Page 6 of Saved by the Cruel Highlander (Lairds of the Loch Alliance #1)

CHAPTER FIVE

P ink stained Holly’s cheeks as she realized she’d been caught chastising servants when she hadn’t even been in the castle for a day.

The man who stood in the doorway, clapping, must be an elder. He had long gray hair pulled back from his face, a matching beard, and light brown eyes.

“Well done, Miss Taylor,” he said as he stepped further into the room. “And ye, Eliza, should ken better than to spread gossip, especially about yer Laird.” He paused for a moment to let his words sink in. “Dinnae ye have some chores to do?”

Eliza nodded quickly, her cheeks pinker than Holly’s.

“Then go.”

Eliza rushed out of the chamber, her skirts swishing about her feet.

The older man came to a stop in front of Holly. “I am Alexander Fergus, but everyone calls me Fergus. And ye are Holly Taylor, soon to be Lady McAllister. ‘Tis nice to meet ye.”

“Mr. Fergus?—”

“Just Fergus,” he interrupted.

Holly nodded. “Fergus. I must apologize?—”

“Ye have nothin’ to apologize for,” he interrupted again. Holly decided this was one of the man’s traits. “Ye put Eliza in her place, as ye should. I am glad to see that Elias chose a bride with a strong character.”

Holly bowed her head slightly.

But he didnae choose. I did.

To admit that, though, would be to admit that she’d practically proposed to the Laird, and she wasn’t ready to make such an embarrassing admission. Fergus would likely think she was desperate, and even though she was, she didn’t want anyone else to know or think that about her.

Fergus looked around the chamber and then scowled at the hearth. “Lazy fools,” he muttered. “Couldnae even light a fire for ye.”

He moved to the hearth and started picking up kindling and wood from the box next to it.

Holly’s eyes widened, and she rushed over to help. She couldn’t tell how old Fergus was, but he was definitely past his prime.

“Here, let me help,” she offered.

Holly bent over and picked up a few of the smaller wood pieces and added them to the pile he’d started in the hearth.

He looked at her and smiled. “Helpful and thoughtful, too,” he said with appreciation.

Fergus stepped back and let her finish the task, then took a seat on the plush chair closest to the hearth. Before long, Holly had a nice fire burning, and heat slowly started filling the room.

“Have a seat, Holly. May I call ye Holly?”

Holly nodded. “Of course. I’d be honored.”

Fergus smiled and leaned forward in his chair, stretching his gnarled hands to the warmth of the fire.

“I ken most of the gentry in these parts, but I’m nae familiar with the Taylors. I also noticed ye didnae introduce yerself as Lady Holly Taylor. So, tell me, lass, who are yer parents?”

Holly squirmed in her chair, uncomfortable with the topic. “Me parents died nine years ago. I… I am an orphan.”

Fergus’s bushy eyebrows rose, and he ran a hand down his beard. “Do ye work, then? I suppose ye would need to work to support yerself.”

Holly shook her head. “Nay. Me parents left me with enough coin to see me comfortably through life. I dinnae work, but me inheritance has allowed me the freedom to do things I enjoy, such as takin’ care of the orphans in the orphanage at the church.”

Fergus nodded, his small smile barely visible beneath his beard. “‘Tis very kind of ye.”

They sat quietly for a few minutes. The only sound in the chamber was the crackle of the fire in the hearth. Ollie strolled over and immediately weaved his body between Fergus’s ankles.

Fergus chuckled and bent down to pet the cat. “Has Elias seen this beastie yet?”

Holly’s eyes were trained on Ollie as a fond smile spread across her face. “Aye. ‘Tis fortunate that he likes cats.” She raised her gaze to the older man’s. “To be honest, I was a little worried he might nae and insist I get rid of poor Ollie here. I could never do such a thing, ye ken.”

At first, the sound that came from Fergus sounded like a chuckle, but then he covered his mouth and coughed.

“Likes cats, ye say?” he asked when he stopped coughing, but he was still grinning. When Holly nodded happily, he asked, “What did Elias say when he saw… er… Ollie?”

Holly furrowed her brow as she tried to remember the Laird’s words. “He just asked if the beastie belonged to me,” she finally answered. “Then, he said that we’d be wed in a month.”

She cringed inwardly. She hadn’t meant to let that last part slip. Thankfully, Fergus didn’t seem to notice.

Ollie, tired of being petted, moved away and curled up on the rug before the hearth. In a matter of seconds, he was sound asleep.

“Other than Ollie here, do ye have any siblings?” Fergus asked.

Holly shook her head. “Nay. ‘Twas just me and me parents before they… died.”

She could tell he wanted to ask more, maybe how her parents passed, but he didn’t say anything. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She could just imagine the elder’s face if she told him what happened—that her father died fighting her kidnapper and her mother died from a broken heart when she’d seen her husband’s dead body.

