15
Alastair’s words from the night before hung in Charlotte’s mind as she readied herself for the day. It was abundantly clear that this clan was ready for a new era and a new Laird, even if Cameron wasn’t entirely offical. What wasn’t clear was if the rest of the Highland clans were open to such a thing. There was no shortage of resentment towards the Knox clan, that much was clear.
Her thoughts had still not cleared by the time she made it to the dining room again. For the first time, she was realizing that she wanted to be a part of the solution. Her marriage to Cameron was more than just appeasing her father or finding a way out of her relationship with Alec. It could mean that she would get to do something meaningful with her life. She could help Cameron rebuild the Knox clan, turn it into something that they could all be proud of. It would take a lot of work, but it gave her purpose—something she wasn’t sure she had ever had.
But if any of that were to ever have a chance at happening, she would need to first make sure that Cameron still wanted to marry her. And she would need to get rid of Alec.
True to his word, the stable boy had not bothered her, though it had been less than a day so she didn’t give him too much credit. She was amazed to find how much relief his absence had brought her. She wasn’t always looking over her shoulder or worrying about doing the wrong thing. She could just be. It gave her freedom from something she didn’t realize had kept her trapped. She doubted the peace would last, but she would take it while she could.
The dining room was quiet, with only the servant’s movements creating any sound. It seemed as though she was the first one down for the day. She sat at the table and waited for several minutes, wondering if Cameron or even Alastair would make an appearance. She didn’t want to rush through the meal and miss them if they did ever decide to come down and join her.
Half an hour passed with no sign of anyone else coming. Even the maids had grown restless, shifting plates and covers to keep everything warm and fresh. She could tell they were only waiting on her to eat, though none of them would look her in the eyes. Finally, she gave up on waiting any longer. Her stomach was rumbling and she was sure that the maids had better things to do with their time than sit around and wait on her.
With a wave of her hand, she signaled that she was ready to begin the meal. It was as if a sigh went out through the room in relief. Quickly, the servants got to work filling her plate and refilling the cup of tea she had already consumed.
Charlotte did her best to make quick work of the meal, scooping up the food as fast as she could without making a mess of herself. The warmth of the food filled her stomach and relaxed her muscles. Though, she couldn’t stop wondering about Cameron. Alastair had hardly answered her inquiry as to his condition last night and with his absence this morning, Charlotte only grew more worried that something was really amiss.
When one of the maids bent to pour more tea, Charlotte looked up and met the woman’s eyes. The servant tried to quickly turn away, but Charlotte put a hand on her arm to stop her from leaving the table.
“Do ye ken where Laird Cameron is?”
The maid blinked, her eyes darting to some of the other maids for help, though no one interrupted them.
“Alastair mentioned the Laird had taken ill. Is this still the case?” She tried again.
“I-I dinnae…It is nae appropriate for me to comment on the Laird’s business.”
Charlotte nodded slowly, taking in the atmosphere in the room. All of the maids had grown tense, as though they all shared some great secret that couldn’t be told. Charlotte seemed to be the only one who didn’t know the truth about Cameron’s condition and that unsettled her. She was to be the man’s wife, surely she could be of help to him, if he needed it. And after watching how debilitating those breathing attacks were, if that was what was bothering him, he would need help.
She let go of the maid’s arm and gestured to the others that they could begin clearing the table. One by one, they filed out of the room, carrying trays of untouched food and her dirtied plate. She stayed in her seat until only the maid with the tea remained. When the door was closed and they were truly alone, Charlotte stood and turned to face her.
“I ken that ye are only trying to protect the Laird and yer job,” Charlotte told her. “And if ye tell me the truth as to what is going on, I can promise ye that neither of those things will be put in jeopardy. I only need to ken if his Lairdship is well.”
The maid swallowed hard, her hands quivering as she kept a death grip on the teapot.
“Here. Perhaps this will quell yer fears.”
Charlotte reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin. She offered it to the maid who took it, albeit very hesitantly. Once the coin was in the maid’s pocket, Charlotte gave her an expectant look, her eyebrows slightly raised. The maid sighed in defeat and met her eyes again.
“The Laird has been in his chambers since yesterday mornin’. He will nae come out and will hardly allow anyone in to see him. The others say he is havin’ more of those breathin’ problems. We are nae supposed to say anythin’ about it or send for the healer.”
“So nay one has been in to see him? To tend to him?”
The maid shook her head, her eyes wide in a panic. Charlotte sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.
“I am nae upset with ye. I am upset that Cameron is suffering alone. But I thank ye for yer honesty.”
She tried to infuse as much warmth into her words as possible, hoping that this maid would become one she could rely on for information in the future.
“I will nae keep ye from yer chores any longer,” Charlotte told her. “And here, this is for yer silence about this conversation.”
Charlotte gave her another coin and turned to leave the dining room.
She had let Alastair put her off the night before, but she wasn’t going to be held back any longer. If Cameron really was having breathing attacks, she wanted to be there to help him with it.
Right at the door, she stopped and turned back to the maid.
“Where are his Lairdship’s chambers?”
