The Seer - Hildie McQueen Page 0,9
each time, Dallis had been crippled with fear.
Yes, it didn’t make sense. No one understood, even she didn’t, the unreasonable obsession with ensuring her brother was safe. It could just be that once her parents were gone, Guiles would be the only person she could rely upon.
“Ah there ye are darling.” Her mother Allora, entered the great room. As usual, dressed in a beautiful gown and with her hair intricately braided, her mother was beautiful. “Where have ye been all morning?”
Dallis placed her cup down and looked up just as her mother’s eyes rounded. “I went for a ride...”
“Ye look horrible. Why, yer hair is in disarray and that dress...is in shambles. Ye must bathe and change at once. Our guests will be arriving any moment now.”
“Guests?”
Allora let out a long-suffering breath. “Yes Dallis. Do ye not remember? The Gordons as well as the Robertsons and their families are coming to visit for a few days. He is meeting with yer father along with Laird Robertson.”
“Oh.” Dallis inwardly cringed. If the Robertson brought along his eldest son, she’d be spending the next couple days evading his roaming hands.
“I will change at once. I’m sorry Mother, I’d forgotten.”
Her mother blocked her from leaving. “Dallis, ye are to be married soon. I implore ye make more of an effort in yer appearance and how ye spend yer time. We cannot afford ye to be out and about, among the guard and who knows where, while yer father is planning a marriage for ye.”
“What difference does it make mother. My marriage will be arranged and neither I or the unfortunate groom will have a say in it. Whether he finds me attractive or not, matters little to me.”
The fact she could be married off to the Macpherson’s son was not any sort of incentive to be more attractive or appealing. If anything, she would appear covered in muck with leaves and twigs in her hair. The visual made her giggle, which earned her a glare from her mother.
“Besides, I am to marry a frog of a man, who could never do anything to better his appearance.”
“This is not a time to jest. I am serious Dallis.”
“I apologize Mother. I will change at once and do my best to be pleasant and feminine throughout the visit.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “See that ye do.”
The visitors were going to make stealing away to meet with the resistance group harder. She wondered if Guiles was aware of what happened.
“Mother, where is Guiles?”
“With yer father. He too is being chastised for avoiding his duties this morning.”
She entered her chamber to find a wooden tub set before the hearth. A fire had been started warming the room.
Upon dipping her hand into the water, Dallis discovered it to be lukewarm. It would not be a pleasant bath. Being it was her fault for not being there when the bath was drawn, she could not complain really.
Dallis poured water from the rinsing bucket into an iron pot and pushed it closer to the fire to warm.
Meanwhile, she inspected the clothes that had been set out on her bed. Dark green dress that laced down the front, with skirts spread was displayed along with a chemise, and matching ribbons for her hair.
It was one of her favorites, the color reminding her of the different shades of green of the forest. Brushing her fingers down the velvety fabric made her wonder if the seer’s skin was a soft.
Dallis snatched her hand away. What a ridiculous thought to have at a moment like that.
After bathing and changing into the clothing that had been set out for her, Dallis went in search of Guiles. He was in his chambers, standing at the window brooding.
She walked in and closed the door behind her. Her brother turned to her, his face a study of worry.
“How are we going to manage slipping away tonight?” Dallis blurted. “Did ye know visitors came?”
Guiles’ gray eyes met hers. “I’d forgotten. With everything that has been happening, visitors are not something I care about.”
“What did Da speak to you of?”
“The Gordon wishes to present his daughter to me as a possible wife. If I marry her, we can join and form an alliance.” He frowned and once again peered out to the distance. “I do believe it would be good for our clan do ye not?”
Her lips curved at Guiles’ brooding. Fiona Gordon was her dear friend, who adored Guiles. Both had flirted incessantly with each other for years. Fiona was pleasant,