“Mrs. Loganach?” Fiona called out, the larger woman peeking her head out from the kitchen at the sound of her name.
“Yes, dear?” She asked.
“Wid ye be so kind as to rustle up something for Miss Andrews? She’s had quite the shock,” Fiona answered.
“Oh, heavens, lass, o’ course,” the older woman clucked around her in concern, coming out with some hearty chunks of bread and cheese followed by a big pot of tea.
“Get some food in ye, lass,” Mrs. Loganach encouraged as she took in Georgina’s teary-eyed and pale-faced demeanor. “Ye’ll be able tae think straight wi’ a full stomach.”
“Mrs. Loganach is a firm believer that an empty belly makes fer an unsettled mind,” Fiona said as she carefully poured out some tea and placed it in front of Georgina.
Picking up one of the generously buttered slices of bread, Georgina took a bite and chewed slowly. Oh, this is heaven. I’ve not tasted real food in weeks. Soon she was devouring the meal in front of her, and she felt herself relax as her stomach was soothed by the simple but filling food.
“That better?” Fiona asked, having been quiet as Georgina ate.
“Oh, yes, thank you ever so much,” Georgina said. I’m not going to forget my manners, no matter how upset and frazzled I feel. Besides, everything is back to normal; I’m safe, comfortable and in the company of a friend.
“You certainly look like ye’ve got some color back in yer cheeks,” Fiona observed, “ye fairly looked like a ghost when ye rode up with Conall back there.”
I’m not surprised, all that prison cells, dark rooms and lousy sustenance. Plus, the constant fear that Morgan was going to advance on us and plunge his sword through Conall, severing my last possible means of escape.
Georgina sighed, not wanting to voice her thoughts just yet, hoping that Fiona wouldn’t push her for answers just yet.
“Ye look like ye’ve hardly slept a wink fer days,” Fiona continued.
“That’s probably accurate,” Georgina responded, feeling her eyes itch and her body ache now that she’d come to a stop from all the horrid excitement from the past week, or however long she’d been gone. It felt like a lifetime.
“Come oan, off tae bed wi’ ye, you need some rest,” Fiona commanded as she got to her feet.
It certainly felt nice to be looked after right now and Georgina had no desire to argue with Fiona, she was flat out knackered.
She let Fiona lead her upstairs, where her room was waiting for her just as she’d left it. The only difference was that somebody had been in to make up the bed for her, the clothes she’d discarded on the floor having been washed and were hanging up ready to be worn again.
“Right, ye just rest yer eyes for a while. I’ll come an' wake ye so’s you don’t sleep the whole day away, once I’ve gone and given Conall a good clout,” Fiona instructed, gently closing the door and giving Georgina some privacy.
Now that she was alone and in the comfort of her bedchamber, Georgina finally felt herself relax. She managed to shed the dirty, travel-worn gown that Morgan had handed her after being discharged from the asylum before crawling into the soft sheets of her bed, eyes heavy as her head settled into the pillow.
Opening her eyes, she was pleasantly surprised to find she’d slept without issue, not able to remember a single detail of her dreams if any. It was still early in the day, but the nap had definitely refreshed her, and she mentally thanked her friend’s caring nature. Fiona certainly has a mothering way about her; she really must hold the family together.
She made her way down the stairs, wondering where the others were and what activities were going on. The smell of meat cooking suggested that Mrs. Loganach was preparing the evening meal, the mere thought of it making Georgina’s mouth water.
The hallway was bathed in light from the late afternoon sun, beaming in through the large front windows which looked out upon the vast expanse of the countryside from their vantage point on top of the hill. Georgina caught sight of Fiona out in the grounds, stroking the neck of her horse and feeding it something out of the palm of her hand.
Georgina let herself out through the door, making her way toward her friend and enjoying the fresh air once more.
“Oh, there ye are, I was just gonnae come in and check on ye,” Fiona said as she approached.
“Thank you, I do feel much better after a nap and something to eat,” Georgina responded, stopping just outside of the fence where the horse was leaning its head over towards Fiona’s bosom.
“Come and say hello,” Fiona encouraged, “she won’t bite.” The horse in question was a chestnut brown color with a white stripe down its nose.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Georgina said feeling unsure, as she’d never really been up close to a horse before. Riding in the saddle with both Marcas and Conall had been as close as she’d gotten, and it was always them that took care of organizing the reins, saddle, and feed.
“Go on, just reach out and rub her there, just above the soft part of her mouth and nose,” Fiona encouraged again.
Georgina tentatively reached her hand out to touch the majestic animal. Oh, what if it bites me?
To her surprise, it barely blinked, merely whickering softly and nudging against her.
“She wants you to rub a bit harder,” Fiona explained.
“Like that?” Georgina asked, trying to mimic Fiona’s touch, the horse letting out a gentle snort of air through its velvety nose.
Georgina let out a giggle, “Oh, my.” This really isn’t so bad; horses are gentle creatures after all.
“Her name is Lucky,” Fiona said.
“Why, hello Lucky,” Georgina said to the horse, giving her nose a good rub.
