Chapter 25
Athumping knock on the door woke Melody out of an uneasy sleep.
She jerked awake and gasped aloud at the sudden stabbing pain in her neck.
The cause of her discomfort was pretty clear.
Outside, the dawn was gradually breaking over the sky, and she had somehow managed to go to sleep sitting up in a chair before the cold hearth.
Her neck twinged, probably from having fallen asleep with her chin on her chest.
A single sheet of paper drifted from her lap onto the hearth. Melody picked it up, pressing her lips together.
It was a sketch of Callum, of course. In the picture, he sat sprawled out in a chair, much the way she was now, and was lifting up his head to look at the sketcher.
He cradled a baby in the crook of each elbow.
Not much could be seen of the babies, since they were well swaddled and wrapped in warm shawls, but one seemed to be yawning, and the tiny, wrinkled hand of another emerged from the folds of the wrappings.
Nonsense, she scolded herself bitterly, and crumpled up the paper, tossing it aside. The knock came again, and she levered herself stiffly out of the chair.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she called tiredly.
It occurred to her, as she turned the key in the lock, that it might be Callum, come to tell her that he’d reconsidered.
That perhaps he deserved happiness and a future after all.
Perhaps it was Sophie, come to deliver an impassioned speech about not giving up, and that Callum only needed to be made to see he was loved, and all would be well.
Neither of these scenarios seemed particularly likely, so Melody was not surprised to open the door and find neither Sophie nor Callum there.
Angus Matheson and Thomas Johnson stood in the hallway outside, both looking as uncomfortable as the other.
“Forgive the early intrusion,” Angus said briskly. “But I thought we should come to speak with ye, to understand what ye think. I take it that the Laird told ye the truth, then?”
Melody swallowed, nodding. “He did.” She glanced over at Thomas and found that he was watching her intently, with no small amount of interest.
“And?” Thomas prompted. There was a sort of earnestness in his eyes now, a spark which she hadn’t seen when he’d been in the councilor’s meeting. There had been a listlessness there. Something heavy.
Where had it gone?
She gestured for them both to step inside.
It seemed unbearably rude to leave them out in the hallway.
Angus walked in first, and she heard a sharp exhale.
That was probably on account of all the wooden pieces left scattered on the floor.
She had spent most of her evening nursing the splinter out of her finger, and then had sketched until she fell asleep.
Hardly any of the wood had been cleared up.
Angus said nothing, however, for which Melody was grateful. She wasn’t sure how to explain away the broken horse.
“I see now that the Laird never intended to wed ye,” Angus said shortly, not meeting her eye. “I feel like a fool for havin’ believed him. He is a liar.”
“Ye are too prickly,” Thomas responded. “He did nae mean to deceive us, Angus.”
“Oh, nay? He certainly did, and I daenae ken if I can forgive him. Lady Melody would have been a fine match. As it is, Lady Melody, me advice to ye now would be to pack up yer things and return to England. I’ll be honored to help ye arrange yer things, and I’ll be sure to see ye taken safely back to yer home.
He’ll nae wed ye, and perhaps it’s best that ye leave. ”
“I disagree,” Thomas said lightly.
Both Melody and Angus stared at him, faintly shocked.
“Well,” Angus managed at last. “This is a change of tune.”
“Indeed, it is,” Melody agreed, frowning. “You made it clear, sir, that you do not want to see Callum marrying anybody, certainly not me. How can you possibly have changed your mind from the council meeting last night?”
“Aye, tell us, Thomas,” Angus agreed, with an edge in his voice.
Thomas took his time in responding. He sighed, shaking his head.
“I willnae deny that I was thrilled when me daughter became Lady MacDean. It’s a fine position for any woman, and I was particularly proud of me daughter.
I had a fine son-in-law in Callum. Theirs wasnae a love-match—me Elsie was never romantic—but he made her happy.
Never gave her any cause for complaint. Never gave me any cause for complaint.
I was happy to see her with him, and she was happy with him.
I never had a son, and part of me started to feel about Callum as if he were my son.
Then the tragedy occurred, and I stopped feelin’ much about anythin’. ”
He broke off somewhat raggedly, letting out a breath. Melody waited patiently for him to continue.
