Anna nodded, moving to help her slip into the dress. She laced it up with quick, nimble fingers as Ava finished reading her note.
“Joanna is still nae sleepin’ through the night.” She shook her head. “Is that normal?”
“Most bairns have trouble sleepin’ the first year,” Thalia explained as Anna finished dressing her.
She smoothed the dress down, examining it in her mirror. It was a deep shade of blue, the same color as her eyes. There were brown stains on the bottom hem from wearing it too many times around the gardens, much like many of her other dresses.
For the first time, she began to feel a little self-conscious about it. Or at least, she started to wonder if she should be more aware of her attire. Finlay had said that he was attracted to her despite her disheveled appearance. So, how would he regard her if she put more effort into looking pretty? Would that be enough to convince him to visit her again? To kiss her and touch her again?
Warmth colored her cheeks, and she tried to push the feelings aside. She was being ridiculous. It was a fake betrothal, and it always would be. Finlay had made that painfully clear.
“Will ye be needin’ anythin’ else, me Lady?” Anna asked.
“Nay. Thank ye, Anna.”
Anna left swiftly, leaving Thalia and Ava behind as she closed the door.
“I’ll be out in the gardens today,” Thalia declared, turning back to her sister. “I need the fresh air, and the quiet will do me good after last night.”
“Aye, I think that’s a grand idea,” Ava agreed. “I’m goin’ to send out a reply to Caden, then would ye like me to join ye?”
Thalia shook her head. “Nay, I need the time to think. I’ll find ye if I need ye.”
She made the walk out to the gardens, surprised by how easy and familiar the journey had become in just a few short days. The servants bustled around the castle as they prepared for the festivities that would take place in just a handful of days.
The reminder of how soon it was made her heart kick in her chest. She felt she had lived an entire lifetime in the past week. Between the failed handfasting, running away, finding solace with Finlay, and forming a reluctant alliance, it had been almost non-stop action with hardly any chance to catch her breath. Her life had been relatively quiet up until now, yet she found that she didn’t much mind some of the excitement that had happened.
Her time with Finlay had been especially exciting. The passion she had experienced last night was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and she still wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to give it up. Something new had opened up inside her, a trail that she had barely begun to explore, and she wanted to see where it led.
Though it hardly seemed that Finlay wanted to explore this new trail with her. He was unrelentingly confusing, with the way healways contradicted himself or changed his mind. She wished he would just come right out and say what he wanted from her.
Perhaps something was holding him back, but she had a hard time believing that. He was strong, powerful, and confident. What could possibly have a hold on such a man that he would deny himself something he wanted?
Thalia shook her head as if she could banish the thoughts from her mind. He must not want her so badly, then. If he did, then surely he would fight for her, wouldn’t he? That was the kind of man he was.
She arrived at the gardens, breathing in the sweet scent of the flowers. Most of the scents blended together, yet there were a few she could pick out with ease. Lavender, especially, was a more distinct one that stood out above the others.
Finlay had told her she smelled like lavender last night, and he had told her how much he liked that smell on her.
She shook her head again as her body warmed at the memory of his touch.
Nay, ye need to put it out of yer mind. It will do ye nay good to dwell on it.
With that, Thalia resigned herself to focus solely on the tasks before her. She wanted to take an even closer look at the plants, examining them for signs of pests or disease to keep themhealthy as long as possible. She rolled up her sleeves and began to work.
It did not take her long before she was completely engrossed with the plants around her. The time passed quickly, yet she was vaguely aware. She found a few plants showing signs of distress, and she made a note about them with a piece of paper and a pencil she had brought with her. She hadn’t had a chance to talk with the servants who tended to the gardens yet, but she would ask around in the coming days.
“Thalia!”
She looked up from where she was still crouched down in the dirt and saw Daisy running up to her with a wide smile on her face.
“Daisy!” Rowena shouted behind her, walking slowly up the trail from where they must have spotted her.
Thalia stood and tucked her notes into her pocket just in time for Daisy to launch herself into her arms. Thalia barely managed to stay standing by placing a foot behind her as the girl’s body crashed into her.
Daisy smiled up at her from where she pressed into her skirts, and Thalia ruffled her hair affectionately.
“Ye seem to be in much better spirits,” she observed.
