He paused for a moment, letting the tension thicken again.
“Be ready, Mairi.” His voice was a low growl now.
Marian’s frown deepened. “For what, exactly?”
Lachlan turned away from her, leaving her without a response as he walked back toward the castle.
Ye’ll find out soon enough.
Marian’s head ached lightly from lack of good sleep.
The night had been shorter than ever, and the Highland cold seeped into her bones despite the new blankets that Mrs. Campbell had given her.
Somehow, after their conversation outside the castle, Lachlan had stopped his petty tricks. Still, she was wary of the Highland custom he had mentioned to her, wondering what it was about.
Did he truly mean it?
She yawned quietly before sitting up in her bed and stretching. The sun had not yet risen, and her eyelids felt heavy from sleep, but she couldn’t go back to bed, so she had Lilly braid her hair instead.
Perhaps I shouldn’t ask about Finn.
She quietly contemplated what she had seen the previous day as she thought of different ways to bring up the topic with her maid.
It felt strange.
Despite growing up amid London society, Marian had never truly had a friendship with a man. She had no idea what it entailed and rarely spoke to men beyond the ones her mother and uncle had tried to foist on her.
Her mind wandered as Lilly braided her hair back into a single plait.
Suddenly, a loud noise tore through the castle, breaking into her thoughts. She turned sharply, her eyebrows drawing tightly together as the noise drifted into her chamber.
“What is that?” she asked Lilly.
But before they could even think about it, the sound blasted through the walls for the second time.
Marian’s fingers curled slightly into her skirt as she listened. It was not a sound she recognized. It was loud, sharp, and demanding.
Lilly flinched at the second blast, her hands quickly letting go of her hair. The braid was only about halfway done.
“I do not know, my Lady,” she spoke over the incessant sound, her voice wavering with urgency. “Perhaps I should go down and check. I have heard that the Highlands have war horns.”
Marian’s knees shook slightly at the mention of war. She glanced at her maid, knowing immediately that she wasn’t about to let her risk her life alone.
“Very well,” she said, rising from the bed. “I shall come with you.”
Her fingers shook as she pulled a heavy cloak around her frock. Mrs. Campbell had brought it up along with the new blankets just yesterday, and Marian hadn’t realized she’d be needing it soon. She fastened it around her waist while Lilly pinned her hair into a bun, securing it with two pins at the back of her head.
They hurried out of the room, their footsteps loud against the cold stone steps as they went down to the Great Hall.
The sound was louder and clearer now—horns, blaring through the castle from the courtyard.
Marian and Lilly arrived in the courtyard to meet everyone gathered there. The kitchen maids and chambermaids, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. MacBride, Finn, most of the guards, and all the other clansmen and women whose names she had yet to learn.
What is going on?
Lilly made a path for her through the small crowd, and Marian followed behind, surprised when she finally reached the front to see Lachlan and some of his men blowing the incredibly loud horns.
Has there been an invasion?
