Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The warmth of the kitchens wrapped around Arianna the moment she stepped through the narrow doorway leading into the scullery.
The scent of bread and simmering broth hung in the air, mingling with the sound of water splashing into basins.
Servants moved quickly between tables, their hands busy with bowls and cloths.
Arianna’s gaze searched the room until it landed upon the familiar figure she sought.
Melissa stood near a long wooden table, sleeves rolled high as she rinsed a basket of herbs beneath a stream of water.
“Melissa,” Arianna called softly.
Melissa turned immediately, her face lighting with gentle surprise. “Me lady,” she said warmly, wiping her hands upon her apron as she stepped forward. “I was just preparing yer bathin' herbs. What brings ye down to the scullery?”
Arianna offered a small smile. “I was hopin' ye might walk with me a while.”
Melissa tilted her head slightly. “A walk?”
“Aye,” Arianna said quietly. “In the garden.”
Melissa glanced briefly around the busy room before nodding. “I would be glad to. Give me but a moment.”
She quickly finished with the herbs and murmured a few words to the cook before joining Arianna near the doorway. Together they slipped out of the warmth of the kitchen and into the cool stone corridor. Arianna walked slowly beside her, though her mind churned restlessly.
Servants’ ears were everywhere within the castle walls.
That was precisely why she had chosen the garden.
They stepped through the back archway and into the open air.
The castle garden spread before them in neat rows of herbs and flowers bordered by low stone walls.
Lavender bushes brushed the edges of the path, their scent drifting softly on the breeze.
Bees hummed lazily among the blossoms. The late afternoon sun painted everything in warm gold. Melissa folded her hands before her as they walked the winding path between the beds.
“Is somethin' amiss?” Melissa asked.
Arianna hesitated before answering. She glanced around the garden, ensuring no one lingered nearby.
“Melissa,” she said slowly, “do I have yer trust?”
Melissa stopped walking and looked at her in surprise. “Of course ye do, me Lady.”
Arianna studied her face carefully. Melissa had always shown her kindness since the day she arrived at the castle. Yet a quiet voice inside Arianna reminded her of something difficult to ignore. Melissa might be her friend, but she was also loyal to Clan McGuire.
The conflict twisted painfully inside her chest. Arianna forced a faint smile and continued walking.
“I fear… me family may have been placed in a situation because of me marriage,” she said carefully.
Melissa frowned slightly. “What kind of situation?”
“One they may not ken about,” Arianna replied.
Melissa’s brow furrowed with concern. “And what does the Laird say of it?”
Arianna looked down at the path beneath her feet. “He denies it is true,” she said quietly.
Melissa released a soft sigh. “Well,” she said after a moment, “I’ve kent Ian since we were bairns runnin' wild through the fields.” She offered a reassuring smile. “He’s many things, but a liar he is not.”
Arianna wished those words brought her comfort. Instead, they stirred the painful confusion already knotting her heart.
What if he truly believes he speaks the truth?
Her loyalty to her own family pressed against the fragile feelings she had begun to build for Ian. One demanded caution and suspicion. The other whispered that she might be wrong about him.
The struggle between those loyalties left her exhausted.
“I think…” Arianna began slowly. “I think I need some time to think on things.”
Melissa nodded thoughtfully. “Aye, that sounds wise.”
They continued walking until they reached the small stone fountain near the center of the garden. Water trickled softly from the carved basin, its gentle sound filling the quiet space around them.
Melissa suddenly smiled with a touch of mischief. “What ye truly need,” she declared, “is a long hot bath, a full meal, and a good night’s sleep.”
Arianna blinked before a soft laugh escaped her.
“Aye,” she admitted. “I believe ye are right.”
Melissa grinned in satisfaction. “A tired mind makes mountains out of pebbles.”
Arianna felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders. “I think I’ll take a short walk and then return to me chamber for a bath.”
Melissa nodded immediately. “I’ll have the servants bring the tub up,” she said. “It’ll be ready whenever ye wish.”
“Thank ye,” Arianna replied warmly.
Melissa squeezed her hand briefly before turning back toward the castle.
