Page 4 of Reviving Her Highland Spirit

The girls chuckled between themselves. Callum found himself glancing at Margaret. She had a strange, longing look on her face, as if she felt left out. She caught Callum looking at her, and glanced away.

The two younger girls mounted easily, requiring no further help from Callum. He shifted from foot to foot, suddenly anxious. Was he supposed to go with them, or was that a groom’s job? Would he be instantly dismissed if he didn’t go with the girls? Would anyone tell him?

“Are ye taking a groom, Bonnie, Amilia?” Margaret spoke up. “Ye shouldnae go alone.”

Bonnie tossed her long, thick locks over her shoulder.

“We’ll be fine. It’s just the two of us. It’s not like we’re bringing Toby along, too.”

Callum had never seen the little boy, heir to the McAlister clan.

The false heir, he reminded himself.

The girls spurred their horses onwards, quickly becoming two chocolate-colored smears on the horizon, manes of hair streaming out behind them. They rode well, with experience and confidence. Neither of them bothered to ride sidesaddle, much to Callum’s surprise.

That left Callum and Margaret alone. Margaret stood, watching her cousins disappear on their horses. She looked as if she regretted not going with them. Her wide mouth turned down a little at the corners, and she kept nibbling on her lower lip. As if conscious of Callum’s scrutiny, she glanced his way. Callum was grateful he wasn’t the sort of man to blush. He knew he shouldn’t be goggling at Laird McAlister’s niece like that. Some lairds might take offense. Some ladies might feel that he had no right to be looking at them at all.

Margaret only smiled weakly. “I’m sure you have a lot of work to do, but would ye mind if I came in to see Stardust?”

Callum blinked. Was she really asking his permission? He hadn’t had a lot of that lately. People didn’t even think to apologize to him after waking him up in the middle of the night because a drunken lord wanted to go riding. He cleared his throat.

“Of course, Lady Margaret.”

She smiled. “Call me Maggie, everyone does.”

“Stardust is in the seventh stall from…”

“I know,” Maggie interrupted. “Stardust is my horse. Or rather, she was.”

2

Margaret - Maggie - walked confidently down the row of stalls, smiling at the horses. They tossed their heads in recognition, stretching forward their necks to nose at her. But Maggie only really had eyes for Stardust.

Stardust was a pale, sandy-colored mare, with unusual blue eyes and a white star on her forehead. She stretched her neck forward, clearly delighted to see Maggie.

Maggie stepped forward, letting Stardust nose her palm. Maggie whispered something under her breath that Callum couldn’t hear, and reached into her apron pocket. She pulled out an apple, and Stardust crunched happily.

“She’s really your horse?” Callum found himself saying, and then flushed. It wasn’t his place to question one of the laird’s family. Or anyone else, really. The chief groom had made that abundantly clear when Callum had queried the way he’d been changing a horseshoe.

Maggie only smiled absently and nodded.

“Aye. She was a present from Da when she was a foal. I learned to ride on her. She and I were best friends. I wonder if she misses me.”

There was clearly a story here. Callum knew what he ought to do - stand there respectfully, in the hopes that she would tell him something else.

On the other hand, he wanted to know the truth. That was what he was here for, wasn’t it? The truth.

“I imagine she does,” Callum said quietly. “Horses are intelligent, sensitive creatures. If she loves you as much as you love her, she’ll miss you more than you know.”

It wasn’t the kindest thing to say, but it was certainly the most honest. Maggie bit her lip. She didn’t look surprised. Obviously, she knew that Stardust missed her, and regretted it.

Callum hesitated before he spoke again. “Ye don’t ride anymore, I’m guessing?”

Maggie smiled wryly at him. “You’re new, aren’t ye?”

“Aye. Is that obvious?”

“Oh, no. Ye saddled up Filip and Frang much faster than any of the other grooms. But anyone who’d been here more than a few months would know why I don’t ride anymore.”