“I see,” Archibald replied. His voice was quiet, contemplative. “He still insists on never marryin’ then?”
“Aye.”
The memories still hurt, and Thalia felt the sting of them in her heart. She took a bite of the bread, chewing it without fully tasting it.
“Then he is a fool,” Archibald declared, his eyes glinting with humor as he looked at her.
Thalia chuckled, swallowing her breakfast. “Aye, he is,” she agreed.
She may have lost Finlay and Daisy, but perhaps her return to MacFinn Castle would be better than she had expected. She and her uncle had reached a compromise, and with any luck, that would continue.
Perhaps it was good that she was returning home to spend time with the family she had pushed away. It would do them all good.
Perhaps I could even try to patch things up with Maither.
There was a future for her, and despite the grief she still carried, now there was hope, too.
CHAPTER 28
The restof the carriage ride went much better than Thalia had expected. They spent it talking, each sharing their own stories about their time apart. Archibald told her about her mother and how she had been faring with her daughters away.
“She still spends most of her time in the gardens, away from everyone else,” he said. “But when Emma comes to visit with the children, she looks more like her old self. She’s happier, brighter. I think having ye back will do her some good, too.”
Thalia smiled at that. She hadn’t seen her mother during the wedding fiasco, but now she was looking forward to it. Spending all that time with Daisy had made her realize just how important a daughter’s relationship with her mother was. She hoped that Daisy would find that one day.
The castle could be spotted from the carriage window now, and she leaned over to get a better look. It stood tall as it always did,and she felt less dread than the last time she had arrived. The whole ordeal that had led to the adventure she had embarked on.
She took a deep breath and readied herself for what awaited her next.
The carriage rolled through the front gates and lurched to a stop. The courtyard was strangely quiet. Not that Thalia had expected a cèilidh when they had arrived, but she had expected some servants or other castle residents to be around, as usual. Her uncle, too, looked around a bit uneasily.
He stepped out of the carriage, stretching his back as he did. He held out his hand and helped her step down, and the two looked around again.
“Thalia, ye stay here by the carriage,” Archibald ordered. “I’ll see to it that someone comes out to help carry yer things to yer room.”
Thalia nodded and watched him walk up to the front entrance. She turned around, taking in the sight of her old home again. The stables were further off than the ones at MacAinsley Castle, and the gardens were tucked behind them as well. She craned her neck, squinting her eyes to see if anyone was at either location, but they remained as empty as the rest.
“Thalia! Welcome back.”
She whirled towards the front entrance, the deep, threatening voice sending a chill down her spine.
Harrison MacKay stood at the front entrance, his arms stretched out before him like he expected her to run and embrace him.
“Laird MacGibbon?” she asked, her eyes searching for signs of another person and finding that she was now completely alone. Even the driver of the carriage had disappeared. “What are ye doin’ here?”
“Well,” he started, walking down the steps towards her. His grey eyes flashed, and the grin he wore teetered on the edge of maniacal. “I heard thedreadfulnews that yer engagement with Laird MacAinsley had been called off. Now, being the man of honor that I am, I decided to revisit the deal I made with yer uncle.”
Thalia sneered. “Ye? A man of honor? Do honorable men typically try to kidnap a woman to force her into marriage?”
He waved away her anger as if she were a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. “A simple misunderstanding. I already explained it to yer uncle, and it has all been taken care of.”
Thalia shook her head. After everything she had told him, her uncle wouldn’t have rolled over for him again so easily.
“Ye’re lyin’! Where is he? Where is me uncle?” she cried.
“Ye’ll see him again.” Harrison had drawn closer, and she took a futile step back.
There was nowhere for her to go, yet she couldn’t stop herself from acting on her instincts.