Arianna lingered in the garden for a moment longer before beginning her slow walk along the path. She had taken only a few steps when movement near the garden gate caught her attention. She paused and glanced back.
Flynn stepped through the doorway leading from the castle into the garden. His eyes quickly found Melissa, and his expression softened at once. Arianna watched quietly as he crossed the garden toward her friend.
Melissa looked up. Her face brightened with joy.
Flynn wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, pressing a quick kiss against her lips before she could even greet him.
Melissa laughed softly as she returned the embrace, her hands resting easily against his shoulders.
Flynn gently put his hand on Melissa's belly.
The sight warmed Arianna’s heart. Yet at the same time, something inside her tightened painfully. She was happy for Melissa. Truly.
But watching the simple affection between them stirred a sharp sting of longing she could not ignore. The ease with which they held one another reminded her of something she feared she might never have.
A love without doubt. A trust without fear.
Arianna turned quietly away before they noticed her watching.
The garden suddenly felt much larger and lonelier. Arianna walked slowly along the narrow path that curved beyond the garden walls. In the distance, the outline of the stables caught her eye, and she saw Ian with some men.
Arianna paused upon the path, her gaze lingering in that direction as her thoughts churned heavily within her mind.
One truth had become painfully clear to her during the long hours of the day.
She could not trust a messenger to carry her letter safely to her brother.
Servants moved through the castle with loyal hearts for Clan McGuire, and though many had shown her kindness, she could not be certain whose eyes or ears might report her actions.
Melissa alone might keep her confidence, yet Melissa carried a bairn, and Arianna could not ask such a burden of her.
And Ian.
The thought of him twisted sharply in her chest as she looked at him. It looked as if he had just returned from a ride.
She drew a slow breath as her hand slipped inside the hidden pocket sewn into her skirts. Her fingers closed around the folded parchment of the letter. The wax seal pressed firmly against her palm as if reminding her of the choice she must make.
If she wished her brother to know the truth, there was only one place she could go.
Castle McDonald. Home.
Arianna’s heart pounded as her resolve settled into place with quiet certainty. She would ride there herself, without escort and without announcement. Her brother Hugh must hear these troubling matters from her own lips, not through whispers carried across the hills.
And if this marriage had truly been built upon deception, the consequences might stretch far beyond her wounded heart.
The thought of it sent a chill down her spine.
Then she watched as Ian's gaze locked on hers from across the field. She sucked in a sharp breath. How handsome yet menacing he looked to her. A pit of longing settled in her heart, and her throat felt thick with unshed tears.
Arianna withdrew her hand from her pocket and turned quickly back toward the castle. Her steps were calm and unhurried as she crossed the courtyard and slipped through the archway leading inside. Yet beneath that calm exterior, her mind had already begun working carefully through every detail.
I will need supplies. A good cloak suited for travel. Food for the road. A map. A horse swift enough to outrun questions. And I must gather it all without suspicions.
The castle library lay quiet beneath the soft glow of two burning candles when Arianna slipped inside late into the night.
Tall shelves lined the stone walls, heavy with leather-bound volumes and rolled parchments gathered through generations of Clan McGuire’s history.
The scent of aged paper and dust hung gently in the still air.
Her heart beat faster than it should have for such a simple errand.
I cannae get caught.
She moved toward a long table near the center of the chamber where several maps and documents lay stacked beneath a brass weight.
Slowly, she lifted one corner of the parchment and examined the faded markings.
The winding roads and hills etched across the page stirred a quiet flicker of hope inside her.
I must find the correct map that will give me a path home.
Arianna’s fingers moved quickly through the parchments, careful not to disturb their neat arrangement. Her eyes scanned the inked lines, searching for the familiar valley that would lead toward Castle McDonald. Every small sound from the hallway made her shoulders tense.
The door creaked open behind her. Arianna’s breath caught sharply in her throat.
She turned slowly, her pulse pounding as Ian stepped into the library. The candlelight cast deep shadows across his broad shoulders as he closed the door behind him. His gaze settled upon her immediately, sharp and searching.
“Well now,” he said quietly. “This is a rare sight.”
Arianna forced herself to stand straighter though her fingers curled instinctively against the edge of the table. “Am I nae allowed to visit the library, me Laird?”