Page 17

I t has been several weeks since Mabel tied the knot with Campbell, and in that time, she had not received any correspondence from her family.

She had not expected them to ask about her welfare; after all, she was used to being invisible.

It would not be out of place if her mother wanted to give them time to adjust to married life, but she still wished to hear from her sisters.

She had little time to contemplate their apparent neglect, seeing how preoccupied she was with adapting to her new role as lady of the castle and taking care of the twins. So it was quite shocking when one evening she received a letter from Scarlett.

If she was shocked by the presence of the letter, she was even more astonished by its content.

Apparently, Scarlett had been traveling with Skylar and had stopped by an inn in the neighboring village. They wanted to see her, but she was not to tell her husband where she was going or come with him.

Something did not seem right about the letter, but she could not put her finger on it. Perhaps it was the urgent tone. Scarlett barely wrote to her, and the fact that she did now, requesting that she come visit her without her husband, was strange.

But then they must have had their reasons.

Mabel needed to see them and ascertain how Scarlett was faring in her new marriage. She was supposed to still be on her honeymoon, so the fact that she was traipsing across the Highlands with their unmarried sister was suspicious, indeed.

After some thought, Mabel decided that it would be a good opportunity to take the boys to town to sightsee and perhaps enjoy some goodies from the market. She was sure they would like it. She just prayed that their uncle would give his permission without asking questions.

When she finally found him, he was walking absentmindedly in the garden.

“Me Laird,” she called softly.

Immediately, he turned his vibrant blue gaze on her, surprise flaring in their depths.

“What brings ye here, lass?” he asked, watching her steadily as she closed the distance between them.

“I wanted to ask ye for a favor,” she began, wringing her hands nervously.

“What do ye want, lass?”

“I want to take the boys to town to buy some goodies from the market. They have been stuck within these castle walls for too long,” she answered. “It will be nice for them to see the rest of the clan outside the castle.”

There was a pause while he considered her words.

“I dinnae doubt they’ve been cooped up for far too long. I’d rather join ye, lass, but I’ve got a meeting to attend to this evening. Maybe I could persuade Magnus to accompany ye instead?”

“Ye dinnae need to worry,” she said in a rush. “We will hardly be alone. I am meeting with someone who would keep us company.”

Her last statement must have caught his attention because he furrowed his brow.

Mabel was dismayed that she had given away her plan so thoughtlessly. His next words confirmed her suspicion.

“Who will ye meet?”

Mabel heaved a sigh and decided it was better she told him the truth anyway.

“I am to meet me sisters at an inn nae too far from here. Scarlett sent me a letter. I dinnae ken why. I havenae heard from them in quite a while. I worry that something terrible might have happened to me parents or me sisters. I really need to see them. Me mind would ken nay peace if I dinnae. I promise to return early before the day?—”

Her tirade was cut off by the feel of his hand on her cheek, caressing her in a way that should have soothed her but only served to fan the flames of desire just beneath her skin.

“Do calm yerself, lass. I am sure yer family is well. Ye have leave to go wherever ye want to. Ye are nae a prisoner here. I would just urge ye to do yer best to avoid deserted areas. I have tried to rid me land of brigands, but there are still a few ye should be careful of.”

“I will. Thank ye,” she said, painfully aware of the heat that rose in her cheeks at his proximity and the maddening strokes of his fingers on her skin. “I will leave now, Me Laird.”

She bobbed a quick curtsey before dashing away as fast as she could without running.

The quicker she put distance between them, the better for her and her mind.

Getting the boys to come with her was no hard task, and they were very much excited to be leaving the castle walls—even more excited when they saw the carriage they would be traveling in. Comfortable but not flamboyant, so as not to draw unnecessary attention.

She was even more grateful for the Laird’s generosity and trust to let her go on her own. Not many husbands would permit their wives such liberty, and while she had used it this one time, she would learn to save it only for the most dire circumstances.

She certainly hoped this wasn’t one such time.

Scarlett should have been at Crawford Castle, and Skylar should have been home at MacLennan Castle, but the two of them had obviously decided to follow in her footsteps and traipse across the Highlands, unattended, to a dingy inn in a town they barely knew.

Why they hadn’t come to Muir Castle, she did not know.

