“Where’s Daisy?” she asked.
“She prefers to eat in her room with her nursemaid,” Finlay explained.
Thalia nodded. “I remember Ava sayin’ how hard it was for Nathan to adjust at first. She’ll come around, I’m sure.”
“I daenae want to push her. She’s been through a lot,” he replied.
Thalia looked like she wanted to ask more, but then her gaze was drawn back to the table. She inhaled deeply, as if she were enjoying the smell of the food.
“Go ahead,” Finlay urged. “Ye daenae have to wait for me.”
They took their seats, and he could see how hungry Thalia really was as she ate. Her fork moved rapidly from her plate to her mouth, fighting to remain polite.
She had told him she had been in the forest for a few days, but she probably hadn’t been able to hunt or fish without any supplies. His anger flared anew as he thought of how she had been forced into this situation because of her uncle. Someone who should have protected her.
“How long has Daisy been livin’ with ye?” Thalia asked as she finished.
“Six months,” he answered.
“Six months?” she repeated. “But havenae ye been the Laird here for almost two years?”
“Aye.”
“So then Daisy and her maid…?”
“Aye,” he said. “They’d been living in that cabin for over a year before I found them.”
Thalia set down her fork, as if she had lost her appetite. “That poor girl.”
“Now ye ken why I’m so gentle with her,” Finlay said.
Daisy had been so skinny then, but she was finally growing like she should after he made sure she had proper meals. They had come a long way, but she was still scared, and eager to run at the first sign of trouble. He hoped that, with a little more time, she would begin to relax and put her trust in him.
“She’s strong,” Thalia remarked. “And smart. I daenae have any doubts that she’ll come around. I can see that she cares about ye. She’s very lucky to have ye.”
Finlay felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “Why, Lady Thalia, was that a compliment ye just gave me?”
Thalia rolled her eyes. “Daenae get used to it. I figured since ye’ve been so kind as to let me stay here, the least I can do is be more…”
“Agreeable?”
“Friendly,” she corrected with a smile. “I was thinkin’ I could give it two days, then I’ll leave for Ava’s. That way, I can be sure that I wasnae followed.”
“Are ye sure ye daenae want me to send word to her now? I’m sure she’s heard of what’s happened, and she must be worried about ye,” Finlay said.
“Quite sure. I daenae want her to have to lie to our uncle on me behalf. It wouldnae be right.”
A low rumble interrupted the conversation. It sounded almost like another storm approaching. Finlay listened to it carefully, recognizing the sound instantly.
“What is that?” Thalia turned to him, her eyes wide.
“Horses.” Finlay stood, his chair scraping harshly across the stone floor.
“Horses? From whom?”
Finlay went to the window and looked out over the courtyard. Two new horses and their riders entered through his gates. He watched them dismount, and the horses were led away by the stable boys. Even in the dark, he would know who they belonged to.
“Ye nay longer have to worry about makin’ it to yer sister’s,” he murmured.
