Page 24 of The Laird's Unwanted Wife
Aileen watched as her friend remained in place, looking to Gerald for approval first. That seemed to impress the Laird enough, as he added afterward, “Aye, Miss Anderson. Go and do as Mollie has asked. Then have Ms. Blair escort ye to Aileen’s room to aid in her own wedding preparations.”
“As ye wish, me Laird.” Sarah then stepped past Gerald and took Mollie’s hand, pleasantly engaging the little girl as she spoke rapidly about everything—and anything—that came to mind.
“Yer instinct to find her was spot on,” Gerald said as Aileen entered the main hall next, closing the door behind as he continued to watch Sarah and Mollie down the hall. “She kens exactly where she stands among the staff.”
“I truly didnae ken she’d been promoted,” Aileen began, only for Gerald to shake his head.
“It worked in her favor, actually. She made no indication of wishin’ to replace Ms. Blair, and seemed to understand she wasa stranger amidst the clan.” Gerald nodded with certainty, his arms crossing loosely over his chest. “Even if her speech were somewhat flowery, she meant what she said about workin’ for an honorable laird. Yer trust in her makes perfect sense. I think she’ll be an excellent addition to the castle’s staff.”
That reassurance lifted a huge weight from Aileen’s shoulders. Even so, some of her nerves remained, and as Gerald offered a hand in escorting her back to her room, she could only linger on his words from breakfast. “Do … do ye really think Marcus’ old council will let this marriage occur without issue?”
Gerald snorted loudly. “Gods nay. I’m certain they’ll try to kick up some form of fuss. And they’ll be welcome to, so long as they daenae try to harm anyone.” Something mischievous flashed behind the Laird’s eyes, and Aileen found herself strangely drawn to it. He so veryclearlywanted the council to try something, perhaps as an excuse to enact an ounce of revenge against the people who had worked for the man who nearly ran the Highlands into the ground.
“I thought ye were serious when ye spoke to Mollie about being the bigger man,” Aileen inquired.
“Aye, I was quite serious,” Gerald insisted. “Though there is a stark difference between rising above and allowing oneself to be stepped on. Perhaps today, I’ll show ye the difference between the two, sweet wife.”
Truthfully—though she would never admit it out loud—Aileen hoped to see the Laird do just that. Hate was a strong wordto use, but she certainly didn’t wish an easy life upon the men who made her and her sister’s lives so difficult. If her soon-to-be husband would give them a difficult time, Aileen certainly wasn’t interested in coming to their defense.
“Suppose ye might, dear husband. Suppose ye might.”
Her marriage began to feel far more tangible once she was in the dress proper. Aileen looked at herself from every angle, the beautifully verdant cloth cut and sized to perfectly accent her body’s best features. She smoothed her hand down her waist, grimacing slightly at how thin she still was.
“Oh, I see that look on yer face!” Sarah playfully slapped Aileen’s hand aside, straightening the fabric with a reassuring grin. “Ye look lovely, Aileen. Far better than thatotherdress of yers. I mean, red?” Sarah shook her head with a scoff. “What sort of fool pairs hair as lovely as yers withred?It would completely wash ye out! And it would only redden yer face in an unflatterin’ manner.”
Aileen couldn’t help but giggle lightly, letting go of her compulsion to continue tugging at her dress. Of course, Sarah knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. She had everything completely under control. “If only ye were with me at Carswell’s.”
“If I were, I wouldnae have allowed ye to marry that brute of a man.” Sarah’s scowl was audible in her tone, fixing one of the florals along the hem. “Did these come with the dress?”
“Mollie added them on,” Aileen explained.
“Ah, that does sound like something she’d do,” Sarah chuckled warmly. She then stood upright and stepped back, getting a full look at her handiwork. “Aye, that looks perfect! A beautiful queen of the evergreens amidst this wintry wonderland.”
Aileen genuinely believed the ‘beautiful’ part this time around, giving a quick spin on her heel as the dress fluttered outward, much to Sarah’s delight. “Ah! Absolutely perfect! Now, go and sit by the hearth so I can get yer hair done up.”
Aileen obliged, taking a seat as Sarah immediately started in on her hair. Her fingers were a blur, weaving tight braids that eventually blended into a partial bun. She occasionally strung subtle florals between the braids, creating the illusion of a beautiful tiara placed on Aileen’s head.
“So, then,” Sarah began with a conspiratorial smirk. “Now that Mollie’s nae houndin’ me like me own personal shadow … how has Laird MacLiddel been?”
Aileen’s brow furrowed slightly. “How has he been?” She pursed her lips, her head bobbling slightly as Sarah tugged on a particularly stubborn knot in her hair. “I … suppose he’s been good, all things considered. I cannae imagine handling thebetrayal of a dear companion as well as he had. Gracious, it’d be like havingyebetray me, Sarah.”
“Aye, right,” Sarah agreed, clearly not interested in the topic. “But that’s nae what I was referring to!”
How had he been? “Well, he’s been very kind to Mollie, that’s for certain. Went as far as to promise her whatever life she’d like. Did ye ken he wrote to clan MacDonnell to invite their hound master here? All to help Mollie learn proper training for Bannock,”
“Aileen Hughes, ye kenverywell what I’m askin’ ye!” Sarah’s voice jumped an octave, and she covered her mouth with sheepish giggling. Aileen gave her friend a bemused look, uncertain why she was acting like a bashful lass during her first cèilidh amidst handsome lads her own age.
The comparison barely formed in her mind when realization struck at last, and Aileen’s face turned bright red. “Oh—oh!Sarah, nay! Ye cannae ask such personal questions!”
“I absolutely can!” Sarah insisted. “As yer closest friendandpersonal maid, me business is yer business, andmebusiness in this moment is to ensure yer new husband satisfies every part of yer marriage.”
Nervous laughter escaped Aileen’s throat as she tried to shake her head, only for Sarah to chastise her with a tug of her hair. “Sorry,” Aileen said, settling back into her chair as her friendcontinued to braid her hair. “It’s just … he hasnae asked that sort of thing from me.”
Brief memories of last night’s kiss skittered across her mind, and she did her best to push them to the back. It wasn’t a topic to discuss with Sarah—that was a conversation meant between her and her soon-to-be husband. At some point, hopefully.
“Really?” Sarah asked, sounding incredibly disappointed. “He doesnae wish to be physical with ye at all?”
Aileen went to shake her head again, but stopped herself. “Nay. He … he doesnae wish for the typical marriage. All he wishes is for control over Marcus’ territory.”
