Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Edith sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed. Violet stood behind her, carefully working her fingers through her long auburn hair.
It was the beginning of the third week. The morning of the village fair.
The castle had been restless since before dawn, and even from her chamber, Edith could hear the distant noise drifting through the open shutters.
Voices carried from the courtyard, accompanied by the sounds of wagons entering and leaving through the gates, and all the chaos that came with the preparations for the fair.
The morning was still young, but before noon, the village would be crowded with merchants, musicians, clansfolk, and travelers.
She sighed.
Under ordinary circumstances, she would have been excited about it. Instead, her stomach filled with dread that she cared not to acknowledge.
A full day in his company.
The thought of it should not have unsettled her.
It was only another performance. Another outing for which Aaron would pay her.
And yet every time she reminded herself of the truth, her thoughts wandered to the corridor outside her chamber and the way he had kissed her against the wall.
And every time she remembered the kiss, her chest tightened at the memory of the pouch he had handed her after.
She exhaled, shifting on the bed in a way that caused her hair to pull slightly in Violet’s grip.
“Ouch!” There was a slight edge to her voice as she turned to face the maid. “Ye’re pullin’ too hard.”
Violet froze in surprise.
Edith softened at once. She had not meant to sound so harsh. But it was hard to stay calm as she prepared to spend another day with Aaron, especially with everything that had happened between them.
“Forgive me,” she murmured, turning back to meet Violet’s gaze in the small, polished mirror in front of her. “I didnae mean to be so sharp.”
Violet gave a small smile. It was as if she understood, even though there was no way she could.
“Nay, me Lady,” she said. “I shall soften me hand.”
“Thank ye.” Edith returned an apologetic smile.
She closed her eyes, her shoulders easing slightly as Violet resumed combing through her hair. In less than a fortnight, she would finally be rid of Aaron and their sham of a betrothal. She only had to endure two more outings.
The room fell into a familiar silence, and she opened her eyes slowly, watching as Violet tucked her hair into loose braids that framed the back of her head like a crown.
“Ye have beautiful hair,” Violet said once she noticed her watching.
Edith felt the knot in her chest loosen slightly at the compliment. It always calmed her to have her hair tended.
“Thank ye, Violet,” she said quietly. “I daenae ken what I would do without ye here.”
A satisfied smile touched the maid’s lips. “’Tis because it is true. It has become even more beautiful since ye got engaged to the Laird.”
Edith released a breath, and her hand moved to the medallion resting against her chest. It was strange how she could share nothing of the truth with anyone in the castle.
That burden had been easier to carry before Aaron paid her. But now, it felt heavier in a way she could not ignore.
The chamber fell into another long silence until Violet finished with her hair. “Do ye like it?”
Edith rose from the bed, picking up the small mirror once her feet touched the stone floor. She walked toward the window, a small smile tugging at her lips as she caught a clearer reflection of herself in the morning light.
“Aye,” she said softly. “’Tis exactly as I dreamed.”
She walked back to the bed and set down the mirror carefully, drawing out the chair at her bedside.
“Sit.”
Violet hesitated, slightly confused. “Me Lady—”
“Sit, Violet,” Edith repeated, patting the back of the chair. “I would like to return the kindness.”
Violet blinked, the realization dawning on her.
“Nay, me Lady,” she said, shaking her head. “Ye cannae… Ye shouldnae be braidin’ me hair. I am yer maid—”
“Ye are the only one who still treats me normally,” Edith cut in lightly. “I braided yer hair in the weeks before me betrothal. Daenae start actin’ as though I have grown horns.”
That earned her a reluctant smile.
Edith remembered the first weeks after Scarlett left Hallow Castle. She had had meals in the servants’ hall more than once, settling into what she assumed would become a new normal for her. But the betrothal had happened, and it had changed how everyone acted around her, except Violet.
She had no intention of losing that.
“But it isnae proper,” Violet protested, though she was edging closer.
Edith rolled her eyes. “Aye, it isnae. But it is me wish as yer lady, and ye cannae object.” She patted the chair again. “Now, sit. Ye have made me beautiful, and I cannae have ye going to the fair looking like that.”
