Chapter 4
Laura woke the next morning to find herself in a clean bed between crisp white sheets in a plain but tastefully decorated room that smelled of the fresh wildflowers on the table beside her bed. It was a pleasant surprise, a contrast to her bed in the cramped, dirty room at the inn.
When Nicholas had left her the previous day, he had kept his promise and sent food and a maidservant to help her undress for the bath which came shortly afterwards.
The food was utterly delicious, consisting of venison in a rich gravy, turnips, potatoes and peas, and Laura could not remember ever enjoying a meal more.
It was a definite improvement on the food at the inn!
When the bath arrived and she sank into its warm scented water, she felt for a few precious moments as though she was in heaven.
The cares of the day were washed away for a short while by the soothing heat of the water.
Then she sighed and lay back while the maid washed her hair with lavender-scented soap.
The young woman was polite, but ventured no conversation and spoke only when Laura addressed her or asked her a question. Laura was not surprised: she had been met with open hostility before, so cold courtesy was bearable.
It had not taken long for thoughts of the baby and her currently awkward predicament to come back to her, however.
Laura had intended to go and seek him out but decided that she needed a short rest first. The last thing she remembered from the previous day was lying down on the bed and closing her eyes, promising herself a short nap.
Now she realised that she had been sleeping for something like fifteen hours! She jumped out of bed, horrified. What would they think of her, this lazy Englishwoman who had abandoned her baby to the care of another, then lay in bed for more than half a day?
‘Laura, you idiot!’ she chastised herself. ‘You could not have made things any worse if you’d tried! As if things were not bad enough already, what will they think of you now?’
For a few seconds she contemplated sending for the maidservant again, but she simply could not bear the thought of any more frosty politeness. Laura donned one of her only two remaining dresses, realising that she would need to buy more clothes, then washed quickly.
Having pinned her hair back into a tight, unflattering bun at the nape of her neck, she looked in the mirror and frowned.
She had definitely looked better, but who did she have to impress?
The ladies would not care how she appeared, and she cared nothing for the good opinion of Nicholas Munro—or so she told herself.
‘Damn him!’ she thought viciously as an image of his devilishly handsome face sprang into her mind. ‘Why does he have to look so gorgeous when all I want to do is get away from him?’
Laura gave an irritated sigh. She was ravenously hungry, but she had to find the baby and see to his needs, otherwise everyone would call her callous and uncaring. No, she was definitely neither of those.
She quickly put the thought out of her mind and decided to go and find Charlotte.
She had been so kind—indeed, all the ladies were, but she was the same age and there was something wholesome about her that Laura responded to instinctively.
They had much in common, and if circumstances had been different, Laura was sure they would have become firm friends.
Laura left her room and ventured out into the corridor, but it took her only a few moments to realise that she had become hopelessly lost. There were so many winding passages, staircases and locked doors that she became thoroughly disoriented.
Then she heard voices and laughter coming from a place some way ahead of her. As she followed the sound to its source, she smelled the delicious aroma of cooking meat, and her mouth began to water at the same moment that her stomach gave a loud rumble. She was ravenous.
Laura opened the door to find herself in a huge, high-ceilinged room lined with ovens on one side and a long wooden table running down the middle.
Several women were seated at the table eating, drinking tea and ale and laughing at something one of them had said. It was a cosy and companionable gathering, and Laura smiled at them as she entered the big chamber.
“Good morning,” she said politely.
Her greeting was not warmly received, however. She was met with a muttered reply and cold stares as the women heard her smooth English speech.
For a moment, Laura was nonplussed; what had she done to deserve this? Then she asked, “I am looking for Lady Charlotte, but I seem to have lost my way. Can any of you help me, please?”
At first, no one answered her, or moved, but then, a pretty young woman stood and walked towards her, then gave her a brief curtsey.
“I am Moira, mistress,” she said. “Milady’s personal maid. Follow me an’ I will take ye tae her.”
“Thank you,” Laura said gratefully.
They turned a couple of corners and soon found Charlotte at the entrance to the dining room talking to a tall, older man.
Charlotte quickly introduced her companion as the Laird’s steward, David McPherson.
The older gentleman bowed to her and smiled politely before leaving, and Charlotte linked arms with Laura before leading her inside.
“How did you sleep?” she asked as they sat at a table laden with food. “Was the chamber to your liking?”
Charlotte immediately began piling stuff on Laura’s plate, eager to take care of her guest.
“Very much so, and I had a very good night’s sleep,” Laura answered as she helped herself to scrambled eggs and bacon. “I am sorry to rise so late. I haven’t slept quite well for the last few nights and I was absolutely exhausted.”
“There is no need to apologise,” Charlotte assured her as she poured tea for both of them. “I could see how tired you were. And before you ask, the baby has settled down well, so you can relax and enjoy your breakfast without worrying about him.”
Laura breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Thank goodness,” she said, then she began to tuck into her breakfast with such enthusiasm that Charlotte laughed. She had dished up a much smaller portion for herself, and ate more slowly and carefully, taking tiny morsels of food at a time.
She wanted to ask the question that had been on her mind since she woke up, but was hesitant to do so, since she was slightly worried about Charlotte’s response. Yet it had to be done sometime.
“Have you seen the Captain today?” Laura asked hesitantly as she sipped her tea.
