Chapter 6
As soon as Thalia and Ava swept out the front door, Daisy made her way back down the stairs. She could still hear her father and her uncle talking in the dining room, the words echoing off the stone walls.
“I daenae ken what to do to make her trust me.”
“Ye’re doin’ the best ye can. Ye need to give yerself a bit more grace.”
“But ye and Ava didnae have these problems with Nathan.”
“Aye, but Nathan was just a wee lad. Barely more than a bairn. It made some things easier.”
Daisy hadn’t met Nathan yet, but she could hear the sadness and frustration in her father’s voice.
It made her sad. She wanted him to like her, but she was still scared of him.
She knew how quickly men like him could get angry, and even though she had never seen him lose his temper, she didn’t want to take any chances.
She crept away from the dining room towards the front door. It was too risky to try to open it, since Thalia and Ava were just right on the other side, so she pressed her ear against the wood. She closed her eyes tightly to focus and was able to make out some of their conversation.
“I didnae mean to. I stumbled upon Daisy, and she led me here. Then, Finlay was so kind to offer me a place to stay… I thought it would be best.”
“But if ye stay with Finlay, that’s only going to cause more trouble. Ye ken that, right?”
“Aye, I do.”
“Then it’s settled. We leave in the mornin’.”
Daisy gasped, stepping away from the door. Thalia had promised her that they would go for a walk in the morning! She couldn’t leave yet!
Tears burned the back of her eyes, and she ran back up the stairs towards her room. She passed Rowena on the way, the old woman jumping into the air in surprise.
“Daisy! Slow down! I daenae want ye to fall and get hurt!” she called out.
But Daisy did not stop. She knew Rowena wouldn’t really chase after her. She had bad knees, which made it easier to get away so often.
She collapsed onto her bed, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. Thalia was kind, and she made her feel less alone. Once she was gone, Daisy would only have Rowena and her father again.
She didn’t want things to go back to the way they were. She wanted them to change and get better. With Thalia, it felt like they could get better.
She hiccuped softly as her tears subsided and wiped at her face.
There has to be a way for Thalia to stay. I just have to figure it out.
She thought back to what she had heard earlier when they were all arguing. Thalia had run away from her wedding, and the man she was supposed to marry was after her. That’s why everyone was so worried about trying to protect her.
But what if she didn’t have to marry that man? What if she could marry someone else?
The idea came to Daisy so quickly that she wondered why none of the adults had thought of it. It would work perfectly. Better yet, it would keep Thalia in her life for a long, long time.
She bolted off the bed and carefully opened her door to look down the hallway. No one was there, not even Rowena. She walked down the hall, keeping her eyes and ears peeled in case she ran into anyone, but it remained empty.
Quickly, she made her way to her father’s study. The door was closed, and she opened it gently to peek inside. It was also empty. She slid in smoothly and closed the door behind her.
There was a large wooden desk in the center of the room, and she skipped towards it gleefully.
Her father had been teaching her to write, and she remembered exactly where he kept his quill and paper.
She pulled them out, dipping the quill in the ink just as she’d been taught, and wrote down two words:
Dear Laird,
She stopped. Had she heard Thalia’s uncle’s name? She couldn’t remember, and she decided that it didn’t matter. He was a laird, and the title would have to be enough. She continued writing.
Dear Laird,
Lady Thalia cannot return to marry the man you chose for her because she will marry me.
Finlay Hunt, Laird MacAinsley.
She held the paper up, examining her work before nodding in approval. She raced out of the room, flying down the stairs so fast she nearly forgot to make sure that no one of importance would catch her.
Thankfully, no one did, and she was able to make it down to the servants’ quarters without interruption.
“Excuse me!” she addressed one of the guards who was leaning against the doorframe.
He stared down at her curiously. “Lady Daisy, should ye be down here by yerself?”
“Faither asked me to come down here,” she claimed, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a good lie. “He… he has a letter that he needs ye to deliver… uh… right now.”
“Does he now?” he asked, clearly not trusting her.
Daisy stood straighter, trying to appear strong and intimidating like her father. “Aye. It’s for Lady Thalia’s uncle. And he’ll be very cross if ye daenae do as he asked.”
“Well, I’m goin’ to have to confirm that with him, me Lady,” the guard replied.
“I… daenae think that would be best.”
“And why is that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Because…” She motioned for him to lean in, and he complied. “He’s very upset after having his dinner interrupted. It’s why he asked me to bring ye the letter, because he doesnae want to talk to anyone else tonight.”
