Chapter 21
“Are you leading me to my death?” came Leah’s amused voice from behind him as they ascended yet another spiral staircase.
Even Magnus was feeling a little uneasy. The towers in this part of the castle were rarely used, and the torches had not been lit up.
He should probably have waited to show her, but he was too excited. He loved the way she looked when she spoke of her writing—it was as though all of her troubles and worries melted away.
“What day is it?” he asked.
“It is Thursday. Why?” she asked curiously.
“Ah, we only ever throw maidens from the tower on a Sunday, so ye are safe.”
Her tinkling laugh was the best sound in the world to him as they finally got to the top of the stairs, their way barred by the thick oak door at the top.
Magnus had ordered that it should be left unlocked, and he was glad he had done so; he was breathing heavily and didn’t want to have to go all the way downstairs to fetch a servant with the keys.
He pushed it open and entered, waiting for her to follow behind, anxious for her reaction.
Leah entered the circular room and stared about her in amazement. It was part of the tallest tower in the castle, and within it was a room that had once been used by his mother.
As soon as Magnus had met Leah, he had thought of this place for her, but the idea had only solidified in his mind when she had started speaking of her books.
He always needed solitude when he was planning a battle or reading something complex, and it felt as though somewhere high up with beautiful views and away from the bustle of servants would be perfect for her.
The crow’s nest, as it had been affectionately termed by his mother, was a cylindrical tower on the far wall looking out over the water.
The castle that Leah would occupy in a few weeks’ time was visible in the distance on the edge of the water, and she walked to the window, looking out at the view in wonder.
The room itself was simply furnished with wooden chairs and a desk by the window, but Magnus had had it supplied with many stacks of papers for her writing.
The chimney had been cleaned so that she could light a fire and be warm, and he had brought woolen blankets up for her to use, knowing how cold she had been since she arrived. He watched with satisfaction as she flitted about the room, looking out every window.
“It is perfect!” she gushed, walking to the center and spinning in place. “Is that my castle?” she asked, pointing out the far window, where the little turrets could be seen.
“Aye,” Magnus replied. “I thought ye and Miss Katie might like to go and visit it today if ye are willin’.”
“I’d love to,” she said, rushing to the window and putting her hands on the sill, leaning out and looking down at the sheer drop without a trace of fear. “Is there an equivalent room in that castle like this one?”
“I am sure one can be prepared.”
She turned, cocking her head as she looked at him. “And what if I wish to return here to do my writing?” she asked, a coy expression on her face that made Magnus want to pin her against the window and take her.
He had a sudden vivid image of her sitting on the windowsill, her legs spread and wrapped around his waist as he thrust into her, bracing his body against the stone surround and claiming her body in front of his lands, looking out over everything he owned as she screamed his name.
He cleared his throat. “Ye ken ye can come here whenever ye please,” he said without thinking through the answer.
“Can I?” she asked, sounding uncertain.
“Aye, if ye ever wish to write, ye can always come here to enjoy the views. This is yer room. I shall nae need it.”
Her playful expression dropped, and she seemed to lose some of her enthusiasm.
She looked about the room, suddenly a little sad, and gave him a watery smile.
“Thank ye,” she murmured, walking to the desk and sitting down as though to test the view. “It is beautiful here. Who used this room? Was it Elizabeth?” she asked.
There was a touch of discomfort in her voice, and Magnus suppressed a smile.
“Nay. Elizabeth wasnae a creative woman. But I was told that me maither was. She used to write a great many letters. She was from England, too, and had a great many friends in the ton. She would sit up here for hours, writin’ to them all. It drove me faither to distraction…”
At the mention of his father, Magnus stopped speaking and stepped aside, suddenly wishing to be gone from the place.
He never liked thinking of his mother’s carefree spirit beside his father. It made him believe that history was repeating itself, just as Gibson had said. He had been forced to marry Leah, and now she was trapped, just as his mother had been, her light forever tied to the darkness in his past.
“Are you quite well?” Leah asked. “You look angry.”
“I am just fine, lass, but we should go back downstairs. It is cold in this room without the fires lit. Let me ken when ye will use it, and I’ll ensure that the way is lit for ye and the fire is burnin’.”
He opened the door wide for her, and she went to the top step of the staircase, the smell of wildflowers trailing behind and tickling his nostrils.
