Kaithria keeps smiling at everyone while Sloan introduces her to his clan. I try to act natural, even though my heart is bursting out from my chest. Sloan's way of looking at her is neutral, and I do not feel like he is in love with her.
When he introduces them to almost everyone in the castle, my turn is drawing nearer. I do not know how Sloan is going to introduce me and Elsie to his fiancée and Lady MacTravis, but he does it anyway.
‘This is Lady Megan, and this is Lady Elsie, they are McLeold sisters, they are under my protection,’ Sloan says in a natural voice, without emphasizing any word.
Upon his words, Lady MacTravis narrows her eyes and looks at us suspiciously but it lasts about a second, and she looks away again. There is something in her eyes that I do not like at all.
I and Elsie smile, Kaithria and her mother also smile. Sloan looks at me, and I start to look at him, wondering what is on his mind. I cannot help but notice a look in Sloan’s eyes when he looks at me. I feel that he does not want all of this to happen, or maybe it is just my fantasy and my imagination. I cannot get my eyes off him, but it is painful to watch him standing beside his fiancée, so I look away.
‘We are happy to see you, everyone, here, in this magnificent beautiful castle,’ Lady MacTravis says in a sweet voice. ‘All of you are very beautiful, and I am sure you will be even more beautiful on the day of the wedding of my lovely daughter and this respectful laird!’
All gathered applaud and nod, including me and Elsie. I do not want to stand out and be noticed by the others as the jealous one. Well, in fact, I am not even jealous. What has to happen will happen, and I cannot change anything. Nothing even depends on me, anyways.
I look at Sloan and am surprised that he is still looking at me. With his fiancée standing beside him, he is looking straight at me. For a second, I think he wants to tell me something with his eyes, but then I change my mind – he is just plainly looking at me without implying anything. I do not know what is going on in his mind, I can only guess. And my guess is that he wants me to stand in Kaithria’s place. I turn my eyes away from Sloan’s and look at Kaithria instead, who is happy and shining.
She is smiling at everyone who will look at her, and the clan seem to like her a lot. Good. I am glad that Sloan is going to be happy with her.
'We are happy to welcome you in our castle, Lady MacTravis, and Lady Kaithria,' Farquharson, Sloan's eldest uncle says. 'Feel yourselves at home.'
Lady Lorna MacTravis smiles happily at those words and nods, announcing: 'We are glad to become part of such a wonderful family, and I am sure that this connection and bond will become even stronger by each day. I am sure that the wedding will make this bond even fiercer and make it last forever.'
Everybody nods and smiles, but I cannot help but notice that Kaithria's mother tries to mention the wedding too often. I look at Sloan, and he is not smiling. Apparently, he does not like that mentioning too much, either.
‘Forba, show Lady MacTravis and Kaithria their room, will you?’ Sloan says to the main maid after the initial acquaintance is done. Forba nods and smiles to the guests.
‘Please, come with me,’ she says. 'I will show you your room, where you can get some rest.'
They leave the large hall. I think our mission to meet the guests is completed, too. Besides, I feel awkward to stay with Sloan.
'Elsie, let's go to your bedroom and have some rest, too,' I tell Elsie in almost in a whisper, and we also leave the large hall, going towards our bedrooms. It happens so that Forba and the guests are going in the same direction where my and Elsie’s rooms are. We all go along the stone hallways, and up the swirling staircases. I and Elsie walk a bit far behind them, so they do not realize that we are also there, but I can hear their conversation because of the echo.
‘Forba? You are the maid here, as I understand,’ Lady Lorna MacTravis says in a strict voice.
Forba silently nods.
‘I asked you a question!’ Lady MacTravis raises her voice, unaware that I and Elsie are walking behind them. I raise my eyebrows in surprise and look at Elsie, who is equally surprised. I make sure not to let them know that we are going after them, so I start walking on my tiptoes, just in case.