Chapter 29

A night on the ground had done little in terms of rest. True to Calum's predictions, I spent most of the night shivering. Or tossing and turning on the thin mattress to find a more pleasant position. I woke groggy and grumpy.

Calum and I performed an in-depth check on all the fever patients, followed by a bland breakfast of cold, unseasoned porridge. We packed up our wagon to leave, only after being assured that no new cases of the fever had developed overnight.

Our return trip to the castle seemed to go on for an eternity, so anxious was I to be home. My exhaustion obscured the beauty of the surrounding countryside — the glory of May budding and blooming in greens, purples, and blues that tormented my sleep-starved eyes. Thankfully, the rest of our travels passed with no further discussion of love. With no conversation at all, really. I bobbed against the back of the seat, my eyes heavy. From time to time, I startled awake, surprised I had fallen asleep.

Calum and I returned to Stormway after lunchtime, when the afternoon sun was bright and tormenting. Alex was waiting in the courtyard when we arrived. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was tangled and standing on end. His mouth was drawn and there was no missing the sag of his shoulders in relief as we pulled up to meet him.

Hopping down from the gig with a vigor I knew was only for show, Calum clapped Alex on the shoulder, knocking him forward with the force of his greeting. "You look terrible, old friend. Nasty night sleep?"

I didn't miss the pointed, gloating smirk Calum shot me.

Grumbling, I gathered up my skirts and hopped down, my feet stinging with the impact on the hard ground. "Ignore him."

"Easily," Alex said, smiling at me. He reached out his hand and rubbed it down the length of my arm. A comforting, soothing gesture. "You look exhausted."

"I'm fine," I said, biting back a yawn. "I could drink an entire cask of coffee, though."

"Her ladyship is not acquainted with the many pleasures of sleeping in the fresh air," Calum said mockingly, as if my inability to sleep with a rock wedged into my spine was a fault of character.

I had to agree. "Remind me never to do that again."

"How is the village? Is the fever contained?" Alex asked, his eyes roving over me as if to spot the telltale pustules on my skin.

"It appears so. No new cases, thank goodness. The patients that took the sweating cure yesterday looked much better this morning. A few more days of precaution and we should be in the clear."

I turned and scanned the activity in the courtyard, enjoying the hustle. The familiar sight and sounds of home almost made me cry. One night away and I had dwindled into a sentimental fool.

"I am glad to be home," I said, as I watched two kitchen maids throw potato peels at each other. Based on their shrieking, they were in a feud over a lost ribbon.

"We are glad to have you back," Alex said, with genuine feeling. "I almost tore my hair out trying to run the place yesterday." He laughed, running his fingers through his wild curls. There was a touch of hysteria behind his eyes that was endearing.

Calum beamed at me victoriously. Choosing to ignore him, I turned back to Alex.

"I suppose I'm too late for lunch," I said as my stomach rumbled.

"Yes, but we can find you something in the kitchens. You know Cook, always happy to feed us."

"Always happy to feed you. You'll have to work your magic to get me some scraps."

Alex placed his hand over his heart and smiled, "I swear to do my best."

"Calum, do you need anything?" I said, turning to him.

"And force Cook to cater to the flirtations of two gentlemen? I doubt she'd survive it," Calum answered. He shook his head. "I will beg leave of you, fair lady. This old soldier wants a long nap on a proper bed."

Alex nodded and looped his arm through mine, leading us toward the kitchens. "Speaking of Cook, she's been asking what you want to be served for your birthday next week —"

"Birthday?" Calum asked merrily, pivoting from his route toward the castle and falling in line beside Alex. "Did you say birthday?"

"Thanks, Alex," I grumbled. "Now everyone will know."

"Everyone already knows, anyway. It's your castle." Then, turning to Calum, Alex said, "It's Eilean's birthday next Thursday."

Calum's face lit up like the sun. "You don't say!"

Alex threw his arm around my shoulder, "I think Eilean would rather forget about her birthday, but there must be some way to make it special for her."

"I hate birthdays," I griped.

"Because of the..." Calum mimed drinking and boasting, cannily imitating my father, "the myth-making."

"Precisely," I ground out.

Alex chuckled, pulling me in for a squeeze. "I say we rise to the challenge and try to create better memories."

"I fully agree with you, Lord Leslie," Calum said with a devilish grin.

The two of them were absurd. "Fine, but it better be extravagant. I'll refuse to show up, otherwise."

"I don't think she believes in us, Lord Leslie," Calum said in mock offense.

"We'll show her," Alex promised with a laugh.

"God save me," I mumbled.

~

On the dawn of my birthday, the chambermaid informed me that dinner would be served in the great hall. Long accustomed to dining in the kitchen with the servants, I appreciated this slight gesture to make my birthday feel special.

"We've been polishing silver all week," the maid said though a giggle as she swept the ashes in the fireplace. She hummed absently for a while before continuing. "Laird McKerran demanded we pull the good plates out of storage, you know the ones with the gold monograms?"

I sat up in bed, shaking my head. The extravagance was too much. "That is a lot of extra work. Laird McKerran shouldn't be giving you tasks."

"We don't care, miss! It's been a long time since we had a party at Stormway. Everyone is very excited!"

"I would scarcely call dinner in the great hall a party," I said, pulling the covers up over my chest and snuggling back down.

"Oh, it's not just — Oh! No, I can't say!" The maid's face turned bright red, and she bit her lip.

Squinting my eyes, I leaned forward. "What are you hiding?"

Her nervous laugh was my only answer, and a prickle of unease settled in my stomach. There was very little that could go undetected in Stormway. As its mistress I oversaw everything and there had been nothing of note happening. No increased activity had been apparent, not like the flurry and chaos of parties past. No strange bills or invoices had crossed my desk. Soothing myself with the comfort of my omnipotence. I settled back against the pillows and laughed.

