Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Marian watched the Laird leave the hall, his footsteps fading slowly until he disappeared down a distant corridor.
His absence did not make the room any warmer than it had been before. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing the damp fabric of her sleeves.
“Ye must be cold,” Mrs. Campbell said, breaking the silence. Her gaze flicked over Marian’s dress and gloves before she offered a small, knowing smile. “Come now, me Lady. I’ll show ye to yer bedchamber.”
She carefully led them up a narrow stone stairwell. The steps were steep and uneven, worn at the center from years of heavy use. Wind slipped through the cracks in the walls, brushing against Marian’s cheeks as they climbed.
Lilly trailed behind them, holding the walls for support, her breathing labored with the effort.
“My Lady,” she whispered, glancing down the stairs. “I hope we are not going to climb much further.”
Mrs. Campbell did not need to turn around to respond.
“Would ye rather sleep in the hall, then?” she asked, with the faintest hint of amusement in her tone.
Lilly gasped, shaking her head vigorously.
Marian smiled.
At the top of the stairwell, the space opened into a long, narrow corridor. Small windows lined the outer wall, allowing the fading evening light to stream in.
Mrs. Campbell continued ahead, and Marian followed, slowing down at one of the windows to look at the view. She rested her hands on the frame and leaned out, taking in the glen and the unending rugged landscape stretched out behind it.
It is truly breathtaking.
The land was alive in a way she’d never seen before, wild with an untouched beauty, and unapologetic about it. She listened to the trees whistle, and tears pricked her eyes.
Damn these traitorous emotions.
“My Lady,” Lilly called softly.
Marian straightened, blinking quickly as she stepped back into the corridor.
They turned down the left wing, their footsteps quieter now against the stone. Soon, they arrived at the bedchambers near the end of the corridor.
“The castle’s nae what ye expected, I imagine,” Mrs. Campbell said cheerfully, pushing the door open to reveal the room inside.
It was a simple space, in no way unwelcoming to the eyes. A wide bed stood close to the far wall, with wool blankets and linens folded across it. A small hearth was already burning, and a sturdy chest stood beside the wall, large enough to contain all Marian’s things.
Lilly exhaled softly, looking at her with a satisfied smile.
Mrs. Campbell stepped in ahead of them, moving straight to the hearth. She added an extra piece of wood to the fire, and the flames flared, casting a warmer glow across the room.
“I already ken ye like to play with fire.” She laughed softly as she dusted her hands on her apron.
Marian could not help but smile. “Forgive me.”
She stepped slowly into the room, removing her gloves and setting them carefully on the table near her bed.
Mrs. Campbell turned to face Lilly. “Now, lass. Yer room is right next door. It’s less grand, but it is closest to yer lady, and ye shall enjoy it.”
Lilly nodded. A wide smile spread across her face as she shifted the small bag in her hands. “Oh, please, ma’am,” she said with a slight raise of her hand. “You can just call me Lilly.”
Mrs. Campbell’s lips twitched slightly, her gaze lingering on the girl for a moment. “Aye, we’ll see about that,” she allowed at last. “For now, ye’ll answer when I call, lass.”
Lilly’s smile faltered slightly. She hugged the bag closer to her chest, her eyes darting briefly around the room before settling on Marian again.
Marian moved toward the window. “Your Laird appears to believe we are temporary visitors,” she said calmly, despite the faint edge to her voice.
Mrs. Campbell let out a soft laugh. “The Laird believes many things, me Lady,” she replied, moving toward the bed. “Some of them even turn out to be true.”
Marian’s eyebrows rose slightly. She watched the housekeeper for a moment as she moved about with ease, as though nothing in the castle ever surprised her.
Mrs. Campbell began arranging the blankets, smoothing the wool with firm strokes of her hands.
Lilly crossed over to the other side of the room, joining Marian by the window. She lowered her voice, casting a quick glance at the housekeeper as though she might overhear.
“My Lady, do you truly intend to stay here?”
Marian sighed. She did not yet have the answer. The weight of the day pressed heavily against her thoughts, but her heart was not settled on leaving either.
I cannot just leave, not if this truly is my inheritance.
She studied the room quietly for a moment before answering Lilly, her gaze moving over the sturdy walls of the castle she’d hoped to someday call home. “Yes. Until the ownership dispute is settled, I must stay, and I will.”
She paused briefly, drawing a deep breath as her gaze drifted out the small window overlooking the dark hills beyond.
“I must understand this place.”
Mrs. Campbell glanced between them, a knowing look flickering briefly across her face. Though it was obvious that she had overheard, she did not say anything more as she finished preparing the room.
She gave the blanket one final fluff before stepping back.
“Rest well tonight,” she said, before heading toward the door. At the threshold, she paused long enough to look over her shoulder. “The Highlands have a way of testin’ newcomers.”
Marian woke before the morning light spilled in through the small window.
Since the passing of her father, she had rarely been able to sleep past the crack of dawn. It was around that time that her mother’s horrid scream had filled her head, and that sound had refused to leave her ever since, plaguing her every morning so she could never go back to sleep.
She stirred under the blanket, her body heavy with sleep and the lingering exhaustion from her travels over the past three weeks. She lay still for a moment, exhaling softly as she rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes.
The room was still dark, with only the pale light from the window casting a faint glow across the floor. She stretched slightly, feeling a weight resting across her legs.
Where am I?
She was suddenly aware of the strangeness of her room. For as long as she’d been conscious of her surroundings, she had only ever slept in her bedchamber at Whitcombe House.
She rubbed her eyes again, her thoughts settling as her brain tried to reconcile her current situation.
Glen Carrick.
She sighed softly once she remembered.
Her eyebrows knitted together in her half-asleep state, and she stretched again, this time testing the weight on her legs with a clearer mind.
What is that?
It did not feel like a heap of bed linens.
The weight was even, pressed more firmly against one leg than the other as though it had settled there of its own accord. It felt warmer too, and heavier, shifting ever so slightly as she tried to raise her leg.
Marian held her breath.
Alive?
Her heart skipped a beat at the thought, and her fingers twitched. She could feel her body going still in fear as the thought of a strange presence in the room filled her mind.
I must be dreaming.
It was the only explanation that made sense.
She had fallen asleep in a strange place, with her mind burdened by many thoughts. It was not far-fetched to think that unrest had followed her into her sleep.
She released a soft breath, sinking back into the bed, when suddenly, the weight shifted again.
Her breath caught.
Her eyes snapped open, and for a brief moment, she did not move.
It is not a dream.
Her gaze fixed on the spot between her legs, even as her eyes struggled to adjust to the dim light. Her mind raced with countless possibilities as she tried to make sense of what she felt. Then the weight moved again.
This time, she couldn’t deny it.
Her heart lurched violently in her chest. She let out a sharp, startled cry as she jumped out of bed, the blankets slipping off her shoulders with a sigh.
A soft thud sounded on the other side of the bed, followed by silence. A still, unsettling silence.
Marian stood frozen in the room, her heart racing.
Her eyes remained fixed on the darkness beyond the bed as she listened, straining her ears for the slightest sound that might reveal whatever had been in bed with her just moments ago.
But nothing came. Just the hollow silence of the chamber pressing in around her.
What in heaven’s name?
“Lilly?” she called, her voice sharper than she had intended.