Page 48 of Forgotten Secrets

Morag jumpedoff the bed when the door opened, wiping the tears from her eyes and faking a smile.

“Thank you,” Willow told the servant, taking the food from the girl who had delivered it.

“Lady Ernestine is asking for Lady Morag and wondering where she is,” said the servant.

Willow glanced over her shoulder at Morag. “Please give Lady Ernestine our regrets, but since I am tired from making the journey pregnant, my cousin has insisted in staying in the chamber tonight with me.”

“Aye, my lady,” said the girl with a curtsey, heading away.

Morag ran to the door and stepped around Willow, sticking her head out into the corridor.

“Did anyone else ask for me?” she called after the servant girl.

“Nay, Lady Morag. Not that I know of,” the girl answered.

“Thank ye,” said Morag with a frown, closing the door and heading over to the table by the fire where Willow set up the food.

“You can’t hide away in here ignoring him forever,” said Willow, settling herself on the chair and breaking off a piece of bread. She handed half to Morag.

“I’m no’ hungry,” said Morag with a shake of her head.

“Good, because I am starved and eating for two.” Willow placed both pieces of bread in front of her. “You have really gotten yourself into a mess, Morag.”

“I ken.” Morag wrapped her arms around her and gazed into the fire.

“What are you going to do?”

“I dinna ken. My da is goin’ to kill Bedivere and then he is goin’ to kill me.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have been acting like a strumpet and going to bed with a man before you were married. Humph,” she said with a breath of air from her mouth. “And you used to call me a strumpet! At least I waited until after the wedding to consummate it.”

“Sorry about that, Willow. I guess I was just so excited to have someone to love that I didna think.”

“Since when do you care about love? I have never heard you talk this way before.”

Morag felt an aching in her heart. “Since I met Sir Bedivere, I have fallen in love with him verra quickly.”

“What are you saying, you silly girl?” Willow poured herself a goblet of wine from the decanter. “You knew Sir Bedivere before, when he wanted to marry me.”

“Barely. Besides, that is different. Before, he was interested in ye, no’ me.”

“Oh, I see. You just like the attention.” Willow helped herself to some whitefish, using her finger to scoop it onto her spoon.

“Willow, I have to tell ye somethin’ else.” Morag decided she would no longer stay quiet. What she needed was a friend to talk to. “When I was at the secret garden, I was bein’ mentored by an old woman named Mazelina.”

Willow took a bite of food, concentrating on her meal instead of looking at Morag. “What are you talking about? No one has lived in the cottage since Imanie died.”

“She said she is Imanie’s sister.”

Willow swallowed and took another sip of wine. “I never heard Imanie say she had a sister.”

“But it’s true.”

“Really?” Willow looked at her as if she thought it was all a made-up story. “So, tell me, what did she teach you?”

“She taught me . . . she said that . . . I dinna ken exactly. She was mysterious and answered my questions with questions of her own.”

“Morag, you always did want attention, and thought you could get it by gossiping or making up things. I have no time or patience for your games.”