The Laird's Vow by Heather Grothaus

Author:Heather Grothaus
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2019-06-09T12:37:34+00:00

Chapter 12

It seemed to Tavish that the maid had been gone for more than an hour, and it became increasingly difficult to concentrate on the conversation with the two barons before him. He felt more than a pinch of chagrin that he’d allowed himself to send the maid to locate Miss Douglas in the first place, but now that he was waiting for an answer, he could barely pay heed to the old noblemen who were quite openly curious about his plans for Roscraig.

“—waste of such a fine location,” one was harrumphing. “James has been too accommodating, I say.”

The other nodded. “Aye, but why should the king care what is on such cursed lands when he is profiting twice its worth in fees?”

Now Tavish’s attention was caught. “Profiting twice from Douglas, you mean?”

The two old men exchanged guarded glances, but before either could answer, Tavish saw in his peripheral vision the maid he’d sent to find Glenna inching through the crowd.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Tavish said, then turned to meet the maid halfway. “Did you find her?” he asked straight away.

“Aye, laird,” the woman squeaked. “She was in the old man’s chamber, as you thought.” Something inside Tavish relaxed, and the maid continued with her report. “Miss said she didna wish to be disturbed but that she’d be along.”

Tavish cocked an eyebrow. “Did she, now?”

“Aye, laird.”

“Very well.” Tavish turned from the timid woman even as she was curtseying and felt his ears heat a bit. Whatever tingle of concern for Glenna Douglas’s welfare had seized him dissipated behind a shimmer of stinging pride.

The princess didn’t wish to be disturbed, did she? Very well. She could sit in the chamber and wait for him. And Tavish would not give her another thought.

Although he had planned on cutting his evening with the boring barons short so that he could watch the woman open the trunk Muir had brought from Edinburgh, now he thought he’d stay on a bit. Get to know his neighbors, dismal as they were, and perhaps continue the conversation about the Tower’s supposedly substantial fees.

“I beg your pardon,” he said to the two frowning gentlemen, obviously put out with Tavish’s earlier dismissal. He exchanged his empty chalice for a full one from a servant’s tray. “Roscraig is experiencing a bit of an adjustment with the staff.”

The baron with the hairy ears harrumphed and met Tavish’s gaze squarely. “You’d be wise to correct with an iron fist at the verra start, Cameron. Left unchecked, those devil’s maids will believe ’tis they who rule the hold rather than you.”

Tavish saluted the man with a dark chuckle and then drained his cup.

* * * *

Glenna would have perhaps been furious to have returned to her chamber at being summoned by Tavish Cameron only to find him absent, if not for the fact that she couldn’t get the damned leather pouch out of her grasp quickly enough. She shoved it between the wall and the back of the wardrobe as deeply as her fingers

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