Chapter 15
The morning came, and Skye protested, seizing the covers and pulling them over her head.
But with morning came the signs of life one couldn’t ignore: the animals, servants going about their tasks, and the familiar faint giggling of a girl who had had the time of her life yesterday.
She spent the night regretting ever coming here. It was a mistake to uproot her life and move into this castle for a month, and for what? To get the ending of her story? To understand why Dougal kept everyone at a distance, cutting off nearly all of the Highlands?
She was no closer to getting answers than she had been since the day she moved in. Back then, she had been hopeful, but no longer. She remembered her sister promising that she could come back any time.
Lying there in bed, dissecting every part of the conversation last night, did little for her mood. She kicked off the covers in frustration, deciding she would not spend the day sulking in bed.
No, Dougal did not get to do that to her. He was not going to have that much power over her.
Skye dressed quickly in a simple pale blue gown. It was sensible for a day spent around the castle rather than impressing anyone. She pulled her hair back in a plain braid, choosing not to fuss over any pins.
That morning, she had no patience for trying to look her best. Comfort and the ability to move around freely without too much fuss were what mattered the most to her today.
She approached the door, hesitating. What if Dougal was outside?
She wasn’t sure whether she wanted him to be.
She pressed her ear against the door but heard nothing except the faint footsteps of the servants shuffling around the castle.
Taking a deep breath, Skye stepped out of the room to find the hallway empty. Disappointment settled deep within her. What had she been expecting, truly?
She had made it quite clear to Dougal that she was dissatisfied with their fake betrothal. She had told him plainly and clearly that she regretted it. And then he had followed her all the way back to her rooms without saying a word.
The tension had been thick, almost suffocating. Skye had clutched the cloak tight around her chilled body, refusing to so much as look over her shoulder at him. If she had, she would have said something she regretted.
Now she took hesitant footsteps down the hall, stopping when she heard Lily’s soft, faint voice. She pressed herself against the cool wall, trying to discern what the young girl was saying. Aside from a few giggles, she couldn’t make out much.
When she turned the corner, she found Lily in her room with the door wide open, kneeling on the window seat. The kitten was cradled against her chest, both of them gazing out at the gardens with matching expressions. The girl looked wistful, longing for something she didn’t understand.
Watching Lily was enough to bring Skye to tears. Lily deserved to run outside like all children her age, to feel the wind in her hair and the blades of grass tickling her bare feet.
Skye had spent many mornings during her childhood exploring the grounds back at Castle Muir. Childhood came and went so fast. It was important to enjoy it when one could.
“Well, Blossom,” Lily was saying, “outside looks awfully pretty, but ye might fall and scratch yer knees something terrible.”
Skye paused in the doorway, biting back a smile. “I daenae ken exactly where a cat’s knees are, sweetling, but I imagine she’d manage well enough.”
Lily twisted around and let out a soft giggle. “Skye! D’ye think Blossom has knees? I daenae see any, but everyone has to have knees, right?”
“I think every creature has something like knees, even if we cannae always find them.” Skye crossed the room and settled on the window seat beside her. “Why do ye keep her inside if ye’re both so curious about the outdoors?”
Asking such a thing was playing with fire.
Skye knew that Dougal preferred to keep Lily inside the castle.
Yesterday was different. Dougal had been out, keeping a close eye on her.
Kenna had also been by her side with Skye and Stephen also watching.
There had been so many pairs of eyes on her yesterday that there was little chance of anything happening to her.
But today was like most days—Lily was forced to stay inside and watch life pass her by from her window.
She lifted her small shoulders in a shrug, trying very hard to look unbothered. “I prefer to stay inside.”
But her eyes hadn’t left the gardens, tracking a bird as it darted between the hedges.
Skye recognized that longing all too well. She’d worn the same look more times than she could count, staring at doors she’d been told not to open.
The difference was that she’d had a sister who had pushed her to explore. Freya had always encouraged her to enjoy herself, as long as she was safe. But Dougal’s protectiveness of Lily far exceeded any concern Skye’s siblings had shown her.
“I was thinking of taking a walk,” she said carefully. “The gardens, perhaps a bit further, if the weather holds. Would ye and Blossom like to join me?”
The words came out before she could stop them. But Lily’s eyes were shining with longing. Skye could see that she wanted to go out and explore.
What harm could a simple walk do?
She could hear Dougal protesting in her head, telling her that she had no right to intervene in something she did not understand.
But it didn’t matter to her. Lily deserved to experience the world outside these four walls.
Dougal might think he was protecting her, but he was stifling her in ways he could not possibly understand.
Lily’s whole face lit up, before she caught herself, schooling it back into caution. “Da says I’m to stay close to the castle. He doesnae like it when I go outside without him keeping watch. Sometimes, Grandmaither can take me, but only if he approves.”
“Did he say the gardens werenae close enough?”
“Nay, but…” Lily hesitated, glancing at the kitten as though for permission. “He worries. Da says he wants me to be safe.”
