“So ye’ve said before,” he flashed her a smile. Resisting the urge to tuck a loose strand of her auburn hair behind her ear, he clasped his hands behind his back. “But be that as it may, me daughter has grown quite fond of ye. She will be verra sad to see ye leave.” I’ve grown fond of ye as well.
A warm smile lit her face. “She is a precious child.”
“Aye, that she is,” he agreed. “I fear I make a miserable mum for her,” he chuckled. “I’ve treated her more like a lad than a little girl. She needs the influence of a proper lady. Someone who will teach her all the things a proper lady should know.”
Arline’s spirits and hope began to soar. She threw a rope around them and tugged them back to earth. Certainly he did not mean… Nay, he could not mean to propose. She gave a mental shake of her head.
“So me proposal is this,” he said, standing a bit taller. “I would like ye to stay with us at Áit na Síochána as a governess for Lily. Ye’ll be given a fine room near Lily’s and anything ye might need to teach Lily.”
Spirits and hope plunged downward, along with her heart and lodged themselves firmly into the soil beneath her feet. Of course he hadn’t meant what she had found herself wishing for. He didn’t want a wife, or at least not Arline as a wife. ’Twas a ridiculous notion to begin with. What man proposes after but a few days of meeting someone? She felt like a ridiculous fool for having thought it.
“I ken ye wish to be with yer sisters, me lady. But someone inside the walls of my keep, aided in Lily’s kidnappin’. A draught was slipped into a cask of ale, leaving most of me keep unguarded. We also believe someone slipped the same potion into Lily’s tea.”
Arline gasped with shock. “Nay!” she exclaimed. “Who would do such a thing?”
Rowan shook his head. “I dunna ken, but I do intend to find out. I need someone, someone I can trust, to care for Lily.” He paused and looked into her green eyes. “I trust ye, Arline. I can see well that ye care fer me daughter. I ken that ye’d no’ let any harm come to her.”
Arline could only nod her head in affirmation. The ability to form words had fled. He trusted her to care for his daughter, the daughter he loved more than any other person on this earth. She felt both honored and terrified at the same time. Honored that he felt he could trust her after only knowing her for such a short time and terrified that she’d somehow make a mistake with Lily.
“So me proposal is this. Ye stay at Áit na Síochána, fer at least a month, to act as Lily’s governess. If, after the end of that month, ye find ye do no’ wish to stay on permanently, then I shall give ye escort to anywhere ye wish to go.”
The wanton screamed for her to agree. If he didn’t want her as a wife, mayhap he’d desire her as a mistress. She took a deep, steady breath and mentally pushed the wanton into the earth along with her heart and hopes. Reminding herself she did posses some amount of pride and dignity.
This was not a decision that could be made lightly. It would require a good deal of thought and consideration. She did have her sisters to consider. They were hiding in Inverness and Lord only knew how they were faring. It had been months since last she’d heard from them or been able to write to them. She would write to them as soon as she reached Áit na Síochána, to let them know she was alive and well. If they were well and safe, mayhap then she could give serious consideration to Rowan’s proposition.
“May I have some time to think on it, me laird?” she asked.
“Aye,” he said with a nod. “However, I fear ye may no’ be able to say no, once ye see Áit na Síochána. It has a way of stealin’ yer breath and yer heart at the same time,” he told her, flashing that brilliant and perfect smile.
Much like the man who rules over it, she thought.
Eleven
Castle Áit na Síochána lay on the horizon. It was just as beautiful as Rowan had described and, as promised, its majesty and beauty did take her breath away. The castle and the surrounding land were magnificent. Translated, Áit na Síochána meant Place of Peace. Seeing it now for the first time, Arline thought it a literal and honest description.
They had stopped at the top of the hill to gaze down at Áit na Síochána. The road leading to the castle wound ever so slightly, following the lay of the land. A few crofters’ huts were scattered here and there on either side of the road. At the end stood the castle she had heard so much about, first from Lily, then from Rowan.
Three stories tall, created out of large blocks of gray limestone, it stood seemingly impenetrable at the edge of a very large loch. The loch surrounded the castle on three sides. The only way in was the road they travelled, or by boat.
