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She looked exhausted, and the sorrow in her eyes cut Alexander to the quick. “I dinnae ken what we do now. Aye, I can afford to have this place fixed, but it’ll take weeks—weeks that I dinnae have. I cannae expect the twins to bunk wi’ the farmhands until then. Mayhap they can go stay wi’ the Humphries at Jeanie’s, but…”
“Nay,” Alexander said abruptly. “Ye’ll all come to the castle.”
Her eyebrows raised almost comically. “I beg yer pardon?”
He’d said it without thinking, but actually, it made sense. Why not? He had plenty of rooms sitting empty. The bairns would be a breath of fresh air to his servants. As well, Cicilia would be in an excellent position to discuss the future of the farm. At the same time, Alexander got to be in his home again at last. “Come to the castle, the three o’ ye. Until the renovations are complete. I insist.”
All right, I admit it’s a risky strategy, but that doesn’ae make it a bad one.
Yes, it had the advantages he’d mentioned already—but the Laird moving a strange woman into the Castle was bound to cause some whispers and loosen some tongues. Not to mention the traumatic experience Thomaes had when he was here. Maybe Alexander was being too hasty. Perhaps he should retract the offer before it was too late.
But then he looked at her, and that wasn’t even a possibility.
The blush that colored her cheeks was almost too sweet, highlighting those pretty freckles. How had Alexander ever thought them a blemish?
“Och, Alexander, I dinnae ken—I dinnae want to impose—” she stammered.
“Ye are nae imposin’,” he insisted. “It just makes sense. Yer servants can go stay wi’ Jeanie an’ Ewan, an’ yer farmhands can keep an eye on the place. Ewan or Jeanie can even come check on it once in a while. Meanwhile, ye an’ the twins will be safe an’ comfortable to discuss the future.”
Alexander watched as indecision warred in her eyes, and then finally, she nodded. “All right. If ye’re sure,” Cicilia said quietly. “But only until the rebuilding is over.”
“O’ course,” Alexander agreed, wondering at how his heart leaped with joy at those words. Was it wrong of him that a small part of his mind suddenly hoped that the renovations lasted forever?
“An’ ye’ll do well to remember I’m a farm lass at heart, castle or nae castle,” she warned. “Nae nobility in me blood whatsoever. Just a fine amount o’ cash an’ a bit more education than average. Dinnae ye expect anythin’ else. Me heart is a farmer, nae a lady o’ the realm.”
He grinned at the defiance in her tone, there despite the desperate circumstances. She was using flippancy to cover up her pain, her now-dry eyes shining with purpose.
“Aye,” he said in a gentle, teasing voice. “Dinnae ye worry. That’s one thing I can never forget.”
A while later, they were ready to set off. Nathair would escort the Humphries to Jeanie’s home for protection and help explain what happened. Then he’d take Katie across the border to where she would stay with her own sister until such a time
as she could return to work. They’d take the buggy, and then Nathair would ride on to the castle.
Meanwhile, Cicilia and Alexander would take Aibreann and Ailill, each riding with one of the children, and go straight back to Alexander’s home. There was no point in delaying any further.
Thank God she can ride well.
Nathair was helping Alexander load the few salvaged belongings into the saddlebags while Cicilia and the twins said farewell to the animals. The Man-at-arms leaned over and he said in a quiet voice, “I need to tell ye somethin’.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow, indicating without words that his friend should speak.
“The fire,” Nathair said. “I went an’ checked out the kitchens. Whoever set it, Sandy, it was nae any accident.”
“Ye’re claimin’ arson?” Alexander demanded, suddenly feeling goosebumps on his skin. He remembered the blood-scrawled message on the fence of Bacon’s pen after the slaughter.
Was it a warnin’? Is somebody tryin’ to hurt Cicilia?
The thought made him as scared as it did furious, and he was filled with the overwhelming urge to run his sword through the first person who looked at him funny.
Nathair nodded gravely. “Aye, an’ we’re nae closer to figurin’ out who,” he replied. “I cannae tell yet if takin’ Cicilia an’ the bairns back to the castle will keep them safe. I just need ye to ken we’ll all have to be on high alert.”
Alexander stared. Surely Nathair wasn’t implying that someone would try something in the castle? Who would dare, right under his nose?
But then, it had been under his nose that the animals had been slaughtered. It had been under his nose that the house had burned to the ground.
If somebody’s tryin’ to hurt Cicilia, just bein’ around me is nae gonnae keep her safe.
Well, that simply wasn’t good enough. A fresh determination filled Alexander’s bones, and he knew now what he had to do. He would take the twins and Cicilia back with him. He would watch over them, especially her. He would not let her know that he expected a threat to her life.