The one thing Skye would never question was Dougal’s fondness for his daughter. He loved Lily something fierce and would protect her till his dying breath. It was never up for debate.
“Faithers do that.” Skye kept her voice light, easy, the way she might calm a nervous colt.
Lily only needed a small push; she was certain of that.
“But I’ll be right there beside ye the whole time.
I promise ye that. And Blossom too, though I daenae think she’ll be much protection against anything more fearsome than a beetle.
Or a bee, but I think we can outrun some bees. ”
That earned her a small, reluctant laugh. “She’s very fierce, actually. Blossom could fight a bee if she wanted! I’ve seen her chase a mouse, and she nearly caught it, too!”
“Is she now?”
“Very fierce.” Lily proudly lifted the kitten, who blinked with supreme indifference to the praise.
“Then we’ll be perfectly safe with her along.” Skye held out her hand. “Well? Shall we be careless again, the way we were with the sweets? I think we deserve a few before we head out to the gardens. It will give us energy.”
Lily’s eyes went wide and gleeful at the memory, all hesitation forgotten in an instant. “Careless,” she agreed solemnly, as though swearing an oath, and slipped her small hand into Skye’s.
They made it as far as the corridor before Lily slowed down, her earlier boldness faltering. “Ye willnae let go of me hand?”
It was heartbreaking to hear her grow so quiet the closer they got to the door. She didn’t want to disobey her father or experience any of the dangers that he claimed lay outside the castle walls.
Skye wasn’t that na?ve. She understood there were dangers in the Highlands, but simply taking Lily to the gardens wouldn’t hurt.
“Nae unless ye ask me to.”
“And if Da is cross? He will be cross, I think.”
Skye squeezed her fingers gently, steadier than she felt. “Then yer da can be cross with me. I’ve had plenty of practice already.”
Lily giggled at that, the sound bright and unguarded. Some of the caution finally slipped from her shoulders as they made their way to the door, the kitten tucked snug against her chest, sunlight spilling gold across the stones ahead of them.
“What did ye do to make Da so cross?”
Skye hesitated. “A misunderstanding, is all.”
“Aye, I have a lot of misunderstandings! Blossom never understands me.”
She laughed. “That’s nae quite what I mean.”
Lily pursed her lips. “Well, ye and Da need to talk. Grandmaither always says to talk it out.”
If only it were so easy.
Bless children. They offered practical, good advice, but with everything unsaid between her and Dougal, there was no way she could implement it.
“Talking wouldnae fix everything.”
Lily blinked. “Why? Grandmaither says most fights are just people being stubborn and nae listening to each other.”
“Yer grandmaither is a wise woman.”
“Like an owl!” Lily exclaimed. “That’s why ye should listen to her.”
Skye laughed. “It’s nae quite so simple between adults, I’m afraid.”
“Adults are silly,” Lily declared loudly.
“Indeed, they are.”
They stepped outside and made their way to the gardens, the soft chirping of birds surrounding them. The grass crunched softly beneath their feet, sunlight warming the tops of the hedges. They
Lily clung to Skye, never letting go of her hand.
“Lily, anytime ye want to explore, let me ken.”
Lily looked up, chewing on her lower lip. “Is it all right?”
“Aye, sweetling, it is.”
The moment they were in the gardens, Skye slowly let go of her hand. Lily barely noticed, darting forward and running around. In the distance, she spotted a baby goat and squealed so loudly it scared the birds right out of the trees.
“Skye, look!”
Skye approached, smiling. “Aye, it seems ye found a friend for Blossom.”
“Nay.”
“Nay?”
“A family for Blossom!” Lily corrected with a grin. “Now Blossom will have a braither or sister!”
Skye ruffled her hair. “I think wee Blossom would like that.”
“When ye and Da get married, will ye give me sisters?” She considered. “Or braithers, if ye must.”
Out of the mouths of babes.
Children truly said the most interesting things.
Skye tried not to react. She needed to be careful. The betrothal, if it even continued, would last only a month. Lily would not understand.
But she couldn’t stand here and tell her that she would be leaving. At the same time, she couldn’t promise Lily that she and her father were going to give her brothers or sisters.
It was a difficult question she had no idea how to answer.
“Let’s focus on introducing Blossom to her new family, aye?”
Lily’s face lit up. “Aye!”
Then Skye heard it: two sets of footsteps. One was faint and unsure, the other loud and almost shaking the ground beneath them. She whirled around, her heart leaping into her throat.
Dougal and Kenna were approaching. Kenna smiled apologetically at Skye, while Dougal looked furious. He wouldn’t look at her last night, but he was looking at her now.
She had never felt so small.
“Lily, it seems we have company,” she whispered.
Lily whirled around. “Oh, it’s Grandmaither and Da!” she said excitedly.
It was unfair of Skye to alert her to Dougal’s presence, but it did the trick of calming him. The anger faded from his face, and he gave one of those smiles he reserved for her.
Skye felt like a coward.
She shifted her gaze back to Dougal and the anger reappeared.
What had she done?