The blanket lifted, and Andrew’s face was there, handsome and welcoming. He had a confused look on his face, much like what Juliana was feeling inside. She was sure that there was someone up above looking down on the two of them and protecting them. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to the Lord.
“Come on, get out of here.” The words were half-shouted and half-whispered from the man in the bed across the room. “He’ll be here soon, and then ye’ll really be in trouble. It’s nice of yer lass tae sneak in here and visit ye, but we all know what’ll happen if ye’re caught. They dinnae like that sort of thing.”
“Aye, more than ye know,” whispered Andrew to himself. He looked down at Juliana and spurred her on. “Quick, pull yer shawl over yer head. Ye cannae have anyone seein’ who ye really are. Get out of here and walk straight out of the room.”
Juliana did not need to be told twice. She wrapped her shawl around her head, leaving enough room for only her eyes and nose to show. She jumped out of the small bed, keeping her back to most of the people in the room, and walked quickly toward the exit. She made a point of walking past the area where the shout had come from. She could see a man watching her with a big smile on his face. He clutched at his leg with a broad smile.
“Thank ye, thank ye,” whispered Juliana as she passed, kicking herself for sounding so English. She had disguised her physical features, but the voice was harder. She hoped that she had passed the test. She memorized the face of the man in the bed. He was older than Andrew, with scars on his face and stubble poking through his worn skin, but she saw him differently. He was her guardian angel.
She did not stop as she passed the bed, only offering a quick thanks before moving to the exit. She passed through the arch and could feel the weight lifting from her shoulders. She did not dare to take the shawl off just yet, moving away from the infirmary as fast as she could.
A quick look around showed a busy courtyard, but everyone was too busy to notice one more person walking around. Across the way, Juliana recognized the nun; she was walking with a man.
He was tall, wiry, and leaned forward as he walked. His complexion was pale, and there was a keenness in his walk, a mission to get where he was going. She could see the intelligence behind his bright eyes, and knew that he was the physician, rushing back to check on the invalid. She wondered what would happen when he got back there.
Juliana turned away from them and walked behind a small stone wall. She watched them pass by her and go straight to the infirmary. She took one more look around to make sure that no one was watching her, and took the shawl from her head, wrapping it back around her shoulders.
The sun had not yet risen too high in the sky, and there was still a chill in the air from the abandoning night. The people in the Castle were waking up to start their days and their jobs. Juliana did not know what her job was or who she was anymore.
He told me that he loves me, and I should have said it back. He was about to do something stupid, and I would not have seen him again if he had. I froze in the moment.
Juliana knew that she was in love with a man that she could never marry. The Laird would arrive soon and take her from the Castle. With everything that had happened to bring her here and the way that Lady Drechten had treated her, she was not sure that she would see Andrew again. She did not know what his fate would be once the Laird arrived.
I do not care that he has no money, but my fate does. Perhaps I can go back home and plead with Father to accept being poor. Then, everything would be fine.
“Is yer man still alive?”
The words came from beside her, and Juliana spun around with a shocked look on her face. One of the guards from the previous day was there. She forgot which one he was.
“The man that ye brought in yesterday, is he alive?” asked Arthur.
“Andrew?” asked Juliana.
“Aye, that’s the one.” Arthur stood looking up at the sky for a moment, aloof and distracted, before looking back down at Juliana. “Sorry, I didnae catch yer name, Miss.”
“Juliana Petrey,” replied Juliana.
“Aye,” said Arthur.
An awkward silence followed. Juliana looked him in the eye and tried to work out what he was really asking. He must have spotted her coming out of the infirmary and saw her come this way. She looked at the guard and did not know what to say.
“Aye, anyway,” said the guard. “I’m gonna presume that he is alive or ye would’ve said somethin’, Miss Petrey. Ye’re a bit early for visitin’, they dinnae usually let people in until they’ve done the rounds, I should know, I’ve spent a few days in there meself. Nice mornin’ for a walk, though, if ye want tae kill some time before then.”
“Yes.” She let out a sigh of relief. The guard had not seen her coming out of the infirmary, she was safe. “Sorry, yes, Andrew is alive. I have you to thank for that. If you had not acted as quickly when we arrive, then he might have died. I will be sure to let Laird Lochenbrew know when he arrives.”
“Och, no need for that,” stammered Arthur. “Dinnae mention it, please, I was just doin’ me job, no need tae make it any more than that.”
“Very well.” She got the impression that the guard did not want to draw any attention to himself when it came to Laird Lochenbrew. “Can I ask you something?”
“Aye,” said Arthur.
The sun was rising higher in the sky, and the warmth was beginning to return to the Castle. As Juliana was forming her question, she noticed the way that each stone in the Castle seemed to light up in a different way as the sunlight crept higher up the walls.
