The realityof her situation became heavy, and the carefree, almost playful mood she’d been in when she and Ryan left the castle this morning morphed into something more somber. She forced herself to put on the best mask of excitement that she could though she knew it fell flat when Agnes frowned at one of her less than enthusiastic responses.
She triedto make up for it, so she glanced back at the Laird and said to Agnes, “I’m sure the wedding will be beautiful. I hope you’ll be in attendance. You’re the first person I met when I arrived after all.”
I will makeit known this wedding is mine, too, if it must happen. I can invite whoever I want.
Agnes grinned,and the tense atmosphere shifted back to one of mirth. She bounced on her toes, the white of her teeth gleaming in the light filtering in from the big windows at the front of the shop.
“I’d be honoredto attend yer weddin’,” she said, draping a swatch of gold over the purple fabric she’d rested on Margaret’s shoulder. “I cannae remember the last time I attended a celebration so important.”
Margaret observed Ryan.He was watching the two of them with an eyebrow raised. She wondered if she’d broken an unspoken rule by inviting the seamstress to the celebration though she found she didn’t particularly care.
Surely everyone will attendthe wedding in some capacity. This village isn’t very big. There must be room within the castle to host them.
Agnes fussed a bit more.She murmured about ensuring everything was just right, pulling more bolts of cotton and silk and laying them to the side. It seemed as though the invitation from Margaret had renewed her enthusiasm for her task.
“Well, ye’re done for now,”Agnes said after a few more minutes, stepping back with her hands on her hips. She looked between the Laird and Margaret, a grin on her face. Then, as though struck, she bounced on the balls of her feet. “Ach, I finished yer other gown right before ye walked in. Wait here.”
“So when did ye visit Agnes?”Ryan asked, his voice making Margaret jump.
She’d nearly forgottenhe was there; he’d been so quiet. Even their brief moment of eye contact had slipped her mind. Shewasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that his presence was as natural as her own.
“Is that really important?”Margaret said, turning away from her reflection. Instead, she focused on the Highlander. “This was my first stop when I arrived in Scotland.”
“Ye arrived without clothes?”he asked, a teasing lilt to his voice. His head was tilted just so.
“No,”she huffed, narrowing her eyesthough her flushing cheeks betrayed her. “Travel was unkind to the dress I wore on my way here.”
“Here ye are!”Agnes said, appearing with a parchment-wrapped package, interrupting the rest of their conversation.
She presented it to Margaret,but Ryan stepped forward to take it, saying, “Thank ye, Agnes.”
“Anythin’for our newest Lady,” she said, giving another curtsy. “I’ll have me cousin deliver yer dresses when I’m finished.”
“Thank you,”Margaret said before being led out of the shop, the weight of her new title settling on her shoulders.
8
Watching Margaret with Agnes had stirred something within Ryan. It was like he was seeing another part of his little Sassenach. She’d allowed some of her uncertainty to trickle through the cracks in her exterior.
Her face had shiftedin ways he’d yet to see. She’d smiled and feigned excitement for the seamstress, but he could tell that none of it was genuine. The smile hadn’t reached her eyes. In fact, she’d seemed almost sad at the prospect of the two of them actually going through with the wedding.
That wasn’tthe way he wanted any lady of his to feel. He’d promised this woman protection, yet she seemed to be afraid of the life she’d spend with him. Even Agnes had picked up on Margaret’s hesitation before his Lady had invited her to the wedding.
Ach, am I really that terrifyin’to her? Does she really think I’m as awful as the man she’s seekin’ shelter from? I daenae think I’ve done anythin’ that would make her so frightened.
Ryan offeredMargaret his arm as they walked toward the horse. She took it after a moment of hesitation, squeezing tightly when she finally grabbed onto him. He was unsure of whether she was seeking comfort or if she was just attempting to steady herself against her situation. It was likely a bit of both.
“I’msure ye’re glad to have another gown,” he said, attempting to make conversation.
“Yes,”she murmured, seeming lost in her own head. Her eyes scanned the streets, but he didn’t think she was seeing anything. “I am.”
“I’msure Cali will be glad to have somethin’ else to dress ye in,” he continued.
He regretted not having moreto speak with her about. Asking about her past seemed to be in poor taste. He wasn’t sure there were any topics that were safe.
“Yes,I’m sure she will be,” Margaret agreed, sounding just as far away as she did in the shop. “She’ll be glad that I’ve got more gowns coming, too. She mentioned that I’d need more.”
“Aye,she kens what Lady McGhee needs,” Ryan said, glancing down at Margaret when she slowed down slightly.