“But after ye sleep,” Isla interjected, meeting Amelia’s eyes for a moment before she returned to checking her sides. “And nay more pacin’. A walk in the gardens will be better for ye.”
“I ken,” Amelia murmured, knowing that she would be leaving before her body had fully had a chance to recover. “Perhaps I will go for a stroll in the mornin’.”
Me body is still stronger than it was when I arrived. I’ll test me stamina tomorrow.
“We could walk together, then. And if there’s anythin’ else ye need, be sure to inform us,” Isla said, carefully refastening Amelia’s clothing. “We will come whenever ye need.”
“I do appreciate that,” Amelia replied softly, dropping her arms when the girl was satisfied with the way her chemise lay. “If I need anythin’ I’ll call for ye.”
Without another word, Isla carefully gathered all of her tools, putting them back on the tray. Then, she picked it up, giving Amelia one last look. Amelia sat still, something complex churning in her belly as she watched Isla expectantly, waiting for the child to declare the session over.
“I will be back tomorrow night,” Isla said, finally turning around and walking back to where her mother was stationed. She paused, glancing over her shoulder to say, “Even though ye have permission to go on walks, ye still need to get as much rest as ye can.”
With that, she brushed past Hazel. After giving Amelia one last nod of approval, Hazel retreated as well. When the latch clicked into place, Amelia’s chambers felt even more suffocating than they had before. It seemed that the distraction of her healershadbeen more of a help than a hindrance.
She shuffled back to the window seat, realizing that she wasn’t going to get to sleep anytime soon. The best thing she could dowas invent some sort of task to keep her mind busy. So, when she found herself a comfortable place to perch, she decided to map out the perimeter of the keep.
As she surveyed the treeline once more, she looked for places that would be best for concealing her flight. There were several spots that would be difficult to spot from the guard towers. The task, which she expanded to include estimating the difficulty of possible routes, was enough to still her body. Her mind was a muscle, too.
One more week.
She would not wait for her father to arrive and claim her. And she would not wait to see whether Darragh would choose her or politics. It was better to leave before either man decided her fate, even if part of her thought she may like to stay at Fraser Keep. To stay with Darragh.
It’s me life, and I willnae let a man dictate it.
* * *
“We will need increased perimeter security,” Darragh said to Ewan as they walked through the corridors. “Both as we approach the hunt and to ensure we’re nae caught off guard by Laird Mackenzie’s arrival. I want ye to organize it and have the rounds begin tonight.”
This was the only moment that Darragh had been able to find to speak with Ewan. Between overseeing the McGowans’ visit andorganizing the fox hunt, he’d barely had the chance to consult with his man-at-arms outside of brief, coded chats over meals. While he was keeping his mind straight and sharp, he couldn’t help but feel that he was working against time. And losing.
“Our messenger has reported that Laird Mackenzie has received the invitation, but he dinnae respond,” Ewan said, scrubbing his knuckles against his jaw. “I’m nae sure if we should count on him comin’ for the hunt or showin’ up after.”
“I believe that we should be operatin’ under the assumption that Laird Mackenzie and his men can arrive at any moment,” Darragh replied, stopping to look out the window into the courtyard.
His men were training, running through drills with intense focus. Wooden practice swords met with dull, rhythmic thunks. The scent of upturned earth floated through the windows, faint but distinct. They worked even harder now, dedicated to keeping everyone who visited Fraser Keep in the coming week safe.
“So, we’ll keep a room for him prepared then,” Ewan said, mostly to himself. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, scanning the corridor. “I’ll inform the staff when we finish here. Ye will be takin’ lunch with the McGowans in a few minutes, will ye nae?”
“In a bit over an hour,” Darragh answered, finally looking away from the training happening below. “Flora and Amelia are in the library now. Lucas is writin’ a missive to send ahead of himself.”
“And ye’re takin’ time to supervise the preparations,” Ewan finished for him. He huffed impatiently. “I believe that ye may have been better off postponin’ the social visit with the McGowans until after the festivities were over.”
Darragh narrowed his eyes, a muscle in his neck twitching. This visit had been for Amelia’s benefit, and he was quite certain that Flora was making progress with her. The implication that this could have waited was absurd to him.
“Nay, it was important that they visited,” Darragh growled. He stepped back from the window, turning to face Ewan. He didn’t acknowledge the attention, but he stood up a little straighter. “And I’m managin’ everythin’ even with the time constraints.”
“I dinnae say ye werenae,” Ewan said, not backing down but clearly deferring to Darragh’s authority. “It just seems as if ye’d be busy even if ye dinnae have such a full schedule. The information about Laird Mackenzie resestablishin’ trade relationships must be takin’ quite a bit of yer attention.”
“Aye,” Darragh agreed. He wasn’t about to tell Ewan just how correct he was. Until he had concrete proof, he didn’t believe it was his place to share that he believed Laird Mackenzie and Amelia were connected. “We still daenae ken how he acquired the gold to recover from his trade crisis. That’s where most of me energy is directed.”
Ewan raised an eyebrow. “Did he nae purchase debts?”
“He did,” Darragh said, crossing his arms over his chest. Outside, one of his men let out a guttural battle cry. “But prior to that, he was in financial crisis. We’re lookin’ for records on what he was doin’ between when his trade deals fell through, and he purchased his first debt.”
For a long moment, Ewan considered the statement. His gaze fixed on an unlit lantern, his expression contemplative. Darragh could see as Ewan began his own calculations. He knew that it wouldn’t take long for Ewan to suspect that Mackenzie was connected to the hunt. If he’d seen the way Amelia had reacted to the crest, he would have already come to the same conclusion that he had.
It wouldnae surprise me if he puts everythin’ together right here.
