Lisette nodded at the thirteen-year-old girl standing off to one side while two seamstresses finished stitching the hem on the lavender silk gown she had donned.
Sunlight spilled through the window upon a half dozen gowns in as many hues laid out upon the bed, and brightened Sorcha’s long hair to an even blonder shade—if that was possible.
Cameron and Aislinn’s adopted daughter might think her pretty, but Lisette had never seen anyone as beautiful as Sorcha Campbell with her flawless skin and luminous blue eyes.From the moment the girl had shyly entered her room yesterday with Aislinn, Lisette had felt drawn to her, and she reached out her hand.
At once Sorcha rushed forward to squeeze her fingers and gift her with a smile that seemed to light up the room even more than the brilliant sunshine.
“Aislinn says you’re strong enough now tae take a walk with me.We have a lovely garden and I’ll show you my chicken coop, too!Daran built it for me, Aislinn’s brother, but he’s gone tae train at MacLachlan Castle for a week or two.I asked him tae make it nice and big for lots of chickens, and he did!”
Inspired by the girl’s excitement, Lisette smiled back, though to do so felt strange to her.
She had smiled so little these past three days during which she had slept mostly and spent the rest of her time standing at the window that overlooked the bailey, watching Conall train with his men.
He hadn’t come to see her once, other than that afternoon when she had sworn he had stood beside the bed, though she knew Aislinn had asked him not to visit so Lisette could regain her strength.
It amazed her still that the hard-paced journey had cost her so dearly.Yet mayhap it was just as Aislinn had surmised—that everything Lisette had experienced from the abduction to her marriage to arriving at Campbell Castle had proved too much for her, both in body and her emotions.
She had to agree, but she did feel much better and was anxious to finally take a walk outside.Sorcha had let go of her hand and waited by the door while the seamstresses rose from their knees, having finished hemming her gown.
Both of the women from the village outside the fortress gates appeared quite pleased with their handiwork, and Lisette murmured her thanks.They had hastily sewn her new wardrobe at Aislinn’s request, her sister-in-law’s kindness and generosity filling her with gratitude.
Lisette couldn’t have been more comfortable in this sumptuous suite of rooms, which had once belonged to Conall and Cameron’s first cousin, Cora, who had been married to Earl Seoras MacDougall.Lisette had heard from Aislinn all about that cruel man and his misdeeds and of Cora’s unhappiness as his wife.
The young widow had left the fortress to return to her parents’ home in north Argyll a few days after her husband had been slain by Gabriel MacLachlan, who along with Cameron and Conall had saved King Robert’s life.It made Lisette shudder to think that so great a man had come close to meeting an untimely end here, the ringing sound of swords upon swords drawing her to the window.
Holding her breath, she searched the men training so vigorously below but she didn’t see Conall.He usually stood at the very center of the bailey with Cameron, both of them shouting brusque commands and even demonstrating themselves how to thrust and parry.She had felt her heart seem to stop several times at how closely Conall dodged blows, his sword flashing in the sunlight.
On one occasion—truly so close a disaster that Lisette felt her face grow hot at the vivid memory—Conall had spied her at the window and seemed to have forgotten what he was doing, barely ducking a blow that might have ended his life.
She had fled back to the bed and sobbed into her pillow at the horror of it, and from then on had stood off to one side of the window where he couldn’t see her.
Yet mayhap he had sensed her standing there, for Conall had glanced upward enough times that he seemed to know she was watching him—but where was he now?
“Lisette, shall we go?”Fairly dancing with impatience, Sorcha ran back to her and grabbed her hand to draw her from the room.
The girl’s laughter warmed her heart since Aislinn had told her, too, of how Sorcha had tragically lost her parents and that it had taken her days before she’d smiled again—no doubt helped along by her chicken coop.
That had been earlier in the month and now no one would have known the grief Sorcha had suffered for how lighthearted she appeared to Lisette, the two of them swinging their arms as they hastened down the hall.
“Speckles is my new rooster, but you must take care,” Sorcha advised her breathlessly when they reached the tower steps.“He’s nicer than the one I named him after—but he’ll still peck your toes right through your slippers!”
The girl’s outburst of laughter was infectious, and Lisette laughed, too.She skipped with her down the steps so quickly that she felt breathless as well at the bottom, but Sorcha kept right on tugging her along.
Not until they were passing by the entrance to the great hall did Lisette hear Aislinn cry out, “Oh, Sorcha, not so fast!”
That made the girl stop and Lisette, too.She braced her hand upon a wall to catch her breath as Aislinn came rushing toward them, Conall and Cameron not far behind.
Lisette felt her heart leap to see Conall again, and she could but stare in amazement at the resemblance between him and his brother.The two formidable Highlanders in their dark tunics and plaid breacans appeared almost twins with their midnight hair and similar features, though she knew they were two years apart.
Aislinn had shared much with her about all of them while Lisette had convalesced…but not why Conall hadn’t wished never to wed and she hadn’t asked her.Hopefully one day she would find out such an intimate detail on her own—
“Will you run Lisette ragged and her only just out of her bedchamber?”Aislinn’s voice broke into Lisette’s thoughts, though her tone held more warmth than reprimand as she gave Sorcha a hug.“I told you awalk, sweeting.Go on ahead and lead the way while Conall accompanies her, aye, brother?”
Conall had already moved toward Lisette before Aislinn’s suggestion, his gaze filled with concern as if noting her flushed cheeks and unsteady breath.
“I-I’m fine, truly,” Lisette murmured, but three days of straying no further from her bed than the window had affected her stamina—either that, or she hadn’t fully regained it.Before she could blink, he had wound his arm in hers and seemed to wait until she was ready, which made her blush anew with embarrassment.“Forgive me.I’ve always been quite sound—”
“It’s the Scots weather,” interjected Cameron as Aislinn slipped her hand in her husband’s.“Misty mornings and cool evenings.”
