Chapter 22
Dominik clutched the letter in his hand as he sat at the large table in the Great Hall.
He’d been attempting to enjoy his breakfast for some time now, but alas, he had been preoccupied with glaring at the document instead of eating his meal.
In fact, it had kept him up most of the night when he and Rose had first read it, and reviewing it now only added to the growing fury.
The officials would be here to question them, particularly Rose, in just one week. They did not have much time at all.
Sighing, Dominik allowed his head to drop, finally releasing the letter and trading it out for the handle of his fork. He needed to get himself to eat. Truly.
As the second or third bite entered him, Dominik heard voices approaching from the front of the room, the large doors to the hall swinging open as Rose and Mirren entered. The two women talked easily as they walked up to the table, Rose’s brow furrowing deeply as she nodded.
When they both reached him, Dominik stood from his chair, bowing his head politely at them. Miss Wood returned the gesture, offering a slight curtsey as Rose took her place on the other side of the table alongside her husband.
“Thank you very much for allowing me to rest in your home for the evening. Though I regret to say that I should be getting back to the city now. Much is waiting for my return.”
“Please, Mirren, as I have said, you are more than welcome here, and we would both be so pleased if you would stay for a short time.”
Rose’s voice was slightly strained as she spoke, and Dominik could surmise that she’d been frowning so intently because Mirren had told her of her plan to depart.
“A single day, Mirren. You will be allowed to further rest, and Dominik and I can properly thank you for all that you have done for us.”
Cheeks blushing slightly, Miss Wood ducked her head, shaking it in a tiny wobble that made Dominik smirk.
“I do not wish to impose, my lady. I have arrived unannounced. Surely, your staff and keep would not be able to—”
“Nonsense,” Rose insisted. “The castle is always ready and welcome to any visitor who may wish to stop by. There is no need for a formal invitation, and I would be so glad to show you all that I have been doing since I’ve arrived in Scotland.”
“Miss Wood,” Dominik pressed, intervening on his wife’s behalf as he watched the matchmaker debate with herself, “I can assure ye that we are undoubtedly able to welcome yer presence. Please, stay and enjoy for yerself a bit of Scottish hospitality.”
As their guest’s brows rose, the deliberation plain on her face, Dominik cast a look Rose’s way. He was pleased to see the honest smile lighting up her expression, and his chest swelled, warmth flooding him.
“Very well. It would be rude to turn down such a fine offer.”
“Wonderful!” Rose clapped her hands together, trading her excited glances between the two of them. “We can have the staff prepare a picnic in the lawn behind the keep. It is a lovely day, and you will be able to partake in a rare sunny Scottish sky.”
Mirren laughed, bobbing her head, and Dominik chuckled along in agreement. Stepping with Rose around the table, he gestured for a servant nearby and instructed him to help the kitchen prepare a picnic to enjoy out in the fields behind the castle.
“It is a rather fine morning, and one can certainly nae let it go to waste in the Highlands. A storm could drop in out of nowhere any minute.”
Before long, a lovely meal had been prepared and placed in a large basket for Dominik to carry out to the rolling hill just east of the paddock.
The tall grasses here swayed in the warm breeze, and he used the large blanket he’d taken from his chambers to cover the ground so that they might all sit down.
A tall oak provided a bit of shade, and Rose happily settled onto the ground with Mirren as Dominik retrieved the food from within the basket.
“This truly is lovely country. I so rarely have the opportunity to go out. I am blessed to be quite busy with my work on most days.”
Miss Wood smiled, a rare sight as much as Dominik’s own grin before Rose arrived. She leaned back, enjoying the calm breeze, and it was easy to see that both women were much more relaxed now that they had this small moment to take in the refreshment of the outdoors.
“I am glad to hear that you have several clients, but you must not overwork yourself, Mirren. You came all this way just to help us, and while I am most grateful, I also know that it was a laborious journey you did not have to undertake. A well-deserved rest is due.”
Nodding her head with a sigh, Mirren smiled through the obvious guilt that took over her expression.
“Perhaps you are right. Still, I am happy to say that I can survive well thanks to my position. And I do love the work.”
At that, Dominik’s curiosity flared, and he leaned forward onto his hand as he used the other to pick up and nibble on a bit of cheese they’d brought with.
