Chapter Five
“We’re here, lass.”
At Jamie’s words, Elise blinked, coming out of the half doze she’d fallen into on the journey. She was tired and aching, not yet recovered from her solo climb. Add to that the fact that she’d then been hurled through time meant it had been quite a day. She felt like she could sleep for a fortnight.
But her fatigue fell away as she saw where they were.
Ahead rose a huge blocky structure built of gray stone.
There was a large central keep surrounded by other buildings, all of it enclosed by a large curtain wall.
It crouched on the hillside like some snarling beast, glowering down at the surrounding landscape.
Elise found herself staring. “A castle?” she asked, her eyebrows climbing her forehead. “You live in an actual castle?”
“Aye,” Jamie replied, looking slightly bemused. “Where else would I live?”
Elise opened her mouth and closed it again.
His answer reminded her how far from home she really was.
She tried not to gawp like an idiot as they rode up to the castle, passed beneath the lintel of the huge gates, and into a wide courtyard of packed earth.
They pulled their horses to a halt as a crowd of people came spilling from the keep.
Young lads came running to take the horses and a crowd of household staff lined up outside the oak-hewn double doors.
They were all staring at Elise. She shifted uncomfortably. Bloody hell. Hadn’t they ever seen a woman wearing climbing gear before?
Elise dismounted and a wide-eyed youth came to lead away her horse, cloths were brought for Elise, Jamie, and his men to towel themselves down, and an older man and woman stepped forward.
The woman had red hair tied into a loose plait that fell down her back and a stern gaze that reminded Elise of her old school headmistress.
The man had silver hair with a beard to match and wore rich velvet clothes in a dark blue.
He had a livid burn scar down the left side of his face which pinched his eye partially closed on that side.
Elise found herself staring and tore her gaze away.
“My laird,” the burned man said, ignoring Elise’s stare. “Thank the Lord ye are home safely. When ye rode out so suddenly we feared the worst.” His piercing gaze flicked to Elise. “But it wasnae a raid that called ye away, I see?”
“Nay,” Jamie replied. “I went to collect a…guest.” He stepped back so that Elise was in full view. “Andrea, Phillip, I would like ye to meet Lady Elise MacFinnan.”
The red-haired woman’s brows rose and her mouth made a little O of surprise. The burned man, Phillip, controlled his expression better, but even he startled a little when the name MacFinnan was mentioned.
Elise stifled a sigh. Great. Was everyone going to react like this?
“Elise, this is Andrea MacCabe, my housekeeper,” Jamie said. “And Phillip MacClelland, my chief advisor.”
Plastering a smile onto her face, Elise stepped forward and held out her hand. “Hi. Nice to meet you. I’m Elise.”
She grabbed each of their hands in turn and shook them heartily.
“I…um…welcome…Elise,” Phillip said smoothly, recovering his aplomb. “My apologies that we weren’t ready to receive ye properly. I’m afraid we weren’t warned of yer arrival.” He shot a reproachful look at Jamie.
“That’s because I didnae know she was coming,” Jamie replied. “But now Lady Elise is here, I expect her to be shown the full hospitality of Dun Arach. And she will be attending our councils from now on.”
Eh? Elise turned to look at Jamie. Attending councils? What?
Phillip’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he only bowed his head in acquiescence. “Of course.”
Andrea cleared her throat. “If ye would follow me my…Elise. I will see that ye are settled in. And…er…find ye a change of clothes.”
That would be most welcome. Elise’s leggings were clinging to her damply and she could feel her socks squelching in her boots. A hairbrush wouldn’t go amiss either.
She shot one last glance at Jamie before following Andrea through the door and into the keep.
Inside, she found herself stepping into a large entrance hall with a wooden staircase leading to the upper floors.
The walls were bare, mortared stone covered by tapestries.
Candle sconces and chandeliers were the only source of light.
She didn’t see any form of heating or plumbing.
Great, she thought. My worst nightmare.
Andrea led her up the staircase and along a landing to a shiny wooden door. Here, the redhead took a loop of keys from her belt, unlocked the door, and pushed inside.
“This is our best room,” she said, a touch self-consciously. “I hope it is to yer liking. I didnae know ye were coming so I havenae aired it out but I’ll send up one of the maids to lay a fire and bring ye hot water and—”
Elise laid a hand on the woman’s arm. “Andrea. The room will be fine.”
