Page 14 of How to Woo a Highlander

All three men had offered to talk to Suisan for her, but Jane refused. She wanted to speak with Suisan herself. She felt it was only right. Alastair had only accepted her after they had the chance to talk, and since then, they were on rather good terms.

He had taken her to see other villages in the clan, doing the job properly this time and immersing her in their culture. He had a dress made for her, sporting the Mackenzie colors and took her to a festival the people had thrown in honor of the 100th anniversary.

He also spoke to her more, telling her how he had raised his sister alone after his parents died and how he had met William after he left his village to train to become a clan soldier, and William was also training, despite being the Laird's son.

The two had become fast friends, and William's father had seen his potential and taken him in, allowing Lain's father to train him to be the next adviser. Before long, the three boys were inseparable. His sister had worked at the castle as a maid until a few years ago when she left. He did not say more about her after that, and Jane did not ask, deciding that it was probably a touchy subject.

Jane told him how she had grown up without a mother but had a governess, and how she was too fiery to fit in with other young ladies. The closest that she had to a friend was Mary and the rest of the maids, who she always disturbed by being too stubborn.

She told him how she had read every book in her father's study by the time she was eighteen, and how she loved to sneak into her father’s study, since she was a child, to sit at his desk and pretend to be him. Alastair had listened, even though her story paled in comparison to his and was not particularly interesting.

She believed that if she could get that close to Alastair, who had hated her even more than Suisan, she would be able to form a better relationship with Suisan if only she could talk to her. Unfortunately, the woman seemed to be avoiding her. Jane sighed and lay back on her bed, wondering how she could get to speak with Suisan.

A sharp knock came at the door, and after a beat, the door opened. She recognized the knock of her governess.

"Yes, Mary, is something the matter?" The woman would not come to see her unless she had a reason and had already visited her room that morning to wake her. She sat up but did not leave her bed as Mary walked over and dropped a letter in her lap.

"This is a letter from your father, Miss Baxendale," she said. The letter was still unopened and Jane broke the seal with a puzzled expression, wondering what her father had to say.

My dear Jane

I hope you are settling well into your new home in the Highlands. Laird William is a good young man. I hope he is to your taste. I am wondering why I have not yet received news of your engagement. It has already been a week, and everything is already agreed. What is holding you back? I am still busy here in Inveraray, but I will leave soon to attend your wedding. I fully expect a wedding when I arrive, so I implore you to move quickly.

Father

Jane read the letter a second time before looking up at Mary in disbelief.

"What is it?" the governess inquired with a single raised brow.

"Father wrote to ask why he has not received news of my engagement to the Laird. It's been only a week! Don't you think he is being impatient?"

Mary cocked her head to one side, showing that she did not see it as outrageous.

"Well, your father had already arranged everything. Understandably, he would be impatient; he is not expecting a wedding, only an announcement of your engagement. That is reasonable," Mary added.

Jane rolled her eyes. Of course, Mary would find a reason for her father's actions; she was her governess after all and not her friend. Rising from the bed, she went to her desk to write her response.

Dear Father

I am quite comfortable here as Laird William is indeed a good man. Thank you for your care. I apologize for the delay in our engagement, I have discussed it with the Laird already, and we are only delaying for a while as he is currently busy with military affairs. I implore you not to worry as you will get news soon.

Jane

Her relationship with her father was not a bad one, but they were not very close. Looking at their letters side by side, she had to chuckle. They were perfunctory at best, lacking in warmth despite being informal. She folded her letter and sealed it before handing it over to Mary.

Her governess gave her a nod and took the letter with her, leaving to have it delivered. Jane pulled herself back to her bed and lay down, staring up at the canopy above. She knew that after receiving her letter, her father would leave her alone for a time before he asked again.

Her marriage was more for him than her, so of course, he would be more concerned about making it happen as soon as possible. William was still very busy, so it would probably be a while before they got around to announcing their engagement. Although she was getting friendlier with the three men, she could see that William was deeply troubled beneath his kindness.

She could not help but wonder what exactly was troubling the clan that left him so stressed.

* * *

Alastair spun on his heel just in time to block William's strike with his sword, bringing them to a stalemate until they both circled each other, looking for an opening.

"Ye've gotten better at this, ye almost caught me just now," he said, making William let out a breathy laugh.

The two were sparring, something they often did to relax and spend time together as friends. They had done it since they were young, and were evenly matched, so it was never clear who would win each spar.