Chapter 11
Laura had not realised the true and awful reality of being watched every second of the day.
She could not make a move, speak to anyone, go anywhere or eat her meals in peace without the constant shadow of Nicholas Munro behind her observing everything she did.
His forest green eyes missed nothing, and as pleasant as it was to look at his handsome face, it was becoming a real pain in the behind.
The only place she could possibly avoid him was in the privacy of her bedchamber, so Laura took to staying in her room for long periods of time, reading, writing in the diary she had started to keep, sewing, and thinking.
However, there was only so much she could find to occupy her before boredom set in and began to drive her absolutely mad.
She had an active body as well as an active mind and was unaccustomed to being confined between the same four walls for hours on end.
It did not help, of course, that her thoughts constantly returned to the kiss they had shared, that moment of unrestrained passion when, for a few seconds, Laura had known what paradise felt like.
Now, it seemed that she was experiencing two different forms of passion towards him at once—rage and desire in almost equal measure.
Her anger against Nicholas, whom she was beginning to think of as her jailer, grew stronger and stronger, and after five days of his constant presence, Laura was ready to tear her hair out in frustration.
He was always there, either at her shoulder or watching from a distance, and on the odd occasion when he had another task, he appointed a guard to keep an eye on her for him. Laura was never alone.
She had confronted Nicholas on more than one occasion, asking why he was stalking her, and had been met with the same answer: “I am keeping you safe.” The same five words had been spoken in the same leaden tones every time, and the look on his face was utterly calm and resolute.
He would not argue or complain; he merely looked Laura in the eye until she strode away in frustration.
Yet she could not help wanting him with a persistent intensity that almost terrified her, and she called to mind the look he had given her before he left her to go to seek their attackers over and over again.
He had been afraid, but not for himself—for her.
Despite her constant annoyance with him, Laura was grateful, but the mixture of emotions confused her beyond measure.
On the fifth day after their return Nicholas had assigned a guard to look after her, and she took advantage of this fact to sneak out and search for some company.
She looked for Eleanor and Fenella as they sat in their favourite spot.
As usual, they were eagerly watching the soldiers practising, their eyes twinkling with appreciation and mischief.
Fenella looked up as she noticed Laura approaching and gave her a radiant smile then beckoned her to come and sit beside them. However, as Laura sat down, her smile changed to a concerned frown. “You look troubled, my dear,” she said. “Is something wrong?”
Laura cast an angry glance at the guard who was standing a few feet behind her.
“Yes,” she answered, keeping her voice low and bending towards Fenella as she spoke.
“I am being watched every moment of the day by Nicholas and his guards. I know it is for my own good, and I am grateful to him, but I’m beginning to feel like a prisoner!
Every time I look over my shoulder, Nicholas or a guard is there.
I cannot get away from them!” Her face was flushed with rage.
The two aunts exchanged a look of deep, irreverent amusement. “Heavens!” Fenella cried, “I would never in a million years complain if a handsome devil like Nick was following me! In fact, I would tell him I needed extra protection in my bedroom!” She gave a suggestive wink.
The two women burst out laughing and only stopped when Laura let out an angry growl. “Damn you two!” she fumed. “Must everything be a joke to you? This is not funny - it is painful!” She put her face in her hands, trying to stem the tears of rage that were threatening.
Fenella realised that she had underestimated Laura’s distress.
She put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.
“Oh, Laura, I am so sorry,” she murmured.
“I did not mean to upset you. I can be so foolish sometimes—please forgive me. It is only that Nicholas is looking out for you, he doesn’t mean to oppress you so. ”
Then Eleanor came to sit on her other side and took both Laura’s hands in hers.
“He is trying to look after you, Laura,” she agreed, “it can get a bit hectic, but at least you get to see his handsome face. That’s certainly a benefit.
” Then she smiled. It was an expression that Laura had seen before and recognised as heralding some wicked, mischievous scheme or other.
