Page 22 of The Runaway Bride and the Highlander
Those same sensations that had whirled deep within her when they had been alone in the tent returned to her, her stomach twisting and fluttering in the most intense but pleasurable way. A sensation had occurred far deeper too. She felt slick and hot, as though her womanhood was on fire.
There had hardly been any chance to think much more about it, for as soon as he had taken a step away from her, leaving her standing there in an entirely breathless state, he had immediately taken her by the arm and guided her to the library door.
“I must meet with the council, but nae before I show ye tae yer room.”
Maxwell had whisked her through the corridors, up stone steps, and down another hallway lined with great portraits and large naked lanterns burning until he finally reached a door. Coming to an abrupt stop, he opened it and bid her entry. Nodding curtly at her once she was in the room, he closed the door swiftly behind him on his departure.
Stunned at the speed everything had happened, Skylar had been left standing in the middle of the room she would now call her bedchamber and tried to make sense of it all. There had not been much chance to think for any length of time upon anything, however, for soon afterward there was a knock on the door, and a maid entered.
After introducing herself as Katherine, she smiled warmly. “The laird has instructed me tae take good care o’ ye, my lady.”
“Och, I’m nae—”
“Never worry,” she said again, her smile widening as she took the state of Skylar in. “We’ll get ye all cleaned up and in some fresh, warm clothes. Ye look like ye’ve had a dreadful time o’ it, but when we’re all done, ye’ll feel like a new pin.”
Katherine appeared to be about Skylar’s age as far as she could tell, and was a pretty lass with a kind and warm character. As she busied herself gathering all she would need, she openly talked away to Skylar as though they had been friends for years.
Apparently, she had grown up in the castle. Katherine relayed how she had spent much of her young days running about the courtyards and the grounds while her mother worked in the huge kitchens deep in the bowels of the great fortress.
“Once I was old enough,” Katherine said, “I was put tae work. At first, I helped out in the kitchens with my mammy. But then, they needed more maids in the castle, and so I was assigned tae learn all there was tae ken. Of course, I’d spent so much time watching everyone over the years, there wasnae much I didnae ken already. And, well,” she shrugged, “I’ve been here ever since.”
Skylar found herself drawn to Katherine almost immediately. Her friendly disposition and easiness were a far cry from the last few days, trekking across Scotland with a group of miserable, burly men. She could not blame them for their misery. Between the dreadful weather, the lack of a decent meal, and their heavy exhaustion, she could hardly have expected them to be anything else.
But even before they had come to her rescue, Skylar had not had such an open and enjoyable conversation for quite some years. The nuns at the convent were all so very tight-lipped and contained. Everything had always been so strict and proper. The opportunity to grow close to any of them did not ever present itself. It was strange, as she thought about it, that in all the time she had spent at Iona Nunnery, she had never really managed to get to know any of them in any depth.
The tin bath had been filled, and Skylar had stripped out of the laird’s shirt, much to the surprise of Katherine, who did not speak a word but conveyed her thoughts with the lifting of her eyebrows. Of course, the maid was not to know it was Laird Macleod’s shirt. Skylar had no intention of telling her such, but she would certainly know it was the attire of some man from somewhere.
Sliding into the bath, Skylar moaned with delight, welcoming the heat of the water against her skin. She had been freezing for so many days that she had nearly forgotten what a normal temperature felt like. As Katherine gently dragged the sponge across her body, her delight only grew, for it felt so good to be clean and fresh once more.
“There’s a huge feast tonight, my lady,” Katherine said as she sponged Skylar’s back. “There’s a lot o’ excitement in the castle, for there’s tae be a wedding soon too. Laird Macleod is tae wed Lady MacTavish. I heard only this morning that the priest is journeying tae the castle and will be here in the next few days.”
As Katherine chattered on, Skylar remembered the conversation she had overheard between Bram and Maxwell on the first night they had all camped out.
“The wedding will have tae go ahead now,”Bram had said.
For a moment, as Katherine continued to wash her back, Skylar found herself a little confused, for the laird’s reply had sounded as though it were Bram who would be wedded.
“Fiona MacTavish’ll be in for a shock when she sees the state o’ ye.”
But as Skylar worked through her confusion, it occurred to her that Katherine likely called both the brothers “laird.” It was common in such circumstances, for what else was one to call the laird’s brother? And had she not already called her “my lady” on several occasions since she had entered the room, even though Skylar was not a lady at all? That conclusion seemed to fit far better, for otherwise, the brother’s conversation made little sense.
Skylar could not help but smile at the thought of Bram marrying. Over their time together, she had come to look upon him with a newfound respect instead of the fear he had at first instilled. He was a good man, in fact, far more at ease than his brother in character.
As the warm water trickled down her back, it made her wonder what this Lady Fiona MacTavish was like and whether the two would be suited. More to the point, as she recalled Bram’s words that night, why was it so important that they marry now? Clearly, it had something to do with the muted discussions he and Maxwell had shared on more than one occasion during their travels, but what it might be, Skylar could not imagine. It was likely none of her concern at any rate, and besides, she had enough to be thinking about with her own circumstances.
At no time had Katherine asked Skylar from whence she had come or anything at all about her. Perhaps she had been instructed not to do so, but Skylar imagined it was more instilled in her as a maid. Nor had Skylar divulged any information voluntarily. She was not to know what was to become of her, and perhaps, the fewer people who knew about her circumstances and her secret, the better.
“Here we are,” Katherine said, laying out a beautifully embroidered skirt, a silk blouse, and a burgundy corset. “We have tae have ye looking well for the feast.”
When Skylar was finally dressed, Katherine gazed at her admiringly. “Well, I did say we’d have ye looking like a new pin, but I think I may have underestimated how very beautiful ye are, my lady.”
“Please, Katherine, call me Skylar.”
The maid looked at her for a long moment, seemingly trying to come to a conclusion of her own. “Perhaps I can call ye that when we are in yer chamber. But I think when we’re in company, ‘my lady’ suits ye far better.”
Skylar smiled back at her. “Thank ye for all ye’ve done for me, Katherine. Before I go down tae the feast, I wonder if ye could tell me where I might find the castle healer. A young boy came back tae the castle with us, and I want tae see if he’s well.”
“I’ll take ye to the healer, my lady. If I dinnae, I’m certain ye’ll get lost in the corridors.”
