Chapter 3
Callum did not answer, and Margot had no time to dismount when the owner of the voice stopped beside the stallion and looked up at Callum, her eyes wide with fear.
Looking at the lovely woman, Margot felt as though she looked like a rag doll.
She had rarely seen anyone so beautiful; she was tall and slender with long golden hair artfully coiffed in curls and plaits around her head.
Her face was a perfect oval with high sculpted cheekbones and full pink lips, and her large golden-brown eyes were fixed on Callum.
Despite the lateness of the hour, she was beautifully dressed in a gown that would have looked perfect in an upper-class dining room, and as Margot looked down at her tattered dress she felt deeply embarrassed.
However, the woman’s eyes were full of anxiety as she took in Callum’s pitiful state.
He was filthy from lying in the ditch, his kilt was torn and his cheek had been grazed.
And then there was the makeshift sling, which by now had loosened slightly and had become covered in mud from his cloak.
Laird Callum Mackintosh looked like a scarecrow.
“My god! Callum, what happened?” the woman asked fearfully as a guard came to help Callum to dismount.
His face screwed up in pain, and he laid a hand on Margot’s shoulder to steady himself.
“Let me explain,” Margot offered, stepping forward.
She gave a brief curtsey because she thought that she might be looking at a lady of rank, and because she knew that her English accent would do her no favours. The more polite and respectful she was, the better.
“The Laird saved me from a bad situation. I was travelling to an inn near Inverness when some bad men came after me. He managed to scare them away, but in the process he fell off his horse and hurt himself. He could not ride on his own, so I took over, since I am a fairly good rider.” Margot turned to him and gave him a respectful nod.
“I have a lot to thank you for, My Laird.”
She had altered the story a little, but she did not wish to reveal exactly what had happened. What would that woman think of her if she knew the truth?
The elegant woman moved forward to touch Callum’s arm, but he winced and backed away at once, and she stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide with horror.
“Is your arm broken?” she asked fearfully.
“No, Eileen,” he assured her, shaking his head. “My shoulder was dislocated, but she helped me, thankfully.”
Eileen turned to Margot and her beautiful face softened into a smile. “Thank you. I am sorry, I have no idea of your name.”
“Margot Tewsbury, my lady,” Margot answered, returning the smile.
“I am Eileen Ferguson,” Eileen answered. “Callum’s betrothed.”
Margot pinned on a smile, even though she felt as though a lump of lead had just landed in her stomach.
Then she chided herself for being so stupid.
She had only just met this man, and knew practically nothing about him.
He was tall, strong, handsome, and wealthy, and to add to all that he was a man of integrity and courage.
Why should he not be engaged to be married?
It would indeed be a miracle if he were not! And why should it matter to her?
Eileen was speaking again as she looked at Margot’s dress. “I see that you even sacrificed your clothes to help Callum,” she observed, as she stepped forward and took Margot’s hand. “Thank you again, Margot.”
She turned back to Callum. “Go and see the healer, please, I know that men always need to be seen as tough, but you need medical help, at least for the pain.”
Callum moved forward, frowning. “These men are not finished with Margot yet,” he told them. “They will follow her, and next time she may have no one to help her.”
Eileen gave a shocked gasp and put a hand to her mouth. “This is terrible!” she cried as she turned to look at Margot with an expression of horror. “Then you will stay here with us where you are safe, and we can look after you.”
Margot’s heart warmed as she looked at the beautiful stranger, but she felt ill at ease, as if she had forced her way into their home without a good reason.
“Thank you for your kindness,” she said awkwardly, “but really, it is not necessary. I don’t wish to impose and take advantage of you.”
She looked at Callum, who was rubbing his shoulder and staring at her. His dark eyes were impassive, but Margot still had the impression that he disapproved of what she was saying. However, she could not quite believe that. After all the trouble she had caused, surely he would want her to leave?
But Eileen was staring at her in disbelief.
“Impose?” she asked incredulously. “You bound up his injury and ruined your dress in doing so, then you helped him to come home safely. You are not imposing, Margot, and we are glad to have you. Are we not, Callum?”
“Indeed we are,” he confirmed, but his face was screwed up in pain.
Eileen looked at him and said hurriedly, “Excuse me, I must go fetch the healer. She is in the garden picking herbs. We will meet you in the treatment room.”
Callum led the way inside, and they walked along a short corridor and down a flight of stairs into a spacious room with an examination table, a bed and a few chairs in it. The walls were lined with shelves, on which stood dozens of bottles of potions.
He sat down and covered his face with his hands. He looked totally, absolutely exhausted, but although Margot felt a little sorry for him, there was something she had to say to him, something that made her feel guilty in the extreme.
“You should have told me you were betrothed,” she said flatly.
“Why?” He looked up at her, puzzled. “May I remind you that it was you who kissed me? And as you said, you did it to distract me—and you succeeded.”
He sighed, and ran a hand backwards through his thick black hair. “Anyway, this union is only a political alliance. Eileen and I respect each other, but we are not in love by any means. This will be a marriage of convenience, as are most in our rank of society.”
He sounded bitter, and for a moment Margot was tempted to pity him, but then the truth of what he said sank in. It was a diplomatic affair, and it was extremely important that nothing should interfere with it.
“Nevertheless, I crossed a line by kissing you,” she said at last. “It will not happen again.” She paused. “How should I address you?”
Callum looked up and laughed cynically. “The accepted way is ‘My Laird,’” he replied. “But I don’t give a damn about that. You can call me Callum, but most of my friends call me Cal.”
“My Laird it shall be, then,” Margot said, with a nod of acceptance. She was unwilling to become more familiar with him, feeling that she had already gone too far.
Just then, the door opened, and the healer arrived, followed by Eileen, who smiled at Margot at once.
