Page 5 of Falling for His Cousin’s Betrothed

Laila smiled, her cheeks rosy with warmth. “Thank you, Alec. Thank you.” Her hair, now pulled back in a loose braid behind her back, shone in the moonlight as she stood up and walked to the door. “I should think that I’ll sleep much better tonight. Lyall has spoken of a new marriage and its really had me undone, but now…” She paused and placed her hand on the knob. “Now, I feel like I can carry on.”

Alec smiled and bowed before her. “It’s my pleasure, dear Laila. You can call upon me at any time as your longtime friend and tutor.”

With that, Laila walked outside the study and was just about to light a candle to see her way down the hall when the sound of the door closing echoed through the castle. She frowned and took Alec by the hand. “It’s her, of course,” she said, waving the smoke from the air. “Surely, she’ll disapprove of this encounter.” The two walked briskly away from the study and turned left at the large column that separated the hall from the foyer.

“Laila.” Lyall placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the left. “Who is this?” she asked, looking at Alec, her gray eyes like slits of charcoal.

“It’s Alec, my tutor. Father always had Alec here when I was a child.”

“Well, it’s time for Alec to leave.”

“Very well, madam.” Alec nodded and buttoned his wool coat.

“Whatever is that smell?” asked Lyall. “Were you saining back in the study?” she asked, her hands still planted firmly on her hips.

Laila gulped. Why did she have to feel as if she’d done something wrong? After all, saining was common practice, and it brought nothing negative to her life.

“Yes, madam,” Alec spoke up. “I came to aid dear Laila. We meant no harm.” His good intentions were evident, as always.

Lyall looked at him and then looked back at Laila. “Laila, it’s best you get upstairs to your quarters.”

“Peace be with you both, and good evening,” said Alec as he turned and walked down the hall.

“Goodnight,” called Laila, her heart feeling at once full and shattered. Her father would never have asked Alec to leave for saining. Nor would her father have asked Laila to turn in for the night at such an early hour. Laila knew that her life was going to be different moving forward. It would be less colorful with his words no longer in the air and more shadowed with the replacement of Lyall’s dictates. “I won’t stand for this,” she muttered to herself as she hiked her long linen skirt up to her knees and made haste for the dark, wooden steps. “Never.” She bit her lower lip and stomped up the steps, her emotions feeling much like those belonging to a toddler.

“Laila,” called Lyall from the steps.

“What is it?” asked Laila as she threw herself on her bed, the loose, flaxen covers falling abruptly to the side. “I’m turning in for the night and am tired.”

“I want to be clear about the saining.” She walked inside Laila’s room, her face taut and ruddy.

“I won’t be here for you to be upset about it, anyway,” said Laila, springing up from the bed. “I refuse to be kept in this castle like a prisoner. Father would be ashamed of you, with all of your demands and dislikes,” she hissed, pulling her long hair from its braid and tossing the woolen band to the floor. “I only need time to escape,” she muttered.

“What did you say?” asked Lyall. “You know that your father would also not approve of you raising your voice in such a manner.”

Laila bit her lower lip and contemplated rushing out of the room, but her better judgment caught up to her emotions.

“I said that I’m so very tired and would like nothing more than to lie down on my bed.” She stared down at the floor as she spoke, hoping that Lyall would simply disappear.

“Very well, then. I’ll let you get your rest and speak with you in the morning.” She closed the door, and Laila listened as the sound of her boots tapped along the wooden floor.

When she knew that Lyall was gone, she sat on the edge of her bed and watched the moon cast shadows on the valley. Then she leaned over onto her side, closed her eyes, and clutched her pillow. The faint scent of juniper wafted through the floorboards, and the sound of Alec’s soothing voice, reading the words of William Dunbar, echoed in her head. Perhaps tomorrow will finally be a better day, she thought with a sigh.