He must have gotten engaged.
Her lips parted slightly at the thought.
Aye. A new lady. That must be it.
It was the only explanation that made sense. Why else would he think to inform her of his marriage?
No lady would want to have a lowborn woman in her household, especially when said woman served no true purpose and only remained under the Laird’s protection for reasons no one openly explained.
Perhaps she might think I am his mistress.
The thought sat heavy in Edith’s chest like an abomination, and heat shot through her at once.
If ever!
Her lips pressed together tightly before she could betray anything further, and Aaron’s gaze sharpened.
She forced her expression to soften and lifted her chin slightly. “How may I be of help, me Laird?” she asked, the words tumbling out a little too quickly.
She was not ready to leave Hallow Castle. At least not yet.
Aaron did not respond. He folded his arms, his tunic parting slightly at his chest to reveal a patch of even darker hair.
Edith looked away quickly.
“If there is a need,” she continued, her voice wavering slightly, “I can assist the new lady.”
Aaron moved even closer, leaving only a few inches between them.
“I have asked before to train with Martin,” Edith added, though her breath hitched. “But I will do whatever ye ask of me.”
Her face reddened slightly at the last few words, but thankfully, Aaron did not seem to dwell on them. He stared down at her instead.
“Is that what ye want?” he asked quietly. “To be the healer’s apprentice?”
Edith hesitated for a moment.
As ironic as it was, it was insanely difficult to read Aaron’s expression from such a close distance. Her neck craned from merely trying to meet his gaze, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed.
She considered speaking the truth. But perhaps the truth might put her at a greater risk of being sent away. She had no way to be sure.
But he made a promise to Scarlett.
The knot in her chest eased slightly as she reminded herself of that, and she decided to be honest about her wishes.
“Nay,” she admitted. “I wish to learn. What I truly want is to one day leave Hallow Castle and return to me village as a healer. To be of use to me maither’s people. Me people.”
It was a heavy silence that followed her words.
Aaron studied her for a long moment, his unreadable expression ratcheting up her anxiety as she waited for his response. Then, finally, he spoke.
“Ye will be the new lady.”
Edith blinked, disbelief flashing across her face.
“What?” Her voice came out louder than she had intended, echoing faintly through the room.
I must have heard wrong.
