Page 79 of The Laird’s Lost Wife

Daphne cracked open her eyes. “I daenae ken, love. Do ye like it here?”

Willow nodded. “I do. And River likes it, too.”

“I’m glad.”

At that, the little girl scrambled off the bed. Daphne heard her patter across the floor, before the door creaked open and shut.

Gradually, she drifted back off to sleep. She had just reached the edge of sleep, where the world around her didn’t seem quite real, when she was shocked awake.

Somebody was in the room with her.

A presence stood over her, very close to the bed, watching her.

Fear skittered down her spine, making her freeze.

What should I do?

She tried to get her bearings in order to decide what to do next. Was there a weapon within reach? Could she fling herself backward? Or⁠—

“Ye Gods,” came an amused, familiar voice. “Ye always were a lazy wee lass.”

Daphne’s eyes flew open, and she bolted upright.

“Ceana,” she breathed.

Her sister stood over her, grinning widely. She wore a fine dress in a tartan that Daphne vaguely recognized as McKane tartan.

“Good morning, Daphne,” Ceana laughed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Just like that, Daphne remembered that she hadn’t seen her sister in over five years. With a choked-off laugh, she scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over her own nightgown, and they both threw their arms around each other.

“What are ye doing here?” she squealed.

Ceana cackled. “What a fine welcome! I’m here for Lady Helena’s cèilidh, of course. I’m Lady McKane, remember? Of course I’m invited. Lady Helena told me to come early. She wrote to me and said that ye were here, so of course I couldnae be kept away.”

“God, the cèilidh,” Daphne groaned. “I forgot all about it. Here, sit down.”

She’d meant that they should sit by the fireside, very civilly, like proper ladies, but Ceana jumped up on the bed, tucking her feet underneath her as if they were girls again.

Giggling, Daphne joined her.

“It’s been so long, Ceana,” she breathed. “I wish we could have seen each other before.”

“Aye, I ken. I wanted to come down, but ye chose to live so bloody far away!”

“Ceana! Language!”

“Settle down. I’m a married woman with a keep of me own now, so I can swear if I want. Oh! Ye must meet me Oscar.”

Daphne grinned. “I remember waiting on a knife’s edge for yer next letter when ye were courting him. If ye can call it courting, of course.”

“Oi!” Ceana cried, nudging her. “Enough of the rudeness! Anyway, Oscar is here, and he’s scarcely less excited to see ye. And Willow! Oh, I cannae wait to see her! I bet ye have told her terrible stories about her Auntie Ceana.”

Daphne nodded sagely. “She might think that ye are the bogeyman.”

Ceana nudged her, laughing. “So, let me tell ye what has happened here in the last year or so.”

Daphne settled down to listen for a while. Ceana was always good at talking. Both of them were, but Ceana definitely had the edge when it came to chatter.