Page 8 of An English Rose for the Highlander
She took it, the warmth of his palm melting into her again. Rose could remember the way it felt to hold his hand during the handfasting, the way the world had dropped away around them for a time.
But as she looked down at him now, allowing him to help her out of the coach, she saw a flash of brilliance dart through his eyes. His tone had been entirely teasing, and he smirked at her again. She did not know what to make of it. This odd tension that swam between them rattled her nerves and made mustering any speech an impossibility.
None of that mattered, however, because this was the night of their wedding. Rose knew precisely what English tradition demanded of them. She could hardly believe that it would be all that different for a Scottish Laird. She was now a wife, and while none of the other customs she wished to enjoy had been allotted to her, this one she worried would be upheld with certainty.
Oh, God, please help me. Help me make it through my wedding night.
4
Rose’s nerves hummed incessantly as they walked into the inn. A large desk sat to the side of the main chamber, the attendant standing behind it, greeting them all with a smile. Peggy stood just behind her, and she waited a few steps back as Oskar and the Laird strode up to the desk.
“Good evening, how may I be of service?”
“Two rooms, please. Same floor and near one another.”
“Right away, sir.”
The innkeeper made quick work of retrieving two keys for Laird MacKay, requesting a servant to fetch their smaller bags for the single evening they would be staying here. Rose sagged with a bit of relief as Oskar gave Peggy one of the keys. They wouldnotbe spending their first evening together in an inn, of all places. She was elated.
“See to it that yer maid helps ye to ready yerself for dinner. I shall meet ye here for our meal after ye’ve had a moment to refresh yerself.” Laird MacKay narrowed his stare on her, making Rose’s pulse flutter in her neck. “Since we’ve had such alongday’s travel, of course.”
She was not foolish enough to miss the jab he’d sent her way, but Rose would not vex herself with caring. A moment of solitude and refreshment sounded wonderful, and she would seize it as soon as she possibly could. Peggy curtsied before the Laird, and Rose bowed her head before her maid showed her up the steps to the left.
The inn was a lovely place, with off-white walls that were clean and decorated with numerous bits of foliage and artwork. Peggy followed the servant in front of her with Rose’s case for the evening, and they stopped on the second floor, going down the hall to the right.
As they stepped inside and Peggy closed and locked the door, Rose let out another long sigh, dropping down to the edge of the bed in the center of the room.
“How are you faring, my lady? Do you require anything immediately? I will ring for a bath, of course.”
“Thank you, Peggy.” Rose gave her a smile, pulling on the fingers of her gloves to remove them. “I assure you; I can handle myself against the Laird.”
Standing, Rose crossed the room to the dresser on the far wall, depositing her gloves and then her bonnet onto the polished wood. A fire was steadily burning in the fireplace already, and it was warm and content in the space. Perfect for a moment of respite and a bath.
“My lady, please do not take offense when I say this, but,” Peggy sucked in a deep breath when Rose faced her curiously, “if you wish to seize this opportunity to flee from the inn, I will assist you.”
Mouth dropping open, Rose stumbled back into the dresser, making it shake slightly. She gaped at Peggy in shock, speechless for several moments.
“Dear Peggy, I understand that you likely care for me, wishing only my happiness. Still,” Rose chuckled, waving off the idea as she shook her head, “that is nonsense. You do not need to worry. I will be quite all right in Scotland. Especially with you by my side.”
“I thank you for your affection, my lady. In truth, I did not wish to remain in England without you.”
Rose walked over, taking Peggy’s hands and squeezing them in hers.
“We will make do. We will survive, without fail, wherever we are planted.”
They laughed together, and in no time, the hot water for a bath was delivered, carried in several buckets by the strapping young servants, and Peggy helped Rose to undress and bathe.
It felt marvelous to soak in the hot water after being in the carriage all day, her skin cleaned of the sweat and stagnation of riding in that tiny box. Once she was dressed in a suitable outfit for dinner, Rose sat at the small table in her room, enjoying a spot of tea brought up to her room from the inn’s kitchen.
“I must check on the horses, my lady. I do not trust the Laird’s manservant Oskar. He might not arrange for their proper feeding and care. I must see that the horses are tended with my own eyes.”
Rose chuckled, dismissing Peggy so that she could ensure their animals were well taken care of. Unfortunately, once she was alone in her room, it did not take long for boredom to sink in, making the seconds drag as she waited for dinner.
She hardly made it another hour before deciding that she would go downstairs for dinner regardless of how early it was.
It is not by much, and I cannot sit in that room for a moment longer.
The inn offered a lovely dining room and bar area for its patrons, and she proceeded down the steps to investigate herself, rather than be cooped up in the quiet, unfamiliar room. The sound of several voices drew her to the correct place, a spacious dining and entertainment room, where several tables, as well as a longbar that sat on the right side of the room, were bursting with energy from the numerous people already enjoying the inn’s libations.