“He looked at ye a certain way, at the council meetin’,” Thomas murmured, his brow scrunching up. “It made me think… ach, forget what I thought. I daenae think ye should leave the keep, Melody. In fact, I think it is very important that ye stay. Maybe it’s time that we tried to save Callum.”
There was a brief silence after he’d finished speaking.
“Well,” Angus said, breaking it first. “How very lovely of ye, Thomas, but forgive me if I daenae take yer change of heart seriously, considerin’ how low and miserable ye have been lately.
Lady Melody, listen to me. Ye seem to be a kind, sweet lass, and I daenae want to watch ye waste yer life tryin’ to save a man who does nae want to be saved.
” This part seemed to be aimed directly at Thomas.
Thomas, however, only gave a faint smile and wandered over to the window. He folded his arms, peering out. There was a lightness about him that she hadn’t seen before.
Melody dragged her attention back to Angus.
“I have not made up my mind,” she said at last. “I don’t know if I want to leave. I could at least wait out the length of our betrothal.”
Angus sighed. “Daenae say that I was wrong about ye, lassie. I thought ye were smart.”
“She is smart,” Thomas countered. “And because she is smart, she’ll do the right thing for everybody.”
Angus huffed. “Oh, pipe down, ye. I wondered why ye wanted to come with me. Did ye just come to throw trouble in me way? I am actin’ in Lady Melody’s interests. She does nae belong here; she kens that. She is good and kind, and I think it is a waste for her—”
“Is that all I am? Good? Kind? Sweet?” Melody interrupted.
Angus blinked at her, mildly confused. “Have I given offence?”
“Not exactly. But I’ve been a wallflower all my life, you know. Wallflowers are good and kind, and generally sweet, but also very dull. I don’t want to be dull.”
He missed a beat. “Well, I daenae ken about that. Ye are nae dull, of course nae, Lady Melody. But ye will become dull if ye stay here and try to win over a man like the Laird. He’ll only grow more entrenched in his ways, and with ye here, it’ll take away any chance for us to help him form an attachment to another woman.
Ye understand, surely? If ye choose to defend Callum, if ye choose to remain by his side, ye could doom us all.
It’s that serious! Clans have crumbled over the lack of an heir, after all. ”
Melody flinched. “Goodness. How serious.”
“Aye, it is serious. I’m glad ye understand.”
Somebody knocked at the door, making all three of them flinch.
“Lady Melody?” came Jane’s tentative voice. “Lady Sophie came to see if ye were up. I’m to help ye dress and bring ye down to breakfast.”
“N-No, thank you, Jane,” Melody called back. “I’m busy at the moment.”
“Very well. But she’s concerned about ye. Come see her, when ye can.”
Was it Melody’s imagination, or was there fondness in Jane’s voice? If she’d won over Jane, it was a victory indeed.
“I will,” she answered, and heard Jane’s footsteps patter away down the hall.
Angus let out a long sigh. “I am nae sure that it’s proper for us to be here.”
“We cannae discuss the matter at hand here,” Thomas observed, turning away from the window. “Melody, I would like to talk frankly to ye. I want to talk about Callum. I daenae think we can talk about it here.”
“What is your suggestion, then?” she asked, frowning.
“Ye come to me cottage. I have one outside the keep, where me wife and I used to live. I’d like you to visit.”
“V-Visit?” Melody stammered.
“Aye, if ye are willin’. Angus can escort ye to and from me cottage. We’ll drink tea, there’ll be cake, and we’ll talk.”
“Is that wise, Thomas?” Angus interjected uncertainly. “I think if we can just get Lady Melody on a coach back to England, all of our problems will…”
“…will still be there after she’s gone,” Thomas responded pleasantly.
“Angus, I understand ye want to smooth things over and pretend that nothin’ is wrong, but changes must be made, do ye understand?
I think this has gone on long enough. I’ve said me piece, and I’ve watched Callum suffer for years.
Nay more. Watchin’ him and Melody together has made me realize…
” he broke off, shaking his head. “Enough of that. We’ll talk about it outside the bounds of the keep. What do ye say, Melody?”
She took a long breath, steeling herself. “I say yes. Whatever you want to tell me, Thomas, I want to hear it.”
“Well, I daenae much agree with Thomas’ sudden change of mind,” Angus huffed. “But if ye go, Lady Melody, I suppose I must, too.”