Page 17 of Christmas Secrets

“I thought I heard Percival returning. I am sure I heard hoofbeats but mayhap I am wrong.” She was about to close the shutters to keep out the cold when she noticed the old garden gate opening. “Percival!” she cried, closing the shutters. She ran to the hooks on the wall, grabbing her cloak and donning it. “You stay here inside where it is warm,” she told her brother. “I’m going out to meet Percival.”

Honestly, she hoped to be alone with him in the barn again. She couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss they shared and wanted to experience it again, as well as anything else that might transpire between them.

Closing the door behind her, she was about to descend the stairs when she stopped dead in her tracks. There were three cloaked and hooded people atop horses entering the garden. She’d been careless and was mistaken. It wasn’t Percival at all.

She spun around to go back in and lock herself in the house, but before she could, she heard a woman call out.

“Hello, lassie! Hello, there, I say.”

“What?” Holly turned back, knowing that if these were castle guards, they would never have a woman with them.

A man hopped off his horse, helping dismount the woman who had called out to her. Then, the third person swung down on their own and she could see it was another woman. They quickly headed toward the house.

“Welcome to Imanie’s secret garden,” said the same blonde woman who had called out to her. She carefully ascended the broken stairs with the second woman right behind her. The man tended to the horses. “I am Lady Morag and this is my cousin, Lady Maira.”

“Hello,” said the second woman, lowering her hood so Holly could see her. This woman looked to be about the same age as the other. Both of them seemed about Holly’s age of twenty-one. “Let’s go inside out of the cold.”

Lady Maira pushed past her, entering the house. Lady Morag did the same. Holly had no choice but to follow. Her gut twisted. These were noblewomen. And nobles might know of her situation and turn her in to Lord Neville.

“Who is that man with the horses?” asked Holly, entering the house and closing the door behind them.

“That is Branton. My husband’s squire,” explained Maira, removing her cloak and hanging it on a hook. When she did so, Holly saw that she wore a sword strapped to her side.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, holding a hand to her mouth.

“Dinna let Maira’s sword bother ye. She’s had it ever since we were children,” said Morag, removing her cloak and hanging it up as well. “Speaking of children, who is this?” Morag had a nice smile. She walked over to Noel. The little boy jumped up, leaving his toy horse on the table, and ran over and hid behind Holly.

“This is my little brother, Noel,” Holly told them. “Won’t you please sit down?”

“I’ll stoke the fire,” said Maira, walking to the hearth while Morag took a seat at the table.

“Why are ye here?” asked Morag bluntly.

“I came with my brother to visit my grandmother, but I discovered she has died.” Holly pulled Noel in front of her and smoothed down his hair.

“Imanie was your grandmother?” asked Maira, stacking the logs on the hearth and poking them with the iron rod.

“Yes.” Holly didn’t say anything more.

“I’m sorry about yer grandmother, but didna ye ken what happened to her?” asked Morag. “It happened almost three years ago.”

“Nay, I didn’t know. My mother died recently and Imanie was our last relative. Noel and I came here to live with her. It was my mother’s dying wish.”

“I don’t remember Imanie saying she had a granddaughter. Or even a child for that matter.” Maira sounded suspicious as she stood up and brushed off her hands.

“Maira, Imanie was secretive, ye ken that,” said Morag. She looked over at Holly and her eyes opened wide. “Ye have a heart pin, too!” Morag jumped up and rushed over to Holly. “So do we. See?” She pushed her hair aside and showed Holly the brooch. Holly was still wearing her cloak which the brooch was pinned to, while the ladies wore the brooches right on their gowns.

“You’re a Follower of the Secret Hearts?” asked Maira curiously.

“Well... no. Not really.” Holly didn’t want to lie to the women. “Actually, it was my mother’s brooch. She gave it to me on her deathbed.”

“So yer mother was a member of the secret group then,” said Morag with a nod.

“I suppose,” said Holly. “I don’t really know anything about this secret group. Could you tell me about it?”

“Sure, we can,” said Morag.

“Morag, nay.” Maira shook her head. “There is a reason it is secret.”