“That may nae be a good idea,” she insisted, glancing at Maisie before her eyes flicked to Amber. “I’m sure he has someone in the village lookin’ for Maisie. I cannae risk her bein’ caught.”
“Will ye relax?” Theo said. “I’ll nae let anything happen to ye. Besides, ye cannae live yer life trapped within the walls of the keep. There is a whole world out there to see. I’ll nae have ye petrified to go out of yer own home.”
“I’m nae scared of goin’ out, just of me uncle. Ye dinnae understand—the man will stop at nothing. Just because we havenae heard anything about what he’s doin’, doesnae mean he’s nae makin’ moves behind the scenes.”
“And I think ye worry too much. Besides,”—Theo grabbed her hand as if to reassure her—“it’ll only be for a few hours. The chances of yer uncle or anyone of importance bein’ there are slim to none. Now, go get ready. I’ll have the horses saddled shortly.”
“We cannae take a carriage? What if it rains?” Lavina asked.
The thought of getting trapped in a storm scared her out of her wits.
“If ye’re so worried about yer uncle catchin’ us, a carriage would be the last thing I’d want to put ye in. Carriages are far too easy to divert. Nay, we’ll ride. Ye do ken how to ride, dinnae ye?”
“I ken how to ride,” she replied, heaving a sigh. “I just dinnae like to be bounced around, is all.”
“Well, that’s goin’ to have to change eventually,” Theo said, a devilish grin stretching across his face. “Might as well start now.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The thatched roofs of the village came into view as Lavina and Amber trotted up the hill.
Lavina looked down into the valley with wonder. The midday sun glinted off the windows of the stone cottages that lined the outskirts of the village.
Lavina’s chest tightened as she glanced from one side of the dusty street to the other. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end with each new building they passed by.
“If I didnae ken any better, I’d say that ye dinnae trust me,” Theo muttered. “Did I nae tell ye that I’d keep an eye on ye? Try to relax. This is me clan, nae yers. These people will stand with their Laird, and if I need their help, they will rise to the occasion.”
“Ye have a lot of faith in yer men,” Lavina remarked, trying to swallow the uncertainty that hung around her neck like a millstone.
“As any laird should. I’m sure there are some lairds who rule their people with an iron fist, but that wasnae the way me faither built this community.”
Lavina smiled as some of the tension left her shoulders. “Community? I like the sound of that.”
“Is that nae what this all is? Each person here has a part to play, a role to fill. Without the farmers and their goods, the bakers wouldnae be able to sell their goods. So ye see, one works on the other around here. If one fails, we all fail.”
“And that’s why ye can trust yer men,” Lavina said, glancing around at the faces they rode past.
She didn’t exactly know what to expect from them. But she hadn’t expected them to be so kind. They looked genuinely pleased to see them.
“Is that the new Lady?” she heard a soft whisper from behind her as they passed.
Theo’s lips quirked at the corners as he motioned for her to keep her head straight.
“Word is about to spread like wildfire,” he said. “Ye ready?”
“For?” Lavina asked, uncertain as to what she was about to get herself into.
She didn’t like how nonchalant Theo was about the whole situation. Although she knew she couldn’t remain locked in the keep forever, she didn’t think parading about was smart.
“Maybe we shouldnae be tellin’ the whole town that we’re here just yet,” she suggested.
At that moment, Stephen pulled up to them.
“Good, I was hopin’ to catch up with ye,” he said, flashing Theo a smirk. “Didnae want to miss out on all the fun.”
“Ye had better nae be comin’ just to see… What was that lass’s name again? Joe?” Theo teased as they turned onto the main street.
Lavina’s eyes widened with shock as she spotted the merchants lining the cobblestone path.