“I have met with the Lady of the Castle, but I have not yet seen the Laird.” It was not a question, but it was clear that an answer was required.
“A sad, sad thing.” He shook his head and pursed his lips together as he talked, remembering days gone by. “He’s a good man. He comes from a long line of fierce warriors, though ye wouldnae know it tae look at him now, nae that I’ve seen him, but I’ve heard stories.”
“What happened to him?” asked Juliana.
“The sickness took him. They’ve tried everythin’, but nothin’ has worked. They say that he looks like a skeleton now. I cannae imagine it.”
“What was he like before that?” Juliana wanted to know more.
“He always treated me very well, that’s about as much as I know. He led the clan in battle a few times over the years, but he cannae even get out of his bed now.”
“He was a fierce warrior once?” The notion sparked her imagination.
“Aye, that’s what they tell me. I never fought alongside him, but I’ve heard the stories. Now, ye cannae believe everythin’ that ye hear, stories turnin’ tae myths and all that, but there’s always some truth tae them. When he was well, he towered over everyone, in more ways than one. Now, he’s confined tae his bed with nae hope of recovery.”
“No hope?” asked Juliana.
There was some sadness in Arthur’s response. “Aye, that’s what they say.”
“Nae hope for what?”
Juliana spun around once more to find Lady Drechten standing behind her.
“Lady Drechten.” Juliana bowed her head, trying to act courteous without overdoing it.
“Miss Petrey.” Lady Drechten returned the bow, but there was no pleasantry in the act.
“I should get tae work,” stammered Arthur.
“Aye, ye should.” The Lady scowled at the guard as he hurried off to start his shift.
“I was out for a walk.” The words came out of her mouth before she could think them, and she had an awful feeling that they would backfire.
“Then, I’ll walk with ye.”
They did so, immediately. Juliana wished that she could be left alone to walk by herself, but she could not rebuff the Lady. She nodded one more time and smiled.
“Thank you,” said Juliana.
She looked at the Lady, who was impeccably dressed once again. She had been elegant in her tartan-dashed dress the previ
ous day, and she looked equally beautiful in her long flowing black skirt and woolen shawl. She wore gloves once more, and a large wooden pin in her hair. The pin was carved from dark wood, with the head of a stag at the top; it held the Lady’s hair in a tight curl atop the back of her head.
Juliana quickly shot a glance down at herself. Her clothes were ruffled and rumpled, and she had no idea how her hair looked. She brought a hand up to casually run her fingers through her locks, in the hope that they did not look too bad. She had spent most of the night in a small bed, and a shawl had been placed over her head, so she might be fine.
There was a tiredness in her, too, that she was sure was showing through in her face. Lady Drechten had not mentioned her appearance, and there was nothing that she could do about it for now.
“Ye were askin’ about me husband?” asked Lady Drechten as they walked.
“I was. I have not yet met him. I wanted to introduce myself to the Laird of the Castle before Laird Lochenbrew arrives to take me home.”
“Take ye home,” murmured Lady Drechten. “Me husband is very ill. I’m tryin’ me best as a wife tae look after him, but it is hard. Ye must understand that as a woman yerself.”
“I suppose that I do,” answered Juliana. She did not know what the Lady was talking about, but she thought it better to agree. Where she came from, there had never been ladies in charge like Lady Drechten was. She did not quite understand what was going on in the Castle, but she knew that the Lady had authority.
“If ye need anythin’, ye can come tae me,” said Lady Drechten.
“Thank you again.” Juliana got the distinct feeling that the offer was not so much about coming to her for help, but more about not going to anyone else.
“Ye were up early this mornin’,” stated Lady Drechten.
“I could not sleep with everything that was going on.” Her mind flashed to what had really happened though the night.
“I completely understand,” said Lady Drechten. “I came tae yer room this mornin’, but ye were already gone.”
“Thank you for checking in on me,” was all that Juliana could manage. She did not want to give any details of her lie for fear of being found out. She had no idea when the Lady had come to her room, or if she even had come to the room. All she knew was that Lady Drechten had a keen intelligence and a strong sense of suspicion.
“These are curious times,” said Lady Drechten. “Ye know, we found a candle abandoned in one of the passageways. I wonder how that got there.”
Juliana did not say anything. Her heart froze as she remembered the candle that she had put out and left out in the open.
“I’m sure that we’ll get it back tae its rightful owner in good time,” said Lady Drechten with a wry smile.
16
Questions And Answers
“Sorry, that was my candle,” admitted Juliana.
“It was?” If the Lady was trying to feign surprise, then she was doing a bad job of it.
“Yes,” replied Juliana. “When I woke this morning, it was still dark. I must have put it down when it got light and forgot all about it.”
“I’ll make sure that it gets back tae ye. Or tae yer room, at least.”
Juliana mustered all of the sweetness that she could. “Thank you, that is very kind.”
