Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
A s Kieran left her bedchamber, Alina found herself scowling.
“Are ye all right, me lady?” Isla asked.
Alina heaved a sigh and gazed at Isla. “Why are men so intolerable, Isla?”
Isla, who had been Alina’s maid since she was a young lass, gave her mistress a sympathetic look. “Och, I dinnae think he is too bad, me lady.” She paused a beat. “Considering the circumstances.”
“And that is the problem,” Alina said, pushing herself from her chair. “I dinnae want tae be in this circumstance. I dinnae want tae be married, and I certainly dinnae want tae end up like Lilly.”
Isla knew all about Alina’s older sister. Obviously, she had known her when she had still lived in the family home, but more than that, Alina had confided in her maid on occasion, when Lilly had sent missives telling her younger sisters of how unhappy she was in her life.
“Lilly is married tae a much older man, me lady,” Isla said, trying to sound reassuring. “At least yer betrothed is only a few years older. Besides,” she smiled, “ye cannae deny how handsome he is.”
No, of course she couldn’t. In fact, she had already concluded that Kieran’s striking looks were going to make her mission even more difficult than it might have been beforehand.
Soon after that, Moira returned to the bedroom with her own maid.
“Well, it is brisk out there,” she said, her rosy cheeks betraying the fact she had been outside in the cold. “But it is also beautiful. Look,” she pointed to the window. “It’s just beginning tae snow.”
Alina spun to look; her eyes wide with delight. “Och, how wonderful. I love the snow. ”
Moira began peeling off her cloak. “The gardens o’ the castle are already beautiful. Soon, they’ll be covered, fer it is coming down thick and fast.”
Moira then delighted in telling Alina about the gardens with the small alcoves, and the pretty foliage.
When she was done, Alina relayed her own news.
“We are tae be ready fer seven this evening fer the feast.” A wicked smile danced on her lips as she continued. “It is the perfect opportunity tae enact me plan.”
Moira frowned and looking worried, she said, “What are ye going tae dae?”
“I’ve told ye. I’m going tae mak’ certain that Kieran Mackintosh gets tae the point that he would sooner marry the dog in the street than me.”
Moira grinned then. “So, what’s yer plan?”