“So… Laird Alex did assign ye tae me after all?” Isla inquired.
Moira nodded happily. “He did, aye! He sends his apologies for neglectin’ the matter for so long, and wishes to have the benefit of yer company today, if it pleases ye.”
Isla wasn’t entirely certain that itwouldplease her, or that she would go along with that request, even if it seemed that Alex had sent Moira to her by way of apologizing for his earlier actions.
“If ye dinnae mind me askin’, my lady,” Moira ventured timidly, “the other servants have said that ye’ve refused tae take any meals or have any visitors over the past two days. Are ye ailin’? Shall I fetch the healers?”
Isla shook her head wearily. “If I have any ailment at all, Moira, ‘tis in my heart. For I dinnae know all that I ought to about the man I’m meant tae marry, and what little I’ve learned perplexes and troubles me deeply.”
The servant tilted her head. “Well, mayhap I might be able tae help in that regard, my lady? I’ve known Laird Alex for quitesome time, after all… or at least, ‘known’ him as well as a man such as him would have himself known.”
“Aye, that’s the problem of it!” Isla exclaimed, frustrated. “He seems tae keep himself distant from others in all the ways that matter! Why would a man be so frightfully withholdin’ and so damnably mercurial with one who has come to wed him?”
Isla was tempted to relay the entirety of her interactions with Alex to Moira, but she hesitated for fear that, if the laird found out she’d confided such things to a servant, he might become enraged again.
Still, she knew she could not continue there without any confidante at all, for it might drive her mad.
So she told Moira everything, and the servant girl listened attentively.
When Isla had finished, Moira paused, as though gathering her thoughts. Then she said, “Och, I’m dreadfully sorry ye’ve had such a difficult time with Laird Alex… though, between ye and me, I cannae claim surprise. He did take tremendous pride in that map, as I recall, and so ‘tis only natural he’d react in such a fashion at seein’ it spoiled. Even so, I wouldnae recommend that ye judge him based on that alone, or let yerself feel as though it spells the doom of yer union with him.”
Isla’s heart sank. She had expected Moira to take her side, perhaps even to impart some useful advice she could apply to her further dealings with the laird. Instead, though, it seemed as though Moira was blaming Isla for what had transpired.
“I see,” Isla replied simply. “I suppose I shall just have to be… more careful around him in the future, and hope that will be enough to spare me his ire.”
“That’s the spirit, my lady!” Moira beamed, clearly oblivious to Isla’s disappointment. “Now, two days is far too long tae go without nourishment, if ye dinnae mind me sayin’ so. I’ll go andfetch ye somethin’ tae eat, shall I? Ye just wait right here, and I’ll be back in a moment!”
Moira left before Isla could offer any objection, closing the door behind her.
Well, that was that, then, Isla supposed. She’d eat whether she felt like it or not, just as she would apparently marry Alex whether she wanted to or not. Her life had never been her own, it seemed to her, and now it never would be.
The door opened again shortly, and Isla turned toward it, expecting Moira’s return.
Instead, she was surprised to find a young woman with fine dress and a somewhat regal bearing, holding a tray of food. The woman had dark red hair which she wore in a thick braid down her back, and her brown eyes twinkled like those of a sparrow building its nest.
“Good mornin’, Lady Isla,” she greeted her with a faint smile. “I am Lorna Aitken. I hope ye don’t mind that I asked Moira if I might bring your refreshment, so that we might finally become acquainted.” She sat the tray down on the table next to Isla’s bed. “And pray, dinnae worry about talking with yer mouth full. As I understand it, ye’ve been without food for nigh on two days now, and I’d rather ye didnae starve and swoon whilst I’m tryin’ to talk to ye.”
Her tone was so firm and businesslike that Isla found it impossible to disagree with her. And the food in front of her—sausages with fried eggs, and a large piece of buttered brown bread—made her empty stomach grumble pitifully.
She forced herself to take a bite, and at the first taste of it, her hunger took over entirely and she ravaged the rest of the plate without another moment’s hesitation.
“There, that must feel a bit better,” Lorna said with a smile. “Make no mistake, I admire stubbornness in certain cases. Onewould have to, after all, havin’ been raised among the members of this family.”
“Are ye Laird Alex’s sister?” Isla mumbled around a mouthful of bread. “Ye dinnae bear his last name. Are ye married?”
“I am married, aye, though I didnae share his last name before that either,” Lorna explained patiently. “I was orphaned at a young age, and taken in by Laird Douglas, who had always wished for a daughter alongside his sons yet had never been blessed with one.” She snickered. “As it turned out, the chief reason he wished for such a thing was so that he might have a lass who’d look after his boys while his attention was elsewhere. A nursemaid, in short, whom he wouldnae have to pay for her trouble.”
“That strikes me as a rather awful reason to be adopted,” Isla observed.
Lorna shrugged lightly. “There are many who are orphaned and are never adopted. Many who are adopted into homes which are filled with cruelty and neglect. I fared better than most lasses might have at my age, and I remain grateful for that to this day. Still,” she went on pensively, “that doesnae mean it has always been easy, dealin’ with the Oliphants and their moods. As ye are learning now, no doubt.”
“Can ye tell me anythin’ that might help me understand Alex, then?” Isla pleaded hopefully. “Anythin’ that might make all of this… easier, somehow?”
Lorna thought this over for a moment. “I’ve little doubt ye have heard that ours is a clan with a noble history, and that its leaders have showed tremendous strength and courage in protectin’ their people. The Oliphants are mighty warriors, which has made them wealthy, influential, and respected. All of these things are indisputably true.” She paused, then added, “However, I also believe that such a legacy can be immensely difficult to live up to, which has in turn had a noticeable effect onmany of the lairds and their kin. Most especially Laird Douglas and his offspring.”
“How so?” Isla asked, grateful for any insight Lorna could provide.
“It has always been plain to see—for me, at least—that Douglas was haunted by the triumphs of his ancestors from the start. He struggled tae live up tae them. He was hard on himself in doin’ so… and in turn, he was harder still on his sons, so that they might continue the clan’s tradition of superiority and respectability. It made him spiteful toward them in many respects, perhaps even needlessly cruel at times. Myself, I bore none of the brunt of such behavior on his part, for he knew that I would never ascend to the role of leader. As such, havin’ been spared his foul temper and unreasonable demands, I was in a better position to help and support Douglas’s sons through their tribulations with him.”
