“Well, maybe I will keep a few spiders for you, then,” he retorted, opening the bottle of wine and pouring a glass for both of them. “I know you haven’t felt safe at Dunaid, but Mary Tod an’ Mackenzie are gone. You wouldn’t be considered a ward. You’re free to come and go as you desire an’ no one will stop you, just as I’ve promised.”
“If I am not your ward, then who, pray tell, would I be?”
What did he want her to be? “Er… whatever you want?” he replied lamely.
Nellie smiled and shook her head. “No, don’t bother. I do not like the prospect of your stepmother showing up at a moment’s notice. I do not know how I would react if I saw her in the flesh.”
The conversation was getting perilously close to the one they had at Rosach Castle. That was not what Adam intended by bringing her here.
“I understand you’re hesitant.” Adam shrugged and gave her a wry smile. “My stepmother hasn’t given any hint that she wants to contact me, so I don’t think she will be a problem. However, I understand if you are uncomfortable with the prospect.”
“And what about the servants? The cooks? I believe they think I’ll make them sick from that pestilence that’s been spreading about.”
“I’ll get rid of all of them if they so much as look at you the wrong way.” He paused. “Or, I could always marry you. No one would dare say a word against Laird Maxwell’s wife,” he said jokingly.
He’d expected Nellie to laugh along with him, but her body became rigid and her mouth fell open.
“Y-yes,” she finally blurted.
Adam raised an eyebrow. “Eh? Yes, what?”
“I thought… didn’t you ask? Well, I suppose you didn’t ask… but…”
Ach, God. Did she think me serious? “You didn’t think that I, oh… Nellie, I’m not actually ready for marriage, or to start a family for that matter.”
Nellie stared down at her food, shaking her head “Yes, yes of course.” Her face reddened as she took a sip of her wine.
“Now, lass.” Adam took his finger and lifted Nellie’s chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I like you verra much. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be going out of my way tryin’ to make you stay. But marriage is a big thing. A huge thing. And I’m not sure if I want that responsibility yet.”
He paused as he considered that prospect. He needed to get his act together as a laird before he even could think of bringing a bairn into the world.
“I’ll marry you when the time is right,” he told her.
“So, you are, in a way, proposing to me?”
“I suppose I am.”
“Well, since we are to be married ‘when the time is right,’ can I at least see what it is like to kiss you again?” Nellie was blushing hotly. “Y’know, so that I can see if I am able to stand kissing you for the rest of my life?”
“Oh, gladly,” Adam said, but he kissed her first, taking her by complete surprise.
Ach God, this feels perfect, he thought as he glided his hands to the small of her back, coaxing her closer to him. As she pressed her body against his, he worked her sweet mouth, tasting the wine on her lips, enveloped in her scent of wildflowers and grass that had intoxicated him the first moment he saw her at Dunaid.
“Lass, we got to save some for our wedding night,” he said teasingly into her ear.
Nellie pulled away from him breathlessly and stumbled over her next words as she straightened her skirts. “I will consider your offer of staying at Dunaid and let you know my answer quickly.”
“Aye,” Adam said, although he had a very good guess what her answer already was.
Chapter 20
“What has gotten into you, lass?” Lachina exclaimed. “I haven’t seen you smile so much before!”
The healer’s words made Nellie’s smile all the wider. “I believe I am actually happy, Lachina,” she told the woman as she packed her books and clothes into her bag.
“Well, that’s good,” Lachina commented, watching Nellie move to and fro. “And it also looks to me that you’re movin’ out of here.”
“Aye, I am.”
“Did you decide on a village?”
“Oh, nay,” Nellie stopped and gave her a grin. “I’m moving back to Dunaid, believe it or not.”
Lachina put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “It seems like that lad charmed you.”
“Perhaps,” Nellie closed her bag and hoisted the strap around her shoulder. “But with that lunch you packed us, it seemed like you had a part to play as well.”