Charlotte had explained to her how the two devious spinsters had conspired to procure a match between her and Kenneth, and Laura was now torn between amusement and apprehension as she noticed the twinkle in Eleanor’s and Fenella’s eyes.
“Maybe we could all go on a wee adventure together,” Eleanor suggested, raising her eyebrows in a comically enquiring manner.
Fenella nodded enthusiastically. “Indeed, an adventure is long overdue!” she agreed. “There might be… a ceilidh tonight in the village?” She looked at her friend, and Laura had the idea that each knew exactly what the other was thinking without needing words.
“Yes, I think I heard the maids mentioning one,” Eleanor replied, flicking a glance at the guard, who was paying them no attention at all. He was chatting happily to one of the maidservants, which suited her just fine!
“There are usually some handsome young farmers there,” Fenella said. “They make me wish I was twenty years younger!” She gave a theatrical sigh, causing Laura to smile and shake her head.
“Thank you for thinking of me,” she said regretfully, “but I’m afraid I cannot come to a ceilidh with you. I have no idea how to dance the Scottish reels.”
Eleanor and Fenella saw through this at once, of course.
“Pfft!” Fenella flapped her hand at Laura. “My dear girl, you will have to come up with a much better excuse than that. Scottish dances are easy to learn. All you need is a handsome partner and you will be an expert in no time at all!”
Laura sighed. “There is no way of getting out of the castle without being seen,” she pointed out.
“And I am in enough trouble already. I’m afraid the answer is still no, but thank you.
” Frustrated, she turned and almost stomped back to her chamber, closely followed by her shadow, of course, who had located her at last.
Eleanor and Fenella watched her for a moment, then they looked at each other and smiled conspiratorially. This was just what they loved the most—a challenge!
As soon as she reached her room, Laura ordered a bath to be brought to her, hoping that she would be able to relax a little in its soothing scented water.
However, as usual, her thoughts drifted back to the kiss and the look in Nicholas’s dark green eyes, and her body began to rebel again.
She pleasured herself quickly, but it was no good—she was satisfied for only a moment before he came back into her mind again.
She could not escape him no matter what she tried.
‘Damn him!’ she thought furiously. ‘Can he not leave me alone for even one minute?’
Somehow she managed to endure the next few hours, and was just about to ready herself for the evening meal when the door opened without a knock. Puzzled, she went to see who was barging in.
Eleanor and Fenella had not been idle and had concocted a devious scheme to free Laura from her confinement. They confronted the guard at Laura’s bedroom door, treating him to their most charming smiles.
“We would like to see Laura, young man,” Eleanor told the guard, then she produced a bottle of wine from behind her back. “We’re having a wee celebration. Give me the corkscrew, Nella.” She held out her hand as the guard stepped aside to let them in.
Fenella reached into the pocket of her skirt, then her face took on an expression of dismay. “Oh, I must have forgotten it!” she cried.
“You silly woman!” Eleanor said, tutting and shaking her head. She looked at the guard. “Would you mind fetching one from the kitchen for me, lad? We will make sure to keep the door locked while you’re gone.”
The young man looked doubtful, but when Fenella pressed a shilling into his hand and winked at him he nodded his head and strode away. Eleanor wasted no time knocking at the door, and instead went right in welcomed by a very surprised Laura.
“Hurry!” Eleanor said as she pushed Laura inside the room. “We are going to the ceilidh, but we have only a few moments to change you into a suitable outfit.”
“But I sai—” Laura began to object, but at that moment Charlotte rushed in, followed by her maid, Moira.
“You as well?” Laura asked Charlotte incredulously.
“No one can say no to them,” Charlotte nodded to the aunties. “Also, it will do you good to have some fun.”
“A little fun will not hurt you,” Fenella said. “We will guard you well, I promise, Laura. It’s time you saw the good side of the village and its people, and we are the best equipped to show you.”
While she was speaking, Moira was taking off Laura’s dress and replacing it with a plain woollen one in a shade of dark blue that was completely unremarkable.
