Page 45 of Highlander’s Evil Twin

“No, not a thing. Secretly, I think Maggie is quite upset. While it has been a relief not to have her around, for her own mother to not want to be at the wedding, well, it is quite hurtful.”

Heather nodded slowly. “I feel bad about it, but I am just so glad she’s not there. I do feel sorry for Maggie. I’m afraid I don’t understand your mother at all.”

“You and me both,” Hiram said.

Hiram had arranged for the fires to be lit for their return. It was a warm and welcoming sight and Heather was glad he’d thought of it. This castle was much larger than the one she had grown up in and she was very aware of the vast empty spaces. When he was growing up, it must have felt different. At one time, there would have been here Maggie, Patrick, and Connor as well as both parents and the nannies. In those days, there would have been more servants as well. Heather knew what was missing from the place, and for her, it was life. It needed positive energy and it felt as if all the doors and windows had to be thrown open wide to allow warmth and light to flood in every single one, especially in MacGregor’s quarters, but she knew that she dared not touch that area. At some point, she would be back and would expect the rooms to be untouched. Heather couldn’t blame her for that, she supposed. Heather put Alistair to bed and went to lay in the bed with Hiram. Firelight cast shadows all around the room, but the glow was so welcoming, and she realized with some surprise that it was good to be back.

“I’m glad you’re feeling so much better,” he remarked. “Perhaps the break was just what you needed.”

“Yes, I think so. Hopefully, that’s all behind me now.”

“I have to be away early in the morning and won’t be back until late. Will you be all right? It is not much of a welcome back, is it?”

“Don’t worry, I understand. We will miss you, though.”

She turned her head and kissed his cheek gently and he closes eyes, relishing the soft touch against his skin. Her scent was enticing and her presence next to him comforting. As much as he desired her, always, right here in this moment, he needed the closeness. Their relationship was developing in ways that he had not known existed. The love and the attraction were still there, but now it was at a much deeper level. Not for the first time, he thanked his father silently for arranging this marriage.

The fire had plenty of wood to burn and so they drifted off to sleep happy in each other’s arms. Heather’s sleep was dreamless and deep. When she woke in the morning, the fire had gone out and sunlight shone through the partially open curtains. She stretched and reached to touch Hiram but realized he had already left. She’d not felt any movement and he must have crept about, she realized. She could hear Alistair murmuring quietly to himself in his crib. Since he wasn’t asking for food or attention, she relished the warmth and comfort of her bed. As she lay peacefully, she heard faint footsteps overhead and she wondered if Maggie was up there going through some of her mother’s things. Hiram had mentioned that she wanted to find some of their childhood things. She could understand the need for this. Maggie was going through a transition. She was disconnecting with her childhood and taking the first steps to be a woman and married. It was understandable that she wanted to keep some of her early memories with her. Heather jumped out of bed and went to pick up her son. He was a little wet so needed changing and then she would give him his morning feed and perhaps they would go out for a walk together. Her mood was light. She was home and she was happy.

Heather looked over at Hiram. His face was a picture. Maggie walked down the aisle, towards a very handsome-looking Heath. She was so elegant and the dress suited her diminutive frame. She wore white and the style was a masterpiece with a high lace neckline; the bodice clung cleverly to her figure and nipped in at the waist, flowing outwards. It made her waist look tiny.

Heath was not a tall man, but he seemed to tower over Maggie, who looked as feminine and delicate as Heather had ever seen. From her vantage point, Heather could see that Maggie was shaking and several times she noticed Heath’s hand reaching towards hers and steadying her. Heather was beginning to like Heath more and more and realized that they were a perfect match. He was more studious than she had imagined for Maggie, but he had a flair with land design, at least he did according to his father. He had allowed Heath to section off acres of land to try new methods of design and techniques to maximize productivity and increase yield. The results were promising. He was a creative but gentle soul and as Maggie was sensitive, although commanding, in many ways, Heather could see that they would work together.

Maggie and Heath would take residence at his family home. New quarters had been assigned them and Maggie had said she would want for nothing. He looked so young and innocent standing before Maggie and yet, Heather could not shake off the idea that there was far more to him than met the eye. She liked him instinctively and was happy that he was going to be a part of the family.

She cried as they exchanged vows, her mind going back to the day of her own wedding. It had been quite incredible. But since then, for her, love had grown unbelievably strong. She felt as if she was surrounded by love right now. She had become so close to Maggie that she was like a sister. Their bond had developed gradually over the year. She was sensible and caring, she was someone with integrity. Heather felt sure that they would continue to meet up in the coming years and that the bond would continue to grow. If Maggie was lucky enough to have children, it would be perfect for Alistair and of course, she hoped for more children yet herself.