Andrea pressed a hand against her chest. “Sorry. I babble when I’m nervous.”
“Nervous? Of me? I promise I don’t bite. Well, not usually anyway.” She grinned to show she was joking.
Andrea smiled thinly. Elise looked around.
From the austere appearance of the keep from outside, Elise had expected the room to be bland and cold, but it was surprisingly cozy.
Light flooded in from the three tall, narrow windows and the furniture was carved from a golden-colored wood that had been polished until it shone.
A brightly woven rug in the same tartan that Jamie wore matched the bedspread that covered the large, sturdy bed.
Yes, all in all, not as bad as she’d expected.
Give her a flushing toilet and she could almost find herself at home here. Almost.
“It’s lovely,” she said. “Thank you, Andrea.”
The housekeeper blushed. “Ye are welcome.” She crossed to a trunk at the foot of the bed and opened the lid. Inside, were piles of carefully folded clothing. She rose, holding out a thick brocade robe.
“Here. Let’s get ye out of those wet clothes before ye catch yer death.”
Elise was only too happy to comply. Andrea looked a little bemused when Elise asked her to turn around so she could undress, but she said nothing and knelt by the hearth to prepare a fire.
Elise peeled her wet clothes off and dropped them into a soggy pile at her feet.
Shrugging into the heavy robe, she pulled it tight with the sash and then slumped into one of the chairs by the fireplace.
With a sigh, she stretched out her toes towards the fire.
Already Andrea had a merry fire going. Warmth spilled through the room, along with a flickering golden light and the faint smell of wood smoke.
There was, Elise had to admit, something alluring about an open fire.
Perhaps it called to something primeval within her because she found herself strangely comforted by the dance of the crackling flames.
Putting her hands on her knees, Andrea climbed to her feet.
“Ah,” she said, looking at Elise. “That’s better.
I’ll make sure yer clothes are washed and ready should ye need them.
In the meantime, there are plenty of fresh clothes in the chest.” She picked up a wooden brush from a shelf by the bed.
“Yer hair is a little…untidy. Would ye like me to brush it for ye?”
Untidy? That was an understatement. A tangled nest of rat’s tails was how Elise would describe her hair right now.
“Um. Sure.”
Elise pulled the robe tighter around herself.
After the damp clothes she’d been wearing, it felt wonderfully warm and soft.
That, coupled with the heat from the fire, sent a lassitude stealing through her limbs.
She felt her eyes sliding closed as she gave herself up to Andrea’s gentle ministrations.
She hadn’t had her hair brushed for her since she was a girl.
The strokes of the brush stopped suddenly. “Can…can I ask ye something?” Andrea asked tentatively.
Elise turned to look up at the older woman. “Of course.”
Andrea bit her lip. “Is it true what they are saying? That ye’ve come to save us?”
Elise opened her mouth and closed it again.
She didn’t know how to answer. But the mingled fear and hope in Andrea’s expression tugged at her heart.
She reached up and squeezed the older woman’s hand.
“I’ll help you in any way I can. But I’ve not been given much information.
What exactly is it that you need saving from? ”
What was it that made Andrea look so afraid?
But the housekeeper shook her head. “It isnae my place to say. The laird will explain everything. But…I’m glad ye are here, Elise.”
Elise smiled and gave her hand another squeeze before turning to face the fire once more. She had so many questions, so much she needed to know. But as Andrea resumed brushing her hair, the warmth of the fire stole through her, and with it came that heavy lassitude once more.
Before she knew it, sleep dragged her under.
She slept deeply and dreamlessly and woke to a room dappled with sunlight.
And in bed. She stared up at the ceiling and rubbed at her eyes.
The last memory she had was of sitting in the chair by the fire while Andrea brushed her hair.
Had somebody carried her to the bed? And had she been so comatose she hadn’t even noticed?
With an effort, she pushed herself into a sitting position and yawned hugely.
Her arms and legs felt heavy with sleep, so she blinked a few times, trying to bring her bleary thoughts into focus.
Sunlight spilled around the heavy drapes that covered the windows, showing a fire burning in the hearth and a tray of food sitting on the low table in front of it.
Somebody had been in while she was asleep. Andrea? Someone else? Jamie’s face flashed through her mind. She certainly wouldn’t mind him coming into her bedchamber.