"They could never pull it off, anyway," I remarked. Though if I was trying to convince the chambermaid or myself I was not sure. "They only had a week."

My bravado was short-lived.

Alex skipped our now typical breakfast. That was the first strange occurrence. Then, I was forbidden from traveling unescorted through the castle. Angus was appointed as my personal guard, and he followed me like a shadow from the moment I left my rooms. He hovered nearby through my rounds across the castle grounds, and as I traveled back toward the study. Before we crossed any threshold or turned any corner, he would halt us and peer back and forth before granting me passage throughout my home.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" I asked, crossing my arms and waiting for him to shoo along some commotion around a corner before I could pass.

"It's not worth my life to do so," He said with so much sincerity that I looked at him with astonishment.

"You didn't strike me as one for surprises and frivolity."

"A soldier has to be ready for any and everything." Angus looked over his shoulder at me with a twinkle in his eye. "I love surprises."

"This is a massive waste of my time, you know," I said, exasperated when he allowed us to move down the passageway.

"It's your birthday," Angus grunted. "You shouldn't be working, anyway. Have you ever heard of taking a day off?"

"How could I?" I asked dryly. "Everyone is behaving so typically. I'm sure all the work is getting done and I don't have a thing to worry about."

Angus clucked his tongue at me, shaking his head. "Such an ill-tempered birthday girl."

Rolling my eyes, I allowed Angus to guide me into the office at last. "Are you going to stand guard at the door, too?"

"I haven't ruled it out." Angus scratched at his beard and eyed the door cautiously.

"I won't get kidnapped," I quipped.

"Security is of the utmost importance, Lady Eilean."

I laughed despite myself. He was so earnest it was hard to be too grouchy.

Settling in at my desk, I rummaged through loose papers and letters. I wasn't truly interested in work, despite running Angus ragged through my daily rounds; and now I was stuck pretending. Leaning back in my chair, I entertained myself by watching Angus shush and glare at everyone who dared pass the office door. If this was his security for a birthday dinner, I shuddered to think what he was like on a battlefield.

After twenty minutes of pantomimed working from me and intense scowling from Angus, a frantic-looking young boy ran up to him, gasping for air.

"Mr. Angus!" He cried, clutching his side.

The boy was around eleven and known to be exaggerated in all of his actions. He was a delightful, fun child, but his panic did not disturb me. Angus squatted down to the boy's level and asked what was the matter.

"The roses!" He said before gasping and staggering back, slapping his hands over his mouth. Eyes wide, he made a good show of pretending to notice me at last.

I almost wanted to applaud his performance.

"Damit, son," Angus muttered, now throwing himself into the drama with gusto, "can't you keep your mouth shut?"

"I am sorry, sir. I never thought Lady MacLeod would be in her office."

The lie was hardly convincing. Where else would I be? It was an effort not to laugh.

"They need you down in the great hall! Now!" The boy cried, tugging on Angus' sleeve and pulling him away from the door.

"I promise not to go peeping," I called out to my would-be guardian, waving him on with a smile.

In less than a minute, Alex and Calum rounded the doorway and entered the room. They smiled like a pair of bandits.

"Did it work?" Alex asked, "was Angus upset a surprise was ruined?"

"How many roses did you order?" I asked, crossing my arms. "And how much do I owe the boy for his virtuosic performance in ridding me of poor Angus?"

"Only forty dozen roses and a gold shell for the tot," Calum added with a shrug.

I raised my eyebrows, certain that both statements were a lie. A bill from the florist would have landed on my desk if someone had ordered nearly five hundred roses.

"One gold coin seems like a bargain for the pantomime I just witnessed. Someone call the theatre and tell them to snatch that kid up at once." Chuckling, I gestured for the men to sit. "Why must you pester poor Angus like that? He was taking his guard duties very seriously. I've not had a second to myself all day."

"All part of the birthday fun!" Alex teased, sitting down in his usual chair on the other side of the desk.

Calum shuffled over to the mantle and leaned on it, running his finger along the shelf as if to check for dust. He smiled at me, all of his teeth gleaming like a naughty cat.

"There seems to be a lot of fuss over something no one has taken the time to wish me for," I snipped, toying with them.

"Did we forget?" Calum asked, wide-eyed and splaying his hand over his heart.

"Surely we did not," Alex said, aghast, holding his cheeks in horror.

"Not a single birthday wish!" I sighed. "You've forgotten the principal focus of the day, it seems. Me."

Alex grinned, his handsome face coming alive as he leaned forward over the desk. Calum smirked over his shoulder. The two of them were insufferable when they joined forces. Still, there was a thrill low in my stomach at the fun they brought to my life.

"That's because we were waiting for our gift to be ready," Alex said in a low tone. His eyes danced with merriment.

I deadpanned, "Whatever could that be?"

"You'll have to go to your rooms to find out. We only tasked Angus with getting you out long enough to get everything ready. An easy enough job, as you are a masochist who refuses to take a day off." Alex batted back.

"I have to admit, I thought the ploy would be much harder," Calum said, inclining his head toward Alex. "It seems Lord Leslie truly knows you." There was a mocking flash in his dark eyes, and his grin turned feral. It was an I told you so that made me scowl at him.

In the week since our camping trip, Calum had been unbearable in pointing out hints and clues to Alex's supposed affection. My cheeks burned at the insinuation.

"What is it?" I asked. Dread settled low in my gut as their smiles broadened.

"A surprise," Calum said with a wave of his wrist.

I looked to Alex for help, he only laughed at my worry. "For one night, just one night, Eilean, try not to be Laird MacLeod. Let us celebrate. Let us spoil you."

It was an alarming prospect.