Leah inwardly cursed herself as she stomped down the stairs. She had been a fool to believe that he truly wanted to spend any time with her.
The room he had shown her was beautiful, and she had been filled with joy at the sight of it. She had assumed that he had created it for her and that he wanted her to be in the castle and enjoy her time writing as much as possible.
Then, when she asked if she could visit, he told her that she was welcome towritein the castle any time she liked.
It was as though he had created for her the most beautiful library, but all he ever wished for her to do was to come and read within it. She was not permitted to see him or spend time with him, but she could use his beautiful views as inspiration for the stories she would writeabout him.
She felt angry at her own weakness in wishing for something more and irritated with herself for how she had allowed her feelings for him to grow.
When they had gotten married, she had barely registered what had taken place. She had been entirely distracted by the arrivalof Gibson and the revelations of Magnus’s past. She barely had time to take in what had happened before she had a new husband and they had negotiated the terms of their marriage.
Since then, despite the wonderful pleasure they had shared in her bedroom, Magnus had not approached her or touched her at all. She was beginning to believe that he truly meant to send her away from the castle for good and for them to lead completely separate lives.
And why did I believe he would wish for anything different?He has been clear from the beginning that this is not a real marriage and that he will allow me my freedom. That is more than many women get. I should be grateful, not miserable.
As she came to the bottom of the stairs, she almost tumbled headfirst into Betty and Iona, who were standing in the corridor, seemingly waiting for her.
“Betty!” she exclaimed in surprise. “Is all well?”
Betty stepped forward just as Iona put a warning hand on her arm. “Betty, this willnae help anythin’. It is just yer?—”
“Quiet, girl,” Betty admonished. She was not harsh in her address to Iona, but her tone brooked no argument.
Iona raised her eyes to the heavens and sighed, letting her go. Betty moved forward and came to stand beside Leah, looking around her as though she had a secret to tell.
“What is it, Betty? Are you both alright?” Leah asked.
Betty took her arm and led her down the corridor, so they were further away from the stairs and perhaps further away from Magnus’s ears.
“Be careful, lass,” she warned. Her grey eyes darted about them, as though there were hidden monsters in every corner. “The true wolf will show its teeth,” she muttered.
Leah watched as the woman grasped her hands, taking Leah’s wrists between her fingers and looking at Leah’s palms with interest.
Betty’s dress was of fine gold today. Despite her age, her face had a youthful glow, and her gray eyes were such an unusual color that they perfectly matched the stone of the castle, as though they had been carved from it.
“What do you mean?” Leah asked, laughing a little and feeling very uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. “There are no wolves in Scotland. I may be an Englishwoman, but I have learned that since I came here.”
“Betty, please,” Iona insisted, trying to pull Betty away.
But Betty gripped Leah’s arm more forcefully.
“Keep a watchful eye, me girl. He is comin’—” she whispered.
But her warning, such as it was, was cut short by the arrival of Katie, who appeared at the head of the corridor, a wide smile spreading across her face as she saw Leah.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked. “Laird MacWatt has told me that we are to visit your castle today. I am so excited. I cannot wait to see what needs to be done.”
Leah looked down at Betty, who had released her and stepped back at Katie’s arrival. Iona and Betty exchanged a meaningful look, and Leah could not help the shiver of concern that ran through her.
“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to get the bottom of what Betty had been trying to tell her.
Iona stepped forward and took Betty’s arm. “Enjoy the castle tour, Lady MacWatt. We will be here when ye return.” And then she pulled Betty down the corridor, the two of them whispering feverishly to one another.
“What was that about?” Katie asked, frowning at Betty’s retreating figure. “I think that woman is quite mad, you know.”
Leah knew she could not tell her friend of Betty’s warnings. Katie did not have any patience for magic or folklore and dismissed such things out of hand. Leah did not wish to hear her make fun of Betty—perhaps the woman was merely confused.
“Come,” she said, “let us away. I wish to see my castle!”
