The casual wayConnor said it, the resignation in his young voice, made Piper’s heart ache.
“It’slovely to meet ye both,” Piper said, forcing a smile despite her nerves. “Properly, I mean. And I want to apologize, Masie, for last night. I dinnae mean to cause trouble between ye and yer faither.”
Masie’s expressiondidn’t soften. “Ye dinnae cause anythin’. Me faither and I are always fightin’.”
It was almost exactlywhat Elijah had said.
Like faither,like daughter.
“Well,regardless, I hope we can start fresh,” Piper said. “I ken ye dinnae ask for a governess, but I’m here now, and I’d like to make the best of it. For all of us.”
Connor beamed at her.Masie just shrugged and went back to her porridge. Amara patted Piper’s hand under the table, a gesture of encouragement.
A servant appearedwith a plate of food—porridge, bannocks, butter, honey, and what looked like smoked fish. Piper’s stomach growled despite her nervousness. It had been so long since she’d had a proper meal.
“Eat up, dear,”Amara said. “Ye’ll need yer strength for today. Teachin’ these two is nae for the faint of heart.”
“I heard that, Grandmaither,”Masie said.
“I meantfor ye to hear it, darlin’.”
Piper pickedup her spoon and took a bite of porridge. It was warm, creamy, perfectly seasoned. Better than anything she’d had in months. Maybe years.
“So where did ye come from?”Connor asked, his curiosity apparently boundless. “Are ye from around here? Do ye ken how to ride horses? Can ye shoot a bow? Me da can shoot a bow from really far away and hit the target every time, and I want to learn, but he says I’m too young, but I’m nae too young, I’m nine, and that’s practically grown up, right?”
“Connor, let her eat,”Amara chided gently.
“But I want to ken things!”
“Ye canken things after she’s had a chance to eat somethin’.”
Piper smiled despite herself.Connor’s enthusiasm was infectious, and it was clear he was genuinely excited about having a governess. That was something, at least.
Masie,on the other hand, continued to study her with those sharp green eyes. Piper could practically see the girl’s mind working, listing Piper’s every move, every word, looking for weaknesses.
She’s protectin’herself. Pushin’ people away before they can hurt her.
“I’m from a village called Kilbride,”Piper said, answering Connor’s questions. “It’s quite a way from here. And aye, I can ride a horse, though nae as well as I’d like. As for shootin’ a bow, I’ve never tried, but I’d be willin’ to learn alongside ye if yer faither approves.”
“He willnae,”Masie said flatly. “He doesnae approve of anythin’.”
“That’s nae true,”Amara said, though her tone suggested even she didn’t quite believe it. “Yer faither approves of many things.”
“Name one.”
“Well, he approved of hirin’Miss Armstrong, didn’t he?”
Masie’s gazeshifted to Piper again, and this time there was something calculating in it. “Aye. He did. Wonder why that is.”
The wayshe said it made Piper’s cheeks heat. Did Masie suspect something had happened last night? Had she heard raised voices? Had she?—
Stop it. Ye’re bein’paranoid. She’s just a child testin’ boundaries.
But as Piperate her breakfast and tried to answer Connor’s endless questions while avoiding Masie’s penetrating stare, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this—teaching these children,living in this castle, being near Elijah—was going to be far more complicated than she’d ever imagined.
And the emptyseat next to her—the place where the Laird should have been—felt like an accusation.
Piper forcedherself to smile at something Connor said, forced herself to eat, forced herself to pretend that everything was fine.
