Piper staredat the approaching walls, her heart hammering. She’d known Elijah was a laird, known he must have wealth and power, but this was beyond anything she’d imagined. This wasn’t just a home. This was a fortress. A statement of power.
And she was aboutto live here.
As a governess.With a contract. Ye’re nae a prisoner. Ye’re nae a slave. Ye have a position.
But the castlewas so grand, so far removed from anything she’d ever known, that she felt suddenly, acutely aware of how out of place she was. A baker’s assistant from a tiny village, now somehow employed by one of the most powerful lairds in the Highlands.
“Ye’ve gone quiet,”Elijah observed.
“I’m just… takin’it all in.”
“Overwhelmed?”
“Terrified,”Piper admitted.
She felt ratherthan saw Elijah’s smile. “Daenae be. It’s just stone and wood. And the people inside are just people.”
“People who live in a castle.”
“Aye, well. There is that.”
As they approached the gates,guards straightened to attention. One of them, a large man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward.
“Me laird! Ye’re back!”His gaze shifted to Piper, and his eyes widened slightly. “And ye’ve brought… company.”
“This is Miss Piper Armstrong,”Elijah said, his voice taking on the commanding tone of a laird addressing his men. “She’s to be me children’s new governess. See that everyone kens she’s under me protection.”
The guard’sexpression shifted from curiosity to understanding. “Aye, me laird. Welcome to Castle McMahon, Miss Armstrong.”
Piper managed a nod,her throat too tight to speak.
They rodethrough the gates into a large courtyard bustling with activity. Servants hurried about their tasks, their eyes following the Laird’s horse with open curiosity.
Piper could feel their stares,could practically hear the whispers that would start the moment Elijah’s back was turned.
‘Who’sthat lass with the Laird? Where did she come from? Why does she look half-starved?’
“Easy, lass,”Elijah murmured in her ear. “Ye’re safe here.”
“They’re all starin’at me.”
“Because ye’re new.Give it a few days, and they’ll lose interest.” He dismounted, then reached up to help her down. “Come on. Let’s get ye inside and sort out that contract.”
Piper lethim lift her down, and the moment her feet touched the cobblestones, her legs nearly gave out. Two days on horseback had left her sore and exhausted, and the reality of where she was finally hit her full force.
Castle McMahon.She was at Castle McMahon. About to become a governess to a laird’s children.
This cannae be real.Any moment now, I’m goin’ to wake up back in that cell.
“This way.”Elijah’s hand settled on the small of her back, guiding her toward the main keep. Not pushing, just… there. Present.
Piper forcedher legs to move, forced herself to keep her chin up as they crossed the courtyard. The servants’ stares followed them, but Elijah seemed completely unbothered by it.
Of course he was.This was his home. His domain.
They enteredthrough massive oak doors into an entrance hall that made Piper’s breath catch.
Tapestries hungon the stone walls, their colors rich and vibrant even in the fading light. Torches burned in iron sconces, casting dancing shadows. A wide staircase led to the upper floors, its banister carved with intricate designs.
