Page 54 of Laird of Wrath

“Such as?”

Mabel hesitated, glancing over her shoulder as if she expected someone to listen in to their conversation. When her gaze fell on Lara, though, she gave another shrug and said nothing.

Rhea couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ye can say whatever ye wish in front of her,” she assured. “Ye can trust Lara as much as ye trust me. She is very loyal to me.”

“Aye, me Lady,” Lara piped up as she trailed behind them. “Of course.”

“Well,” Mabel began, still a little hesitant, as if she didn’t quite trust that, “I’ve heard many things about Laird McMahon.”

Behind her, Rhea heard something that sounded suspiciously likeHe’s a good man, he’s a good man.

“Rumors,” she said dismissively.

She didn’t want to give it any more weight, as she didn’t want Mabel to worry. Besides, there was nothing for her to worry about. She and Callum had had their difficulties, their differences, their struggles, but that didn’t mean she was unhappy with him. They were still getting to know each other. She was still getting used to being around him, and friction was bound to surface in such stressful and uncertain times. Worrying Mabel over this was simply silly.

Mabel narrowed her eyes, as if she didn’t quite believe her. “If ye say so.”

When they reached the stairs, Rhea paused for a moment and turned to her maid. “Lara, will ye please show Mabel herchambers? And then perhaps we can have our meal? Lara will show ye the way to the Great Hall.”

“That would be lovely,” Mabel chirped, smiling from ear to ear. “Just the two of us?”

Rhea nodded. “Aye, just the two of us.”

Though she hadn’t thought it possible, Mabel’s smile widened before she turned around and followed Lara up the stairs.

Rhea went to the kitchens to make sure that the meal would be served soon and then made her way to the Great Hall, only to find Callum already there. The sight of him brought her to a halt, and he immediately noticed.

“Rhea… I heard yer sister arrived,” he said, in lieu of a greeting.

“Ye did?” she asked, raising a curious eyebrow. “Why did ye nae come to greet her?”

“That is yer job, is it nae?”

Rhea realized she shouldn’t be surprised by that. Callum was hardly sociable. If he could spend all day brooding in his study, he would.

“It would have still been considerate of ye to greet her,” she pointed out, without telling him that this wasn’t helping hisreputation at all. She didn’t even know if he was aware he had a reputation. And if he was, she didn’t know if he would even care.

Callum stared at her, blinking a few times in confusion. Then, he gave one of his usual grunts of acknowledgement and said nothing more.

Rhea stood there for a moment, before finally making her way to the table and sitting to his right. Callum had never been particularly chatty, but now he seemed even more closed off, as if they had suddenly returned to the first days of his return from the war. She didn’t know what had prompted this change in him. All she knew was that, even as Sienna and Hudson came in, he maintained the same attitude.

Soon, Mabel found her way to the Great Hall, and Rhea quickly stood to usher her in.

“Everyone, this is me sister, Mabel,” she announced as Mabel bobbed a curtsy.

Once all the necessary introductions had been made and the food had been served, she wasted no time catching up with her sister.

“It’s been so lonely in the castle without ye,” Mabel admitted with a soft, weary sigh. “And with Father in such a poor condition… I often daenae ken what to do.”

Rhea had half a mind to suggest to her sister that she come live with them, at least for a while. But Mabel couldn’t leave their father alone, and their father couldn’t leave the clan. Ill or not, he was still the Laird.

And yet the thought of her sister all alone in Castle McAllister pained her. All this responsibility thrust upon the shoulders of someone so young, all her time spent taking care of their father or trying to do everything he couldn’t.

“Perhaps I should go back home with ye and stay there for a while,” she said. But that, too, was far from ideal. These were dangerous times. Leaving the clan now could be detrimental to everyone.

The moment she spoke those words, she felt Callum’s gaze on her, burning like a brand.

“I daenae think that’s a very good idea, me Lady,” Hudson interjected. “With all the attacks?—”