“Honestly, Melissa!” Avery laughed again. “You truly are the worst.”
“I know, I know.” Melissa reached for the flowers on the table, choosing the Brunet roses along with an assortment of mountain avens. “I think I’d like to have a bouquet with a bit of color in it, to bring some magic into my special day,” she said and handed her choice to her sister.
“That’s the spirit. I’ll go and tell the maids what they need to gather.” Avery gave her a final smile before collecting the flowers and leaving the room.
Lingering at the table for a second, Melissa picked up a single white flower that had fallen from the rest. Walking over to the window, she delicately sniffed the petals while looking out over the moor. She’d panicked when her sister had asked if she thought Daniel was attractive.
In truth, she found him very attractive. His presence had annoyed her whenever he had been around, yet she had found herself looking for him in a crowded room. She couldn’t say what exactly she was feeling, but part of her heart had skipped a beat when he’d said that he’d marry her in an attempt to save her reputation.
Sighing heavily, she shook the thoughts from her mind and walked to her bed, falling on the soft mattress, and staring at the ceiling. Perhaps her sister was right, and Daniel was the one who would finally awaken the hidden passions that she’d never experienced before.
6
“Try and look a little less displeased, dear,” Daphne said as they stepped into the entrance hall of Castle McLaughlin. “You’re going to have a lovely home here.”
“If it helps, it’s not the castle that displeases me,” Melissa whispered as their luggage was carried into the hall by a few strong men.
Castle McLaughlin was just as impressive inside as it was on the outside. High stone walls with simple ceilings and large chandeliers gave the impression of quaint elegance, something that Melissa hadn’t been expecting at all. She’d pictured the famous rake living in something more akin to a cave, rather than an elegant castle. The sparse decorations seemed to fit his personality: handsome, ordered, and never out of place.
A single portrait of Daniel hung on the wall just before the stairs that led to the upper floors. He wore a bright red kilt with black boots and a black coat, decorated with many medals and emblems from war. She had to admit that he cut a handsome picture with a fierce look of control in his deep brown eyes. His toned muscles had been perfectly captured in the painting. Even through the layers of fabric, a person could see that he was a well-built man.
“He’s quite handsome, isn’t he?” Daphne asked as she examined her daughter’s face from the side.
Melissa quickly turned her head to look around at the servants coming for their things. “Yet too important to greet his guests, apparently,” she said sharply in an attempt to divert her mother’s attention from the fact that she’d been admiring his looks.
“I am afraid Me Laird is feeling ill this morning.” A lady that appeared to be in her late fifties stepped forward with her hands clasped in front of her in a respectful manner, narrowing her eyes at Melissa as she spoke. “Me Laird has given strict instructions to make ye feel at home until he comes down himself.” She tilted her head back defiantly as if her words were final and not to be trifled with.
“I’m sure Daniel is still resting from his long journey,” Daphne cut in quickly when she saw that Melissa was about to speak. She knew all too well that Melissa would give the woman a sharp retort that would make matters worse.
“Aye, Me Lady.” The woman curtsied. “Me name is Isla Horn. I am head maid, tasked with running the castle an’ keeping everything in order.”
Melissa surveyed the woman from head to toe in her dark grey dress and apron. Her hair was a light peppery grey with streaks of black, pulled back in a tight bun at the back of her head, eliminating any kind of wrinkle that may have been on her face. A short, stubby nose sat above a pair of thin lips that looked as if they would disappear altogether if she pressed them together.
Isla Horn returned Melissa’s look with equal amounts of judgment in her dark brown eyes, which were nearly black now. “Tea an’ ale will be served in the dining hall once everyone had been shown to their rooms,” she said coolly. “Some bannocks have also been prepared.”
“Now, doesn’t that sound lovely?” Daphne looped her arm through her daughter’s. “Perhaps Isla would give us a tour of the castle while the luggage is being taken to the rooms,” she added kindly. “I’m sure there is nobody who knows the house better.”
“It would be me honor.” Isla curtsied again. “That is if the future lady of the house wishes it so?” She raised a thin eyebrow and looked at Melissa.
Hesitating for a second, Melissa summed the lady up. “I think my mother had a fine idea, but only once I’ve had a chance to freshen up,” she said pointedly. “The journey was long; I need some time to rest.”
“As ye wish, Me Lady.” Isla bowed before leaving. “I will go an’ oversee the handling of the luggage.”
Melissa resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the lady as she passed. She could see that they wouldn’t be getting along in the future. The maid was just as tiresome as Daniel with all of his rules and moral codes.
Shaking her head, Daphne guided her daughter away from the entrance. “It’s ill-advised to make an enemy of the lady who runs your house, dear,” she advised. “You will want her to be on your side, trust me on that.”
“She started with me first,” Melissa retorted.
Daphne sighed and shook her head. “Oh, dear, I can see that we’re off to a rough start already.”
“I think you might be living in a fairy tale if you thought that we would have any other kind of start, Mama,” Melissa said in exasperation. Her mother and sister had begun to get on her nerves with all of their well-meaning advice. “The marriage will be one of name only, there will be no need for me to get along with anyone, not even the head maid.”
“You might find life a little easier if you accepted some advice,” Daphne said gently. “Passions can burn bright, even when you aren’t expecting them to.”
Taking a deep breath, Melissa descended the steps of the castle, walking over to the yard that led to the gardens. Daniel had yet to make an appearance as the rest of the family waited for him before starting their supper. He’d been missing in action all morning while the family settled in.
Growing tired of waiting for him, Melissa had decided to take a walk. Her mother had insisted she wear her emerald dress with the swooping neckline and embroidered skirt, all in an attempt to gain the favor of her future husband. Melissa had argued that she didn’t care what her future husband thought of her, yet even Avery had insisted that she make an effort. Her hair flowed loosely down her back in long golden strands, bouncing as she walked.