Lachina shrugged. “I don’t reveal my secrets,” she told her. “I just think you two are good for each other. And I’ve yet to see Adam quite so happy. It brings joy to this old woman’s heart.”
Nellie walked over to Lachina and kissed her on her cheek. “Thank you for letting me stay here for so long, Lachina,” she said to her.
“Oh, I would do the same any day,” Lachina assured her.
It felt freeing to walk across the moors to Dunaid without the assistance of a chaperone, and with her dagger once again close to her body. Although she didn’t believe anyone would be mad enough to try to harm her after knowing the fate of Mary and MacKenzie, the blade by her side made her feel much more confident while walking alone.
Alister was waiting at the entrance to Dunaid Castle. “Welcome back,” he told her as he opened the door.
“Thank you,” she said as she walked into the entrance hall. “My, but this looks different since I left,” Nellie remarked.
Indeed, the castle felt brighter, lighter, and although they were the same windows and the same walls, everything shone like marble. The old, moth-eaten tapestries were removed from the great hall and the walls scrubbed clean. The polished floors sparkled underneath the candlelight.
“I hear it’s good to keep the home clean, especially in the wake of the blue sickness.” Adam appeared from around the corner and gave her a smile. “An’ keepin’ the windows open to fresh air is good for one’s constitution.”
Nellie’s heart fluttered in her chest as she remembered their tryst by the standing stone. “Indeed,” she told him. “It is quite the improvement.”
“I also want to show you somethin’ else.”
He led her through the large red door to the courtyard. “Oh, goodness,” Nellie gasped. Her courtyard had not become overgrown as she had suspected. Instead, everything was neatly trimmed with new plants and hedges in freshly tilled soil. The stone path was neatly arranged and yes, her Sanctuary was still there, standing proudly with its walls now intact and the roof mended.
“Adam!” Nellie exclaimed. “This is wonderful! Did you do this all yourself?”
“I wish I could take the credit. Nay, I had some help from Alister and a few servants. Do you like it?”
She turned to him and couldn’t help from grinning. “It’s so enchanting!” she said. “In the best possible way, of course.”
“I’m glad you are pleased with it,” Adam said. They walked down to the Sanctuary and sat down on the bench. He ran his hands over the engraving. “The more I spend time out here, the more I can feel my mother’s spirit. I just wish I hadn’t been afraid to search for it for so long.”
Nellie reached out and clasped her hand in his. He looked down, seeming surprised at the gesture. “It is a very beautiful tribute to her,” she told him.
Adam smiled. “I have to get back to work, but if you need anything, just let me know. I’ll see you at dinner.”
Nellie looked out of her window. The ivy that had covered the window like bars in a prison cell was now gone and she could now see the brownish-green grass of the moors much more clearly. The sun was setting, casting a red and orange glow across the sky.
This could be my home, she thought. I could get used to this.
Of course, she would very much rather like a view with the ocean, but if Adam and she were to be married, perhaps she would then be sharing his room. It had a beautiful, large window to watch the waves crash upon the shores undern
eath Dunaid Castle.
The fact that he had proposed to her still sent a jolt of excitement through her body whenever she thought about it. Also, the thought of sharing a room—nay, a bed—with Laird Maxwell kept her in a constant state of blushing, so much so that Hilda, who was now her maid as well as Isla’s, asked her if she was feeling ill.
“Oh, I’m quite all right,” she assured the lass as she put her slippers over her feet before heading down to the great hall for dinner.
“Yes, m’lady.”
Aye, it was not quite a proposal as in great romantic tales, but it was still a proposal nonetheless. Adam intended to marry her someday. It came as a shock. Nellie did realize a while back that she harbored feelings towards the laird, but despite his flirtations and their bantering, she didn’t quite realize that he had similar feelings towards her.
He said he did not hate me. Does that mean he actually loves me?
It seemed to be ages since she’d sat at the dining table. No longer did she have to worry about Mary or MacKenzie scowling at her as she made her way into the room. Instead, Isla beckoned her to sit next to her and Alister gave her a toothy grin.