His arm came out automatically as he grabbed her upper arm, and she turned to him in surprise.
“Nay kiss?” he asked.
She frowned at him, pulling her arm free, the same fiery anger on her face. “If you want a kiss, My Laird, you should not have set such strict rules about us staying apart.”
She turned on her heel and made her way down the stairs, leaving Magnus holding the door, watching her retreating frame with a wave of regret.
Leah inwardly cursed herself as she stomped down the stairs. She had been a fool to believe that he truly wanted to spend any time with her.
The room he had shown her was beautiful, and she had been filled with joy at the sight of it. She had assumed that he had created it for her and that he wanted her to be in the castle and enjoy her time writing as much as possible.
Then, when she asked if she could visit, he told her that she was welcome to write in the castle any time she liked.
It was as though he had created for her the most beautiful library, but all he ever wished for her to do was to come and read within it. She was not permitted to see him or spend time with him, but she could use his beautiful views as inspiration for the stories she would write about him.
She felt angry at her own weakness in wishing for something more and irritated with herself for how she had allowed her feelings for him to grow.
When they had gotten married, she had barely registered what had taken place.
She had been entirely distracted by the arrival of Gibson and the revelations of Magnus’s past. She barely had time to take in what had happened before she had a new husband and they had negotiated the terms of their marriage.
Since then, despite the wonderful pleasure they had shared in her bedroom, Magnus had not approached her or touched her at all. She was beginning to believe that he truly meant to send her away from the castle for good and for them to lead completely separate lives.
And why did I believe he would wish for anything different? He has been clear from the beginning that this is not a real marriage and that he will allow me my freedom. That is more than many women get. I should be grateful, not miserable.
As she came to the bottom of the stairs, she almost tumbled headfirst into Betty and Iona, who were standing in the corridor, seemingly waiting for her.
“Betty!” she exclaimed in surprise. “Is all well?”
Betty stepped forward just as Iona put a warning hand on her arm. “Betty, this willnae help anythin’. It is just yer—”
“Quiet, girl,” Betty admonished. She was not harsh in her address to Iona, but her tone brooked no argument.
Iona raised her eyes to the heavens and sighed, letting her go. Betty moved forward and came to stand beside Leah, looking around her as though she had a secret to tell.
“What is it, Betty? Are you both alright?” Leah asked.
Betty took her arm and led her down the corridor, so they were further away from the stairs and perhaps further away from Magnus’s ears.
“Be careful, lass,” she warned. Her grey eyes darted about them, as though there were hidden monsters in every corner. “The true wolf will show its teeth,” she muttered.
Leah watched as the woman grasped her hands, taking Leah’s wrists between her fingers and looking at Leah’s palms with interest.
Betty’s dress was of fine gold today. Despite her age, her face had a youthful glow, and her gray eyes were such an unusual color that they perfectly matched the stone of the castle, as though they had been carved from it.
“What do you mean?” Leah asked, laughing a little and feeling very uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. “There are no wolves in Scotland. I may be an Englishwoman, but I have learned that since I came here.”
“Betty, please,” Iona insisted, trying to pull Betty away.
But Betty gripped Leah’s arm more forcefully.
“Keep a watchful eye, me girl. He is comin’—” she whispered.
But her warning, such as it was, was cut short by the arrival of Katie, who appeared at the head of the corridor, a wide smile spreading across her face as she saw Leah.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked. “Laird MacWatt has told me that we are to visit your castle today. I am so excited. I cannot wait to see what needs to be done.”
Leah looked down at Betty, who had released her and stepped back at Katie’s arrival. Iona and Betty exchanged a meaningful look, and Leah could not help the shiver of concern that ran through her.
“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to get the bottom of what Betty had been trying to tell her.
Iona stepped forward and took Betty’s arm. “Enjoy the castle tour, Lady MacWatt. We will be here when ye return.” And then she pulled Betty down the corridor, the two of them whispering feverishly to one another.
“What was that about?” Katie asked, frowning at Betty’s retreating figure. “I think that woman is quite mad, you know.”
Leah knew she could not tell her friend of Betty’s warnings. Katie did not have any patience for magic or folklore and dismissed such things out of hand. Leah did not wish to hear her make fun of Betty—perhaps the woman was merely confused.
“Come,” she said, “let us away. I wish to see my castle!”