Emilie knew that she was no fool. She was smart as a whip, someone who loved to learn and devoured books on every subject she possibly could.
But the Laird did not know that. And that was something she could use to her advantage.
Putting the final touch on her gown, she gave herself a small smile in the mirror before turning and striding from the room. It was going to be a busy day for her.
Because she had a marriage she had to annoy her way out of.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Oh! Ye’re still here.”
The words bumbled out of Emilie the moment she stepped from her chamber and into the corridor beyond. The young maid, the one who had brought her the gowns, was waiting just beyond the door.
The young woman gave her a friendly smile.
“I was ordered by the Laird to tend to ye and to bring ye to breakfast,” she explained. “So, I needed to wait for ye. It’s a lovely gown that ye’ve chosen, me lady. It really suits ye.”
Emilie smiled, trying not to let the kind words go to her head. It was the same thought she’d had only moments before as she smiled to herself at the mirror.
She had never really seen herself donning so much color. Not since she was a young girl. And back then, she didn’t much care to appreciate what that was like.
But now? After years of wearing nothing but her habit?
Emilie’s hands shook as she rubbed them over the beautifully woven fabric. She tried to banish the words from her mind, tried to push them down as far as she could.
But she couldn’t quite push the satisfaction out of her mind as she turned to the maid.
“What is yer name?” Emilie asked abruptly, desperate to change the conversation. “I’m assumin’ if the Laird has ordered ye to tend to me, it’s somethin’ he’ll be havin’ ye do for quite some time. So, we might as well get to ken each other.”
The maid blinked at her for a moment, seemingly stunned once again by Emilie treating her as an equal. But she got over it more quickly than she had when Emilie had helped her with the gowns.
“Me name is Catherine, me Lady,” she answered, giving Emilie a gracious bow of her head. “And, ye are right. The Laird will have me tendin’ to ye until ye at least ken how to get around the castle. Which will take some time.”
Emilie glanced around at that. The front of the bedroom she shared with Laird McGregor was curved, letting her know that itwas in one of the turrets. But she recalled seeing more than one when they arrived yesterday.
The back of the room, however, had been straight. And the corridor they were in now was long, stretching in either direction before disappearing around sharp, perfectly angled corners.
We’re low enough near that turret that it connects with the main structure of the castle. But where are we?
No matter how hard Emilie tried to map it all out in her mind, she could not place it.
Catherine was right. Emilie would never be able to get around without her.
“All right,” Emilie murmured. “Show me around.”
Catherine beamed at her as she turned and walked to the right.
“Ye’re in the northernmost part of the castle,” Catherine explained, her voice lilting and friendly as she spoke. “All the rooms belong to either ye or the Laird are in this wing. His study, yer study, the bairns’ rooms, where they play, sleep, and learn. It’s all here.”
Emilie nodded. “That makes sense, that everythin’ would be focused in this one wing.”
“Whenever ye look out the windows,” Catherine said, pointing to one of the windows in front of them. “If ye can see the sea, ye’ll only be in one of two places. Ye can only see the sea from the North and the East.”
Emilie nodded, glancing out the window as they passed it. Sure enough, the gray sea lay just beyond. It was tossing over waves, their white caps breaking in the distance.
“Ye can tell if ye’re in the East if ye can see the cliffs on the other side of the firth,” Catherine continued. “If ye cannae see the cliffs, that means ye’re to the north.”
Emilie took that all in, glancing out the next window. Lush, green cliffs were just beyond the sea, giving way to rocky beaches at their feet.