Page 3 of To Wed a Laird (English Brides and Highland Vows #1)

CHAPTER TWO

Rose opened her eyes a short while later, and for a moment she looked around in panic, wondering where she was and how she had got there. She had expected to be cold, damp, and sore, but instead she was wrapped in comfort and warmth, and she lay for a few more moments savouring it.

Her memory returned, and with it a flutter of apprehension.

She thought of the looming, bulky figure of the Laird and his fearsome expression as he glared at her from under his dark brows.

Rose wondered if he had been deeply disappointed in what he saw because he had certainly not given her a warm welcome.

Then she remembered that she had been warned that many Scots men were very forbidding at first, and it did not help that Laird MacTavish looked as though he could fell a tree with one hand tied behind his back!

Rose knew she had to rise from her bed and go to meet Elspeth, but she was so comfortable that pushing aside the warm blankets was the last thing she wanted to do.

Especially since the weather outside had not improved…

Accordingly, she sighed and closed her eyes again, hoping that sleep would come and take her back into its warm embrace.

However, it was not to be. At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door, and Rose heard the rustle of skirts and quiet footsteps. She sat up and saw Nell putting a tray on the table, and the delicious aroma of the food that rested on it made her mouth water.

Nell smiled at her. “Ye are just like Lady Catherine. She used tae go tae see her family in England an’ come back absolutely exhausted. She would sleep like the dead—sometimes for a full day.”

Rose was about to ask a question about the Laird’s former wife, but something, a certain sadness in Nell’s expression stopped her.

That was when she realised that she had very little experience of what to say and do around the people in Inverrigg Castle yet. She would probably have to walk on eggshells for a while until she found out what would upset them, and of course Lady MacTavish’s death was still a sore point.

“I was really tired,” Rose admitted, “and this is such a comfortable bed.”

“Let’s get ye fed,” Nell said briskly. “Ye look as if ye need it.”

Rose sat down at the table and looked at what seemed like a veritable feast of mutton stew with turnips and kale, freshly baked bread and a plate of raspberries and hazelnuts. Nell poured both of them a cup of ale which Rose drank thirstily, then licked her lips in appreciation.

“That is delicious,” she said appreciatively, smiling at Nell.

“We brew it here at the castle,” Nell informed her. “It is made from our own barley an’ hops, an’ the brewster is one o’ many generations o’ his family that has worked at the castle. They say it is a secret recipe.” She laughed. “I am no’ sae sure about that, but it is very good ale.”

“Indeed!” Rose agreed as she began to dig into the mass of food on her plate.

When she had first looked at it, she had thought she would never be able to finish it all, but she had underestimated her own hunger.

In less than ten minutes she was satisfied, and looked up at Nell, who was grinning at her.

“It is good tae see somebody enjoyin’ their food!” she said happily, then she got to her feet. “Time tae go!” she announced.

Rose nodded, then picked out a clean dress from her trunk. Nell helped her into it, then stood facing her and put a hand on each of her shoulders, then looked deeply into her eyes.

“Dinnae get a fright when ye meet Elspeth for the first time,” she warned Rose. “She has suffered a lot an’ might no’ be like any other wee lassies ye have met before. Try no’ tae get angry wi’ her, Rose.”

Rose stared at Nell, suddenly scared. What had she got herself into, she wondered? Was the child some kind of lunatic?

“Is-is there something wrong with her, Nell?” she asked, her voice high with anxiety.

Nell shook her head and sighed. “She saw her mammy dying, an’ she has never recovered fae the shock. Neither has the Laird, but he is a grown man an’ never lets anybody see his grief, although I know he feels it deeply. Ye must be very gentle wi’ both o’ them.”

“I will do my best,” Rose promised, even as another wave of fear passed over her. Her heart was beating wildly, and she could feel her hands trembling.

They walked downstairs, and after passing through a number of confusing corridors and staircases, Nell stopped before a door, then turned to face Rose again. “Are ye ready?” she asked.

“I think so,” Rose replied.

The room into which they stepped was very dark, since the curtains had been closed, and Rose almost tripped over one of the toys that were strewn all over its wooden floor. After her eyes had adjusted to the light, she saw a little girl sitting on the floor, her back turned towards them.

She had a doll in each hand and was talking to them, then mimicking each of their voices so that they seemed to be talking to each other.

Nell stepped forward, and at the sound of her footsteps the little girl looked up.

Her eyes were a piercing blue, like her father’s, although her hair was fair, and she had small, delicate features, completely unlike him.

Rose deduced that apart from her eyes, she had inherited her looks from her mother.

Nell sat down with the little girl and smiled at her. “Hi! What are your dollies’ names?” she asked.

“This one,” Elspeth said proudly, holding up a female doll in a silk and lace dress, “is Queen Catherine.”

It did not escape Rose’s notice that the doll had been named after Elspeth’s late mother.

The next one was a little boy doll. “This is Jimmy, the pirate,” she said as she laid him on the floor.

“He took the queen’s sister, Princess Mary, away to sea, but now the queen has come with her sailors,” she pointed to a toy boat, “to fight the pirates and save her. The captain of her ship is called Cormac the Brave, and he is a famous sailor. Here he is.”

She reached for another doll that was dressed in sailor’s clothes. “Do not worry, Your Majesty,” she said in a deep voice. “My men and I will bring the princess back safe and sound.”

And the brave captain was, of course, called Cormac. Rose smiled inwardly, remembering the days of her own girlhood. She too had played with dolls like this, read storybooks, and acted out little plays about princesses and fairies and angels with her sisters.

