“I liketo think ye’re right,” Ryan said, smiling despite himself. “And I think Aaron will like ye. And ye’ll love his wife, Izzy. Though he teases more than I do. Before me cousin passed, I was a bit more like him in that regard.”
“You meanyou weren’t always so serious and frightening?” she teased, leaning back to raise an eyebrow playfully at him. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Ach,I was always a wee bit frightenin’,” he admitted with a smirk. “I’ve a reputation for being bloodthirsty in battle.”
Margaret went still,her face dropping. Gently, she asked, “And are you?”
Me answer isimportant to her. If I’m nae truthful, she’ll find out. Me reputation isnae a secret, the same way her orphan status is nae.
“Only when meloved ones are in danger,” Ryan replied, squeezing her hand to convey that she was now part of thatcategory. Even though he wasn’t able to say it just yet, he hoped she understood his meaning. “I was Aaron’s right-hand man for a spell before I came into the title of Laird. He and his clan were important to me. I would do anythin’ to keep them safe, even if it made me a beast.”
She stayed silent,and for a moment Ryan was sure that he’d scared her. It wouldn’t surprise him. This thing between them was still so fragile that he didn’t think it would take much to shatter it. Then, her head rested against his shoulder again. The weight against him spoke more of trust and acceptance than any words could.
“I assumeyou feel that way about your clan now, then?” she murmured after a beat. There was something gentle and hopeful in the way the words slipped from her tongue. “The people of Clan McGhee believe in you. They care about you, and I doubt that care isn’t reciprocated.”
“Ye’re sharp, Lady McGhee,”he laughed, relief taking hold. “Takin’ care of me people… that is what’s important to me. It’s nae secret to them.”
“I thinkAaron was a good influence on you,” she said. “I won’t speak ill of the dead, but it sounds as though living with Aaron’s clan is what made you into the Laird you are today. I hope it’s not presumptuous to say that had you spent your entire life here, you wouldn’t have had upstanding men to learn from.”
Ryan was quiet,digesting her words. While he’d always known something of that effect to be true, he’d never heard it voiced soplainly. Had it not been for Aaron and the kindness of his clan, Ryan would have been a different man.
“I suppose ye’re right,”he said after a beat had passed.
“I’d loveto meet Aaron one day,” she said with an almost dreamy quality. “And Izzy, too. It sounds as if they are lovely people.”
“They are,”Ryan agreed, liking the idea of integrating her even further into his world. “And I’ll take ye to meet them soon. I promise ye that.”
I didnae ever believeI’d be deservin’ of someone like her, but she makes me believe that I am.
22
It had been three days since Margaret had sent the letter to her family. According to Ryan, a response could come any day now. He’d sent word into the village to ensure that it was sent quickly and that the response was received before the carrier departed.
Surely their responsewill arrive soon. It took me only a day to arrive in the village. Perhaps I’ll receive their letter today. If not today, then tomorrow.
Margaret had doneher best to distract herself from her nervous energy, but she couldn’t quite keep still. She’d tried to paint but couldn’t keep her mind on it. Every brush stroke she’d made was imprecise and messy. When she’d wandered into the library, she hadn’t been able to find a book that captured her attention.
“Oh, thank goodness,”Margaret said as she walked out of the library and spotted Cali making her way down the corridor. “Cali, would you like to take a walk with me?”
Cali grinned,nodding as she said, “Aye, that sounds lovely, Me Lady. Have ye heard from yer family yet?”
The two beganto walk through the halls toward the front of the castle, their footsteps echoing on the stone. Margaret replied, “Not yet, though I should get a response soon. It’s been a few days since I sent the letter, and my family doesn’t live all that far away.”
“Then I’msure they’ll reply soon,” Cali said, nodding at Colby as they passed by him. “I cannae wait to meet them.”
As soon asthey passed him and emerged into the open air, Margaret poked Cali’s side playfully. Her maid yelped, knocking her fingertip away. She gave Margaret an exaggerated frown, but her face and the tips of her ears were pink.
“Ach, what was that for?”Cali asked, putting a bit of distance between the two of them so Margaret couldn’t get her again. “I didnae do a thing to ye.”
“When wereyou going to tell me about your relationship with Colby?” Margaret asked, giving Cali a knowing look. “Or were you going to continue sneaking around without letting me know? I thought we were friends, Cali.”
Cali shushed her,glancing at the guards in the tower as they walked past with wide eyes. When the two of them were out of earshot, she leaned in close to Margaret and whispered, “Me and Colby havenae told anyone just yet. Please, daenae speak of itwhere the others can hear. Ye ken how they talk. We’re nae ready for all of that.”
“I won’t, I promise,”Margaret agreed, raising her palms in surrender, still smiling. “But Ididsee you two, so you can’t pretend that nothing’s going on between the two of you with me.”
“Aye,I suppose I cannae. Ye did see us, after all,” she replied, her tone a little dreamy. “And itisnice to have someone else who kens.”
Margaret noddedas they approached the tree line. Her eyes scanned the foliage. She’d yet to see another deer, but she was keen on having a repeat encounter. Perhaps today would be the day. It would certainly calm her nerves about waiting for her family’s reply.