“This reminds me of when me sisters and I would get ready for cèilidhs and festivals,” Megan murmured, closing her eyes and relaxing into the smooth feeling of Flora’s hands in her hair. “It was chaos. We always waited far too late to get ready, so we were always rushin’, dartin’ here and there, tryin’ to get ready, getting’ in each other’s way. Once, one of me sisters stood on the hem of me gown, and it tore. Ye can imagine the panic. I stood there, shoutin’ at her, while she shouted back, and another of me sisters sewed up the tear.”
Flora chuckled, then paused. “But ye have three sisters. If one was shoutin’ and one was sewin’, what did the third do?”
Megan snorted. “She was laughin’, of course.”
“Yer sisters sound like fun,” Alaina commented. “Will we be meetin’ them at the cèilidh?”
Megan watched her smile fade from her reflection’s face.
“Nay, I think nae. I’ve nae had time to invite them.”
I didnae even tell them.
She had sent a cursory letter to Lily, explaining that Laird MacCulloch had a job for her to do, which he’d told her about after she won an archery contest. With any luck, Lily wouldn’t think too hard about why Megan had gone to an archery contest. Megan loved shooting arrows and competition. It all made sense.
She had asked Lily to inform the others and to reassure them that she was safe at MacCulloch Keep.
That was all. Talk of a betrothal, real or otherwise, would bring her sisters down on the Keep like a plague of locusts. It would unsettle everything, and it might open the castle up to more dangers. For example, the Keep would be full of her sisters’ hired men and women, any of whom might be a kidnapper sent to spirit Alaina away.
No, it was best to keep her sisters at arm’s length for now. Besides, they would make it all seem too real. If they learned that the betrothal was false, there was a good chance that the secret would leak out.
Or they might do something sensible, like convince their sister to leave.
“Ye must miss them a good deal,” Flora murmured, her voice low.
Megan swallowed past a lump in her throat. “Aye. I do.”
I wish I had somebody at me back. Somebody on me side. Somebody whounderstood.
There was a moment of silence, then Flora stepped back, running an approving eye over her work.
“There. Done. What do ye think, Lady Megan?”
Megan surveyed her reflection. The gown fell around her, smooth and sleek, fitting perfectly, the forest-green color setting off her hair. Flowers seemed to bloom from her hair, and since all three of them had flowers in their braids, they matched perfectly.
“It’s nae quite done yet,” Megan said. Flora frowned.
“What did I miss?”
Megan plucked a large, pink bloom from the basket and threaded it carefully into Flora’s knot of hair.
“That’s a start,” she remarked, grinning.
Sophie jumped on the idea at once, and even Alaina joined in, collecting flowers to put in Flora’s hair until a halo of multicolored flowers surrounded her bun.
Flora beamed, reddening.
“Ye lassies are sweet,” she chuckled, lifting a self-conscious hand to her hair. “But I cannae wear this. I’m just a maid.”
“So what? Ye are comin’ with us to the cèilidh, arenae ye?” Sophie insisted stoutly. “Tell her that she must come, Megan.”
“I agree with Sophie,” Megan answered firmly.
“Well, I will say this, then,” Flora continued, taking Megan’s hand. “Ye might nae have yer sisters here, but ye do have the three of us.”
“Aye, we’ll be as good as sisters to ye!” Sophie added eagerly. “And when ye marry Ryder, wewillbe sisters. So ye will haveeven moresisters!”
“How wonderful,” Alaina joked, but there was no bite in her voice. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Megan.