To her surprise, Charlotte laughed. “He has probably finished training and drilling his men this morning,” she replied.
“But I know him very well, and I know how he thinks. He will very likely go hunting or volunteer to help Kenny with the tenants or his paperwork all day to avoid bumping into you.”
Laura was somewhat astonished at Charlotte’s honesty but not at all surprised by her description of Nicholas’s probable reaction.
“I have never known Nick to be so overwhelmed by anything before. I think he needs time to mull over what he should do, but rest assured he is a good man, Laura. He will shoulder the responsibility in the end,” Charlotte went on.
Laura nodded slowly, then ate the last few mouthfuls of her food and put her knife and fork down. To her surprise, she saw Charlotte pushing away her plate with a little pile of untouched food still on it. She seemed to have a very small appetite, Laura observed.
“Now, would you like to go and see the baby?” Charlotte suggested.
“I would, very much,” Laura replied. She was amazed to find that she was very eager to see the little boy again. She had never experienced affectionate feelings for a child before and was taken aback by their strength.
“Is he your first?” Charlotte asked as they began to stroll towards the nursery.
Laura was startled by the question. “Yes, he was a surprise,” she answered awkwardly. “I-I was not planning to have a child.”
Charlotte felt extremely sorry for Laura, thinking about what a devastatingly attractive man Nicholas was. She herself knew what it felt like to be almost consumed by desire: indeed, she could hardly think of her husband without being affected by it.
“It happens to many women,” she said soothingly. “And a man like Nick… Well, he is a very attractive man with a wonderful sense of humour. I can see how many women would find him irresistible.”
Laura made no comment and abruptly changed the subject. “I will have to buy some more clothes,” she said, frowning. “Is there a modiste or a market nearby?”
“There is a travelling market,” Charlotte replied. “But we have a seamstress here at the castle who can help you. She made my wedding dress, so I can vouch for the high quality of her work. I will take you to see her later.”
“I hope not to be troubling you for very long,” Laura said apologetically. “Perhaps I can make myself useful while I’m here?”
Charlotte patted her on the back gently.
“Laura, you are not troubling any of us,” she said with a reassuring smile.
“I welcome the chance to talk with someone my own age. The aunties are lovely ladies, but sometimes they act like wee girls! They are such fast friends and love to do everything together, and I sometimes feel a little left out. So you are welcome to stay until this whole matter with Nicholas is sorted out, and the only work I would like you to do is to keep me company—if you can bear it!”
Laura laughed. “I certainly can, thank you! I will call myself your companion, if that suits you.”
“It does indeed,” Charlotte replied happily. A few moments later they reached the nursery and found Maisie seated with the baby in her arms. He was sleeping peacefully, and looked absolutely adorable as he blew little bubbles of milk out of the corner of his mouth.
A sudden wave of tenderness washed over Laura, taking her completely by surprise as she smiled and walked towards them, holding her arms out to receive him.
“Thank you so much for looking after him,” she said fervently. Maisie smiled at her and relinquished the sleeping infant into Laura’s arms. He felt warm and soft, and gave off his own scent, a fresh, almost floral aroma that she would remember forever.
“He was nae bother at a’, Mistress,” she replied. “He was just hungry, an’ after he was fed he went straight tae sleep. He is such a bonnie wee thing.”
Laura sat down and the baby squirmed a little to make himself comfortable, then gave a contented sigh and nestled into her.
She drew him even closer, then relaxed and examined every one of his little features carefully.
There was no doubt in her mind that this was Nicholas Munro’s child, no matter how much he tried to deny it.
However, the thought of this tiny little being growing up to be a tall powerful man like his father was impossible to comprehend. Laura would not be around to see him developing into a man or even a boy anyway. He needed a proper mother to take care of him; she would have to let him go soon.
A maid came in with tea for them, smiling as she poured it out for Charlotte but barely glancing at Laura. She couldn’t help but feel as though she was intruding.
“Why are the staff so cold towards me?” she asked once the maid left. “Is it because I am—what do they call us? A Sassenach?”
Charlotte laughed softly. “Partly,” she replied.
“They treated me exactly the same way when I first came here. They are very proud people and you have to prove your worth, but that will come in time. But in your case it’s more the fact that you are the mother of Nicholas Munro’s baby that makes the women resent you.
He is a very handsome man, as anyone with half an eye can see, and he has been very…
popular among the staff,” Charlotte said, trying to put it gently.
“ Oh, I see,” Laura said thoughtfully. “Was he close with any of the staff members?” Laura asked curiously, though she suspected she knew the answer.
“More than I care to name, I’m afraid,” Charlotte answered with an embarrassed smile and Laura nodded.
What Charlotte said made sense, although their attitude angered her. After all, they could not all be in love with him! And she did not appreciate feeling like the enemy, when she was just trying to survive.
“Have you picked a name yet?” Charlotte changed the subject.
“No, I was hoping I could pick one with his father,” Laura answered. She knew it would be wrong to name a baby that was not hers and since Mairi couldn’t do it, at least Nicholas could help.
She looked down at the infant in her arms again, the son of the man in question, and realised with a sudden shock that she loved the little infant.
How was she going to part with him when the time came?
She looked at him for a long time, trying to imagine what a wrench it would be, and tears sprang to her eyes. What was she to do?