She remembered how they used to fight about who would be the queen, but it was nearly always Rose because she was the eldest. She laughed softly at the thought, then Elspeth turned around and saw her. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes widened, and her whole body tensed.

As the clear blue eyes met hers, Rose felt her apprehension melting away.

She and her sisters had worn the same look the day their own mother died, and Rose realised that she and this scarred and hurt little girl had much in common.

She could use that understanding to become close to her and perhaps begin to be the friend and protector she needed.

“Elspeth,” Nell said gently, “there is somebody here I want ye tae meet. This is Rose. Rose, this is Inverrigg Castle’s wee lassie, Elspeth.”

Rose smiled and Elspeth returned it, albeit hesitantly. She put out a hand, Elspeth put her much smaller one in it, and they shook gently.

“You have a wonderful imagination,” Rose said admiringly. “Do you read a lot of books?”

“Not any more,” Elspeth replied. “Not since Mammy…” Her voice faltered and she looked away.

Rose flicked a glance up to Nell, who shook her head, frowning. “Talk about somethin’ else,” she mouthed.

Rose nodded. “Have you learned to sew?” she asked.

Elspeth looked around at Nell. “Nell is teaching me,” she replied, “but I am not very good yet.” Then she asked, “Can you sew?”

“A bit,” Rose replied. “Well enough to sew buttons on.”

Elspeth giggled. “I can sew lace onto dresses.”

Her voice was proud, and Rose took advantage of the moment to pretend to be amazed. “You must teach me how to do that.” She looked down at her plain day dress. “I wish I had lace on this one. It would look so much prettier. Could you do it for me? Or teach me how to do it?”

Elspeth nodded eagerly. Just then, Rose noticed a slate with a few sticks of chalk next to it lying on the floor. “Ah! Now here is something I can do!” she cried happily. “Can I draw something for you?”

Elspeth thought for a moment, then said, “A horse?”

“A horse it is,” Rose replied, and set to work.

Her drawing skills were not the best, but they were by no means the worst, and in a few moments she had done a fairly passable sketch of a horse.

Elspeth looked at it critically, then smiled. “My turn,” she said firmly, then wiped Rose’s drawing away.

Rose opened her mouth to object, then shut it again. Elspeth frowned as she focused on her task, the tip of her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in an endearing expression of concentration.

Rose smiled at Nell over Elspeth’s head as she worked, and Nell nodded and smiled back in a way that said, “Well done.”

When Elspeth had finished, she held the slate out to Rose, who widened her eyes and gasped in admiration. “It is a true masterpiece!” she cried, exaggerating her tone for theatrical effect.

Elspeth giggled, then she looked at Rose closely. The familiar feeling of foreboding came over her as the little girl’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Why are you here?” Elspeth asked.

Rose felt as though she had been pinned down by an arrow suddenly. She was silent, unable to think of any way to answer the question without upsetting Elspeth.

“Why are you here?” Elspeth asked again, more loudly this time.

At that moment, to Rose’s great relief, Nell intervened. She drew Elspeth to her feet and said, “Is it no’ time we picked up a’ these toys?”

Elspeth shook her off, her little face a mask of anger. “One of the maids will do that!” she said, as she glared at Rose. “You are another governess, are you not?”

Elspeth’s pale blue eyes were dark with rage, and she rushed towards Rose with her hands outstretched as if she was going to push her over. Rose took a step backwards and caught them in her own, but Elspeth struggled free and pushed Rose.

“Go away!” she screamed, over and over again. She did not have the strength to do any damage, however, and Nell intervened once more as she pulled the girl away.

“Elspeth!” she snapped. “That is nae wae tae behave. Say sorry tae Rose!”

However, Elspeth did no such thing. She stood looking venomously at the two women, switching her gaze from one to the other, then for a second it looked as though she was about to calm down.

However, a moment later, she charged through the space between them, flung her doll onto the floor, then wrenched the door open and shot through it into the corridor beyond. Rose immediately started to go after her, but Nell grabbed her by the sleeve of her dress to hold her back.

“Rose, ye will only make things worse,” she said urgently. “Let her calm down a wee bit.”

But Rose tore her arm out of Nell’s grasp and ran through the open door.

She had lost sight of the little girl, but she could hear her footsteps echoing down the passageways in front of her.

Although she had no idea of how to find her way around the intricate corridors and stairways of the massive building, she knew that Elspeth did.

Rose was panicking, wondering what the Laird would do to her when he found out what had happened. Would he show her any mercy at all, or would he send her back to her father in disgrace? She would soon find out, but whatever her fate, it was out of her hands.

She was almost out of breath and was about to give up when the sound of Elspeth’s footsteps slowed down and eventually stopped. Rose turned a corner and came face to face with Elspeth, then the two of them stood looking at each other without speaking for a long moment.

Elspeth’s expression was mutinous, and she had her fists clenched by her sides, the picture of angry rebellion, but Rose felt infinitely sorry for her. She knew what it was like to lose a beloved mother, and it was a fate she would not wish on her worst enemy.

Cautiously, Rose moved forward as if she were approaching a petrified animal, keeping her eyes fixed on Elspeth. She was concentrating so hard that she jumped in fright as the door they had been standing beside opened suddenly.

When Cormac MacTavish stepped out, looking more intimidating than Rose had yet seen him, she took a step backwards as his piercing blue eyes fixed on her.