Chapter 2 #2
Without daring to look at him again, she lit a candle with shaking fingers before muttering, “Good night,” and beating a hasty retreat.
It was only when she was halfway to the chambers she had never used that she realized with a jolt that she had neglected to tell Edan something very important—that another man was coming to the castle tomorrow to ask her to marry him.
She toyed with the idea of going back and telling him. But the thought of seeing his naked chest again unnerved her.
He’s tired. ’Tis best to leave him be. There’ll be plenty of time to explain it all to him in the mornin’.
“Me Lady, wake up. I’ve just had the biggest shock of me life!”
“Um, what?” Confused for being awoken so abruptly, Olivia raised her head to see Megan bursting into the room. “What is it?” she asked, her eyes still bleary from sleep.
“What is it? Why, I just went into yer room with yer breakfast and found the Laird in yer bed!” the maid squeaked, rushing over to the bedside. “Why, I was scared half to death!”
Olivia was suddenly wide awake.
Edan is back! Oh, Lord! I had better go and see him right away and tell him about Lord Nurkirk!
“Och, aye, he came back in the night unexpectedly,” she explained, easing herself up against the pillows.
A frisson of excitement ran through her at the prospect of seeing him that day, hoping he would be in a more receptive mood and that she would finally get answers to all the questions she had been holding onto for so long.
“Well, I could see that,” Megan retorted, her cheeks bright pink. “I just dinnae understand why ye didnae warn me instead of lettin’ me go swannin’ in there without a thought. Why, I nearly dropped the breakfast tray. I was so surprised!”
“How could I have told ye, ye silly thing? It was the middle of the night when he got back. Ye would have been fast asleep,” Olivia pointed out, puzzled as to why the maid was so flustered. “But what’s the matter? Why are ye in such a panic?”
“That’s easy for ye to say, Me Lady, but ye werenae the one who walked into yer chambers expectin’ to see ye and instead found a naked man in yer bed!”
“Oh, Lord!” Olivia said, biting back a smile. “What a terrible shock for ye, dear Megan.”
She recalled the shocking thrill of seeing his naked chest.
“Aye, it was that. I couldnae look at him. I was frightened to death, Me Lady. I was about to scream the place down when the Laird spoke to me, and I recognized his voice.”
“Well, that is a mercy. I’m sorry ye had to go through that,” Olivia offered, having experienced much the same thing in the night.
“Aye, he told me ye’d moved to yer old chambers. I guessed he meant these ones, even though ye’ve never spent a night in here since ye came. So, I came straight here.”
Now that Megan was beginning to calm down, Olivia noticed the curiosity burgeoning in her eyes. Her heart sank, knowing the awkward questions would be coming next.
“But why did ye move in here, Me Lady? Did ye nae want to stay with the Laird now that he’s back?”
There it is.
“The Laird was very tired, and I thought it best to let him sleep undisturbed,” Olivia replied, which was not a lie. But it was not exactly the truth either.
She briefly toyed with the idea of confessing her apprehension about Edan’s sudden return. But she quickly decided it was more important to find Edan and tell him about Nurkirk’s visit.
After that, hopefully, we’ll be able to talk and get on a better footing than we did last night. I just need to get to ken him a bit, that’s all.
“Oh?” Megan eyed her, her curiosity clearly not satisfied. “But after him bein’ away for so long and ye never havin’ yer weddin’ night and all, I would have thought—”
Olivia cut her off. “Well, ye thought wrong. The Laird was exhausted from his long journey. As I explained, he just wanted some peace and to sleep in his own bed undisturbed.”
But what about tonight? Surely, I’ll have to stay with him tonight?
“Is that so?” Megan murmured, sounding skeptical as she went to open the drapes.
“Is the Laird still in his chambers? I need to talk to him,” Olivia asked, her excitement at seeing Edan warring with her worries about his expectations of her as his wife, now that he was home.
“Well, he was there a few minutes ago when I ran out of the room,” Megan informed her.
Olivia got out of bed and put on her robe, tying the belt tightly around her waist. “All right. Wait for me here. I’ll nae be very long.”
She headed for the door. She had barely put her hand on the handle when Megan said, “Och, Me Lady, I’d better come with ye. All yer clothes are there. I need to fetch somethin’ back here for ye to wear today.”
“Nay. If the Laird is there, I dinnae think he’ll take too kindly to both of us bargin’ in on him, since ye’ve disturbed him once already. Besides, I need to talk to him alone,” Olivia replied firmly, before exiting the room.
She hurried down to the lower floor, to the chambers she knew she should be sharing with her husband.
Oh, worry about that later, she chided herself inwardly as she came to the chamber door. I just need to tell him about Nurkirk’s proposal for now.