down the hall, coming from the kitchen where she had discussed the evening’s meal with Eilidh, one of Dominik’s councilmen stopped her in the hall.
“Excuse me, me Lady, but I wish to have a word with ye.” The stern man nodded his head, a strange unease clinging to him that put Rose on edge. “I am Layton Harrison, one of the Laird’s most trusted advisors on the council.”
