What he wanted most, what ate at him as he laced his boots, was to see her once more. Knowing that she wasn't upset felt as if it were more important than any of his other responsibilities. The fact that his presence was likely the last thing she needed ached like a bruise.
Before he could push the thought completely away, someone knocked at his door. Then, as he was preparing himself to tell whoever it was to leave him be, his mother's voice cut through the heavy wood.
"Hugh, what're ye doin' in there?" she asked, knocking several more times. "Ye're goin' to miss breakfast if ye daenae get up."
He sighed, opening the door and staring down at her. "I'm nae feelin' well, Maither. I just needed some extra time this mornin'."
Eilidh's eyes narrowed as she pushed her way into his room. He allowed it, accepting that his mother would do as she pleased with him and his siblings. The door swung closed with a final thud that signaled she could say what she wanted to say or make whatever observations she deemed necessary.
"I daenae think you're ill," she said, walking in a circle around him as if looking for signs of disease. "Ye seem tired, but ye're nae holdin' yerself as if ye're sick."
"Perhaps I have just become better at hidin' me discomfort," he said, intending to brush her off.
"Nay," she said as she stepped in closer. "What's got yer mind so mixed up? Is it somethin' with Anna?"
"Maither—"
"Ye ken I didnae believe what ye said about the letter, daenae ye?" she continued, not letting him speak. "The lass looked as if she was goin' to run away from me when I asked. It wasnae until ye spoke that she calmed down."
"Ach, well, she didnae want anyone to ken," Hugh sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That letter was nae supposed to reach me."
"But it was addressed to Laird McDonald, was it nae?"
"It was," said Hugh. "She wrote the letter because she wanted people to stop teasin' her. The late Laird McDonald was her false betrothed. She was goin' to 'fake' his death. But then I showed up and married her anyway."
Eilidh was quiet for a moment before laughing and shaking her head. "Anna's a good lass," she mused. "Funny plan she had. I'm nae sure I understand why she needed to do it. Perhaps I'm just nae familiar with the way things work down south." Then, she murmured, "I like her, though. She's kind. But ye ken that I wish ye would have married for love."
"I like her well enough," Hugh grunted, refusing to reveal more. "More than I'd like anyone the council set me up with."
"Ach, I daenae understand them either!"
His mouth twitched as he suppressed a smile. "I think she'll be happier here than she would be in England. I can already tell she's fittin' in better here."
"I've only kent her for a day, but she does seem quite happy," Eilidh agreed. "Ye would think she'd need some time to adjust, but she's quite excited."
"The flowers," Hugh pointed out. "She's lookin' forward to seein' all the flowers. It's greener here than England."
"Aye, she seems like the kind of sweet lass that would like the gardens," she agreed. Then, in a softer voice, she murmured, "I bet she didnae have a good time in England because good people always get taken advantage of. We'll need to look after her, make sure that she's taken care of."
"Aye," he agreed, though the words struck him in a way that made his jaw clench.
Is that nae what I did? I married the lass for her dowry, went down south just to do that, nae to get to ken her or get real answers about the letter.
Eilidh cupped his cheek, massaging away the tension he was holding. She muttered, "Ye're thinkin' so hard I can see yer thoughts."
"Well, keep yer observations to yerself," Hugh said, grabbing her wrist and removing it.
He stepped away, heading toward the door to leave. When he opened it, Marcus immediately slipped in. With a growl, Hugh said, "What the hell are ye doin'? Why are we meetin' in me chambers?"
"Ye've been hidin' in here all mornin'," Marcus replied, throwing himself into a chair next to the fireplace. "If we were goin' to speak to ye, this was the place that we needed to do it."
"Then what is it that ye need?" Hugh sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was tryin' to go about me day."
"I saw yer new wife," Marcus said as he held his hands out to warm them with the fire. "She was walkin' around the castle lookin' lost."
"Where was she tryin' to go?" Eilidh asked, turning her attention to her youngest son.
"I cannae tell ye," he said dismissively. "I'm nae a servant, nor am I her husband. It's nae me job to lead her around and give her tours. If she needed that, she should have come to Hugh."
