A Laird and a Gentleman (All the King's Men #4) - Gerri Russell Page 0,16

his ward’s dreams, her crying out in the night had made him realize she needed something he could not give her—the comfort of another woman who was much like herself.

He did not believe she was magical in any way, and yet he would be the first to acknowledge she was unique. Much like another woman he knew: Vivian, the healer, who had married his brother-in-arms Quinn Douglas.

He would ask Alexander to leave for Kinmount House in Dumfriesshire in the morning and bring Quinn, Vivian, and their twins to Ravenscraig. Perhaps Vivian could help him convince Mariam that marriage was what was best for her, as well as give the girl advice on how to fit in with the others in his castle at a time when being different in any way was more than dangerous. It was deadly.

Chapter Four

There was someone in her room!

Mariam could see nothing but darkness, though the sound of breathing came to her. Her heart gave a leap at the feeling of another presence so close. It was not Cameron, for she usually felt his presence as that of calmness and control. Whoever this was carried much resentment within them. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, the unmistakable shape of an aura came to her. The vibrations were a mixture of dark green and pink.

“Who are you?” Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

There was an intake of breath from near the wardrobe. “I did nae mean tae disturb ye, milady.”

Thea, her maid. “Why are you not in bed? The hour is late. I have no need of your services right now.”

“I . . .” Mariam heard the maid step toward the doorway. “I forgot tae put away yer clean clothing earlier this evening. I wanted it ready fer tomorrow if ye needed it.”

The only garment that had been out for cleaning was a lilac-colored day dress that she would hardly wear for riding in the morning.” Mariam sat up and moved her hand to her bedside table, searching for the flint and steel she could use to light the brace of candles there. Her fingers found the flint then the steel, and she flicked the two together. Before she could so much as generate a spark, Thea opened the door and fled without another word.

Mariam returned the flint and steel to the surface of her bedside table with slightly trembling fingers. What was the matter with Thea? Her behavior over the past week had become more and more curious. From the moment Mariam had caught Thea hiding in a darkened corner of the kitchen with tears running down her cheeks, to the stony looks she had given Mariam while they set supper out for their guests this past evening, to whatever this was—because Mariam did not believe it had anything to do with her clothing.

Still pondering that thought, Mariam lay back down and forced herself to relax. There was no point in pursuing the maid for answers tonight. But when she returned from herding the sheep tomorrow, Mariam intended to sit Thea down and force the maid to tell her the truth about her odd behavior.

At the irony of the thought, Mariam released a groan. She herself had had nothing but odd and erratic behavior since arriving at Ravenscraig. And yet now she wanted her own maid to disclose why she was behaving in such a way.

Despite the irony, Mariam smiled into the darkness. At least her first thought had not been about retaliation. That was a change from her behavior in the past.

Perhaps there was hope for her to change in the next six days.

On that thought Mariam dozed off once more. But as she did, a new dream plagued her restless mind. For hours she fought to direct her mind toward the calm and mundane, but to no avail as the new images crept past her defenses.

There were lights in the sky. Strange, glowing lights that cut through the mist, carried forward by a mob of people who carried torches, pitchforks, scythes, and pickaxes.

The villagers. Somehow Mariam knew they came for her.

At the head of the mob was a man. He seemed familiar but she could not place him. She searched her memory and came up blank. He was the key to this. If only she could remember.

On the tower beside her, Cameron watched the men and women approach.

“Will you call your men to battle?” she asked him.

“Not against the villagers.”

“Will you at least call for the drawbridge to be raised