“And what do ye love about the work, Miss Wood? Have there been any truly wonderful tales? I’m sure me wife would love to hear it.”
Rose scoffed lightly, but there was no missing her smile.
She patted him on the arm before turning to Mirren again and shrugging while she said, “I will admit to a natural curiosity. You match couples, after all. Wondering if there have been any genuine love stories during all your time doing it is to be expected.”
Mirren chuckled and nodded. “I have indeed had several lovely stories; couples who’ve found matches who were previously at the end of their ropes. Though I imagine that the wilder the match, the more entertaining from a listener’s point of view.”
Giggling as she sipped at a bit of wine from the basket, Rose leaned in.
“Oh, do go on.”
In a tale for the ages, Mirren indeed went on, regaling the Laird and Lady of the time she was contacted to assist a foreign princess with finding a match, a woman she would not name for privacy’s sake, and one who ended up falling in love with the brother of the man she suggested.
They eloped together in secret, but she humorously still took credit for introducing them.
Rose laughed heartily at the story, and in truth, Dominik was solely focused on her reaction, genuinely enjoying himself to see his wife so entertained.
She listened attentively and appeared to derive considerable insight from Mirren’s remarks; both individuals evidently appreciated the quality of their interaction.
It was a delight, warming Dominik much more than expected.
“Oh, look.” Rose pushed up from lying on the blanket on her side, making her way to standing. “Fiona is there. I wish to inquire with her about the upcoming visits from the clan for healing. Excuse me for just a moment.”
Taking her leave, Dominik watched Rose as she hurried toward the healer’s apprentice, unaware of how Mirren watched him.
“She seems so very different from when I first met her.”
Returning his attention to the matchmaker, Dominik furrowed his brow as he set down his cup of wine, cocking his head at her.
“What do ye mean? How was she back then?”
Shaking her head, Miss Wood held up a hand in surrender.
“Oh, no. I am sorry if I’ve upset you. It is nothing to be worried over.
She was just much quieter then. Your wife was coming off the heels of a disastrous near marriage after all.
I could tell the moment she walked in how distraught she was. ”
“Oh, I see.” Dominik could feel his body tensing reflexively.
He glanced Rose’s way, his eyes tracking her intently, and he noted that rush of irritation and anger at the mention of his wife’s previous arrangement.
Had he the means to find the fellow, Dominik would have very much liked to challenge him appropriately. The day in the inn was far from enough.
“You look as though you will strangle your cup, my laird. Can I take it that you have had the pleasure of meeting the man?”
He faced Mirren with a strict nod, trying to rein in his anger. “Aye. I have. I am sorry to say that the man left the encounter as pristine as he entered it.”
A snort of laughter left Mirren. “I see. Well, it is good to know that I have matched Rose with someone who would take her honor and happiness so seriously. She is luckier than I realized, my laird. I do hope this nonsense with the officials resolves quickly.”
The conversation between them came to a pause, silence settled in until Rose returned. It hit Dominik so suddenly after hearing Mirren’s words that she not only believed that he cared deeply for Rose, but that she was also not wrong.
He did.
It was an unfamiliar and shaking revelation, and before he could think of something to say back, Rose settled down on the blanket next to him again, filling the quiet with her light, pleasant voice.
“Fiona has said there is a fair to be held in the village just down the road from the castle. I would be delighted to attend.”
Dominik nodded. “Aye. I do believe it is time for them to host it once more. They do so frequently, at least once per year. It…it would be me pleasure to take ye.”
Rose grinned from ear to ear, and Mirren cast a knowing glance his way. Dominik remained silent after that, allowing the women to converse before they needed to go back inside the keep.
News of the English officials planned arrival had spread through the keep, and nervous tension loomed over the entire population of the castle like a persistent rain cloud. Only seven days before they would make their appearance, and Rose knew that Dominik dreaded the day as much as she did.
She was endlessly filled with anxiety, her mind flitting from worry to worry, a bumblebee in search of tense pollen. As Rose proceeded down the hall, coming from the kitchen where she had discussed the evening’s meal with Eilidh, one of Dominik’s councilmen stopped her in the hall.