Page 45 of The Lyon and the Unicorn
She fitted. His beloved home seemed to mold itself around her, as if it knew she belonged here, with him.
Joan let out a chuckle. “Besotted, ye are, lad, and rightly so.”
As the two women reached the foot of the stairs, Murdo offered his hand and Clara took it.
“Ladies, would ye like a tour of the castle now ye’ve had yer rest?”
“I’dlovethat!” Clara replied. “Do we have time before supper?”
“Plenty of time, lass,” he replied. “Mrs. Grant, would ye tell Morag to have supper ready at eight?”
Joan nodded and disappeared along the hallway toward the kitchens.
“We’ll start with the great hall, I think,” Murdo said. He led them toward the high-ceilinged room near the back of the building, overlooking the mountain.
“Oh my, it’s enormous!” Clara said, vibrating with excitement. “And look at that fireplace, Mama!”
In front of the fireplace lay what looked like a bear-sized rug, covered in wiry gray hair. A pair of dark brown eyes appeared at one end. Then a tail moved at the other, thumping on the floor.
“Easy, Buck,” Murdo said, as the deerhound lifted its head up, its ears erect.
Clara approached the animal.
“Careful, lass—he doesn’t take to strangers.”
She crouched beside the dog and extended her hand. “Hello, friend,” she said, her voice gentle. “You’re a beautiful boy, aren’t you? I hope you don’t mind our intruding on your privacy.”
The animal’s tail thumped on the floor. Clara remained still, her hand open, as if to show she meant no harm, and Murdo held his breath as she placed her hand on the creature’s head.
Then the deerhound let out a whine and rolled onto his back.
Clara giggled and rubbed the dog’s chest. “Is that what you want, boy?”
Then the dog scrambled to his feet and nudged Clara with his nose. She teetered sideways and, with a laugh, fell to the floor, wrapping her arms around the animal.
“Buck!” Murdo roared. “To heel!”
The dog flattened his ears and let out a whine. But rather than leap to safety, Clara threw her arms around the animal’s neck.
“Don’t hurt him!” she said, her face twisted with distress. “He’s only being friendly.”
“Release the dog, darling,” the duchess said. “Mr. McTavish wasn’t going to whip him.” She turned to Murdo. “You weren’t, were you?”
“Of course not—but yer daughter…”
“Is perfectly safe, as you see,” the duchess said. “She’s good with animals. You must have seen her with my Lady Athena at home.”
“Lady Athena is a pug,” Murdo said. “Buck’s big enough to knock a grown man sideways.” The dog nestled against Clara, and Murdo smiled. “But it also seems as if he’s astute enough to recognize a friend. Come here, Buck—don’tIget a welcome?”
The dog bounded toward him.
“Been catching any hares in my absence?” Murdo said, scratching the back of Buck’s neck.
The dog thumped its tail against Murdo’s leg, and he laughed.
Clara peered inside the fireplace. “I swear this is bigger than the pantry at home.”
Murdo followed her to the fireplace, Buck trotting at his heel. “It has to be, to heat a room of this size,” he said. “It can get very drafty, but we keep warm. That is when Buck here isn’t soaking up all the heat from the fire.”
