“She’ll learn,” Callum said shortly. “Send yer niece to wait on her, Angus.”
“Aye, Katherine will be a good help to her,” Angus agreed. His gaze landed coldly on Melody. “Katherine has ken the Laird since they were children. There is a powerful connection between them, so she’ll ken what to do with ye.”
“What did I say about oversteppin’?” Callum glared at the man, who had the good sense to lower his gaze.
Now, what wasthatsupposed to mean? She did not dare ask.
Lucas took a step forward, offering Melody a faint smile.
“Ye will like Kat. She’ll give a tour of the place, and I’m sure ye will be friends.”
Angus gave a nod, immediately turning his attention back to Callum.
“Does Lady Sophie ken?”
“She’ll ken soon.”
“And how did ye come to ken this… Lady Melody? I was nae aware of any intimacy between ye and anyone.”
Callum gave a tight smile. “Aye, and yer eyes and ears are everywhere, eh, Angus?”
Was it her imagination, or did Angus flush a little behind his red-brown beard? If he was embarrassed by Callum’s terse response, he kept his composure well enough.
“I do my best to make sure I ken what goes on in our lands,” he answered shortly. “I suppose it doesnae matter how long ye have ken the lass, so long as a marriage finally takes place. I’ll make the official announcement soon and start preparation for the feast tonight.”
“Feast?” Melody gasped at the same moment that Callum snapped, “Official announcement?”
Angus glanced between them with a flash of amusement in his eyes.
“Aye, Lady Melody, a feast. We must celebrate yer betrothal. We’ll do a smaller, informal feast just for the Keep, and perhaps a larger celebration for the other lairds and their councilors. I shall have to see how quickly I can organize it.”
“I… I’m sure that’s not necessary,” Melody stammered.
“An official announcement is certainly nae necessary,” Callum added.
Angus frowned. “Well, ye are Laird MacDean. I can do nothin’ without yer say-so. But the other councilorsmustbe informed of yer betrothal. This is nae simply a matter that affects ye, me Laird. It’s nae only between ye and Lady Melody. Ye are nae a pair of countryside lovers seeking a quick handfastin’. Nay, this involves us all. Other clans watch yer movements day in, day out. The villagers gossip about ye daily. Ye are adored, but a man can quickly fall out of grace, and ye have a long way to fall.”
“I’d just like a wee bit of time to compose meself, that’s all,” Callum managed at last, brow furrowed. He was chewing his lower lip, Melody noticed. Papa hated it when people did that, almost as much as he hated nail-biting. He called such things ‘silly, nervous habits’, and had once scolded Melody so badly for nibbling the edge of her thumbnail at a party that she had run out of the ballroom in tears.
Back then, Victoria had been around. She’d run after her sister and consoled her, then made Papa call the carriage to take them both home. An ache of longing for her sister clenched in Melody’s chest, making her swallow hard and close her eyes.
“The time for composure is over,” Angus said firmly, breaking into Melody’s thoughts. “Now is a time for action. Believe me, news of this will be all over the Keep by nightfall, and if the councilors are nae officially informed, there’ll be hell to pay, me Laird.”
Callum sighed, shaking his head.
“Aye, aye, ye are right,” he muttered.
Angus nodded. “I am right. Unless, of course, there’s some other reason ye daenae want yer engagement to be made public knowledge?”
Melody swallowed, unease trickling down her spine. She glanced up at Callum, but he did not return her stare.
“Of course nae,” he said briskly, meeting the councilman’s eye squarely. “What reason could there be? Go ahead, Angus. Tell everybody. Their laird is to be wed.”
6
“Stay here,” Callum ordered sharply. “Me grandmother is in that room. Go in, and I’ll come back and collect ye later. Daenae get into trouble.”
He strode off before Melody could demand to know just what sort of trouble he considered her likely to get herself into.