As Margot looked at the healer, she frowned, feeling a little intimidated. The big, sturdy woman would not have looked out of place in a guard’s uniform, she thought.
She turned away and met Eileen’s eyes again; they were twinkling with mischief, and Margot realised that they were thinking exactly the same thing. Yet, that disturbed her; how could she be amiable with a woman whose betrothed she had kissed quite shamelessly?
Moreover, she had been the cause of his accident. She wished she could think of a reason to leave, but where would she go? As well as that, she was Callum’s property now, and there was no escape from that.
“Ye put the joint back yourself, M’Laird?” the healer asked with surprise.
Callum nodded. “Ye made good work o’ it,” the woman remarked, smiling. “How did ye manage the bindin’?”
“Margot did it,” Callum replied, nodding towards her.
“Well done, mistress,” the healer said with a look of appreciation. “I couldnae have done a better job mysel’.” She examined him carefully. “I will need tae replace this bindin’ wi somethin’ stronger, but ye need tae bathe first. I have tae put salve on this an’ ye are very dirty.”
“A bath would be most welcome.”
Callum stood up, and although he looked infinitely weary, Margot was struck by how tall he was, how broad his shoulders, and how chiselled his handsome features were. He was the epitome of masculinity, and she felt a strange thrill go through her as she looked at him.
At that moment, Callum looked around, and their gazes met and locked. Margot felt her cheeks flaming; his eyes were so dark they looked almost black in the dim light of the room, and it seemed as though he had mesmerised her, for she could not tear her gaze away from him.
Thankfully, he broke the impasse first as he spoke to Eileen’s maid, who had come in behind her.
“Go and have a chamber made ready for Mistress Margot. She will be staying for a few days.” He shifted his gaze back to her. “We will talk in the morning.”
It sounded like a threat.
Margot felt indignant that he had not consulted her about the length of her stay, but then, he had bought her, and until she could pay him back she was effectively his property.
If she could not, then she was his forever whether she liked it or not.
It was a depressing, but at the same time a comforting thought.
At least within the walls of Kilmuir castle she would be safe.
Mercifully, at that moment Callum turned away from Margot and out of the room.
Eileen turned to Margot again, frowning.
“You know that if you try to leave I will have to put a guard on you to keep you here?” Her words were intimidating, but the smile on her face belied them, and Margot laughed.
“I will have a bath and dinner brought to your room. I am sure you don’t want to go to bed looking like that. ”
Margot looked down at her torn and tattered dress that was splattered with mud and soaked through. She had brought only one more dress, but that had been left behind with her horse along with the rest of her possessions.
As if she had read her mind, Eileen said, “I can provide another dress and nightwear for you, Margot. I have plenty to spare.” She reached out and squeezed Margot’s hand.
“I promise it will only be for a short while, though. I engaged a seamstress who makes and mends dresses especially for me, and I will have you fixed up in no time.”
“That would be lovely, thank you,” Margot told her. “Thank you, my lady.”
“It is a pleasure, Margot.”
She went ahead, leading the way up a steep flight of stairs and along a long corridor until they reached their destination.
The chamber was spacious and furnished with carved and polished wooden furniture, including a large and comfortable-looking bed with a bright fire that lent a welcoming warmth to the room.
Margot remembered the previous night when she had slept in a cold barn, having eaten scraps of food that she had found in a dustbin. She could never have foreseen that tonight she would be sleeping in a warm bed with a full stomach.
“Do you like it?” Eileen asked, looking at Margot keenly. “It is not the best room, but we had little time to prepare.”
Margot clapped her hands in delight. “It’s a palace!” she breathed.
“Good, I am so glad you think so.”
Eileen walked over to the fire and held her hands out towards the flames. She looked back at Margot and smiled.
“It will be good to have another woman to talk to. But now, your bath has arrived, and you must lie back and enjoy it. The clothes and food will arrive shortly. Goodnight, Margot.”
“Goodnight, and thank you for everything,” Margot called after her.
Eileen smiled as she left the room, and Margot sighed with relief. All she wanted to do now was to be clean, fed and rested. A young maid, quiet and efficient, helped her out of her filthy, tattered clothes and helped her into the scented, steaming water of the bath.
The feeling of its fragrant warmth closing over her body was glorious, but Margot felt wretched.
What was Eliza doing at that moment, she wondered?
Was she married? If so, was her husband a good man, or the kind of self-centred monster their father was?
Perhaps she had escaped and was in the middle of nowhere, having to beg for food—or worse.
Women were often forced to give certain favours in exchange for things they needed. The thought of that was unbearable, and Margot shuddered with fear and revulsion.
The day had ended well, but it had been one of the worst she had ever lived through. She had been sold and bought like a prize cow, and her life had nearly been snuffed out. She had been the cause of a man being injured and almost killed, and she had committed a dishonourable act by kissing him…
Of course, that was the least of her worries.
She thought of Eileen’s kindness and generosity and her heart ached because despite everything, the thought of Callum Mackintosh, handsome, honourable and brave, made her feel jealous in the extreme. But then, he had bought her, and her mission to find Eliza had been a dismal failure.
Margot climbed out of the bath and submitted to the ministrations of the maid, who dried her and helped her into clean nightclothes. Margot could hardly remember the last time she had been assisted by a servant, and it was absolutely delightful.
When her food came, despite her emotional turmoil, she was so hungry that she devoured it in moments, and savoured the fine wine that accompanied it with great relish.
Margot had supposed that her turbulent thoughts might keep her awake, but as soon as she climbed into bed between the warm woollen blankets and her head hit the soft, fragrant pillows, she drifted into a deep sleep.
However, that night’s sleep was filled with dreams of a tall, strong, handsome man with penetrating dark brown eyes who was kissing Margot from the moment she closed her eyes until the moment she opened them again in the morning.