Page 14 of Ruined By the Ruthless Highlander
It is not a dream.
Her gaze fixed on the spot between her legs, even as her eyes struggled to adjust to the dim light. Her mind raced with countless possibilities as she tried to make sense of what she felt. Then the weight moved again.
This time, she couldn’t deny it.
Her heart lurched violently in her chest. She let out a sharp, startled cry as she jumped out of bed, the blankets slipping off her shoulders with a sigh.
A soft thud sounded on the other side of the bed, followed by silence. A still, unsettling silence.
Marian stood frozen in the room, her heart racing.
Her eyes remained fixed on the darkness beyond the bed as she listened, straining her ears for the slightest sound that might reveal whatever had been in bed with her just moments ago.
But nothing came. Just the hollow silence of the chamber pressing in around her.
What in heaven’s name?
“Lilly?” she called, her voice sharper than she had intended.
CHAPTER SIX
The door to the adjoining room burst open with such force that it shuddered.
Lilly staggered into Marian’s chamber, her eyes wild with fear and concern, her face still puffy with sleep. Her legs trembled as she made her way to the side of the bed, where her mistress stood frozen.
“What happened?” she croaked, holding up a lamp to Marian’s face.
She gasped and reached out to feel her forehead with the back of her free hand.
“My Lady!” Her voice was clearer this time. “You look like you have seen a ghost!”
Marian shuddered at the word. She wasn’t usually one to give thought to superstition, but it was the early hours ofthe morning, and the Highlands were notorious for strange happenings.
Could the castle really be haunted?
Lilly put an arm around her, gently guiding her to sit.
Marian hesitated.
Could there be something else beneath the sheets?
Her pulse quickened as she tugged off the rest of the blankets, fluffing them before sitting on the bed.
“What happened, my Lady?” Lilly asked her again after she seemed to have settled.
“Something was on me.” Marian stared at the part of the bed where Lilly was now sitting, color slowly draining from her cheeks as she pointed. “Right there.”
“Excuse me?” Lilly yelped, almost tripping on her frock. She gathered herself as best as she could before speaking again in a more polite manner. “Pardon me, my Lady. What was it?”
Marian sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly. “I did not see it. But I felt it move against my legs. I was startled, and it just… vanished.”
“It vanished?” Lilly repeated her words as if they were gibberish. “My Lady, are you certain?”
“I am of clear mind,” Marian responded, frowning slightly. “Whatever it was, I did not hear it leave.” She paused for a moment to look around. “It must be lurking somewhere here.”
Lilly’s eyes went so wide, she looked like she’d just seen a ghost.
“Lilly!” Marian called, jolting her out of her daze. “Could you please look around? Maybe you’ll be able to find it.”