Soon Lucky appeared to get bored with the attention and turned back to concentrating on nibbling on the grass in the luscious green field.
“Noo, are ye goin’ tae tell me what happened tae ye?” Fiona asked, her voice curious but the Scot’s dialect making her question seem sharp and direct. She wasn’t one for tiptoeing around a subject after all.
Georgina let out a sigh as the pair of them fell into step, taking their usual stroll around the castle grounds as she began to speak of her ordeal.
“Oh, Fiona, it was just awful,” she began.
Soon the whole story came pouring out — how she had been unable to sleep and stupidly came out for a moonlit walk, colliding with the man who’d been out to capture her from the safety of the castle. How he and his brother locked her up in a dark, dingy basement as they discussed how they’d deliver her to Morgan in exchange for a reward.
She explained how the other brother had his own plan, locking her away in the asylum he worked in as a pawn for ransom, in wait for either Morgan or Conall to offer the best price. Fiona gasped, looking distraught as Georgina detailed her time in the asylum, how she’d been treated like she were mad, that no-one would believe her real name and identity.
Finally, she summarized the carriage driver’s part in helping her get away from Morgan Bolton, once again, Conall awaiting to smuggle her away and the gruelling journey they’d taken under cover of the night.
“And then, we arrived here this morning, just as you saw,” she finished talking, practically out of breath after recounting all of the events she’d been through. It does feel like a weight off my chest having voiced everything though.
“I can hardly believe it; ye’ve sure had a rough time o’ it,” Fiona said as she processed all that Georgina had told her.
“Oh, come here,” Fiona said as she threw her arms around Georgina. “I see ye as my own sister, ye ken, and I was in such a fright when we realized that ye’d disappeared. For a while I was convinced that ye’d maybe ran off back to England without saying goodbye.”
“Oh, Fiona, of course I would never do such a thing. You’re like the sister I never had,” Georgina exclaimed, feeling a fresh bout of tears come on at Fiona’s words.
“I’ve never had a friend like you, nor any siblings. Being here
was the happiest I’d felt since my mum died; I don’t ever want to leave,” she continued. As she spoke the words, it really hit her; the feeling of belonging somewhere, like Carnarvan was where she was meant to be. It was an overwhelming feeling of coming home.
“Och, well ye’ll marry one o’ me brothers and then we’ll be sisters fer real,” Fiona said, “and I’ll marry Alpin and we’ll both raise our bairns together.” The pair of them hugged for a few more moments, wiping away tears as they parted.
“Well, speaking of marrying one of your brothers, your plan for that evening all those days ago worked perfectly. Marcas and I kissed,” Georgina confessed, moving on to more light-hearted topics of conversation.
“Wait, whaaat? Ohhh this is exciting news!” Fiona squealed, letting out a high-pitched noise of glee as she clapped her hands together.
“Tell me everything,” she insisted, grabbing Georgina’s arm in excitement, “wait, maybe no' every gory detail, it is me brother we’re talking about, after all.”
“Well, we had gone into the study after dinner while you and Alpin took that walk together,” Georgina began. “We were having a lovely conversation and getting the chance to really open up to each other but before our lips were able to touch, Alpin came barging in and ruined the moment.
“I was embarrassed at being caught in such a suggestive moment and got up to leave, the mood well and truly broken. I’d gone upstairs to retire to my room, but I simply couldn’t sleep, my mind was too excited by what almost happened.”
“And?” Fiona encouraged, impatient to learn the rest of the story.
“Then, a while later, I heard his footsteps coming down the hall, slow, like he was deliberating upon his next action. He knocked softly on my door, and when I opened it he pulled me in for a kiss and oh, it was just amazing I never —”
“Alright, alright, what did I say about the gory details?” Fiona butted in, clamping her hands over her ears so as not to hear about what Marcas was like to kiss.
“But this is just fantastic,” Fiona exclaimed, continuing on an excited rant about the perfect couple the two of them would make and planning out the details of their wedding.
“Except, on that same night I was snatched away from the castle, and we haven’t laid eyes on each other since,” Georgina countered, bringing Fiona back to the reality of the here and now. Oh, Marcas, how I miss you. I wish you could have been the one to save me from that horrible place.
After reliving those perfect moments all those nights ago, thoughts of Marcas were fresh in her mind again. A part of her had felt disappointed as she laid eyes on Conall that night, with Marcas nowhere in sight as they left the inn.
Surely, he would have wanted to do what he could to save me? Maybe he doesn’t love me, after all, and I’m just fooling myself by reliving that one kiss. He’s surely kissed plenty of other girls before.
“Och, it’s hardly something that can be helped. Marcas was in a fair frenzy tryin’ tae find ye that morning, I’ve hardly seen him so worked up afore,” Fiona said soothingly. “He was up and off out o’ sight right away and I’ve no seen hair o’ him since. It’s only when Conall showed up wi’ ye that I got any hint as tae what was goin’ on.
