Chapter 8
As they stepped into the grand foyer of the castle, Raphael led Keira through the opulent halls adorned with tapestries and intricate woodwork.
The air was infused with a sense of history and the comforting scent of aged wood. He could tell that she was as apprehensive as she was excited to be there, and this made his own excitement more fervent.
Watching her in awe of the view around her made him feel proud. Even more, it made him feel more curious about her. What else would leave her in awe?
What else would make her eyes sparkle like stars in the night? What else would make those luscious lips pout, making them look even more kissable?
Banishing these thoughts, he guided Keira into the parlor, where he opened the door, and stumbled upon his mother, Elspeth Anderson.
She sat regally on an antique velvet chair, her posture as always impeccable and her attire exuding an air of refined elegance. Her greying hair, neatly arranged in a bun, highlighted the lines of wisdom and grace on her face.
Her eyes, a warm shade of hazel, held a depth of kindness and discernment, the years having bestowed upon them a wealth of experiences. Though time had etched its marks, her features retained a gentle beauty, a testament to her enduring poise and charm.
The moment her eyes befell her son, he could see that she was struck by surprise. She got up and walked over to them. He smiled at her, but her own smile faltered, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“Raphael, me dear,” she said as he walked over to her to give her a reverent peck on the cheek. “I would have appreciated it if ye’d told me that more guests were comin’.”
He ignored her comment. After all, what was one more guest on top of all the rest? It was a gathering he had not agreed to. It had been arranged without his approval, so why would he care whether he was inconveniencing them with another guest, who was actually the only guest he wanted there?
But there was no point in discussing any of this. At least, not now. Instead, he cleared his throat, his tone warm and reassuring.
“Maither, may I introduce Lady Keira Webster, a dear friend who will be stayin’ with us for the next two weeks.” Then, he turned to Keira, who looked slightly apprehensive, but she was doing her best to keep it under control. “Keira, this is me maither, Elspeth Anderson.”
Keira curtsied respectfully, her cheeks tinged with a soft blush.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady MacCurtney.” Her voice carried the note of a well-mannered lady, and in any other situation, he was certain that his mother would have been delighted to meet her as one of his close friends.
But taking into account their current situation, he knew that would not be the case.
“I suppose so,” his mother said in a way that didn’t surprise him, almost as if she were shocked to see them together.
His mother was not an impolite woman. On the contrary, she was of the sort who found not being so extremely important.
But now, she could probably see through his ruse.
It actually almost made him chuckle, but he restrained himself.
Then, as if she realized what she had just said, she smiled widely, in an effort to repair the first impression.
“It is a pleasure to have ye, Lady Keira.”
“Oh, just Keira is fine, please,” Keira corrected her.
Raphael’s mother nodded. “Me son just omits to mention when we’re expectin’ more guests, but of course, ye are more than welcome to stay with us.
I shall have the servants set up one of the guestrooms for ye and have them run ye a nice, warm bath.
It was probably a long journey here, all the way from England, and ye must be exhausted. ”
The look of surprise on Keira’s face did not escape Raphael’s attention, but he had no intention of explaining anything right now. Maybe not even later. He still hadn’t decided on that. Keira would know what he needed her to know, and no more.
“Why, yes,” Keira said when she regained her composure.
“It was a long journey, but not an exhausting one, for the very simple reason that I didn’t journey here all the way from England.
I am visiting some friends, and Raphael is one of them.
I must say, the Highlands are breathtaking.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such beautiful nature. ”
Raphael watched the expression on his mother’s face change from disapproving to pleasant. “Ye are very observant, Keira. There truly is nothin’ like it in the whole world. I suppose the English have nothin’ but ghastly weather and mud.”
“Something of the sort,” Keira replied.
Raphael could immediately see that she was merely saying that so as not to be rude, which he, for some reason, appreciated. It spoke much of her self-control and upbringing.
“But we do have lovely nature, and the countryside is so peaceful.”
“I suppose so.” His mother repeated the same words from before. “And… ye are here alone? Without family?”
“Yes.” Keira nodded.
