Page 34 of The Beast

Upon arriving, both of the maids stood outside to greet them. There were a couple of additional women standing beside them, obviously sent by Lady Mariel to help Beatrice settle. She planned to hire a chambermaid and perhaps a couple of lads to help with menial tasks once she had spoken to Duncan about it.

He assisted her from the coach and the housekeeper, and the other woman hurried forward. “I am Gara, milady,” she said with a wide smile. “This is Firtha.” She motioned to the woman beside her, who bobbed a curtsy.

“I am happy to see ye both again,” Beatrice replied. “Although I did see ye last time I was here.”

The woman looked to Duncan. “There’s no need for additional help, the house is in perfect order. Firtha and I saw to it.”

“My mother does not mean it as a slight, she wishes for Lady Beatrice to be settled without effort,” Duncan replied with a soothing tone.

They went inside, Duncan guiding her to what she assumed would be their bedchamber. She’d not thought to ask if they would share one. Her parents had separate bedchambers, which made sense as her father needed extra space on the bed, to be comfortable.

The room they entered was large, with a four-poster bed, several rugs strewn about, and no décor on the walls. Other than a dressing table and a washstand, there were no other furnishings.

A trunk was pushed against one wall, where she assumed Duncan kept his clothes. This was definitely his bedchamber.

“Am I to sleep here from now on?” Beatrice asked, looking around the room already planning where a wardrobe would fit.

“This is my bedchamber, yers is adjacent. I thought it would be easier for ye to have yer own space.” When he met her gaze, it was as if he were holding back something else he wanted to say.

The thought of not sharing a bedchamber had not occurred to her, especially since Isobel and Darach had slept in the same bed since they married. But she nodded in agreement. “May I see it please?”

He nodded and went to a door across from the bed. When he opened the door, it took effort. Duncan had to yank hard for it to open.

“Obviously it hasn’t been used for a long time,” Beatrice remarked dryly.

The bedchamber they entered was beautiful. Fresh bedding had been placed on the large bed and there was a throw tossed over a chair by the hearth to ensure whoever was there kept warm.

The drapes that framed the window were of a light fabric, more for aesthetics than practicality. There was a large wardrobe against one wall and next to it a paneled screen for private matters.

On the floor the rugs were thick and luxurious and on one wall was an embroidered tapestry with a scene of a woman at a fountain.

“Was this bedchamber always decorated like this?” Beatrice asked. “It is beautiful.”

“I am not sure. Mother and my sister often come here and redo things. Though I do know, Mother slept in this chamber when she stayed the night. They probably sent items ahead for the servants to place here as well.”

Upon the dressing table was a sealed letter sitting next to a beautiful looking glass. Beatrice did not make to open it, she would soon.

Her trunk and other items were already in the room. Beatrice turned to Duncan. “I will prepare for bed. Will ye come here to me?” Her voice trembled a little in anticipation of what was to happen between them.

“Aye, I will give ye some time.” He looked at her for a long moment, once again as if he wished to say something, but instead let out a breath.

“Duncan?” Beatrice placed her hand on his forearm. When he met her gaze, she smiled. “I am fortunate to have ye for a husband.”

He swallowed visibly, leaned forward, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “It is I who do not deserve someone like ye.”

Following his departure, she wondered why someone like him, from a prominent and wealthy family, would feel less than anyone. Perhaps there was more to his story than just the abduction and mistreatment he’d suffered over the years he was enslaved.

Over time, Beatrice would find out as much as she could and help him heal. It was obvious to her that he’d not made peace with his past yet.

For now, she had to learn to make the best out of the situation. Looking around the room she wondered how long before she would inform him that she did not believe in separate bedchambers in marriage.

It was nonsense in her opinion to be separated by a door that was so hard to open. If that wasn’t a metaphor for trouble ahead, she wasn’t sure what was.

Orla entered after knocking and helped Beatrice undress. The maid was giddy, talking nonstop about the bedchamber she’d been given. “Ye wouldna believe it, Lady Beatrice. Tis grand. I have my own room with a big bed and even a dressin’ table.”

“I am so happy to hear it Orla. Annis will be jealous when she comes to visit. Although her room at the keep is nice, it sounds like yers is grand.”

“Oh, it tis.”