A massive thick curtain wall spread from east to west. Beyond that was another wall that surrounded the keep in its entirety. Enormous square towers stood on each corner of the wall, towering high above the keep itself.
“Ye didna exaggerate, Rowan!” Arline said breathlessly. “It is beautiful.”
Rowan smiled in agreement. He had both arms wrapped around Arline, who was holding a sleeping Lily in her arms. He gave them both a gentle squeeze before giving a tap to move their horse forward.
They sped down the road quickly, with each of Rowan’s men following close behind. The level of excitement amongst Rowan and his men was palpable. They were glad to be home and Arline could see and sense their excitement and relief.
That old familiar sensation of longing draped over her heart again. She hadn’t felt at home in a very long time. The one and only time she felt at peace or at home was when she was married to Carlich Lindsay. That now seemed a lifetime ago.
She wondered if she would ever feel that way again. Aye, Rowan had generously made her an offer to stay at Áit na Síochána to be Lily’s governess but doubts about whether to accept that offer or to turn it down lingered. Being Lily’s governess meant being in constant contact with Rowan. It would help if he weren’t so decidedly handsome!
She’d been going back and forth between yes and no since he’d made the offer. It wasn’t until she saw Áit na Síochána that she made up her mind.
“Rowan,” she whispered over her shoulder. “I’ll take ye up on yer offer to be Lily’s governess. I will give ye one month.”
He was glad she couldn’t see his face for she would have seen the joy alight in his eyes. He was still uncertain where exactly he wanted their friendship to lead him. All he knew with any amount of certainty was that he did not want her to leave.
She had grown quiet and she looked distant and removed. “Ye miss yer sisters.”
“Aye, I do. Verra much.” To say she missed them was a tremendous understatement. But it went beyond just missing them. There was still much guilt that she harbored over her father’s mistreatment of them. Orthanach would never try to atone for his sins so Arline did her best to atone on his behalf. Why her sisters should be punished for their father’s misdeeds made no sense to her.
An idea began to form in Rowan’s mind. He seriously doubted Arline would be able to live here beyond the month without her sisters. They were a very important part of her life and even a fool could see how much she loved them.
“I have another request, me lady.”
“Aye? And what would that be me laird?”
“One,” he whispered into her ear. “Ye quit with the ‘me lairds’. I’m no’ a laird, I’m the chief of Clan Graham. Please, call me Rowan. Everyone else calls me by me given name. I’d like ye to do the same.”
Arline felt her cheeks flush and grow warm. It seemed a very personal thing to do, to call him by his given name. It had taken the entire first year of her marriage to Carlich before she felt comfortable enough to call him by his. Using first names bespoke of a certain level of intimacy.
He had seen her half naked. He had touched her bare skin -- albeit to look for injuries. Rowan Graham was the first man to ever see bare skin below her décolletage. Supposing that was indeed a level of intimacy, one she’d never had with any other man before, calling him by his given n
ame seemed appropriate under the circumstances.
“I agree,” she told him. “Is that all?”
“Nay,” he said. “I should like to see ye smile more.”
Her brow knitted. The man was plainly daft, evidenced in what she found to be a rather odd request. “Yer daft.”
He laughed at her. “I’ve been told that before.”
Soon, they reached the large wooden gate of the outer wall. The four men standing atop it called down a welcome to Rowan and the others as the gate opened. They rode in silence until they reached the second wall and gate.
It flew open and loud cheers went up. Dozens of people came rushing toward them, all calling out to Rowan and the men. Arline took note of the relieved and happy faces of Rowan’s people.
Lily woke to the cheerful noise, sat up, threw back the fur that covered her head and looked about. “We’re home!” she exclaimed gleefully.
Before Arline realized what was happening, someone grabbed Lily down and enveloped her in a big hug, whisking her into the keep. “I think they be glad to see us, lass,” Rowan whispered into her ear.