The guard thought about that for a moment. “Aye… he did look upset.”
“So if ye really need to confirm it with him, ye could.” Daisy made a face. “But I really, really wouldnae if I were ye.”
He paled at the threat, straightening and clearing his throat. “Very well.”
She gave him the letter, bobbing as elegant a curtsy as she was able. “Thank ye, sir. Me faither will be very grateful.”
She turned on her heel, covering her mouth to hide her grin, and ran back up to her bedroom.
Thalia awoke feeling the most refreshed she had felt in a week. Despite the threat still hanging over her head, there was a lightness in the air that promised a better day than the previous one.
She donned the burrowed brown maid’s dress and set about trying to tame her hair. She tied it into a braid while examining herself in the mirror. Dark purple bruises still sat below her eyes, but her skin was brighter and fuller than it had been yesterday.
She had never really cared much about her appearance, but that was all right. Vanity was for women who had made it their life’s goal to be married, and Thalia had more important matters to worry about.
She opened the door and found Daisy standing outside, waiting awkwardly.
“Oh! Daisy! Ye startled me,” she gasped.
Daisy blushed. “I wanted to make sure ye wouldnae forget our walk.”
“Of course nae,” Thalia said. “I am all yers this mornin’.”
Her stomach growled, and Daisy giggled at the noise.
“Maybe we should stop by the kitchen and grab somethin’ to eat first?” Thalia suggested.
Daisy nodded. She grabbed Thalia’s hand, leading her away.
“Thalia?”
Thalia turned, catching a glimpse of Ava standing at the end of the hallway. “Sorry, Ava, busy right now!” she called out as Daisy pulled harder on her hand. “Ow! Daisy, that hurts.”
“Sorry,” Daisy said, not sounding sorry in the slightest.
Thalia decided against scolding her and was just happy to see her so excited about something.
She was led to the kitchens, where the servants were busy cleaning up after breakfast. Neither of them paid her or Daisy any mind. It was as if they were used to having extra bodies around.
Thalia saw a familiar face and heaved a sigh of relief. “Anna, good morning,” she greeted.
The maid stopped her chores to greet them. “Lady Thalia, Lady Daisy. Is there somethin’ I can do for ye?”
“Aye, I was hopin’ there is some leftover food from breakfast?” Thalia asked.
Anna nodded. “I believe we have some bannocks left.”
“That’ll be great, thank ye.” Thalia turned to Daisy. “Are ye hungry?”
Daisy nodded.
“Two, please, Anna,” Thalia requested, and Anna fetched the bannocks for them.
They ate their simple breakfasts with their free hands, while their connected hands swung playfully between them.
Daisy led her back to the gardens, and Thalia gasped when she saw all the flowers and plants spread out before her. The gardens were bursting with color and life, much more than she had expected.
At MacCabe Castle, she had planted the gardens almost obsessively over the last couple of years to increase her stock, and she had thought that the gardens here would be in a state of disarray. She was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn’t the case.
“Daisy!”
An older woman, the same one Thalia had seen last night, came trudging up the trail. She stopped when she reached them, gasping for air.
“Daisy, I couldnae find ye in yer rooms… and I got worried ye’d run off again,” she panted, before looking at Thalia and smiling softly. “Forgive me… I’m Rowena… Daisy’s nursemaid.”
“It’s lovely to meet ye,” Thalia said pleasantly. “I’m afraid it’s me fault that Daisy is out. I offered to walk with her around the gardens today, and she was very excited.”
“Oh, then ye must be Lady Thalia!” Rowena exclaimed. “Daisy wouldnae stop talkin’ about ye last night.”
Daisy’s cheeks turned pink. “That’s nae true.”
Thalia laughed. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ve grown fond of her meself.”
“Come on!” Daisy cried, running up ahead of them. “I want to ken every single plant here!”
Thalia and Rowena followed at a slower pace.
“I’m so happy to see her like this,” Rowena said. “She can be so shy, but she has taken to ye so quickly.”
“It could be because we found each other during a storm. She was terrified, and we helped each other.”
Rowena frowned. “Still. To be so trustin’ of a stranger…” Her eyes widened, and she turned to Thalia. “Nae that there’s anythin’ strange about ye, me Lady. It’s just that I’m so surprised. I havenae seen her like this before. She hasnae had the easiest childhood.”
“Finlay told me how he found ye,” Thalia admitted.
“Aye. He gave me quite a fright when he showed up, but I’m glad he did. He’s been so good to her, even if she’s still a little bit scared of him.”