Arianna blinked in surprise before a small smile returned to her face. “I would like that very much.”
Later that evening, a small meal was prepared in Arianna’s sitting room. A servant laid out roasted chicken, warm bannocks, and a small bowl of root vegetables before leaving them alone. The quiet chamber felt far more peaceful than the noisy hall below.
Melissa sat comfortably across from Arianna as they began eating.
“This is far nicer than the great hall,” Melissa said with a small laugh.
Arianna smiled faintly. “It is certainly quieter.”
For a while, they spoke of small things, village gossip, the progress of the autumn harvest, and the preparations for winter stores. Yet Arianna’s thoughts slowly drifted back toward the same troubling question. At last she set down her cup of ale and spoke more quietly.
“There is something I’ve never told ye about Ian.”
Melissa looked up with interest. “Oh?”
“When I first came here,” Arianna said slowly, “I feared he would treat me like everyone else always had.” She folded her hands together thoughtfully. “Back home, me brothers were given responsibilities while I was kept inside like some delicate flower.”
Melissa listened carefully as Arianna continued.
“But Ian did not treat me that way,” she said. “He showed me how to chop wood.” A faint smile touched her lips at the memory.
“And he took me on an overnight camp through the woods beyond the castle and allowed me to gather wood for the fire.”
Melissa chuckled softly. “That sounds like the Laird. He's fair to womenfolk.”
Arianna nodded slowly.
“For the first time in me life I felt… useful,” she said quietly. “As if I had a purpose beyond sitting quietly in a room.” Her gaze drifted toward the window as the smile faded.
“But now?”
She hesitated before finishing the thought.
“Now I feel like nothin' again.”
Melissa’s expression softened immediately.
“Me Lady,” she said gently, “ye are far from useless.”
Arianna shook her head slightly, though her eyes remained fixed on the floor. “Ian will hardly speak to me.”
Melissa leaned forward slightly. “Give it time,” she said kindly. “Men are stubborn creatures.”
Arianna let out a quiet breath.
“Ye are Lady McGuire,” Melissa continued firmly. “That is no small thing.”
Arianna looked up at her friend with a faint, grateful smile.
Yet deep in her heart, the uncertainty remained.
The next day, Arianna pushed open the heavy door of the library and entered. It slammed behind her.
“Is there a reason the door takes all yer anger?” a voice said.
Arianna gasped. She turned to see Ian sitting at a table with a few books spread out before him.
“Ian. I didnae ken that anyone was in here,” she said.