After the wedding, Heather and Hiram saw little of the happy couple as hundreds of people waited to greet them. They did manage one quick hug before they were swept away amidst all the celebrations.

“I couldn’t help but think about our own wedding when they were exchanging their vows,” he told her.

“Me too,” Heather admitted. “I had this incredible wave of happiness sweep over me. I was standing there with my wonderful husband next to me and had my beautiful baby boy in my arms, watching another member of my family become united in love. What more could a lass ask for?”

“Did Alistair settle okay?”

He had become fractious towards the end of the ceremony and Heather had discreetly slipped out, taking him up to her room prepared for the night. As she had laid him down in the cot, she’d noticed that his cheeks were red and blotchy and knew that more teeth were making their way through. She wondered whether anyone in the castle would get any sleep that night.

“He’s asleep. But I am wondering whether he will sleep later. More teeth coming,” she explained in response to his quizzical look.

He grimaced, remembering the number of hours where he had sat with his son in his arms, rocking him to sleep. He felt so helpless, knowing that his baby boy was in pain, but there was little that could be done.

“You look tired, are you sure you are okay?” He touched her face gently and bent down to kiss her forehead.

“Aye, just a little tired, it feels like a long day.” She squeezed his arm. “You must not worry about me Hiram, I will be just fine.”

Although she had tried to reassure him, Heather felt inwardly exhausted. She had a dull throbbing ache across the temples, but worse was the feeling of intense fatigue that hovered over her. It felt like a dark cloud was hovering. It was an ominous feeling of gloom. She wasn’t depressed but she was just holding things together. She’d not had time to go to the doctors and because she had felt so well previously, she’d let the time slip by. There were times when she struggled to keep her eyes open and yet, when she slept, her dreams were so vivid, almost as if the images were manifesting in front of her. When she’d spoken to her mother, she had put it down to some of the traumas, but Heather was starting to think otherwise.

Perhaps I’m going mad, she whispered to herself.

She was worried. What if she was developing some sort of mental health issue? What if this was her life going forward and that somehow she’d been tainted by being in the castle? She shook her head. That was stupid. Insanity or cruelty was not infectious. You couldn’t just catch it.

Taking a deep breath to offset some of the tiredness, she noticed that Hiram had brought baby Alistair down to see everyone. He was wide awake, and Hiram raised an eyebrow at her as he moved past as if acknowledging her words that little sleep was likely for them later. Heather was glad that he didn’t bring Alistair over to her. She loved him dearly but if he was with Hiram, she could slip away and sleep. Try to top up her energy levels. She felt this way ever since they’d left for the wedding. It didn’t make sense. She made her way out of the great hallway and up the stairs towards their assigned rooms, knowing that she wouldn’t be missed for a while.

Heather fell onto the bed; she was exhausted. She hadn’t wanted Hiram to worry about her by telling him the truth. She felt even more tired than she had before their visit to her parents. In the last week or ten days, it felt as if that time away had never existed. All the good that had occurred was now gone. She was sinking back into a horrible state of being again and she knew she should go back to the doctor. But what was it? How could she be fine there but ill here? It was frustrating her more than she would care to admit to anyone, especially Hiram.

He often made a big deal out of when she felt just a little ill. If he knew how badly she truly felt, he would have her at the doctor’s every day until they had an answer. While she loved Hiram’s persistence and caring nature, she didn’t want to be fussed over. She would sit quietly with the doctor and talk it over without having told Hiram. He would only worry.

Heather let her eyes close and tried to relax. She pictured a field of flowers and Scottish thistles, as these were one of her favorites. With their sturdy green stems and pink flowers on top, they were strong and resilient. They grew everywhere. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe in the scent of the flowers that lined the field in her mind. It was so vivid. It was almost as if she could smell the scents as she breathed in deeply. As she walked through the fields, she couldn’t quite get to touch or pick the flowers. Every time she tried, it was as if her dream was reset. Suddenly, fear rippled through her. The sunny day was disappearing. Dark clouds rolled in. There was a bad feeling in the chilled air. But it wasn’t real, this was just her attempt to relax. So why the bad feeling? She had control here didn’t she? Unfortunately, she couldn’t seem to escape her dream. “I need to wake up,” she told herself. Finally, she opened her eyes. She felt blurry, disconnected, and was trembling. She had to go to the doctor soon.