Unable to hide how flustered the attention made her, Anna looked away. She took a few deep breaths, reminding herself of her new title. And, as she was gathering her wits, she caught sight of Marcus disappearing through the crowd.
Seeing Marcus go forward brought a smile to her face. With that, she turned back to the villagers,her people, and steppedforward. Hugh was close behind her, his presence feeling like a tether to her new reality.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Just as Edward had predicted, the villagers rushed toward Anna to get their own chance at speaking with her. Hugh had been expecting her to be overwhelmed as she had been on their journey to the castle, but this time she seemed to be more prepared. The smile on her face was genuine, never wavering.
I've nae met someone so beautiful.
The thought hit Hugh without any warning. It was becoming increasingly common for his mind to conjure statements such as that. He knew there wasn't anything he could do to stop it. Each interjection was correct.
"Me Lady!" a villager called, walking toward Anna with her young daughter in tow. "We're so excited to meet ye."
"I have somethin' for ye," the little girl, who couldn't have been older than ten, said. "I hope ye like it."
From behind her back, the girl produced a tiny, hand-sewn bunny. She offered it to Anna, her sweet face bright and hopeful. Anna knelt before the girl, then, with gentle hands, reached forward to accept the gift.
"Oh, this is beautiful," Anna said, her fingers tracing over the stitching. "Did you make this yourself?"
"Aye," the girl said, grinning widely enough to show off a missing front tooth and a dimpled left cheek. "Me maither taught me to sew, and I spent every day since learnin' we had a Lady makin' that for ye."
Anna looked genuinely touched, her bright eyes darting between the stuffed rabbit and the little girl. Softly, she said, "I'm quite sorry I didn't bring you something as thoughtful." Without looking away, Anna untied the ribbons from her hair and pressed them into the girl's palms. "But these are from back in England. They're my finest ribbons."
"I can really have them?" the girl asked, her fingers rubbing over the fabric. "Ye willnae miss them?"
"Maybe I will," Anna said thoughtfully. "But I'll replace them with something from the village. Something that I'll cherish just as much as I cherish those. Besides, I think those ribbons will look better in your hair than they do in mine."
The little girl giggled, her eyes going glassy with emotion. In an almost reverent tone, she said, "I will take good care of them, me Lady. They're me most prized possession."
"And I'll take care of this darling rabbit," Anna promised, stroking the doll's head softly. "I already cherish it so."
Anna glanced over her shoulder at Hugh, looking at his hand expectantly. She gave him the rabbit, taking her time to ensure it wouldn't fall. Then, she turned back to the little girl.
"Here," she murmured, gesturing to the ribbons. "I'll put your hair up for you."
As soon as the girl passed them back to Anna, she spun around. Anna's hands moved deftly through the auburn locks, ridding her hair of the few tangles that had been put there by the wind. Then, she braided two pieces away from the girl's face, securing them at the back of her head. Anna took her time as she tied the bow, ensuring it was perfectly symmetrical.
"I was right," Anna said as she rose to her feet. "That color was made for you."
"Thank ye, me Lady," the girl said, reaching up to touch the braids. "Thank ye so much."
Hugh watched the way Anna nearly shied away from the gratitude. She pushed it away, though, taking a deep breath and reaching for the girl's shoulder. This attempt at confidence was perfect, something that he knew would only make her surer of herself in interactions to come.
"There's no need to thank me," Anna said firmly, squeezing the girl's shoulder. "I'm more than happy to do it. And you gave me such a wonderful gift that putting the ribbon in your hair was the least I could give in return."
If the villagers didn't adore Anna before, they did now. The girl's mother was reaching forward to clasp Anna's hands, thanking her profusely. The girl was running to show off the new ribbon to her friends. All of the onlookers seemed even more eager to get their chance to speak with Anna.
"She's quite wonderful, me Laird," Edward, the village head, said when he stopped at Hugh's elbow. "The people cannae seem to get enough of her."
"Ach, I ken," Hugh replied as he stepped forward, not wanting to let Anna get too far away from him. "Between ye and me, I didnae expect her to be so good with the villagers. I ken that she's thoughtful and kind, but it seems that she's even more charmin' than I believed she was."
"Ye're lucky to have her," Edward said, smiling at the way Anna spoke to a child in another mother's arms. "But we didnae ken ye were engaged. How did the two of ye meet?"
"We wrote letters to one another," Hugh said, leaving out the fact that Anna only sent him one letter and that it wasn't really meant for him. "When I met her in person, I kent that I had to marry her. We didnae have a large ceremony, though I imagine there will be a ceilidh in a few months' time."
"I assure ye that we're lookin' forward to it," Edward said. "As ye can see, they'll all be fightin' for invitations."
"I wouldnae dream of leavin' out anyone that wants to come," Hugh assured him. "And Anna willnae allow us to have a celebration that isnae open to everyone."
