Page 16 of Forever My Lass

“Nae, miss,” the girl exclaimed softly. “Ye dinnae die here. Ye came here. Ye are safe here.”

The girl’s words sent another tremor through Madeline. What did the girl mean that she’d not died here? An ominous thought swirled up out of the dark recesses of her brain. Madeline immediately snuffed out the question as if it were a flame flickering in the oil lamp. Eyes squeezed tightly shut, Madeline fought back against the fear and confusion threatening to send tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Do nae cry, miss. Please do nae cry. Ye are safe now. ”

Small fingers brushed away the tears that found their way out from under Madeline’s eyelids. Blinking her eyes to bring everything into focus, she looked up at the girl and forced a smile to her lips.

The girl eyed her with worry, and Madeline knew her effort to act as if nothing was wrong was a weak one at best. Determined to regain control of her senses, she ordered her brain not to make assumptions. Facts. That’s what she needed. Just facts. Information that would tell her what was happening and where she was.

“I’m all right. I’m just a bit overwhelmed at the moment,” Madeline choked out.

“I dinnae ever cry.” Another voice echoed in the room that was much stronger than the girl at her bedside. Startled, Madeline jerked her head in the direction of the voice. Just inside the door of her room stood another girl, who looked identical to the one at her bedside. The fear returned.

“Oh, God. Please tell me you have a twin,” Madeline whispered as she looked back at the girl who had removed the poultice from her head.

“Aye,” the child said as she directed a sisterly glare of disgust at the other girl. “I’m Grace Fraser, and this is my sister, Ainslie. Lord Glenburnie is our faither.”

Relief spiraled through her that she wasn’t seeing things as well. The soft creak of the door’s hinges made Madeline turn her head back to where Ainslie stood, and the door swung open wider. In the next breath, Lord Glenburnie stepped into the room, followed by Eileen carrying a tray. The room had been comfortable in size a second ago, but this man made the room suddenly feel much smaller. Firm lips thin with irritation, he pinned his gaze on the girl next to the door.

“You were told not to bother our guest, Ainslie.”

His quiet words echoed with steel inflexibility and disapproval. Trepidation flashed across the girl’s features, but she straightened to her full height before she tilted her chin upward and met her father’s gaze with confidence.

“I thought Grace might have need of my help.”

“Did you now.”

Skepticism twisted Lord Glenburnie’s mouth as he studied his daughter for a long moment. Something about the silent battle the two were engaged in made Madeline believe Ainslie Fraser tested her father’s patience on a regular basis. But she empathized with the child. She’d been equally rebellious after her parents had died. Fortunately, her grandmother had loved her despite Madeline’s mutinous behavior. The question was, did Lord Glenburnie love his daughter?

“Ainslie’s not bothered me at all. I’m sure she only meant to help,” she said with a sympathetic look at the girl.

As she came to Ainslie’s defense, the girl stared at Madeline in surprise before looking back at her father. The child remained silent, and Lord Glenburnie narrowed his gaze at Madeline before returning his attention to his daughter. With an affectionate squeeze of the girl’s shoulder, a small smile tipped the corners of his mouth.

“Go along now, lass. Bridget almost has dinner ready.”

Ainslie didn’t argue, she simply bobbed her head with understanding and darted out of the room. The man’s gaze settled on Grace, and he jerked his head in the door’s direction.

“Go with your sister, Grace. I’ll be along shortly.”

“Yes, Faither,” Grace nodded obediently, then bent over Madeline and touched her arm. “I’ll come back later to change the bandages on your feet.”

The girl’s remark brought into focus the way the soles of her feet stung. Running down a rocky path barefoot hadn’t been the brightest thing she’d ever done. But at least she had a good excuse. It wasn’t everyday she found herself in a situation like the one she was in currently. The pain was also a fact she could use. It was a tangible sensation, just like Grace’s consoling pat on Madeline’s arm. As the girl headed toward the door and started past her father, he touched her shoulder to halt her progress.

“You did well, lass. I’m proud of you.”

“Ainslie really did come tae help, Faither. But I had already finished bandaging Miss Whitworth’s feet.”

The girl’s words made Lord Glenburnie nod his head, but his skepticism returned as he arched an eyebrow at his daughter.

“I suspect curiosity made your sister so eager to be of assistance.” The man’s mouth twisted in a wry smile, and his daughter grinned up at him.

“Aye, but it was good I dinnae need her help. She does nae like it when I am in charge.”

“Off with you, imp,” Lord Glenburnie said with a quiet chuckle.

Grace hesitated at her father’s command, and she looked over her shoulder at Madeline. A strange expression darkened the child’s pretty features, and Madeline frowned in bewilderment. It was as if the girl wanted to say something, but she didn’t. Instead, she turned back to her father and murmured something Madeline couldn’t hear.

A puzzled frown drew the tall Scotsman’s eyebrows upward as he stared down at his daughter for a brief moment, before he jerked his head up to look at Madeline. It was as if he’d had a sudden revelation, although Madeline didn’t have a clue as to what that might be. The man turned his attention back to his daughter and quietly ordered her to leave. With one last glance over her shoulder, Grace hurried from the room. As the child disappeared, the tall Scotsman turned to face Madeline. Surprise no longer visible on his face, he nodded toward the maid.