Every time Laura opened her mouth to object she was cut off by Charlotte, Eleanor or Fenella, all of whom told her in no uncertain terms that she should not waste her breath arguing.
“You are coming with us whether you like it or not,” Fenella informed her firmly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “You will have a wonderful time!”
“And it will annoy Nicholas Munro no end!” Eleanor added. At that Laura smirked and stopped objecting.
“But we will have to hurry, the guard will be back any minute,” Eleanor went on.
“He will not,” Fenella answered, giggling. “You must have seen what a handsome wee boy he is. I paid one of the kitchen maids to keep him talking for a while, and in case that fails, I have hidden every corkscrew from the kitchen in my bedchamber. They will still be looking for one at midnight!”
“My god, Aunties!” Charlotte looked appalled and extremely amused at the same time. “Is there nothing you two won’t stoop to?”
Eleanor and Fenella exchanged glances, then grinned. “No!” they replied in unison.
Nicholas had decided to go to see Laura. He could understand her resentment, knowing that he would likely feel the same had the positions been reversed and someone had been following his every step all day.
He had just finished some archery practice and was feeling hot, tired and hungry, but he simply could not wait any longer to see her, to gaze into her deep blue eyes and pour out his feelings. Would she feel the same? Or at least make her hate him a bit less.
‘I will soon find out,’ he told himself grimly.
However, as Nicholas turned into the passage that led to Laura’s bedchamber, the guard he had posted at her door came charging towards him, his face flushed and frowning.
“Captain!” he cried, skidding to a halt in front of him. “I was just comin’ tae find ye.”
“Why? What is wrong?” Nicholas asked, as a wave of fear washed over him. “Is Laura all right?”
“She is gone, sir,” the guard replied, then went on to explain how he had been sent away on a fruitless errand. “When I came back I knocked on the door for ages but there was nae answer. I was just comin’ tae find ye. I am sorry, Captain, but I had tae obey the mistress o’ the castle.”
Nicholas pushed past him and rushed to the door, then hammered on it and roared: “Laura! Let me in!” He waited for half a minute before repeating the action, even though he knew it was futile.
He growled, then stamped away down the passage and headed for Fenella’s suite of rooms, where he knew he would likely find both of the scheming biddies.
On the way he passed some maidservants, and asked them if they had seen Laura, but apparently no one had, although Nicholas had the distinct impression that a few of them were lying to him.
“But if ye are lookin’ for company,” a young pretty redhead said to him coquettishly, “I can help ye out, Captain.”
Nicholas ignored the comment, but gave the young woman a venomous glare, then stormed off furiously.
He asked several more maidservants, but received the same answer as well as some other flirtatious offers.
Just a few short weeks ago he would have been happy to take advantage of them, but now he was far too angry and fearful.
Moreover, there was only one woman he wanted, only one annoying English woman that kept pestering his mind day and night.
At that moment Moira, Charlotte’s lady’s maid, came walking towards him carrying some clean laundry for her mistress. Nicholas called to her and she stopped, curtsied and looked at him enquiringly.
“Can I help ye, sir?” she asked politely.
“Do you know where Laura is?” he asked.
“No, sir,” she answered, looking slightly skittish.
Nicholas wasted no more time and went straight to the Laird’s and Lady’s private chambers, where Charlotte admitted him, looking calm and collected—a little too composed, Nicholas thought.
“Where is Laura?” he demanded, more aggressively than he had intended.
“She is with the Aunties,” Charlotte answered. “They went to a ceilidh in the village.”
“My god!” Nicholas was so furious that he could hardly contain himself. “You let her go, Lottie? You know the danger she is in!”
“Fenella and Eleanor will take good care of her,” Charlotte answered calmly. “They are both armed, and two guards have gone with them. Relax, Nick. They will be fine.”
Nicholas said nothing more but turned on his heel and charged away to the stables, his heart pounding, hoping against hope that nothing had befallen Laura and the two irresponsible reprobates who had put her in so much danger.
‘How can I live without her?’ he thought desperately.