“Looks like I finally got my voice back. I wanted to stop over here and thank you again for your help today. You were pretty amazing with the horses.”
Maggie felt a blush creeping up her neck and suddenly felt extremely shy. “It was nothing.”
“I wouldn’t say that. The stable boys and I would have been out there all day, and long into the night, trying unsuccessfully to grab even one of them. They obviously responded to you.”
She didn’t answer him, instead turning to Angus. “Angus, I’m going to head off to bed.”
“Alright then. I’ll be up shortly,” Angus rose from his chair and turned to Dylan. “I’m glad ye got yer voice back, lad.”
“Thanks, me too. I don’t know what happened. I was fine one minute and the next I couldn’t make a sound.” Dylan cleared his throat one more time, as if to confirm he could still speak.
“Allergies,” Maggie offered.
“Maybe. Hey, I’m heading back to the soldier’s quarters, too. I’ll walk with you.” Dylan smiled, nearly undoing her.
“Where’s Maggie?” she asked, glancing around the hall.
“She was tired, so she went to her room. Are you going to this apple-picking thing tomorrow?”
“Aye. Everyone is, I think.” Maggie was seeking some way to avoid walking with Dylan, but she didn’t see how she could do it without appearing completely rude. She’d just have to keep acting as Alec and tried to guess how two guys would normally talk to each other. Maggie was definitely a girly-girl. Always had been, but even as a girl she didn’t have a lot of experience talking to men, other than her Da and Uncle Angus. She decided the less said the better and let Dylan do all the talking, which he seemed happy to do.
“Your friend, Angus, he’s a great guy. I met him back at Glendaloch and I wish I’d had more time there to get to know him. It’s nice that he’s here. I know Maggie is happy about it.”
“Is she now?” Maggie queried lightly.
“Yeah. She’s told me how much she loves him and her Aunt Edna. What they’ve meant to her, you know.” They were approaching the stairs to the soldier’s barracks and he stopped. Maggie was content to continue without him, but he caught her by the arm and stopped her.
“You know, you remind me of someone.”
“I can’t imagine who,” Maggie said anxiously, getting nervous about where this conversation was going.
“Me either. I’ve been racking my brains since you got here, trying to figure it out. It’ll come to me, but we’ve never met before, have we?”
“No, of course not. Where would we have met?” Maggie hated lying to him, but she had no choice. “I’m heading up. I’m really tired.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They climbed the stairs to their rooms and stopped in front of Alec’s door. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Alec. Thanks again for your help.” Dylan patted Maggie on the shoulder sending her flying forward. “You could use some muscle there, my friend, but don’t worry, you’ll get there. You’re still growing, plenty of time for that.”
Maggie stood there for a moment, feeling like a daft fool. How could she not? Here she was standing face-to-face with the most attractive man she’d ever met. Everything about him exuded masculinity. A sexual gravity was pulling her towards him and then, idiot that she was, she reached her hand out and tentatively placed it on his chest. The feel of the solid muscle beneath her fingers made her panic. “See you,” Maggie darted into her room and closed the door in the face of Dylan’s confusion.That was close.She’d had to bite her tongue to keep from telling him who she really was. Walking beside him from the great hall, she could feel the heat of his body next to hers and then standing so close to him outside her room and looking into his eyes, she’d wanted to reach up and kiss him and she almost had. Luckily she caught herself in time. It was bad enough she’d actually touched him and then she’d used what little control she had left, to turn away from him. Now here she stood, back against the door, fighting the urge to open it again and march down to his room and…Stop it, Maggie! Don’t be stupid!I’ve got to stop thinking about him that way, at least for the time being. I’ve got to let the thoughts I’m having go, for my own sanity. If Dylan is still interested in me when this is all over with, I’ll be in a better place to pick up where we left off, but until then I have to focus on Brielle.
***
As Dylan walked away from Alec’s door, he was haunted by the continued suspicion that he knew the young guy. The idea would simply not leave his mind. Alec had told him they’d never met, but he didn’t necessarily believe him. Dylan knew he had to figure it out. It would drive him crazy otherwise. He hummed to himself as he entered his room, happy that his voice had returned. It had been weird how he’d been fine one minute and the next he couldn’t utter a sound. He had been talking about what a great job Alec had done rounding up the horses and then Maggie had given him a strange look. He was trying to read her, understand what she was trying to say to him with her eyes and next thing he knew he couldn’t speak.Did Maggie do that to me? What reason could she have, to want to stop me from talking about Alec?Dylan shook his head, deciding he was letting his imagination get the better of him, but the more he thought about Maggie, the more he realized she had been acting very strangely, from the very first moment he saw her in the woods. Chester was scared to death of her, which was very unlike him, and now that Dylan thought about it, ever since Maggie had arrived, Chester had stayed as far away from Dylan as he could. He was spending almost all of his time with Cormac. Jenna and Ashley had also commented on Maggie’s behavior. Jenna was having a hard time believing she was the same person they’d met in Glendaloch and Ashley thought the girl she’d met in the teashop had been much friendlier, with a bit of mischief hovering just beneath the surface. The Maggie currently residing in Breaghacraig definitely didn’t fit that description at all. She was standoffish with everyone, seemed lacking in the personality department and as for mischief, there was something there, but it seemed a bit darker. Dylan could almost believe that she had been kidnapped and replaced with a physically exact replica, butwas he being too cynical? He had always been a very easy-going guy, not letting things bother him, intent on enjoying life and up until this very moment, having a woman in his life for more than a day or two didn’t seem to matter.Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, where did you go?Dylan decided he was going to have to dig deeper to find out what was going on with her. She had come all the way from Glendaloch to see him and while she was very attentive where he was concerned, she didn’t seem sincere. He decided to play it by ear and see how things went in the next few days. Having briefly glimpsed love back in Glendaloch, Dylan wasn’t about to give up on it now that he had the object of that glimpse here within reach, but he did have a few things to figure out. How could he have such strong feelings one day and then none. With any luck, whatever was going on with her would work itself out and he’d have the Maggie he longed for back in his life again.
Chapter 7
Sir Richard Jefford entered the great hall of his castle. Situated on the border between Northern England and Scotland, it was an expansive fortress, surrounded by lush green fields and forests. It was the type of castle any man would be happy to call home, but Richard rarely spent more than a few days there. Most of his time was spent plotting and planning ways to get back at Robert MacKenzie. Events of the past week had him questioning that need to seek revenge. After yet another sleepless night, Richard’s normally handsome face revealed a haggard appearance.
“Richard, you look as though you’ve not slept a wink.” The Lady Catherine stood before him with a disapproving scowl on her usually sweet, pretty face.
“That would be because I haven’t, my dearest mother.” Richard made his way wearily to the table where servants immediately set out food and drink for him to break his fast. “Will you join me, mother?”
Lady Catherine did not answer, silently seating herself by his side. “What troubles you, Richard?”
He ignored the food, staring off into a corner of the room. “I’m having terrible nightmares. I don’t understand why. I normally sleep like a baby, but for some reason during this past week, every time I close my eyes I’m—” Richard dropped his head into his hands and lapsed into silence.
“Tell me what you are seeing. Mayhap I can help you,” Lady Catherine suggested.