Violet obeyed, settling slowly into the chair.
Edith got to work at once. She divided her hair with practiced ease, her fingers moving gently through the strands. It was a good way to keep her mind from drifting to Aaron, and she was grateful that Violet had not refused her.
She glanced at the mirror, catching a smile on the lass’s face.
“Why are ye smilin’?” The question slipped past her lips.
Violet straightened at once, attempting to hide the smile a moment too late. “I am nae smilin’.”
“Aye,” Edith said, tugging lightly on her hair as she braided it. “I ken what I saw with me own eyes, and it was a smile.”
Violet pressed her lips together. “It is the braids, me Lady.” The lie was obvious before she had even finished telling it. “They suit me well.”
Edith took a second look at the maid’s hair. She had only just finished braiding one half of it. The other half was still a disheveled mess.
She arched her brows slightly, and Violet cleared her throat, her face flushing.
“It is…” she stammered. “It is only a fine day.”
Edith hummed. It was clear that the maid was hiding something. And whatever it was, she was now set on figuring it out.
“A fine day,” she repeated. “Pray tell, what is so fine about the day?” she asked, continuing with the braids.
“Nothing, me Lady,” Violet replied. “I am just glad to be attending the fair with ye. I have never attended it before.”
“Truly? Is that all?”
“Aye.” Violet paused for a moment. “It is only…” She hesitated before adding quietly, “The fair will be busy. There will be many people there.”
Edith’s eyes narrowed. She held Violet’s gaze in the mirror until it flickered away.
“And?”
Violet’s ears turned faintly pink. “And… I thought perhaps… the healer might be there too.”
Edith blinked. “Oh!”
Aaron had occupied so much of her thoughts lately that she’d totally forgotten about Violet’s interest in Martin. Her lips curled into a smile.
Violet made a small sound of protest. “It is nothing like that.”
“Aye,” Edith replied, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Of course it isnae.”
Violet groaned. “Me Lady…”
Edith laughed softly under her breath, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It isnae bad to fancy a man,” she said, squeezing softly. “And Martin is a fine man, indeed.” She hesitated then, holding Violet’s gaze in the mirror. “It is just…”
Violet shifted in her seat, looking at her intently. “Did somethin’ happen during yer lesson?”
“Nay, nay.” Edith shook her head. “It was—”
“Did it nae go well?” Violet interrupted.
Edith smiled. “Nay, it did.” She straightened, finishing the second braid. “In fact, he said that me next lesson will be an examination.”
Violet’s eyes widened. “Truly?”
Edith nodded, smiling. “Aye. He had me identify different herbs and how they are used.”
“And ye remembered them?”
“Aye.”
Violet gasped dramatically, and Edith laughed.
“I always kent ye would make a great healer,” Violet gushed, the words warming Edith more than she had expected. “Perhaps the day is soon.”
Sooner than ye ken.
For most of her life, Edith had never been sure what would become of her. She had only ever had one desire—to become a healer—and now her dream was starting to take shape in a way that she could see.
She nodded. “Thank ye, Violet. Truly.”
Violet waved her hand. “Ye daenae need to thank me. Pray tell, what would the examination look like?”
“I shall tend to a patient. But nae someone who is truly sick. Someone from within the keep who is kind enough to volunteer themselves.”
Violet’s face brightened. She rose from the chair and turned to face Edith, holding her hands.
“Please choose me, me Lady,” she begged. “Let it be me.”
Edith shook her head slowly. The hopeful look on Violet’s face almost broke her heart.
“Nay…” Her voice was quieter now. “I asked him already, lass. He is… strict in such matters.” Her gaze flitted across Violet’s face as it fell. “He asked for someone else to volunteer. I wouldnae have him make ye uncomfortable.”
Violet released her hands and stepped back slightly. She tilted her head, not willing to give up yet. “Still, ye could ask again. Nae to examine me, but ye ken…”
Edith smiled faintly. “I will. I promise.”
The door swung open before she could speak further. She frowned, turning to see who the intruder was.
Her breath caught at once.
Scarlett.