Page 48 of Hunted By the Hard Highlander

But she knew it was not. These women were looking at her with nothing but admiration.

“I have already looked through the jewels and have picked a few that I think would go quite well with the gown,” Hilda said, speaking to both of the women. “But I will bring all of them so that ye can choose.”

“I’m sure that I will be pleased with whatever ye pick for me,” Aurora said, her eyes fixed on the tiny scalloping along the collar. The thread was golden, making the garment look regal. “I trust yer judgment on this.”

“Ye are the bride, though,” Mrs. Duncan said, seeming to insist on Aurora’s autonomy in this matter. “It is important that ye like what ye are wearin’.”

“I am nae a picky lass,” Aurora said, blushing at the intensity of the attention. “Besides, I am already pleased with what I will be wearin’. I cannae imagine anythin’ better than this. I am trustin’ Hilda to pick the best jewelry and style for me hair.”

“I willnae disappoint ye, Miss!” Hilda promised, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet with her excitement.

Aurora could not help but be charmed.

“Are the two of ye nearly finished?” Mrs. Duncan asked after a beat of comfortable, companionable silence. “It is nearly time for our evenin’ meal. The guests that are already here are expectin’ to see their lady.”

“Aye,” Hilda said, though Aurora wished for a few more minutes with just the two of them before she would have more eyes on her than she knew what to do with. “I will get Lady Aurora dressed.”

“Excellent,” Mrs. Duncan said, giving them one last nod. “I will retrieve Adair and ensure he is prepared as well.” She turned then, walking back to the door. Before she opened it and let herself out, she caught Aurora’s eye once more. “Hendry willnae ken what to do when he sees ye in that. He is a lucky man.”

Then, before Aurora could begin to process the other woman’s words, she had slipped through the door.

* * *

“Laird MacGregor and Laird MacKenzie will be arrivin’ tomorrow just after dawn,” Willy reported, falling into step with Hendry as he left the great hall. “Laird MacRaeh will arrive later this evenin’.”

“Thank ye for yer report,” Hendry said, nodding at the group of guests passing them on their way to dinner. “There werenae any problems with gettin’ everyone settled?”

“Nay that I have heard of, though I havenae spoken with Mrs. Duncan,” Willy said, keeping pace even as Hendry walked faster to avoid being stopped by one of the Lairds that had already arrived. “Ye arenae takin’ yer meal in the hall?”

“Nay,” Hendry said, turning down the corridor toward his study. The sounds of conversation and laughter faded with each step he took away from the heart of the castle. “I daenae have time to socialize.”

He would be bombarded with requests for his attention after the ceremony tomorrow. So, though there were always things to be attended to within his study, this was a strategic retreat, a way to keep his senses sharp before the intensity of the celebration the following day. The dinner in the great hall would be too much exposure.

“I have spoken with the guards,” Willy said, finally getting to the heart of what Hendry needed to know. They were nearly at Hendry’s destination now. “There isnae any signs of unknown activity over our lands. They have only seen our guests arrivin’.”

“And they havenae seen any signs of Laird MacGonagal?” Hendry asked as the two entered his study. The fire roared, making the room several degrees warmer and that much more inviting. “Nay unidentified riders?”

Willy pulled the door shut behind them, closing out the voices of the guests. It was as if the air was lighter here. There was no longer a reason to perform, to anticipate answering a litany of questions.

I amnae made for entertainin’ like this. Me castle cannae be empty soon enough.

“Nay, and they have been instructed to relay any possible sightin’s of him to the castle,” Willy said, walking to the center of the room but stopping short of the space that was decidedly Hendry’s. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes heavy on Hendry’s shoulders as he watched him cross the room to the window. “We willnae let anyone slip through, Hendry.”

He was sure, just as Hendry had trained him to be.

“I have been operatin’ as if we already have,” Hendry replied, his voice even as he surveyed his land, giving Willy as much trust as he could extend. The herbs swayed in the breeze, a few of them catching on slivers of moonlight. It was almost as if the patch of land itself was calling him to come closer, offering a refuge that he had been unable to ignore the past several nights. “The worst thing that we can do is get too comfortable. We may nae see them comin’ because they are already here.”

“We have been vigilant,” Willy said carefully, his voice edging closer. He picked something up from the desk, the object sliding against the wood as he pulled it to him. “And ye have the proper contingencies in place. He willnae catch us unaware.”

“I ken,” Hendry replied, finally turning around with his jaw set. When he met Willy’s gaze, the man put the inkwell back in place, immediately snapping into a stance of readiness. “But with so many extra people in Castle Anderson, there is a chance our enemies will use the opportunity for cover.”

“Ye arenae wrong. It is somethin’ that has been on the forefront of me mind as I go through me rounds,” Willy admitted with a solemn nod. He seemed to stand a bit straighter, as if the importance of the work they had been doing, the lives they had been tasked with protecting, had snapped into the forefront of his mind. “And I willnae let ye down, me Laird. I care about our people just as much as ye.”

“Good,” Hendry said, pulling back his chair and settling in. He cast his gaze over the room, a survey that felt more instinctual than anything else. “Then I will need ye to attend supper in the great hall. Keep an eye out for anyone from Clan MacGonagal. Alert me immediately if there is anyone that seems suspicious. I daenae care if it is somethin’ small.”

I willnae jeopardize Aurora’s safety. I willnae risk anyone’s safety.

“Aye, ye have me word,” Willy said, the gravity of his words weighing on the shoulders of both of them. He hovered for a moment as if waiting to ensure he was not missing any other vital instructions, an impressive display of both patience and duty. Then, he gave a singular nod and said, “I will report to ye if I see anythin’.”