Saving Grace by Julie Garwood Page A

Leila that, however, for she didn’t want the woman to think she wasn’t grateful to have the laird’s protection. She turned around to look at her husband.
    “Good night, m’lord.”
    “Good night, Johanna.”
    Johanna followed Leila up the rest of the steps. The landing was partially blocked by a stack of wooden crates on the left so no one would pitch over into the great hall or the hallway below. A narrow corridor was on the opposite side. There were candles perched inside bronzed holders braced against the wall to light the way. Leila started telling Johanna about the keep and begged her to ask questions that came to mind. Another woman named Megan waited inside the first chamber with a bath ready for Johanna. She had dark brown hair and hazel eyes and also wore the Maclaurin plaid. Her smile was just as inviting as Leila’s.
    Their easy acceptance of Johanna helped her relax. The bath felt wonderful. She told them how thoughtful they were to think she would enjoy the luxury.
    “Our laird ordered the bath for you,” Megan explained. “Since a MacBain gave up his bed for you last night, it was the Maclaurins’ turn to do something for you.”
    “It was only fair,” Leila added.
    Before Johanna could ask what she meant by that remark, Megan turned the topic. She wanted to talk about the wedding. “You looked so beautiful, m’lady. Did you do the embroidery work on your dress? It was quite lovely.”
    “Of course she didn’t do the work herself,” Leila said. “Her maid . . .”
    “But I did do the sewing,” Johanna interjected.
    The conversation continued all during her bath. Johanna finally bid the ladies good night and went down the hall to the second chamber.
    The room was warm inside and very appealing. There was a hearth against the outside wall, a huge bed draped with the MacBain plaid along the opposite wall, and a window overlooking the meadow below. A thick fur covering on the window blocked the night winds, and that protection, added to the fire blazing away in the hearth, made the room most inviting.
    The bed all but swallowed her up. She imagined four people could sleep under the covers together side by side without touching each other. Her feet were cold, but that was the only discomfort she felt. She considered getting out of her bed in search of a pair of woolen stockings, then decided the task would require too much effort. She probably should have taken the time to braid her hair, she thought with a loud yawn. It was going to be full of tangles in the morning. She decided she was too tired to care. She closed her eyes, said her prayers, and went to sleep.
    The door opened just as she was drifting off. Her mind didn’t register what was happening until she felt the side of the bed sag. She slowly opened her eyes. It was all right, she told herself. It was Gabriel and not an intruder sitting on the side of the bed.
    He was taking his boots off. She tried not to be alarmed. “What are you doing, m’lord?”
    Her voice was a groggy whisper. He looked over his shoulder to answer her. “I’m getting ready for bed.”
    She closed her eyes again. He thought she’d gone back to sleep. MacBain sat there staring down at her for several minutes. She rested on her side, facing him. Her hair, as golden as a sunset, was spread over her shoulders like a coverlet. She looked exquisite to him. Innocent and fragile as well. She was much younger than he’d supposed she would be, and after he and Nicholas had resolved their differences and the baron had wisely decided to obey his commands, he’d asked him exactly how old his sister was. Nicholas couldn’t remember the date of her birth, but he’d said she’d been little more than a child when her parents received the order from King John to marry her to his favored baron.
    Johanna suddenly bolted upright in the bed. “Here? You think to sleep here, m’lord?”
    She’d choked on the question. He nodded, wondering why she looked so