“I wish ye to keep them from my sight,” I corrected. “How ye accomplish that I do nae care, so long as ye keep them safe.”
She hesitated, and for a moment I thought she might refuse. Then she nodded, a single, decisive movement. “I agree to yer terms.”
Relief coursed through me, though I was careful not to show it. Let her think this was merely a laird giving orders, not a drowning man clutching at anything that might keep his head above water for one more day.
“Good,” I said. “James will introduce ye to them after ye’ve had a chance to refresh yerself.”
Her gaze flickered to James, who watched our exchange with a calculating expression. I would definitely need to speak with him and remind him that I didn’t need a woman, other than to bed. “As ye wish,” she said.
“Then our bargain is settled,” I said, raising my cup once more. “Welcome to Ross Stronghold, Murieall Buchanan. May ye find what ye seek here.”
Chapter Six – Murieall
The gown the servant had provided scratched at my skin, a wool blend far coarser than what I was accustomed to at home. I paced the small bedchamber, running my fingers over the rough-hewn stone walls that surrounded me like a prison. Or perhaps a sanctuary, depending on how one viewed my bargain with the laird. I could withstand one month of sharing Munro’s bed, but not his body, and by day, I would care for his daughters, whom he couldn’t bear to look upon.I could do this.I repeated it until I felt I believed it.
I moved to the narrow window, peering out at the grey northern sky. Wind howled around the castle battlements, carrying the distant crash of waves against the cliffs below. How strange that my fate now rested in the hands of a broken man who dulled his pain with wine and women. I needed to make him feel again, but the question of how loomed large as a mountain before me.
A sound outside my door pulled me from my thoughts. I pressed my ear close and listened to soft giggles, quickly hushed, and then the patter of small feet. I frowned, thinking about what Munro had said. James was meant to bring the girls to me, but these sounds suggested they had arrived without escort.
I pulled the door open to find two small figures frozen in surprise, their eyes wide as they stared up at me. The older girl had flame-red hair that reminded me of autumn leaves, while the younger had fair locks that framed a heart-shaped face.
“Are ye Murieall?” the taller one asked, eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Aye, I am,” I replied, offering what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “And who might ye be?”
The smaller one giggled, hiding partially behind her sister. “I’m Bess,” she said. “I’m seven summers.”
“And I’m Guinn,” the red-haired lass added. “I’m eight. We’re supposed to be playing tag with James, but he sent us to find ye instead. He said ye would join our game.”
I raised an eyebrow at that. Had James deliberately sent the girls to me rather than bringing them himself? I wondered if this was some ploy on his part. The man clearly had designs to see his laird restored to his former self, and perhaps he thought the lasses might be part of that transformation.
“Did he now?” I asked, glancing down the empty corridor. “And where is James?”
“He’s hiding!” Bess exclaimed, bouncing on her toes and grinning, dimples flashing. “He said ye should count to twenty and then come find us.”
I studied their eager faces, noting how Bess’s eyes were the same stormy blue as her da’s, while Guinn’s were bright green. They seemed starved for attention, these lasses, their eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of a simple game. My heart twisted at the thought of their da keeping them at arm’s length when they so clearly needed him.
“Verra well,” I said with an exaggerated sigh, as if the decision was a great burden. “I suppose I do nae have a choice but to play.” The girls’ faces lit up, and I couldn’t help but smile in response. “But I warn ye, I’m verra good at catching wee lasses who run too slowly.”
Bess shrieked with laughter, already backing away. “We’re the fastest in all of Scotland!” she declared.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” I said, covering my eyes with my hands. “One… two… three…”
They scampered away, their footsteps echoing on the stone floor as I continued counting. When I reached twenty, I openedmy eyes and stepped into the corridor. “Ready or nae, here I come!” I called and set off in the direction of their fading giggles.
The castle was a maze of corridors and staircases, with tapestries hanging on the walls depicting hunting scenes and battle victories. I followed the sound of stifled laughter, catching glimpses of small figures darting around corners or hiding behind columns. The game led me through parts of the stronghold I hadn’t yet seen—a library with cobwebs and two chairs by a fire that looked not to have been used in ages, and a narrow passage where the wind whistled through cracks in the mortar.
“I see ye, Bess!” I called, spotting her blue gown peeking out from behind a wooden chest. She squealed and darted away, her laughter ringing against the stone walls. Guinn appeared at the end of the corridor, waving her arms to distract me from her sister.
“Ye can nae catch us both!” she taunted, her red hair flying behind her as she turned to run.
The chase warmed my blood and lifted my spirits. For a moment, I forgot about curses and bargains, lost in the simple joy of the children’s game. I raced after Guinn, my skirts gathered in my fists, weaving through servants who pressed themselves against the walls to avoid being trampled. The girls darted ahead, nimble as deer, turning a sharp corner with me close behind.
They suddenly stopped and ducked to either side of someone, and before I could check my momentum, I crashed headlong into a solid wall of a man. My hands pressed against a broad chest, and strong fingers grasped my waist to steady me. I looked up, my breath catching as I met Munro’s stormy gaze.
“What devilry is this?” he demanded, his voice booming through the corridor. His hands still gripped my waist, the heat of them burning through the fabric of my gown.
I became acutely aware of two small bodies pressing against my back, seeking shelter behind my skirts. The girls had immediately retreated at their da’s anger, and something fierce and protective coursed through me. I had known these children for less than an hour, but already I felt a duty to shield them from harm—even if that harm came from their own da’s coldness.