It seemed that without those two terrible people at Dunaid, their demeanor, as well as the demeanor of the servants, changed completely. Whether it was a change of heart or a stark warning from their laird, Nellie knew not, but she was relieved to no longer be on the receiving end of such hostility.
“You look like you’ve recovered, Lady Lyall,” Alister observed.
“You can call me Nellie,” she told him amicably, returning his smile. “And yes, I am feeling a lot better. I am so happy to be well enough to join you tonight.”
“Does this mean you are to stay at Dunaid?” Isla asked.
“Aye, it does.”
All of the heads at the table turned at Adam’s voice. He sat down at the head of the table. His eyes flickered to Nellie, and she once again felt the rise of heat come unwittingly to her face. Thinking about him in such a way was decidedly not appropriate for the dinner table. She stared intently down at her roasted potatoes and greens, pretending like her food was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen.
“Oh, how splendid!” Isla declared. Nellie turned and gave her a smile. Isla was now back to being the same sweet girl she met when Nellie first arrived at Dunaid, but Nellie couldn’t help but remember how she acted whenever she was near Mary. At her core, Isla did seem to be a nice person, albeit a bit misguided and naïve.
Throughout the meal, Isla kept glancing at Nellie like she wanted to say something, but she never seemed to gather the courage to do so.
“I never had a chance to congratulate you on your baby, Isla,” Nellie said, wanting to rid the awkward silence that lay heavy between them.
Isla gave her a relieved smile and patted her belly, which was barely protruding under her dress. “Oh, thank you,” she said. “Lachina said that he is due around Lunastal.”
“He? You are certain he is a boy, then?”
“Oh yes.” Isla smiled. “The Maxwell clan always has boys,” she said with confidence.
Nellie nodded politely, although she kept thinking of Adam’s sister, Tara. Isla, however, did not know of the girl and Nellie didn’t want to put a damper on the woman’s apparent excitement for a male heir.
“What family do you come from?” she asked her.
“I am Hammish McNill’s cousin. My da owns some land to the east of Rosach Castle.”
Nellie nodded. “Aye, you must’ve been to that Christmas party as well!”
“Well, I went to a lot of Christmas parties at Rosach,” Isla said unsurely.
“Indeed, you must have,” Nellie agreed. “My family only went to a few, but this one was memorable in many ways. One of which was when a servant boy dropped the platter of stuffed pheasant onto the ground. I’m sure that servant assumed he’d be kicked out of the hall for his transgression.”
“Oh, my goodness, I remember!” Isla exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “Hammish’s father picked the pheasant up from the ground and blew at it like it was a dandelion. He then declared it safe enough to eat an’ ordered that poor servant to cut it up for his guests.” She giggled into her hand.
Nellie laughed. “Laird McNill did seem like a great man, from what I remember.”
“Aye,” Isla agreed, “An’ he was a kind uncle.” She paused. Again, she looked as though she wanted to say more, but her voice faltered.
Sensing the unease, Nellie gave her a smile. “Well, I am very happy for you and Alister,” she told the woman.
“Thank you.”
“Nellie,” Adam called her name from across the table. She welcomed the interruption and turned to look at him. “If you are at liberty tomorrow, would you like to visit Burrach Castle?”
She wasn’t expecting to hear those words. It took her a moment to find her voice. “Oh, yes. I would love that, Adam.”
“Meet me by the stables at sunrise, then,” he told her. “We’ll make a day trip out of it and come back in the evenin’.”
Burrach Castle. Her home. At last, she would be able to visit her parents’ final resting place. It felt like years had gone by since she last stepped foot in her father’s lands—aye, her lands now.
Chapter 21
Nellie sat in her bed that night, reading a book that Adam brought for her from Burrach. However, she found it hard to concentrate as all her thoughts were on their journey the next day.
