cracked my eyes open and smiled.
“Hey you,” he said, his lips curving, but I could see the concern on his face. “I’ll crash in here tonight, okay?”
I nodded.
The chair creaked as Miss A stood. “I’ll keep my door open, just in case you need anything.”
He walked her to the door. “Actually, you might lock it.”
I wanted to tell him that no lock on earth would keep Laria away. That she was capable of so much more than any of us gave her credit for. If all of them knew the truth, I wondered what they would do.
I had to give Miss A credit for sticking it out with us. I didn’t know of many people in her position who would.
***
I was taken back to another time…
The landscape changed the moment we came over the mountains. The dreary carriage ride went from bumpy and jarring to halfway pleasant as we made our way onto the main road that led to Braemar.
My father glanced up from his book to stare at me, as was his custom. I hated the white wig, preferring instead his usual ginger locks. But he was playing lord of the manor for all it was worth this day.
“You are Laird and Lady MacKinnon’s guest, and that means I expect you to behave as a guest would.”
He did not fool me for a minute. I knew what he intended. He expected this trip to yield a marriage proposal. Soon I would be eighteen, and on the shelf, so to speak.
I was not opposed to marriage. I knew it was my lot in life—especially being the eldest of five daughters. I just never imagined my family would be in such a hurry to be rid of me.
I was also aware of the rumors circulating throughout our household. I had been told on more than one occasion, from both parents and my siblings, that I was spending far too much time in the company of Thomas, a footman in our home.
The first time I had seen Thomas was when I’d returned from boarding school for the holidays. We’d been attracted to each other—friends and kindred spirits from the moment I saw him sitting on the back stoop, and shooting to his feet the second he saw me, as though he expected to be reprimanded for sitting down. I had smiled and told him to not worry.
Soon we became inseparable, spending his free hours together. I liked him more than a friend, and fancied what our life would be like together. That is until he told me about a young seamstress who worked in a small, nearby village. He had fallen hopelessly in love with her, and they were saving money to one day buy their own parcel of land, to move away, since her father did not approve of Thomas.
I would never reveal his secret. I knew he had been ready to leave when he’d learned I was being sent away for the summer. But I had stopped him, and even lied and told him that I wished to go to Braemar, to see the MacKinnons. I knew they were good friends of the family, and even vaguely recalled the four children, but I had been very young when last we’d met.
In the distance I saw the castle sitting on the small knoll, surrounded by tall fir trees. The castle wasn’t nearly as lovely as my own home, but I preferred the idyllic setting to the somewhat barren landscape of my family’s manor. The river would be a quick walk and I already anticipated I would be spending many hours there.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I felt my father’s gaze and made eye contact.
His brows instantly furrowed.
I’d always been intimidated by him. A military man, he hated when anyone, particularly a woman, looked him straight in the eye. “For the love of God, Margot, sit up straight.”
It seems I could never do anything right.
“Yes, sir,” I replied, doing as he asked while squeezing my gloved fingers together to keep from screaming.
As the carriage rolled onto the gravel leading onto the castle drive, people stepped out of the castle’s doorway. They were all dressed far more casually than my father and I were, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief.
“Now remember, you speak only when spoken to. You are the
“Hey you,” he said, his lips curving, but I could see the concern on his face. “I’ll crash in here tonight, okay?”
I nodded.
The chair creaked as Miss A stood. “I’ll keep my door open, just in case you need anything.”
He walked her to the door. “Actually, you might lock it.”
I wanted to tell him that no lock on earth would keep Laria away. That she was capable of so much more than any of us gave her credit for. If all of them knew the truth, I wondered what they would do.
I had to give Miss A credit for sticking it out with us. I didn’t know of many people in her position who would.
***
I was taken back to another time…
The landscape changed the moment we came over the mountains. The dreary carriage ride went from bumpy and jarring to halfway pleasant as we made our way onto the main road that led to Braemar.
My father glanced up from his book to stare at me, as was his custom. I hated the white wig, preferring instead his usual ginger locks. But he was playing lord of the manor for all it was worth this day.
“You are Laird and Lady MacKinnon’s guest, and that means I expect you to behave as a guest would.”
He did not fool me for a minute. I knew what he intended. He expected this trip to yield a marriage proposal. Soon I would be eighteen, and on the shelf, so to speak.
I was not opposed to marriage. I knew it was my lot in life—especially being the eldest of five daughters. I just never imagined my family would be in such a hurry to be rid of me.
I was also aware of the rumors circulating throughout our household. I had been told on more than one occasion, from both parents and my siblings, that I was spending far too much time in the company of Thomas, a footman in our home.
The first time I had seen Thomas was when I’d returned from boarding school for the holidays. We’d been attracted to each other—friends and kindred spirits from the moment I saw him sitting on the back stoop, and shooting to his feet the second he saw me, as though he expected to be reprimanded for sitting down. I had smiled and told him to not worry.
Soon we became inseparable, spending his free hours together. I liked him more than a friend, and fancied what our life would be like together. That is until he told me about a young seamstress who worked in a small, nearby village. He had fallen hopelessly in love with her, and they were saving money to one day buy their own parcel of land, to move away, since her father did not approve of Thomas.
I would never reveal his secret. I knew he had been ready to leave when he’d learned I was being sent away for the summer. But I had stopped him, and even lied and told him that I wished to go to Braemar, to see the MacKinnons. I knew they were good friends of the family, and even vaguely recalled the four children, but I had been very young when last we’d met.
In the distance I saw the castle sitting on the small knoll, surrounded by tall fir trees. The castle wasn’t nearly as lovely as my own home, but I preferred the idyllic setting to the somewhat barren landscape of my family’s manor. The river would be a quick walk and I already anticipated I would be spending many hours there.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I felt my father’s gaze and made eye contact.
His brows instantly furrowed.
I’d always been intimidated by him. A military man, he hated when anyone, particularly a woman, looked him straight in the eye. “For the love of God, Margot, sit up straight.”
It seems I could never do anything right.
“Yes, sir,” I replied, doing as he asked while squeezing my gloved fingers together to keep from screaming.
As the carriage rolled onto the gravel leading onto the castle drive, people stepped out of the castle’s doorway. They were all dressed far more casually than my father and I were, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief.
“Now remember, you speak only when spoken to. You are the
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