“Of course,” he said warmly. “You wouldn’t know each other’s routines that well just yet.” He continued to smile at her. “These things take time, you know. Your mother and I also had to get used to the new rhythm at the start.”
“Please, don’t give me marital advice,” she snapped in a tone that was slightly harsher than she had intended.
“I’m sorry,” George uttered in an understanding tone that took her by surprise. “You still need a bit of time to adjust before you allow me back in. I shall respect that.”
Feeling slightly uncertain but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, Melissa accepted his apology and allowed him to continue. “Thank you.”
“Of course, I’ll keep the conversation away from any kind of fatherly or marital advice until you are more comfortable.” He looked at his grandchild again. “Did Daniel say where he had gone on business?”
She felt relieved that he’d steered the conversation away from subjects that had anything to do with her mother or the family matter at large. “He didn’t say, just that he’d be gone for a day or so.”
“Ah, I see. He’s probably left you with an army of men to guard the castle.” His uncomfortably sweet smile made her squirm in her seat.
“I guess so,” she said as she readied herself to leave as soon as she could. “Daniel’s man at arms is still at the castle. He deals with that kind of thing. I haven’t really interfered in any of the castle affairs.” She placed her hands on the edge of her seat, ready to push herself up.
“As it should be.” George nodded his approval. “A wife’s place is to run the house and not the affairs of men.” He looked up quickly when Melissa stood to leave. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’m very tired,” she lied. “The trip was long. I want to go and freshen up before Avery and Darragh get back.”
“Of course,” George said respectfully with a sad smile. “I have to get back down to the inn I’m staying at as well.”
So, they haven’t let him stay in the castle yet. Good.
She didn’t blame Avery and Darragh for not wanting him around. He made her very uncomfortable as it was, and she didn’t have to see him as often as they did at present.
She made her way out of the room, deciding to go to her old chambers and await the arrival of her sister and brother-in-law, but not before popping her head into the morning room and making sure that the guards were still keeping an eye on George.
14
Daniel furrowed his brow in panic as he looked inside yet another one of the rooms in the castle. He’d come from his trip after a day and a half to find that Melissa was nowhere to be seen. The conversations he’d had with the merchants had all but confirmed his suspicions that something was amiss, but he couldn’t deal with that right now, not while Melissa was missing.
He picked up the pace and trotted into the library in hopes that she was there reading a book. “Where is she?” He rushed toward Ewan, who had been standing by the desk with a letter in his hands.
“Who, Me Laird?” Ewan quickly thrust the letter into his belt and held up his hands as Daniel advanced on him.
“Me wife,” Daniel growled, already angry at what he had learned on his trip. He had to summon every ounce of his self-control to keep himself from knocking the man from his boots. The time would come when he would deal with Ewan, but that time wasn’t now.
“I’m afraid I dinnae ken, Me Laird.” Ewan’s face turned white as Daniel gripped his shirt in his fists, pulling his face closer to his own.
“Dammit, man, I tasked ye with protecting me wife an’ home while I was gone. Is there naething I can trust ye with?”
“Me Laird, I…” Ewan trailed off as panic set in. His eyes grew wider with fear as his palms began to sweat while he attempted to pull Daniel’s hands off him.
“Daniel?”
Relief flooded Daniel’s body as Melissa’s voice called to him from the doorway.
Letting go of the Ewan’s shirt, Daniel stepped away from him and dismissed him with a nod of his head. “I’ll be wanting to see ye soon,” he grumbled under his breath. “Dinnae leave the castle grounds.”
Ewan took his chance to flee and quickly left the room, nodding a greeting to Melissa as he passed.
“What are you making such a fuss for?” she asked as she came into the room and removed her traveling gloves, glancing over her shoulder at the retreating figure of Ewan McCollin.
“Where have ye been?” Daniel snapped as he realized that she had been out. His own words ofdoing as they pleasedcame back to haunt him as he glimpsed her cloak.
“I don’t understand why you are so angry.” She frowned at him. “As far as I understand, you’ve only just gotten back yourself.”
He felt an inexplicable wave of anger rippling through his body as she shut the door behind her and walked over to the table in a casual manner, as if he hadn’t just been going crazy looking for her. Thoughts of other men filled his mind, and his temper burst.
