Page 21 of The Curse of McMillan Castle
“Wait, lass. Do ye mind if I speak to ye a moment?”
I nodded with my back still toward him as he walked around to face me.
As I looked up at him, I noticed that his face was as flushed as mine was, and something inside of me relaxed just a little.
“I hope that ye doona mind, but I’ve inquired about ye to Isobel while staying at the inn. She has told me that ye’ve no suitors at present. I…”
He hesitated and I worried that in the silence he might actually be able to hear my heart pounding against my rib cage. Suitor? I wasn’t sure I’d ever had asuitorin my entire life—just a lifelong best friend who in the end became my husband.
Duncan continued to search for his words as I tried to keep my breathing in check.
“I…the truth is, that I am rotten at all of this, lass. I only mean to say that I think ye are bonny. Would ye join me for dinner at the inn tonight?”
I smiled at him. His nervousness made my own more bearable. “Yes. I would love that.”
The expression of surprise that moved over his face at my answer almost caused me to laugh, but I swallowed hard before allowing the noise to escape.
“Really, lass?”
I nodded. “Yes. I wouldn’t tease you. Are you sure you want me to?”
He nodded and reached for my hand before lifting it up to his lips as he brushed them against my knuckles. “Aye, lass. Verra sure.”
“Good. I’ll see you tonight.”
It was all I could do to make it inside my bedroom before I leaned against the door and squealed in delight.
I was excited about this. Truly excited about something for the first time in ages.
Maybe I hadn’t died along with my husband. Maybe the loss of him had just sent me into hibernation, and my metaphorical spring had finally come.
Chapter 14
Cooper
Cooper couldn’t sleep. His conscience tormented him as he lay awake and stared up at the ceiling in his bedroom. Burning the painting wasn’t like sneaking cake before a birthday celebration. This was different. Eating the cake was harmless. This didn’t feel so.
Eventually they would be caught. He just knew it.
It wasn’t only the dread of inevitably being caught that bothered him. It was that ever since they’d burned it things felt worse in the castle—morehaunted in some way he hadn’t been able to put his finger on just yet.
He’d seen nothing, but he could sense something in the air he was sure wasn’t there before.
Rosie had said nothing to him, but he had a feeling that she could sense it too. That maybe their desire to end Osla’s haunting hadn’t worked as they’d hoped it would.
Cooper sighed and rolled over on his side, pulling his blankets high up above his shoulders. He wanted to get up, to light a candle as he often did while others were sleeping and run downstairs to read or play on his own, but tonight his fear stopped him. Something was off inside the castle, and he didn’t want to be alone when he discovered just what that was.
* * *
“Is something the matter with ye, lad? Ye look as if ye might fall over right where ye stand?”
Cooper jumped at the sound of Duncan’s voice behind him. He was meant to be loading up a pile of stones to move further down the fence line, but after a night of no sleep, his arms and legs were weak, and his mind continued to drift no matter how hard he tried to stay on task.
He opened his mouth to answer, but instead a yawn escaped. “I…I’m sorry, Duncan. I didn’t sleep at all last night.”
Duncan gave his shoulder a firm pat before pointing back toward the castle. “Go inside and have a wee rest. I’ll be fine by meself for the rest of the day. Ye’ve been a big help to me, but I doona think ye shall be so today no matter how hard ye try.”
The thought of lying down for a while did sound rather nice to him.