Finding the inn her sisters had mentioned was quite easy once she and the boys alighted from the carriage. It was very close to the market, and there were several other residential buildings around it.

While not hidden, she still did not trust that it was entirely safe. Her sisters had behaved impulsively, and she would make sure to tell them as much.

The thought gave her pause.

She was starting to sound like her husband, and the fact was amusing.

Connor and Ollie seemed fascinated with the hustle and bustle of the area, and as their eyes took in the scene curiously, she held on tight to their hands so she did not lose them in the crowd.

The Laird had warned that the town wasn’t entirely safe, and she did not want them to fall into the wrong hands. He might not forgive her if anything happened to them. She wouldn’t even forgive herself.

When she stepped into the inn, the owner, a burly old man, showed her to her sisters’ room. She knocked.

“Mabel,” Scarlett greeted excitedly when she answered the door. “I wasnae sure ye would come. I was just telling Skylar that we might need to barge into Muir Castle if ye didnae come today.”

“Thank goodness that we didnae have to, or I wouldnae have been able to live past the embarrassment,” Skylar said dryly, coming to draw Mabel into a hug. “Thank goodness ye are unharmed.”

“Why would I be otherwise?” Mabel asked with a laugh.

Skylar must have spotted the boys then because she released Mabel to kneel in front of them.

“Who do we have here?” she cooed. “Quite adorable lads, ye are. Do ye mind telling me yer names?”

The boys were doing their best to hide behind Mabel’s skirts. They had still not shed their mistrust of strangers, and she could see how it affected her sister, who loved children.

“Dinnae worry verra much, Skylar,” Mabel said with a laugh. “They are usually shy. Trust me, they will warm up to ye when ye spend time with them.”

Skylar nodded in understanding. “Please, come in. The tea here is nice, and they have yummy biscuits.”

Just then, a group of children ran across the hallway, laughing and giggling happily. The sound caught the boys’ attention, and they were now staring longingly at the children.

“Aunt Mabel,” Ollie called quietly. “May we play with them?” he asked, earnest hope blooming in his eyes.

With that look in his eyes, Mabel could refuse him nothing, even if she was worried they might get hurt or lost.

“Aye, ye may,” she allowed, after giving it some thought. “But stay close to the inn. Dinnae stray verra far,” she warned.

The boys nodded earnestly, and soon, they were running after the other children, more agile than they had been a while ago.

She was thankful that at least they would be able to play with people who could match their energy. The activities of the previous days were starting to catch up with her, and she was thankful that soon she would be able to share the burden with someone else.

“Well, well,” Scarlett said with a laugh, “lads will always be lads. I guess they dinnae care to play with us bonny lasses.”

Skylar burst into giggles while Mabel sat at the table in the room. She poured herself a cup of tea and sipped it, acutely aware of her sisters’ scrutiny.

“Now that I can see ye closely, ye dinnae look very well. Ye have dark circles under yer eyes. Dinnae tell me that yer beast of a husband is treating ye badly,” Skylar said with a concerned look.

The sound of that dreadful moniker caused Mabel’s head to snap up, and anger bubbled up in her chest. With restraint she did not know she possessed, she put her cup down on the table.

“I dinnae appreciate ye calling me husband a beast, Skylar. He isnae one. He has treated me with nothing less than the utmost respect since we married. I might look tired, but believe me, it has nothing to do with him. I just havenae had a good night’s rest in quite some time.

While the boys can be quite charming, they arenae easy to put to sleep at night. ”

“Dinnae be angry, dear sister.” Skylar raised her hands placatingly.

“We were just worried that we hadnae heard from ye since ye married a stranger about whom we have heard nothing but terrible rumors. Remember what Maither said at Scarlet’s wedding?

‘Tis nae like he was verra sociable before he married ye. We worried that ye were miserable, trapped in a marriage that ye didnae want.”

“I wouldnae say that Laird Muir is a stranger. He is, after all, me husband’s friend, and he has a reputation for being a good and upright man among those who ken him well.

Word has it that he was given that dreadful moniker by his enemies, who wanted to feel better about themselves after trying and failing to conquer his lands,” Scarlett interjected.

“Ye never told me that before now, Scarlett.” Skylar pouted. “And ye didnae correct Maither either.”