“Ah, how… modern,” Elspeth murmured, exchanging a meaningful glance with him. “And how do ye two ken each other?”
Keira turned to Raphael for help, and he immediately jumped in. “There will be plenty of time for questions later on, Maither. We are both exhausted from the journey.”
“Of course.” Elspeth nodded, obviously not satisfied with the lack of response to her inquiry, but after all these years, he had taught her that he would not be forced into giving more information than he wanted to give.
He watched as his mother went to the corner of the parlor, pulling on a large bell that sounded off somewhere in the castle.
Within moments, a servant girl appeared through the door, after which she was given clear instructions on what to do.
While his mother gave these instructions, he seized the chance to lean closer to Keira.
“Wait for me at midnight,” he whispered in her ear, moving away from her just in time so no one would notice their little hushed moment.
Keira’s cheeks were painted by a wave of poppy red. He wanted to touch the warmth of her cheek, to feel her skin with the tips of his fingers, to pull her close and feel her wild heartbeat against his. But he would have to wait a little for that.
“Ye may follow Adelaide,” Elspeth told Keira. “She will show ye to yer room.”
Keira looked even more confused now, but that made her appear even more endearing. Raphael felt a sudden urge to clear the entire castle and spend the following two weeks with only her, without any interruptions, but he knew such a thing was not possible.
“Thank you very much,” Keira said politely, only to glance at him one more time, and then she disappeared behind closed doors.
Raphael and his mother were alone. When he turned to face her, he could see her eyes focused on him.
“I ken what ye are doin’,” she told him gravely. “You needn’t play games. I can see exactly what ye are attemptin’ to do.”
“I’m nae doin’ anythin’,” he said, although he knew very well that she wouldn’t believe him.
To be quite honest, he himself had no idea what he was doing. He was supposed to keep away from women who managed to do the impossible—and that was to stir his imagination.
And here he was, doing the exact opposite, going so far as to invite such a woman into his very home, to have her as close to him as possible. It was preposterous.
“Violet arrives tomorrow,” Elspeth reminded him, her voice piercing through his tumultuous thoughts.
Strangely, he had completely forgotten all about it, although one of the main reasons for Keira’s presence in his home was Violet.
He resisted the temptation to chuckle at this unexpected turn of events.
His plan was to use the presence of one woman to deny the potential emotions of the other.
It seemed logical enough, provided that he himself felt nothing for either of them.
That was the case with Violet, but with Keira… he wasn’t so certain.
She had already managed to creep under his skin, to sneak into the very corners of his mind and nestle there, appearing before the eye of his mind at the most inopportune moment, when he had least expected her.
That meant he was already losing control of the situation, something he could not allow to happen. He had to show her that this was truly just two weeks, and nothing else.
“Everyone arrives tomorrow.” He shrugged indifferently, wanting to show his mother that he could not care less whether Violet would be there or not. That was actually the truth. “My guest merely arrived a wee bit earlier than the rest.”
His mother wasn’t amused even the slightest bit.
However, he knew that everything she did, she did out of love.
She was growing old, and she yearned to see her only son with a family, with a wife who would love him, with children of his own and the pitter-patter of little feet running through the castle.
Pain wrapped around his heart, tightening its grip. He knew what he had done. People like him did not deserve a happily ever after. He was not even fooling himself that he would ever be a happy man. He didn’t deserve happiness.
He didn’t deserve love. He didn’t deserve anything that should befall a good man, for he was not a good man. No one would be able to convince him otherwise, not after everything that he had done in the past.
Suddenly, seeing her son lost in thought, Elspeth’s expression softened. She was rarely this grave, this stern with him, and he knew that it was all rooted in her sheer desire to see him happy.
A part of him felt guilty that he was not the kind of son she deserved, that he was not the kind of son who would provide an old woman with what she yearned for the most. Sometimes, life was like that. Unfair to even those who were good.
“I understand yer concerns, me son. But, ye have duties to yer clan. And we must be prepared for the gatherin’ that is comin’.” Her voice was tender, soft, loving.