Chapter 21 #2
The MacCrimmon man ruined the moment by clearing his throat.
“Excuse me, Lady Nora,” he spoke up. “But Lady Helena is nearby, carryin’ many things. Would ye mind if I went over to attend to her? Will ye be all right here by yerself?”
“Of course, thank ye,” Nora answered.
The man nodded gratefully and jogged away, leaving the three of them alone.
“Well,” Margaret managed, placing her fists on her hips. “It’s Lady Nora now, is it?”
“It certainly is,” Laurie chirped up. “She’s goin’ to marry me brother.”
Margaret glanced questioningly at Nora, who nodded, not quite meeting her eye. She was sure that Margaret wouldn’t do anything foolish, like telling Laurie that there wasn’t going to be a wedding at all. Or so she hoped, at least.
I daenae ken me sister as well as I thought I did. That’s all right, I suppose. After all, that only means I have the chance to get to ken her better now.
Margaret, thankfully, stayed silent.
“Laurie here is Creighton’s younger sister,” Nora explained. “She’s been very welcoming to me since I arrived.”
Laurie pressed her fists against her mouth, suddenly bashful.
“Ye are Lady Margaret, then?” she asked.
Margaret lifted her chin, grinning. “Oh, I’m nay lady. I’m a merchant.”
Laurie considered this. “Can ye nae be a lady and a merchant?”
Margaret did not consider the matter at all. “Nay, I’m afraid nae. One or the other. And I am nae a lady.”
Laurie giggled, clearly thrilled. Nora bit back a smile. Her sister and Laurie were clearly going to get on well.
“I thought that Margaret could come and stay with us when we get back to MacColl Keep,” Nora suggested. “If Creighton agrees.”
“Creighton will agree,” Laurie answered, nodding firmly. “I overheard Aunt Helena tellin’ Uncle Hunter that Crey would do anythin’ to make ye happy, Nora.”
There was a beat of silence after this comment. Laurie grinned up at them both, unaware of what she’d just said. Margaret bit back a smile, visibly thrilled, and Nora felt heat creep up her neck and settle across her cheeks.
“Th-That’s nae true,” she stammered. “Creighton is very obligin’, but he’s just a kind man. Nae all men are as kind as yer brother, Laurie.”
Laurie shook her head mulishly. “Nay, Aunt Helena said that it was all different, that ye were different. She told Uncle Hunter that she had high hopes of it all. What did that mean, Nora? What does she have high hopes of?”
“Never ye mind,” Nora retorted, face still furiously pink. “Now, I am goin’ to have a wee word with Margaret, and then we’ll all go inside together, aye?”
“Aye,” Laurie nodded obediently. She wandered over to the entranceway and began inspecting some blooming lavender, rubbing the thick, stubby leaves between her fingers.
Even from where she stood, Nora could smell the rich, sweet scent of lavender.
Turning her back, she faced her sister. Margaret appeared to be holding back laughter.
“It isnae what ye think it is,” Nora said firmly.
Margaret lifted her eyebrows. “Oh, nay? And so what if it is? Come on, Nora. If ye have feelings for this man…”
“I daenae.”
“Well, he seems to have them for ye.”
“He doesnae, I promise ye. It’s nae like that.”
“His sister seems to think that it is.”
Nora wanted to growl aloud. “Margaret, please. This situation is delicate. It’s all about politics. He doesnae want me here any more than I want to be here, and I want to be sure that ye daenae say or do anythin’ to make him think that I think this is anythin’ beyond politics.”
Margaret studied her sister for a long moment, lips pursed. “And do ye?”
“What?”
“Do ye think this is beyond politics?”
No. That was the plain and simple answer, the obvious answer. That was what Nora should have said. So why was the word so hard to utter? She stared back at her sister, lips pursed, silent.
Margaret nodded, as if Nora had spoken after all. At last, Nora cleared her throat.
“Ye search the Highlands the way ye do, Margaret, because ye have nae found yer callin’ yet.
That’s all right. A callin’ is a hard thing to find.
But I have found mine. I have to heal people.
I have to help. That’s what I need, and nothin’ more.
That is why marriage never had much of a pull for me.
Love is found in many places, nae just inside a weddin’ band. ”
“Ye need to heal,” Margaret repeated slowly. “And ye daenae need this laird? Or at least, ye daenae want him?”
Nora sniffed. “Certainly this laird does nae want me.”
She’d gone too far, been too pointed. Margaret narrowed her eyes, no doubt seeing much more than Nora intended for her to see.
How is it that I blush like a tomato but she never does? Nora thought furiously, willing some of the heat from her face.
“Huh,” was all Margaret said. “I suppose I’ll reserve judgment for when I meet him. Laurie, why daenae ye tell me about yer…” Margaret’s gaze slipped away from Nora’s, and her voice trailed away. “Where’s the little girl gone?”
“She’s just…” Nora turned around, breaking off.
The garden was empty. Laurie had been standing by the gate, but there was no sign of her now. Frowning, Nora moved to the gate and peered out. Outside, people moved around here and there, the crowds thicker than ever. She couldn’t even catch a glimpse of MacCrimmon tartan.
More importantly, there was no sign of Laurie. No sign at all.
“Laurie?” she called, pitching her voice over the chaos. The little girl couldn’t have gone far. As minutes ticked by, however, and no Laurie came scuttling out of the crowd, fear began to close its cold fist around Nora’s heart.
“Laurie? Laurie! Laurie!”