Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“And this one is rosemary. Smell it, go on, give it a good rub.”
Ava watched as Esther carefully rubbed the herb between her small fingers, then brought it to her nose.
The child’s face scrunched up in concentration, then brightened.
“It... it smells like... like...” Esther struggled to find the words.
“Like the kitchen when Mrs. MacTavish is roastin’ lamb?” Ava supplied gently.
“Aye!” Esther’s face lit up. “That’s it exactly!”
They’d been walking through the castle gardens for over an hour now, and Ava had pointed out every plant, flower, and herb she could identify.
Some she knew from her time at the orphanage.
Mrs. Crawford had maintained a small medicinal garden, and Ava had learned which plants could soothe a fever or calm an upset stomach.
Others she was discovering for the first time, reading their names from the small wooden markers placed throughout the beds.
The gardens were truly breathtaking. Much more elaborate than anything Ava had ever seen. Carefully maintained paths winding through flower beds, herb gardens arranged in tidy rows, and even a small orchard visible in the distance.
It must take an army of gardeners to maintain all this.
“Can... can we see the roses?” Esther asked, tugging on Ava’s hand. “I... I like roses.”
Esther’s voice was soft, as if she were trying not to offend her by asking for something so simple.
“Of course we can. Though we’ll need to be careful of the thorns, aye?”
They headed to the rose garden, where late summer blooms still clung to their bushes in shades of red, pink, and white.
Esther was enchanted, moving from plant to plant with the kind of focused wonder only children could manage. But Ava noticed the way Esther’s steps were slowing, the way she’d started rubbing her eyes.
“Ye’re tired, sweetheart,” Ava observed. “We’ve been walkin’ for quite a while.”
“I’m nae tired,” Esther protested, even as she yawned.
“Aye, I can see that.” Ava smiled. “But perhaps we should head back inside anyway? Ye could rest a wee bit before supper.”
“Will... will ye stay with me?” There was anxiety in Esther’s voice, that ever-present fear of being left alone.
“I’ll get ye settled in yer room,” Ava promised. “And I’ll be right across the hall if ye need me. I’m nae goin’ anywhere, remember?”
That seemed to satisfy Esther, and they made their way back through the gardens toward the castle.
The late afternoon sun painted everything in shades of gold, and Ava found herself thinking how strange it was that this was her life now. Living in a castle, teaching a laird’s niece, sleeping in rooms finer than anything she’d ever dreamed of.
And thinkin’ far too much about said Laird.
She pushed that thought aside firmly as they entered the castle through a side door.
Esther was practically sleepwalking by the time they reached her chambers, and Ava had to help her out of her boots and into bed.
“Just a short rest,” Esther mumbled, already half-asleep. “Just... just a wee bit...”
“Aye, sweetheart. Just a wee bit.” Ava pulled the blanket up over her, smoothing back the dark hair from Esther’s forehead. “Sweet dreams.”
Esther was asleep before Ava even left the room.
Ava stood in the corridor outside Esther’s door, feeling suddenly uncertain. She’d been so busy these past days—lessons with Esther, meals in the great hall, learning the layout of the castle—that she hadn’t had much time just to... be.
Now, with Esther sleeping and hours until supper, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself.
Explore, she decided.
The castle was enormous, and she’d only seen a small part of it. Maybe she’d find the kitchens and introduce herself properly to the cook, or go to the chapel—there had to be one somewhere. Or maybe she’d just wander around until she found something interesting.
She chose a direction at random and started walking. Ava passed servants going about their duties, guards stationed at various points, and even a pair of young boys chasing each other with wooden swords.
Everyone nodded respectfully when they saw her, acknowledging her new position as Esther’s minder.
It still felt strange—being treated with respect instead of dismissal, and being someone important instead of invisible.
She’d been walking for perhaps fifteen minutes when she turned a corner and found herself in front of a set of double doors, slightly ajar. Curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed one open just enough to peek inside.
A library.
Ava’s breath caught. She’d never seen so many books in one place. Shelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, filled with leather-bound volumes of every size and color. Tables were scattered throughout the room, and tall windows let in the afternoon sunlight.
It was beautiful. Peaceful.
And occupied.
Noah sat at one of the tables near the center of the room, his dark head bent over what looked like a chessboard. But as Ava watched, he moved a piece, studied the board, then moved several more pieces quickly. Then he reset them and started again, his brow furrowed in concentration.
