As her voice broke, Henry swallowed, and he shifted forward in his seat. His elbows rested on his knees, and he tried to look her in the eye.
"Arabel—"
"No!" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, her hair flying in every direction.
Suddenly, she was on her feet.
"No! This is all just stupid. Ah dinnae ken how to be a rich person with a castle. Ah cannae look after people. Mama says ah cannae even look after meself!" Two splotches of color were burning bright in her cheeks, and Henry felt his gut hollow out when he saw tears in her eyes. "Why would ah do this? Why would yewantme to do this?" She growled in annoyance. "Why would ye wish me 'to take on this task,' as you w' say, Munro? Why w' ye be stupid enough to want that?"
"Because you can."
The response left him before he could stifle it.
Three simple words that paralyzed the both of them on either side of the table, one standing and one seated.
With the lady of the room upright, Henry was forced to his feet, but he did not risk drawing closer. He raised his hands as if he were calming a wild mare.
"You can become this province's leader if you choose to do so Ara—Belle." He swallowed around her name. "Belle, you are a good person. I have seen this in just a day. You have the core of a leader. You simply need to know how to employ it."
"But I dinnae ken how!"
"That is whyIam here. I have trained lairds and ladies by the dozen. I can help to mold you into a woman of finery and authority."
The girl had started to pace back and forth, but his assurances at least stilled her for a moment. One hand was playing with her lower lip in anxiety, the other was on her hip. She stared across at him with those too-bright eyes.
They seemed to cling to him with a desperate need of security.
"Ye can?"
Henry nodded. "I can." He then glanced at her dress. "However, for that, you will need to be properly attired and lend me your company for the day. We have been allocated a space for our lessons, and Coira will join us. She will be able to assist you in ablutions and personal appearance."
His new student rubbed her palms on the sides of her nightdress and licked her lips.
"How long will it take for me to ken what ah'm doin'?" she asked.
"That depends how hard you work with me." Henry turned to Coira. "See that she is gowned appropriately and then brought to the eastern wing. Laird Henderson has assigned us the reading room for Lady Arabelle's tutorship."
"Yes, sir."
Arabelle—Belle—was not unintelligent. In fact, she had displayed a sense of wit and fiery intellect that suggested she may be a quick learner, despite her near-illiteracy. The reality of her life had, no doubt, simply made it impossible for her to receive a noble education.
Assessing her now, Henry spotted a nervous twitch to her fingers, suggesting that she cared strongly over this latest turn of events. And the rigidity of her spine spoke of a determination not to fail.
Effort and commitment.
They were the foundation stones of any newly learned talent.
Henry felt the hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. That age-old passion for teaching rose in his chest and had him itching for a rod of chalk in his hand.
It would be interesting to see just how far the new Lady Henderson might go.
"I cannae breathe." Belle tugged at the top of the dress. The corset suit pulled away from her breasts but, in doing so, dug deeper into her belly.
"Apologies, my lady, but you must stand straighter. The suit encourages good posture."
Straightening her spine, Belle found her inhales a little easier, but still, she was near breathless. Yetanotherfrustration of a wealthy life.
"You will grow used to the garments, mistress," Coira assured her. "And, if I may, I would say they look very charming upon you."
