CHAPTER 22
“Thisisthe carriage we are to travel in?” Katie exclaimed, her face contorting into a displeased expression as she looked it over.
Leah was trying to hold back a laugh because she was rather surprised by it, too.
Magnus had many horses in his stables that were very well cared for. The two chestnut mares that were harnassed to the carriage were beautiful creatures, their coats gleaming.
The carriage, however, had seen better days.
Magnus had explained to her that he tended to travel everywhere on foot. Indeed, Katie had told her that before Oskar offered Magnus his carriage, he had planned to walk home from MacIrvin Castle, which was several miles of undulating terrain.
The carriage before her now only proved how true that story was. It clearly had not been used since the Dark Ages. The fabric on either side of the outer canopy was so faded and worn that a stiff breeze could shred it in two.
The wheels looked as though they could do with being replaced. Thinking of her father’s carriages—he had a phaeton in his possession which was his pride and joy—she would have been laughed off the streets of London if she had traveled anywhere in this monstrosity.
“Perhaps we could go on foot,” Katie suggested, looking reluctantly at the long path winding toward the expanse of water in the distance.
Leah wrenched open one of the doors, hoping that the suspension would be adequate enough to prevent her spine from snapping in two on the journey. “Magnus said it would take twenty minutes by carriage. But on foot, it is nearly a two-hour walk. Come, it will be fine. We can entertain one another.”
Katie looked at her skeptically but sighed and followed her into the gloomy interior. The inside had once been covered in dark green leather, which would have been very handsome in its day, but now looked faded and worn.
Leah felt a pang in her stomach as she looked around, and it suddenly occurred to her why the carriage was in such a state.
His wife was killed in the other one, and he has not traveled in it since.
The thought was obvious now that she came to analyze things, and she felt horribly guilty that she had ever criticized it.
“It will be fine,” she said with finality to Katie, who was trying her best not to touch anything. “It is only a short journey.”
As she spoke, the driver nudged the horses into a trot, and there was an almighty squeak from all sides as the carriage swayed over the cobbles.
Katie and Leah took one look at one another and burst out laughing. If they were not deaf by the time they reached their destination, it would be a blessing.
They reached the castle in just under twenty minutes, just as Magnus had said they would, and in the end, the carriage ride had not been half as bad as Leah had expected—once she had grown used to the bumps in the road.
Her castle was a good deal smaller than the one where Magnus lived and had a neater and more sustainable garden. She liked the idea of planting roses in the forecourt so that visitors could be greeted by fresh blooms when they arrived.
The keep was bustling with activity, with furniture being carried over the cobbles and barrels being taken into the cellars. Leah felt rather overwhelmed as she watched all of the servants hurrying about.
She had spent much of the day learning of her new duties as the lady of the castle. Despite being an unconventional laird’s wife, she would still need to manage her household, and her list of responsibilities was significant. When she thought of the number of things that would need to be addressed, the castle suddenly felt enormous.
Katie, who had been in rather a sour mood all morning, had brightened considerably at the sight of it, however.
“It is a better size,” she declared, turning around in a circle to look at the ramparts all around them. “More compact.”
“Let us explore inside,” Leah said eagerly.
In her mind, she wanted to find the perfect writing space, just like the one Magnus had shown her that morning.
They walked into the main hall, which was very grand and beautiful. It backed onto the chapel, and stained glass could be seen in the windows. There was a long table in the center of the dining hall, and Katie walked about excitedly, talking nonstop about the amenities that were available to them.
Leah just stared at the table and the surrounding room, imagining her nights here all alone with only the servants for company. It seemed like a very lonely life.
Katie came back to her, taking her arm, and they continued on, looking through the other rooms and the multitude of different bedchambers.
“What am I going to use all of this space for?” Leah asked in bewilderment.
Katie turned to her, a puzzled frown on her face. “What do you mean?”