She should leave, quietly back out, and let him work in peace. She had no business interrupting the Laird in whatever he was doing, but her feet seemed to have other ideas, carrying her forward into the library before she could stop them.
“Isnae chess supposed to be better played with two people?”
Noah’s head jerked up, surprise flashing across his face. Then something warmer replaced it, something that made Ava’s pulse skip.
“Miss Harris.” His voice was rough, like he hadn’t spoken in a while. “I didnae hear ye come in.”
“I was quiet as a mouse.” Ava moved closer, gesturing to the board. “Are ye playin’ against yerself? That seems like a guaranteed way to always lose.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Noah’s mouth. “I’m nae playin’. I’m simulatin’ battle formations.”
“With chess pieces?” Ava couldn’t keep the skepticism out of her voice.
“Aye.” Noah gestured to the board. “Each piece represents a different unit. Knights are cavalry, pawns are foot soldiers, and rooks are archers. I’m workin’ through different tactical scenarios to see what strategies work best.”
Ava moved closer, studying the board with new understanding. “So ye’re... practicin’ for battle? But the clan isnae at war, is it?”
“Nay, we’re nae.” Noah’s expression grew serious. “But we could be, at any moment. Border disputes, clan feuds, disagreements over territory or resources, any of them could escalate. And when it does, I need to be ready.”
“Have ye been in many battles?” The question slipped out before Ava could stop it.
“Enough.” Noah’s voice was heavy. “Too many, if I’m bein’ honest.”
“And that’s why ye do this? The... the chess battles?”
“Aye.” Noah moved a knight and studied the resulting position. “Five years ago, me father started an unnecessary war with the MacArthurs. They’d been raidin’ our lands, takin’ cattle and supplies, and instead of negotiatin’ or findin’ a peaceful solution, he decided to retaliate with force.”
Ava sat down in the chair across from him, drawn in despite herself. “What happened?”
“Months of fightin’. Good men died on both sides. Villages burned. Families torn apart.” Noah’s jaw tightened. “And in the end, we discovered the MacArthurs hadnae been responsible for most of the raids at all. It was bandits takin’ advantage of the tension between our clans, stirrin’ up trouble.”
“That’s terrible,” Ava breathed.
“Aye, it was. And it was preventable.” Noah finally looked up from the board, meeting her eyes. “Me father was too proud, too quick to assume the worst, too eager to prove his strength. He didnae think, didnae plan, just acted. And people died because of it.”
The pain in his voice was tangible. Ava felt herself wanting to reach across the table, to take his hand, to offer some kind of comfort. But she kept her hands folded in her lap instead.
“So now ye plan,” she said softly. “So that if war does come, ye’re ready. So that ye can protect yer people without wastin’ lives unnecessarily.”
“Exactly.”
Noah’s gaze held hers, and something passed between them: understanding, respect, a connection that went deeper than employer and employee.
“I willnae make me father’s mistakes. I willnae let pride or anger cloud me judgment.
Every decision I make, I think about the cost. About who might die if I choose wrong. ”
Ava stared at him, seeing him in a new light.
She had thought him stern, demanding, and maybe even harsh. But beneath that tough exterior was a man who cared deeply about his people, carrying the burden of their lives on his shoulders and refusing to take that responsibility lightly.
“That’s... that’s very noble of ye,” Ava said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s nae noble. It’s necessary.” But Noah’s expression softened slightly. “A laird who doesnae care about his people’s lives isnae fit to lead.”
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of his words settling between them. Then Ava cleared her throat, needing to shift to safer ground.
“Ye recall askin’ me to see ye so we can discuss Esther?” she started. “About her education.”
Noah’s attention immediately sharpened. “Aye. But it totally skipped me mind. Is somethin’ wrong with the lass? Is she nae learnin’ well?”
“Nay, she’s brilliant! She’s already startin’ to put those big words together into hard sentences.
Her numbers are comin’ along nicely, too.
” Ava twisted her hands together. “But the Latin... and the other things a lady should ken... I’m nae qualified to teach her those things.
I only learned basic Latin meself, and as for deportment and etiquette and—”
“Esther doesnae need to learn any of that.”
Ava blinked. “But Mrs. Murray said ye wanted her to have a proper education.”