He swung himself down from their mount only to be assaulted by crying women fighting for a chance to hug him and men slapping hands on his back and arms. Arline had never witnessed such a thing as this before. Stunned by the outward displays of emotion, she sat rigid on the back of the horse. For a brief moment, she thought of stealing Rowan’s horse and fleeing.
Rowan did not give her time to escape. His hands were around her waist and lifting her down to stand beside him before she could blink.
“Selina!” Rowan called out as he took Arline’s hand in his and led her up the steps of the keep. As they reached the entrance a young lass of no more than seven and ten pushed her way through the crowd.
“Selina!” Rowan called out again, greeting the young woman with a smile as he gently grabbed her arm. With Arline on one arm and Selina on the other, he pushed his way through the crowd.
Carefully, he guided them down the steps that led to a large and immaculate gathering room. Massive chandeliers hung from the beamed ceiling. Two equally massive fireplaces mirrored each other on opposite walls. Over each mantle hung the Graham rampant with two crossed broadswords.
Several women stood near the fireplace to Arline’s left and they were all taking turns hugging Lily. “Och, lassie!” one of the older women said. “We be so glad to have ye home!”
Lily was all smiles and seemed quite happy with the attention being given her.
“Are ye hurt, lassie?” An older, short, stout woman with her gray hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck asked.
“Nay,” Lily told her. “I was verra scared though. But Lady Arline took verra good care of me!”
Arline was not given much time to take it all in. Without knowing who it was that had aided in Lily’s kidnapping, she did not feel she could trust anyone just yet.
“Selina, this be Lady Arline.” Rowan smiled as he introduced the two women, pulling Arline’s attention away from Lily.
“Lady Arline, this be Selina. Selina, I want ye to take verra good care of Lady Arline. Give her my mother’s auld room, see to it that she has as many baths as she wants. And find the healer to tend to her injuries.” Rowan was rattling off orders in such a rapid succession that Arline found it difficult to keep up.
“I should see that Lily is settled first, Rowan,” Arline interjected.
Rowan stopped, tilted his head slightly and stared at her as if she were some curious new being he’d never seen before. “Nay, lass. There are plenty of people here to see to Lily’s needs. Ye need to see to yer own first.”
Arline stepped closer, tugged on his tunic so that he would bend low. Whispering in his ear, she said, “But Rowan, did ye no’ say that ye have no idea who helped aid in Lily’s kidnappin’? What if they try again?”
Rowan smiled and gave Arline a pat on her shoulder. “Lass, I have me most trusted men, Frederick and Daniel, guardin’ me daughter.”
“But I’d feel better if --”
Rowan cut her off before she could continue her protests. “Arline, I’ll be guardin’ her as well.”
He watched as Arline’s shoulders sagged with relief and it made him smile all the more. “Now, ye go with Selina. She’ll see that yer settled. We’ll talk later, after the evenin’ meal.”
He turned then to Selina. “I want ye to take verra good care of Lady Arline. She took verra good care of me daughter and I owe her much fer that. She’s been through quite an ordeal these past days. See if ye can find some dresses fer her and if ye canna find them, make them.”
“I’ll take good care of her, Rowan, I promise!”
Just as Selina took Arline’s arm to take her away, a woman’s voice called out from somewhere behind them.
Arline turned to see a beautiful woman with raven black hair descend the staircase. She wore a magnificent gown made of burgundy damask that trailed down the stairs behind her. The dress clung to her almost like a second skin. And she showed more bosom than Lady Arline could ever hope to own.
Even if she had not been covered from head to toe in mud, muck, grime and berry juice, Arline would still have felt just as inadequate as she now did. The woman was stunning, elegant, graceful.
The woman ignored Lily and the women fawning over her, did not so much as give them a nod of her head. She came straight to Rowan.
“Rowan! Och! I was so worried over ye!”
When the woman flung her arms around Rowan’s neck, Arline wanted nothing more than to pull out every last strand of her raven black hair. She pulled the feeling back quickly. She knew she had no claim to any man, let alone Rowan Graham.
Rowan’s face held an odd expression. One of frustration blended with confusion. “Beatrice,” he said as he pulled her arms way and took a step back. “Why are ye still here? I thought ye were goin’ to Edinburgh?”
