“Ye slept through supper, mistress.” Sonsie Jean carried a silver tray with covered dishes as she entered the room. “Sir Aedan asked after ye, and Gunnie said, puir lassie was tired. She thought soup, toast, and tea might revive ye.”
“Thank you!” Christina rubbed her eyes and glanced at the little mantel clock, astonished to have slept so long. Sonsie Jean set down the tray and Christina tasted the soup while the girl poured tea.
“Och, I nearly forgot, mistress. Sir Aedan said to tell ye the lamps will be lit in the library tonight if ye want to study in there. He might do the same, he said, but he said he wouldna disturb ye.”
Her heart raced as the girl left the room. What had Aedan meant by his message? Was he simply a polite host, or was he indicating that they would be alone?
Finishing her meal, she combed her hair with trembling fingers, smoothed her gown, and changed her slippers for sturdy brogans. She would visit the library for a little while. If Aedan did not come, and if weather permitted, she wanted to stroll in the gardens before twilight vanished.
Though curious to see more of the gardens, she also thought the old monument would be fascinating in moonlight. Tossing a lightweight tartan shawl over her shoulders, she descended the narrow secret stairs to the library, taking care to go slowly, considering how she had fallen earlier. Lamps in sconces now illuminated the way; Aedan had seen to that.
Entering the library, she was disappointed to discover she was alone. Choosing a few books from the shelves, she found a quiet niche and a comfortable chair and sat.
*
She was there,as he had hoped. Golden lamplight pooled over her head as she sat in a leather chair reading, legs curled beneath her skirt. She looked like a young girl rather than the seductive princess in the painting he cherished.
Yet when she glanced up to see him, her quiet natural beauty was more alluring than any image could be. Eyes wide behind her little spectacles, mouth a small moue of surprise, she closed her book and sat up. Her shoes were brogans, he saw, not the thin slippers of the other night.
She would not lose her balance in those sensible things—though he would not mind another chance to catch her in his arms.
“Sir Aedan! I was told you might be here, even so late.”
“Aye, it is time for the last things.”
“The what?” She looked puzzled.
“The last things for the evening,” he explained. “Or so we call it here. I check lamps, doors, and hearths, and make sure the dogs are all in for the night, and so on.”
“One of the dogs is there, asleep.” She indicated a corner under the gallery, where a white terrier lay curled on a worn leather chair. “She has been a sweet companion while I’ve been sitting here, though asleep most of the time.”
He smiled at the dog, who had pricked her ears at his entry, being familiar with the rhythm of his step and the meter of his voice. “That was my father’s favorite chair. Gracie was his devoted pup and she prefers to sleep there now. Gunnie keeps a blanket for her here. Gracie’s older now and seems soothed there.” He glanced around. “I have one more dog to find, a little cairn terrier. She prefers a warm spot by the kitchen hearth.”
“Do you round up Thistle, too, when you do the last things?”
He huffed. “My aunt’s maid takes care of the creature. Gunnie would send the wee beast back to India if she could. I heard you made a friend of Thistle at tea.” He smiled.
“Apparently I did,” she laughed. “Doesn’t the butler take care of the lamps and such at the end of the day?”
“MacGregor is a feisty old rogue, but forgetful sometimes. And it is Highland tradition for the laird to see to the last things in the house.”
“You honor many traditions here at Dundrennan.”
“Some. Some we forego. I was not raised to be laird, but I tend to my responsibilities. If you prefer to read for a bit longer, madam, I’ll come back to douse the lamps later.”
She set down her book and stood. “I thought to walk in the gardens before I went up to my room.”
“Now, in damp and darkness?”
“The rain has cleared, and there’s a little moonlight now. I wanted to see the gardens and the monument. The Remembrance.”
“I would be glad to show you.”
“Oh, I could not inconvenience you. Besides, we would be alone out there, and might have to explain.” She thought of Amy, but did not name her.
“It is perfectly innocent if we both want a little night air. I do not mind.”
“I do not want to interrupt what you need to do. I can find my way to the Remembrance.”