“And, how is Andrew?”
The question caught Juliana off-guard. “I…I do not yet know. If I am not too busy today, I would like to go and visit him. I would like to thank him for bringing me safely to your castle and Laird Lochenbrew.”
“I’m sure that ye’ll find the time, won’t ye?” asked Lady Drechten.
Juliana wanted to distance herself from Andrew, at least in Lady Drechten’s mind. The Lady had always been suspicious of her, from the very first moment that they had spoken, and Juliana knew that she had not helped this by sneaking out through the night.
She found the candle, and I am sure that she knew it was from my room before she asked about it. Does she also know that I went to visit Andrew through the night?
Juliana took a second to compose her answer. She did not want Lady Drechten, nor anyone else, to come close to knowing the truth of her feelings.
“I would like to visit the village.” Juliana hastened to change the subject. “I am curious to know more about life here before I go to my own castle and begin my new life. I would also like to frequent the marketplace. When my belongings arrive, I am sure to want to purchase some new clothes, more befitting of a Scottish castle.”
“I dinnae think that ye’ll need tae buy anythin’ with the Laird as yer husband.”
“All the same,” lied Juliana. “I would like to look my best for the Laird.”
She did not want any of that. All that she wanted was to see Andrew once more and be sure that he was fine.
“If I have time, then I will visit Andrew,” added Juliana.
“I’ll accompany ye,” smiled Lady Drechten.
Juliana was worried that the Lady meant to chaperone her on her visit to Andrew, but it was clear that she wanted to accompany her to the village and market.
“That would be most welcome, Lady Drechten.” She should have been happy to spend more time with her fated family, but she was not. She wanted to like her future sister-in-law, but she could only feel the hatred coming from her. She did not know what she had done to deserve such a reaction.
The two women walked out of the Castle courtyard and into the village. The small town was bigger than Juliana expected, and Lady Drechten spent some time pointing out the features of the village.
There was the seamstress that the Lady always used for her more formal gowns, the river where she had often walked with the Laird in their youth, the hills in the distance where a great battle had taken place a long time ago, and the houses where the more important people lived. She took a lot of pride in describing her village.
The last day was being erased, and Juliana started to feel more at home and at ease. The farther that they traveled from the Castle, the more relaxed Lady Drechten seemed to be, and Juliana got a distinct feeling that, perhaps, it was someone else, and not her, who was distrusted.
Her brother does not like Andrew, that much is clear, but is the same true for Lady Drechten? Does she dislike Andrew, too, for some reason?
Juliana did not know what Andrew had done to become so disliked by this family, but she also got the impression that this family did not like many people, and that was after spending only a few hours with Lady Drechten. She had not yet met Laird Lochenbrew.
“Why did ye not marry an English Lord?” asked Lady Drechten.
The question caught Juliana by surprise. She was beginning to feel comfortable with Lady Drechten and, perhaps, this was her way, because, for a moment, Juliana wanted to spill the truth.
“I do not know,” said Juliana.
“Ye dinnae know?” asked Lady Drechten.
“What I mean to say is that I do not concern myself with the matter. My father took charge of finding me a husband, and I trust his judgment.”
“It seems tae me that me brother was not the only Laird that was approached,” said Lady Drechten with inquisitive eyes.
“Oh,” replied Juliana, feigning surprise. “I would not know about that. As I have said, I trust my father in these matters, and he has obviously come to an excellent decision. I do know that another woman that I knew was offered to many Lords before the right one was chosen.”
“Aye, it can be that way sometimes,” agreed Lady Drechten. “Tell me about yer parents.”
“My parents?” Juliana breathed a sigh of relief. “What would you like to know?”
“If our two families are tae be joined, I would like tae know what me brother is gettin’ himself intae.”
“I am sure that your brother knows what he is doing.” As soon as she had said it, she felt that she was humoring to her future sister-in-law. If she was, the Lady did not seem to notice.
“I hope that he does,” declared Lady Drech
ten. “Tell me, what does yer father dae?”
“That, I do not know,” admitted Juliana. “I do not try to understand his business, but I do know that it has brought us great wealth.” Juliana did not add that the business had also lost them great wealth too. “He is a Baron, did you know?”
“I dae know that,” responded Lady Drechten, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Titles can mean a lot, but they can also hide a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothin’ me dear,” responded Lady Drechten.
“And, how about your family?” The comment had scared Juliana, but she did not know why, and was eager to change the subject once again. “I would love to hear more about your brother before he arrives, and you too. I know that your husband is sick, and I wish for a speedy recovery. Do you have any other family here that can help you? I know that Lochenbrew Castle is not far from here; it would be my duty to offer you some help when I am married to Laird Lochenbrew.”
Consumed By The Lost Highlander (Steamy Scottish Historical Romance) Page 15