reaching out and drawing Samantha inside. “And you look weary, poor lamb.” She looked at Derrick. “Food or sleep, pet?”
“Sleep first, if you don’t mind.”
“Very sensible,” she said, “for I imagine you’ve been driving all night. Come along then, children, and let me see you settled.”
Samantha had the impression of an enormous great hall with a fireplace befitting that hall, stone floors, comfortable but very lovely furniture, and then a long staircase that she climbed only because she knew there was the hope of a bed at the top. She soon stood in the middle of a bedroom that looked as if it had been furnished in the Middle Ages and simply blinked stupidly as Derrick brought in her suitcase and set it down on the bench at the foot of the bed. It had curtains that could have been drawn, though she imagined she wouldn’t get that far.
“Loo over there, love,” Madame Gies said, “and water and juice on the dresser there. Derrick, your room is as it always is. Cleaner than you left it, if I might say so.”
Samantha watched him kiss Emily’s grandmother on the cheek. “You indulge me too much.”
“I’m going to start throwing out clothes if you don’t learn to pick them up off the floor.” Madame Gies looked at Samantha and smiled. “I’m not serious. He’s very tidy.”
Samantha wanted to tell her that she wasn’t sure Derrick really cared what opinion she had of him, but the woman left before she could. She looked at Derrick, though it took her a moment or two to focus on him. He was yawning uncontrollably, so perhaps he hadn’t noticed. He finally shook his head sharply, then walked over to her and pulled her into his arms as if he’d been doing it without thinking for . . . well, forever.
He kissed the top of her head, then pulled away and put his hands on her shoulders. “You’re safe here.”
“Thank you,” she managed.
“I’ll see you for lunch. Hopefully.”
She nodded and watched him go, pulling the door shut behind him.
She considered, then locked the door.
It had been that kind of week so far.
• • •
It was after noon before she’d managed to get herself up, into the shower, and dressed. She dried her hair, braided it, and took her courage in hand to venture out of the guest room. She walked down the stairs, then paused at the bottom of them because she wasn’t quite sure what to do next.
A man leapt up from one of the couches set there in front of the fire and walked over to her, smiling broadly.
“Ewan Cameron,” he said, holding out his hand toward her. “Cousin to the laird, but unfortunately too far from the title for that to matter. You’re Samantha.”
“Well, yes, I am,” Samantha managed.
“I don’t know anything about you, but I’m sure we can remedy that—”
“When hell freezes over,” a voice said from the vicinity of the doorway.
Samantha looked over to find it was Derrick who had come inside and banged the door shut behind himself.
“Good hell, Ewan, give it a rest, would you? The poor girl’s been traumatized enough already.”
“Aye, obviously by your sour self.” Ewan wrinkled his nose. “Go shower. Samantha and I will spend the time getting to know each other.”
Samantha frowned at Derrick. “What happened to you?”
“Went for a run,” he said, looking as if he’d done just that. “Clears my head.”
“And fouls the air around you,” Ewan said.
Samantha looked at Ewan. “Do you run?”
“Very slowly and only when chased,” he said with a wink. “I’ll tell you all about it while my cousin goes and grooms. It won’t take him long. We can only hope he does more than just brush his teeth.”
“Shut up, Ewan.”
Ewan suggested something quite a bit viler for Derrick to do. Samantha felt her mouth fall open, but Ewan only reached for her hand.
“Take your time, cousin,” Ewan said, tugging her along with him toward the fireplace. “Sam and I will be getting to know each other better.”
“Don’t call her that.”
Samantha glanced at Ewan, then turned with him to study Derrick, who looked suddenly very uncomfortable.
“Well,” he said, “you might not like it.”
“Perhaps not coming from you,” Ewan said, “but from someone she’s fond of? We’ll be examining that—”
“Ewan, will you just shut up?” Derrick asked wearily. “Samantha, please feel free to find a chair and break it over his head. You’ll do us all a very great favor. I’ll be right back down.”
Samantha watched him trot up the stairs,