Page 15 of Highlander's Secret Heiress
Lachlan and Gavin were walking around the castle after the morning drill when they came to the laundry area just outside the kitchen and saw Jeannie and some of the other maids washing a load of the castle laundry.
There was nothing unusual about this, except that they had gained another helper in the shape of Davina, whose arms were immersed almost up to her shoulders in soapy water. She was imitating Jeannie, who had her arms in the same vat of laundry, and was obviously having a great deal of fun. Lachlan had lived with his daughter all her life and had never seen her interacting with the servants before.
Davina was trying to say the odd word, but mostly she was giggling, and this was a sound Lachlan had not heard for a very long time. Her nurse was keeping watch on his daughter from a distance, but she was not interfering, since it was obvious that Davina was enjoying herself very much.
“I havenae seen Davina sae happy for a long time,” Gavin observed, smiling. “She seems tae be fair smitten wi’ that new lassie.”
Lachlan frowned as he looked at Jeannie again. He was beginning to feel something strange for this woman who had come into his life so suddenly. She was so different—nothing like the usual maids, who obeyed him at once and never questioned his orders.
This woman was stubborn and stood up for herself, and there was something about her that was very familiar. She reminded him of someone else, someone who had grey eyes, dark hair, and a sparkle in her eyes. She was ready to fight for what she wanted, and she had a way with Davina that was unlike any other woman but her mother. A stab of guilt pierced him; she was nothing like Sandrina—was she?
And yet, why had he begun to dream of her at night? Why did he sometimes imagine that she was lying in bed beside him?
Why did he feel so aroused when she passed him sometimes? Lachlan told himself it was just the reaction of his body to an attractive female, since he no longer went to the ceilidhs and social gatherings he had been accustomed to when his wife was alive. His body was likely starving for some womanly attention—in fact, he knew it was—but even now, three years after her death, he would have felt unfaithful if he succumbed to that temptation.
Yet deep inside he knew that it was more than that, but he brushed his thoughts away; he had no wish for Gavin to know them. He was a good friend, but Lachlan had no wish to make him aware of his guilty conscience.
“She is an interesting woman,” he conceded. “But a strange one. Does Maisie know anything about her?”
Gavin thought for a moment, stroking his thick beard. “Well, she likes the lass,” he answered at last. “So dae a’ the other maids. She says they a’ thought she would be a bit snooty at first, but now she is one o’ them. Maisie an’ the girls are a’ surprised at how well she gets on wi’ Davina. They say it is a miracle.” Hetook a long quaff of his water and smiled. “But miracle or no’, it is lovely tae see them playin’ together. D’ye no’ think so?”
“Indeed,” Lachlan agreed, “but this woman is not like any other servant I have ever seen, Gavin. She is obviously well-educated—she can read, and I’ve put her in charge of reading Davina her story at bedtime. Can you explain that?”
“Maisie tells me she was a ladies’ maid,” Gavin replied. “She said she had tae learn tae read as part o’ her duties, an’ the way she talks—well, she said she worked for the same woman for a long time an’ picked up her manner o’ speech.”
“And do you know the name of the lady who employed her?” Lachlan asked suspiciously. It would be good to confirm Jeannie Dunbar’s story to put his mind at rest.
“Maisie never told me,” Gavin answered. “I am no’ sure if she even knows hersel’.”
Lachlan sipped his ale, thinking. The whole story seemed fanciful to him; he doubted that a young woman could rid herself of the very strong Aberdeenshire accent in which the local people spoke. She was not old enough to have been in someone’s employ for years.
No, he decided. Something else was going on, and he was determined to find out what it was.
“I heard that when she arrived, she came from the south,” Lachlan said thoughtfully. “Is that not MacAdams land?”
“Aye, Lachlan,” Gavin confirmed. “But just because she came fae that direction doesnae make her one o’ them. The girl was in a hell of a state, an’ could have wandered a’ over the place for days.”
Gavin was one of less than a handful of people in the castle who was allowed to call the Laird by his given name, since they had known each other since Lachlan was a boy.
“I know, Gavin,” he said, frowning. “But I am still not convinced. Her accent, her reading, her bearing—she is not oneof the common people.” He looked at Gavin with a firm, direct, gaze. “Could she be a MacAdams spy?”
Gavin was about to laugh and deny this suggestion as fanciful, then his eyes widened as if in shock. “My god!” he exclaimed. “I just remembered somethin’. Some o’ my lads have seen a lass sneakin’ out in the early mornin’ tae train wi’ a sword. She has even used a bow.” He looked up at Lachlan. “A spy, ye say?” he said again. “Ye know, I think she might be. I might be dead wrong, but Lachlan, I think ye must say somethin’ tae her. Ye have tae know the truth.”
Lachlan nodded. He stood up and looked over at Davina and Jeannie Dunbar, still playing together. It seemed to him that Davina was becoming even more attached to Jeannie, and it worried him immensely. What if all of her apparent affection towards his daughter was an act, designed to worm her way into the household, and into his heart? Spies were dangerous, and female spies, he imagined, were more dangerous than men; they could use their feminine wiles to great effect.
“Do not worry, Gavin,” he said grimly. “I will be saying many words to that young lady, and they will not be the kind of words she wants to hear!”
With that, he strode away to the stables to find his favourite horse. At times like this he could not bear to be inside; he needed to be in the fresh air and the endless, open countryside around the castle to clear his mind, for he could not bear to fret and worry any longer.
Alyth duly made her way to Davina’s bedroom that evening to read her a story, and watched the little girl’s face light up with pleasure as she entered the room. She was dressed for bed,cuddling her doll as usual, but she did not seem sleepy in the least.
As she looked at her, Alyth was reminded of her own bedtimes, especially the summertime ones when there was almost no darkness, and she was obliged to go to bed in full daylight, which was incredibly frustrating. She had always fought like a little tigress to be allowed to stay awake, but eventually tiredness always won.
There was a little bookshelf beside Davina’s bed on which there were a couple of dozen picture books, one of which Davina picked out and gave to Alyth to read aloud. Her eyes were shining as she did so, and Alyth smiled at her fondly as she opened it and began to read. As she moved through the book, imitating the sounds of animals’ and children’s voices, she heard Davina beginning to laugh, and looked up at the girl’s happy face.
Davina pointed to a picture of a cow, and said, “Moo,” then giggled.
Alyth felt a surge of warmth and amazement inside as she gazed at her. Then she realised that she had a task to fulfil, and she went on with the story.