She looked forward to visiting her parents. Perhaps she would pick a few of the winter blossoms in the courtyard to lie upon their graves. And while she was there, she would find more books from her personal library to bring back to Dunaid with her. Very soon, she would be finished with the books she had now, and she enjoyed having her mind occupied.
Nellie hardly slept a wink that night, as anxious as she was, and when the first light peeked through the moors, she jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed. Since the incident with Mary, her dagger had been cleaned and neatly sharpened. She also fashioned a holster made of cow’s hide that looped through the blade’s sheath and fit snuggly around her calf. That way, she could carry the dagger under the confines of her long skirt.
Adam was the one who recommended she kept the blade with her at all times. She felt protected with it near her, like her father was close by, keeping watch on her. She drew upon his quiet strength as she finished getting ready, then left her room for the stables.
Adam was already in the stables, dressed, with a bag of provisions by his feet. He was brushing the shining coat of a beautiful brown mare.
“Good mornin’,” he said as he heard her approach. “Did you sleep well?”
“I’ve had better nights,” Nellie admitted. “The excitement of returning home did make it difficult to sleep.”
“Will you be fine ridin’ a horse on your own, or will you be too sleepy?”
“Oh, yes, I’ll manage,” she replied. “Will I be taking Lachina’s mare?”
“Nay.” Adam stepped out of the way so she could get a clear view of the horse he’d been grooming. “My stable boy recently gave me word that this mare is ready to ride, so I decided to gift her to you. I do hope you like her.”
“Oh, I love her,” Nellie exclaimed. Walking up to the mare, she put her hands on her soft, golden coat. The mare turned and nuzzled against her. “What a sweet girl. Thank you so much. Although, it does make me miss my old mare, Lily.”
“Lily?”
“She was the mare I left Burrach with.”
“Ah, her. Aye, I buried her out in my lands just after you arrived.”
Nellie turned to him, surprised. “I figured you would have let the ocean take her away, and not go through the trouble of digging a grave.”
“Ach, no. I try to give my animals a proper burial. An’ I figured if that mare brought you all the way here from Burrach Castle, then she was a creature to be respected.”
“Yes, she was.” Nellie said. She turned back to look at
her new mare. “I will call her Poppy.”
“Well, you can take Poppy outside as I saddle up Cerin,” he said, indicating his black stallion.
The stable boy opened the gates for them and gave them both a small bow as they left the stables. They made good pace as they rode toward Burrach Castle. As the sun continued to rise, the day revealed itself to be clear and calm.
However, the air was crisp and bitingly cold. Nellie wished she had brought gloves, as her fingers were growing numb as she held on to Poppy’s reigns.
“You’re shiverin’,” Adam remarked. Dunaid was well out of sight and they were no longer on Maxwell lands, but in between Maxwell and Lyall estates. The laird of these lands lived far to the east, and the area was so remote that it would be a surprise if anyone found them trespassing.
“I am quite all right,” Nellie insisted, although she was clenching her teeth to stave off the shivers.
“An’ here I thought that I was the proud one,” Adam admonished, not unkindly. He guided Cerin closer to Poppy and took off his breacan and wrapped it around Nellie’s shoulder. As Adam took the lead, she nestled the cloth closer to her body, inhaling his woodsy scent, but aye, too proud to admit that she wanted it.
It was such a different experience traveling back to Burrach than it was fleeing from it. The snow had melted and the grass was a lot drier, making it easier to traverse upon horseback. They were soon arriving to the start of the birch forest.
Adam halted Cerin.
“What is it?” Nellie asked him, stopping Poppy beside him.
“That is a very peculiar forest,” Adam remarked with some distaste. “Alister an’ I were almost lost in there.”
“As was I. There is something foul, without a doubt,” Nellie agreed. “Most likely, there are fairy folk who lived here.”
Adam scoffed at the notion. “Either way, I just wanted to see if there was a way around this forest, rather than walkin’ through it, but…” He scanned from north to south. “There’s nothin’ for trees as far as the eye can see. It would take us a full day just to get around this forest, I reckon.”
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