Page 10 of Highlander's Secret Heiress
Yet, Davina looked more content in the new maid’s company than she had for a long time. He had employed a woman to look after her, but she had gone to see her sick mother for a few weeks, and Davina was unsupervised. She was seemingly indifferent to this, since she had never expressed a great deal of affection for the nanny.
However, now, whether it was because of the resemblance to her real mother or some other quality the woman possessed, Davina was drawn to the new maidservant.
Alyth stood up and curtsied briefly, and suddenly, he could see that she was not in a maid’s uniform. Lachlan’s eyes widened in surprise. He did not know whether to feel angry about a woman wearing breeches or not, but she was not dressed indecently.
In fact, he found her clothing quite alluring, but he forced the thought, and the guilt it brought with it, to the back of his mind as he walked towards them.
Davina looked around and saw him, then smiled and reached up to embrace him. Lachlan loved to feel his daughter’s arms around him, and laughed softly as he kissed the top of her head. Since his wife’s death, she had been his whole world, and as he watched her with the new maid, he felt jealous; he did not want to share her with anyone.
“Davina,” he said, his voice gentle, “you should not take the servants away from their work. They have things to do, and you are keeping them away.”
Davina’s face fell, and Lachlan felt wretched for having chastised his daughter; she was so fragile. He looked up into the eyes of the woman who was causing him so much trouble.
“This is not what I pay you for,” he said reproachfully. “You are a housemaid, not a nursemaid. Get back to work. Have I not told you already to leave my daughter alone?”
If he had expected meek compliance, he was disappointed. Alyth squared her shoulders and tilted her chin up, then looked him squarely in the eyes.
“Davina is my lady too, and I must obey her,” she said defiantly. “She summoned me to read to her, and I obeyed. I have not harmed her, nor would I ever do so. I think she enjoys being read to, my Laird.” She looked down at the little girl. “Do you not, Davina?”
Davina nodded vigorously, beaming at Alyth. Then she did something neither the Laird nor Alyth had expected. She let go of her father and went to Alyth, drew her down onto the seat again, and put her arms around her before opening the book again. She looked up at the Laird reproachfully, then pointed to the book again.
“What would you like me to do, my Laird?” Alyth asked him as Davina put her arm around her waist. “I can go back to my gardening if you wish.”
The Laird took a step forward, bringing himself closer to her. Alyth wanted to step backwards, but she stood her ground, not wanting him to see how afraid she was of his intimidating bulk.
Then Davina pulled at his kilt and gave him a pleading look, and Alyth saw the defiance going out of his expression at once. It was quite evident he would do anything for his daughter, and Alyth realised that having Davina on her side was a wonderful tool to have on her mission.
“Well,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “It is a rare thing to have a maid who can read, and who speaks like a lady.”
“I was a lady’s maid, My Laird,” she told him. “I needed to be able to read sometimes. I picked up her way of speaking too. Is that wrong?”
His eyes had darkened with anger, and the glare he gave her was venomous, but Alyth refused to be cowed. She stared back at him, feeling her own rage rise to meet his. Why should she be treated this way, even if he was suspicious of her?
Lachlan looked down at her with some respect. She had courage, he had to give her that, but she was far too mysterious for his liking. She was hiding something; he was sure of it, but what could it be? Yet, Davina liked her, and there were not many people who were accorded that honour. Perhaps he could bend a little just this once if it made her happy.
“If you were a lady’s maid, you must know how to behave in a ladylike manner,” he conceded. “You may read to her as long as she wishes, but Davina must choose when to stop. She is your lady, as you said, and you must obey her. Do you understand?”
Alyth boiled with fury inside.
Of course, I do, you monster! I’m not a simpleton,she thought, but she merely nodded and said, “Yes, My Laird.”
Davina tugged her tunic and drew Alyth’s attention back to the book again. “Where were we?” Alyth asked, smiling as Davina turned to the right page.
The last thing Lachlan saw was Davina leaning her head on Alyth’s shoulder as she began to read the story aloud.
4
Alyth had had no idea when she was hired at Leithmuir Castle that her work would be so diverse. Now she found herself serving the Laird and Davina at dinner, a task she was far better suited for than gardening. At least she knew the etiquette of a dining room, whereas she was completely clueless about growing vegetables and herbs.
The problem of her dress had been solved, since Maisie had told her that the Laird had come to see her to complain about Alyth’s attire.
When Alyth went to collect her new uniform, Maisie had smiled at her in a somewhat mystified fashion. “Well, I dinnae know what ye did tae the Laird,” she said, “but he was a’ in a flutter when he came here. He said he was shocked tae see one o’ his maid servants dressed in such an indecent way—his words, no’ mine, hen. He ordered that your dress should be finished as quickly as possible, an’ got another seamstress in tae help the first one.”
Alyth frowned. “Was he angry?” she asked. Her heart was beating nineteen to the dozen, for she did not want to be thrownout after she had only been in Laird Carrick’s employ for only a few days.
Maisie shook her head. “A wee bit, but he knew it wisnae your fault,” she answered. “Anyway, here it is.” She presented Alyth with a plain brown dress. “I wish ye health tae wear it, hen.” Then she smiled warmly and put her hands on Alyth’s shoulders. “Ye will dae well here, hen. The lassies a’ like ye, an’ I trust them.”
Alyth was genuinely pleased. The life of a servant was a hard one, but she had not reckoned with the camaraderie she would find amongst the others, and realised that it was something she had never experienced before. Ladies of her own rank of the social ladder tended not to form intimate friendships.