“The boys and their battles,” Fiona said with a heaviness to her voice, shaking her head slightly as she spoke. “I tell ye, it ain’t easy bein’ the one left at home and worrying aboot whether or not they’ll make it back in one piece. The pair o’ them are that competitive, I worry that it’ll cause them harm.”
Georgina was silent as she considered this, unsure of what to say in response. It sounds like quite the hardship indeed, and this latest worry is all my fault.
“I am sorry if I’ve contributed to that worry. It was because of me that they went off this time, causing Marcas to get injured. I certainly didn’t expect for any of this to happen,” Georgina said, feeling the uncomfortable prickle of guilt at her friend’s words.
“Och no, it’s hardly yer fault any o’ this happened,” Fiona said. “I just have tae let the boys be boys I suppose.”
“Why don’t you tell me about what happened between you and Alpin that night?” Georgina asked, turning the attention to Fiona. Gosh, I feel like such a selfish friend indeed, talking of nothing but myself and my concerns.
“Och, it seems like no matter what I do, he’ll never see me as anything more than a friend,” Fiona said with a resigned sigh.
“No that’s simply not good enough,” Georgina retorted. “Perhaps he just hasn’t had the opportunity to see you outside of your usual station, as Marcas and Conall’s sister.”
“Perhaps,” Fiona said, not sounding entirely convinced.
“Come on, you’ve spent so much time listening to me talk about Marcas, let’s plan the perfect event for Alpin to see you as the advantageous match that you are,” Georgina encouraged.
Finally, she saw a hint of a smile break out on Fiona’s face and the two of them began to enthusiastically discuss different options, most of which were too far-fetched to feasibly occur. The conversation landed a great deal of enjoyment, however, and their joyful suggestions took them right up to dinner time, Mrs. Loganach even having to yell out for them to come inside.
It was halfway through dinner when Conall marched in to join them.
“Och Conall, yer late,” Mrs. Loganach scolded fondly, “Yer lucky I kept a plate warm fer ye.”
“Ach thank ye Mrs. Loganach, ye certainly keep me right,” Conall indulged as he sat down and patted his stomach, “don’t ken what I’d do without ye.”
“Aye, ye an’ yer charm lad,” Mrs. Loganach said as she put a plate in front of him and smiled.
He tucked in right away, as if he hadn’t eaten for a week.
“Aye that’s the stuff. Nothin’ like a home-cooked meal,” he announced with satisfaction between bites.
At first, Georgina had been struck by how friendly the McGowans were toward the help. It certainly wasn’t often the case in households she had visited back in England. Fiona had explained that Mrs. Loganach had been with their family for as long as she could remember and had watched them all grow up.
“She’s as good as family,” Fiona stated.
Now that Georgina had settled in, this only made the castle feel even more welcoming like it was a real home.
“How are ye lasses gettin’ on?” Conall asked, now that he had hoovered up most of the food on his plate.
“Just dandy, Conall,” Fiona replied, still sounding a little icy towards him.
“Look, Fiona, I did the best I could tae go out there an’ rescue Georgina an’ I’ve succeeded, haven’t I?” he argued. Georgina felt her cheeks flush as he mentioned her name. Please don’t let me get caught up in a family squabble.
“Yea, ye have and of course I’m glad o’ that,” Fiona said back, and Georgina managed a weak smile at her words. “I just wish ye had the sense tae send word, or tae let me ken what’s goin’ on. I was sat here fer a whole week worried sick that somethin’ had happened tae ye all.” Fiona scolded.
“Yer right, sis, that’s hardly fair on ye,” Conall agreed, sounding uncharacteristically sincere.
“At least when yer off tae battle I get some notice, all I’m askin’ is fer ye tae think before ye go charging off on some mission or other,” Fiona said.
Conall leaned forward over the table, taking Fiona’s hand in his own. “I promise I’ll take more care next time. Ye’re the one that holds this family together and without ye, I don’t ken where we’d be,” he said, his voice low and face serious.
“Thanks, Conall, I’d appreciate that,” Fiona said with satisfaction, leaning back in her chair, the tension diffusing as quickly as it rose.
Georgina squirmed in her chair, unsure of what to say. Should I acknowledge the argument that’s just taken place, or change the subject? Maybe I’ll just clear my throat and remind them of my presence. This sure isn’t a situation my manners are accustomed to.
“Lass, I do apologize fer
this most uncouth display,” Conall said, emphasizing the last two words. “The McGowan’s are a family that say things as they see it, nae hiding here. That’s somethin’ tae get used tae if yer plannin’ on stickin’ around.”
“Well it certainly makes for a rather exciting time around the dinner table,” Georgina said in response.
“Do ye no' have any brothers and sisters o’ yer own?” Conall asked.
“No, it’s just me and my father. My mother passed away three years ago, things haven’t been the same since,” Georgina said.
“Ah, I am sorry tae hear that lass,” Conall said, putting his hand on her arm in sympathy. “We lost our faither, as I’m sure ye’ll have heard too. I had tae step in an’ take his place as the Laird and try tae live up to his hard work and reputation. It’s certainly no easy at times.”
The Highlander's Secret Maiden: A Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 15