Beatrice stuck her bottom lip out, as if she were wounded and hurt. Most men might have found that pouting lip quite attractive. Rowan wasn’t most men.
“I could no’ have left ye in yer time of need! I was so worried over ye that I delayed me trip. Fer ye, Rowan.” Her voice was as smooth as silk as she batted her lashes up at Rowan.
Rowan raised his voice. “Lady Beatrice of Cill Saidhe,” he said as he stepped toward Arline. “This be Lady Arline.” He smiled proudly down at Arline. “She helped to care fer Lily.”
Beatrice stepped forward and gave Arline an elegant curtsey. “’Tis me pleasure, me lady.”
Although Beatrice curtsied elegantly and made a grand attempt at being congenial, Arline caught a glimmer of something in the woman’s eyes. Arline also took note that not once since entering the room, did the woman ask after Lily.
“Me lady,” Arline said, returning the curtsey.
There was something about this woman that Arline disliked. Mayhap it was the fact that the woman was stunningly beautiful, with a gown anyone would be envious of and perfectly kempt hair, all of which made Arline feel even more lacking than she usually felt. Mayhap, Arline thought, she was simply exhausted and had jumped to a conclusion about the woman. Or, more likely than not, it was the way the woman draped herself around Rowan that made her want to scratch those beautiful blue eyes right out of their sockets.
Sleep. Arline thought. I just need a bath and sleep. Yer bein’ ridiculous. The woman has done nothin’ to deserve yer rudeness!
“’Tis me pleasure as well, me lady,” Arline said, forcing a smile to her lips.
“Yer Garrick Blackthorn’s wife, are ye no’?” Beatrice asked.
Her question, though hidden behind a veil of politeness, made the hair on the back of Arline’s neck stand. “Nay, I am no longer married to Garrick Blackthorn.”
Beatrice was stunned by the news. She pressed her delicate fingertips to her neck. “Nay? Be he dead?”
Arline stood straighter and thrust out her chin. “Nay, he is no’.”
Confusion and curiosity lit behin
d Beatrice’s eyes. “Then, how --”
Rowan did not allow Beatrice to finish her question. “Beatrice, now is no’ the time.” He did not want to bring any further embarrassment to Arline. She certainly did not need to be interrogated by Beatrice.
“Selina,” Rowan began. “Please take Lady Arline above stairs as we discussed.”
Selina gave a quick curtsy and pulled Arline away. Arline waited until they were out of earshot of the rest of the gathering room before asking about the beautiful Lady Beatrice. “Who is that woman?”
Selina’s smile quickly evaporated. She cast a quick look over her shoulder at the woman in question. “Lady Beatrice?”
“Aye, Lady Beatrice.”
Selina cleared her throat before answering. “She be a friend of Rowan’s.”
Friend? That could be taken any number of different ways. From the expression on Selina’s face, the term was probably the most polite way of describing her as Rowan’s lover. The thought made her heart feel tight, constricted.
They made their way up the curved and narrow staircase which spilled out onto a large landing. Selina remained quiet as she led Arline down the long narrow hallway.
“Lady Beatrice,” Arline murmured softly. “She is Rowan’s lover?”
Selina’s eyes grew wide with disgust and surprise. “Och!” she exclaimed loudly before leaning in to speak to Arline in hushed tones. “She wishes she were his lover!”
Arline’s interest was thoroughly piqued. She feigned ignorance and bade Selina to tell her more.
“My mum taught me that if I dunna have anythin’ nice to say, then I shouldna say anythin’ at all.” Selina was reluctant to tell Arline anything that might be construed as inappropriate or rude.
Selina stopped midway down the hallway and opened the door to a nicely appointed bedchamber. A large canopied bed sat to Arline’s right and directly opposite the bed was a fireplace. The room had not been used in quite some time and all the furniture, save for the lovely bed, was draped in white sheets.
“It has been some time since anyone has used this room, me lady,” Selina said as she walked to the windows and pulled back the heavy furs that covered them. Though it was a rather gloomy day, the breeze that rushed in helped to remove some of the musty smell that filled the room.
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