“It must have been lonely for ye,” Fergus said sympathetically.

Holly shrugged. “Nay, nae really. The orphans kept me busy, and I still keep in touch with many of them. They write to me once in a while, and I always respond. I love hearin’ from them, and I am proud of the ones who have improved their lives.”

Fergus cocked his head, his brow furrowed in thought. “How do they write to ye, lass? Most orphans dinnae ken how to read, much less write.”

Holly smiled, even as a slight blush of pride and pleasure rose to her cheeks. “I taught them.”

Fergus nodded in approval. “‘Tis good to hear that ye arenae afraid of a challenge,” he said. “Ye will have a lot to learn as the new Lady McAllister, and the people will need some time to get to ken ye.”

“I look forward to the challenge, Fergus,” Holly said truthfully. “I promise ye, I will protect the people and Laird McAllister as fiercely as the Laird does.”

Fergus chuckled. “How do ye ken the Laird protects his clan ‘fiercely’?”

Holly paused as she considered her answer. The truth was, she didn’t know. But she’d seen hints.

“I only have to look at the castle and the people to ken that he is a fair and protective laird,” she answered after a minute. “I didnae see signs of abuse, although the servants seem to be wary of him. But that could just be because he is their Laird and they dinnae want to disappoint him.”

Fergus tugged on his beard in thought. “Ye gleaned all of this after a few minutes in the castle?”

“It doesnae take long to spot neglect,” Holly said with a smile. “The clan may fear Laird McAllister, but they respect him. A man doesnae earn that kind of respect if he is a monster.”

She clapped a hand over her mouth as soon as the word ‘monster’ left her lips. She had not been thinking when she’d uttered that word, the same one she had told Eliza she didn’t want to hear from anyone in the castle.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “I didnae?—”

“’Tis quite all right, lass,” he said with a fond smile. “‘Tis an apt description. Ye told me how others see Elias, but what about ye? Do ye find his personality acceptable?”

Holly wasn’t expecting that question, although she guessed she should have. This conversation was an interview. Fergus was gently interrogating her to find out if she was suitable for his Laird. She didn’t mind and even respected the elder’s protectiveness.

“He can be a bit… ill-mannered,” she answered honestly.

Fergus burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that he started coughing, and Holly feared he would choke and die right there in her chamber. He managed to pull himself together after a minute, though, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Aye, Elias can definitely be ill-mannered at times. Most of the time, actually,” he added with a shake of his head. “But underneath all that gruffness, he is a good man and a good laird.”

“I’m sure he is a good laird,” she said.

A good laird who smears the battlefield with the blood of his enemies, from what I’ve heard. Can a man be a monster and a hero?

Fergus studied Holly for a moment as if deciphering her exact thoughts from the look in her eyes and the tightness of her mouth.

“What about the scar on his face?” he asked next. “Does it nae frighten ye?”

Holly shook her head. “Nay. He told me his braither gave it to him, so I?—”

“Elias told ye about his braither?” Fergus blurted.

Holly frowned at his incredulous tone. “Just that his braither gave him the scar, nae how, but he added that he deserved it for nae bein’ prepared.”

Fergus furrowed his brow and pulled on his beard as he stared at her. He looked thoughtful, even a little intrigued. Holly felt like a mare on display. She squirmed slightly in her seat and covered it up by leaning down to pet Ollie. He was lying a bit further away than she had realized, and she nearly tipped out of her chair from stretching too far.

“Well,” Fergus said, as if he was making an announcement of some sort, “I’ve taken up enough of yer time, Miss Taylor. I will leave ye to get settled in.”

He struggled briefly but slowly got to his feet.

Holly rose as well and walked him to the door.

“‘Twas nice meetin’ ye, Fergus,” she said.

She had a feeling she had made her first friend at McAllister Castle.

“The pleasure was mine, lass. If ye have any problems with the staff, ye just come to me, and I’ll straighten them out.”

Holly thanked him, but she doubted she would do that. If she was going to be the Lady here, then she would have to deal with the staff herself.

Once Fergus had left and she’d closed the door behind him, she moved to the hearth and picked Ollie up from the floor. He meowed in displeasure at being woken up, but once she settled on the bed, he snuggled on her lap and went back to sleep.

Holly looked around her new bedchamber. She still couldn’t believe that she had the nerve to suggest marriage to Laird McAllister.

Sure, she’d been a bit panicked and desperate, and that explained her rash decision. Now, she wondered if she’d made the right one. Felix wanted to murder her to get her inheritance. She had to do something quickly before it was too late.

I’m just nae sure if I acted too hastily. Have I just made a mistake that could cost me dearly, perhaps even me life?