Page 34 of A Wife for the Highland Villain
Alasdair opened the door and stepped into the hall, leaving her standing alone in the moonlight, her chest rising and falling too quickly.
Why hadn’t she resisted him?
That could only mean one thing—he was beginning to break her.
Her jaw tightened, fury growing inside her. She was mad at him, and even more at herself for letting him tease her like that. She turned to the bed, grabbed a pillow, and pressed her face into it, screaming until her throat ached.
This could not happen again.
It would not.
Lily was used to waking up at first light, and her new bed had done nothing to change that, thank God. Her eyes fluttered open, and her hand moved across the sheets beside her.
For a brief moment, she thought perhaps Alasdair had slipped in again during the night, lying in wait for her. But the bed was empty, the linens cool and untouched. She let out a small sigh of relief and turned her head toward the window.
A streak of dawn ran across the horizon, gleaming bright behind the mountains and tall trees beyond. The sun would begin to warm the clouds any minute now.
Satisfied, she smiled to herself.
The night had ended without intrusion, and the day ahead would belong to her. She had a mountain of tasks ahead of her, and she planned to tackle them with as much fervor as she could muster.
She sat up and pulled her cloak around her shoulders. If she must keep her ground here, she had to begin early, before others dictated the hours for her. She cleared her throat.
The door creaked, and her head snapped up at once, her heart leaping. Had he returned?
The door opened wide, and Daisy’s figure appeared slowly. Only then did Lily exhale in relief. At least she forced herself to believe it was relief. It definitely wasn’t disappointment that it was not Alasdair.
The maid froze in the doorway, her eyes wide. “Me Lady. Ye are awake?”
“Aye,” Lily responded, trying her best to stifle a yawn.
Daisy rushed forward, wringing her hands. “I must apologize, me Lady. I was to draw ye a bath before ye woke up. I didnaeexpect ye to be awake already. I am sorry. I ken nay lady who wakes up this early.”
Lily’s smile widened. “Think nothing of it. I am a healer; I am used to rising with the sun and fetching herbs at their freshest.”
Daisy blinked at her, then nodded in wonder. “I will adjust the time I wake up, me Lady. Ye should never be awake before me.”
“There is nay need,” Lily said gently. “It would be an imposition.”
“‘Tis nay imposition,” Daisy insisted at once, straightening her back. “Ye are me mistress. I am here to serve ye, and serve ye I will.”
Her earnestness tugged at Lily’s heart. She gave a brief nod in response. “Very well then. Go on and draw me a bath, thank ye.”
The maid curtsied quickly, then hurried into the adjoining room, where steam soon rose with the sound of water being poured from a kettle.
Lily leaned against the headboard for a moment, listening to the maid work. However, her thoughts drifted, as they always did, to those men in the hall.
“How are the patients?” she asked after a moment.
Daisy’s rather cheerful voice carried back through the doorway. “Better, me Lady. Far better than when Dr. Moseley was in charge. Ye have done wonders. Some even say ye are saving lives the way saints do.”
Lily shook her head. “They daenae have to thank me. ‘Tis only me duty.”
“‘Tis far more than duty,” Daisy countered, peeking back into the room with damp cheeks from the steam. “‘Ye’re the lady of the clan, yet ye stoop to serve those others would forget. They ken it, me Lady. They ken ye are kind.”
Lily looked away, trying to ignore the warmth blooming in her chest. She did not wish to hear more.
When Daisy had finished preparing the bath, she dried her hands and returned to her. “Have ye chosen which dress ye’re going to wear before the council today?”
