Page 14 of In Bed with her Highland Foe

What other choice dae I have?

“Well?” Aaden said. “Are we tae commence our mission tae encourage a little love in Lady Kyven’s life?”

“I hope I dinnae live tae regret this,” Gilchrist muttered.

“Ye willnae, Captain. Nae with me tae help ye.”

“Ye are quiet this evening, me lady,” Helen observed as she walked around Kyven, adjusting the last few locks of her hair. “I thought ye would be finding it hard tae contain yerself with all this excitement. A laird arriving, one who wishes tae marry ye!” She giggled delightedly. “And ye have nae a thing tae say on this subject?”

“Nay much.” Kyven lied and bit her lip. Everything she wanted to say she wished to say to the person she felt she could trust most in this world – Captain Gilchrist, though she couldn’t help feeling after today that he was perhaps avoiding her.

She stood staring into the mirror with Helen walking around her, as they prepared for that evening’s supper. Kyven had changed into a dark green mantle dress, the opening at the front revealing a hint of patterned chemise beneath, and the bodice drawn tight about her waist. The sleeves finished at her elbows, flaring out in lace, and the neckline was deep and open, revealing much of her curves.

Her red hair had been swept up to the top of her head so that it cascaded down in curls toward the back. Helen had outdone herself with the preciseness of each curl and the white flowers which were pressed into the mass, glimmering in the candlelight.

“Ye’re as fair as any flower, me lady,” Helen said, moving to stand behind her and look in the mirror at the reflection. “Laird Shay willnae be able tae take his eyes off ye.”

Kyven tried to picture being greeted by Laird Shay in the feasting room, but instead, she saw Captain Gilchrist stretching out his hand in greeting and escorting her into the room. He was the one showing her to her chair, sitting beside her, and kissing her head. The thought of his lips upon her skin made her face suddenly hot, so that her cheeks were nearly the color of her hair.

Helen frowned, clearly noting the change but not the reason for it. Kyven stepped away, before Helen could comment on it.

“Have ye seen Captain Gilchrist today, Helen? I… I havenae been able tae find him since the tour with Laird Shay this morning.”

“Nay, I havenae. I have only seen Aaden today,” Helen explained as she tidied up the bureau behind her.

“Aaden? Again?” Kyven asked, halting and turning back to face her maid. This time, it was Helen’s turn to blush, and she smiled happily. “Ye two see a lot of one another. I would have thought that the… the erm…” Kyven didn’t know how to phrase it. What she knew of what men and women did together, she had either learned from Helen or read about it in books. She knew very little indeed.

“The…?” Helen encouraged her on.

“Well, I would have thought the hunger for one another would have paled by now,” Kyven said, blushing again as Helen giggled.

“Aye, maybe that hunger as ye call it, sometimes does, but it hasnae yet. Have ye never felt such a feeling, me lady? That hunger?”

Kyven turned away. She fussed with pulling on a bracelet from her cabinet and looked at the box Laird Shay had brought her as a present. It was a fine box, with good craftmanship and skill. She supposed she could use it for her jewelry. She tried to focus on the box as much as possible, tried to make it consume all her thoughts so that her mind would not wander to thinking of something else.

Yet she was fighting a losing battle. Even as she tried to shove all thoughts away about Captain Gilchrist, they came back to her. She imagined they were in the library together again, but this time, he didn’t stick to his box chair. She imagined he was with her on the hearth rug instead, kneeling together, his fingers trailing through her hair as he tipped her head back, his lips colliding with her own…

“There’s the bell for dinner,” Helen said, her words cutting through Kyven’s thoughts.

“What?”

“The bell. They’re ringing it.” Helen gestured to the door.

“Aye, so it must be.” Kyven brushed down the skirt of her gown and moved toward the door, but for some reason, she did not step through it. Instead, she just stood there, staring at the door.

“Me lady? Is all well?” Helen asked, moving to her elbow.

“It’s just…” Kyven sighed heavily. “I was hoping that when I met Laird Shay I might feel something. Is it so wrong tae want tae care fer yer husband? Fer there tae be some excitement, some emotion!”

“I think many a maid felt excitement when Laird Shay arrived, me lady.”

“Aye, maybe they did, but I didnae. It is frustrating.” She pushed her hands into her hair in stress, but Helen pulled them back out again and tried to fix the wisps that Kyven had nearly managed to pull apart from the fine updo.

“There is nothing wrong with wanting tae care fer yer husband, me lady. Give it time.” Helen took her shoulder comfortingly. “Sometimes love isnae like lightning, but a warming ocean that grows on ye once ye have taken the first step in.”

“When did ye get so wise?” Kyven asked, a smile growing as she thought of the analogy Helen had presented.

“I had a wise mother. She taught me many things.”