Read Online Kiwi Bride Series: Highland Kiss by Alexia Praks - Free Book Online

dunna say anythin’.”
    “ I’m sorry? I didn’t
understand you,” Ruby said, frowning.
    “ Lassie, ’tis ‘ard
understandin’ ya, too,” the housekeeper said. She patted Ruby’s arm
before taking the tray away, and locking the door when she
left.
    Ruby went to the bed and
sat down.
    The darn man! I hope he
burns two times in hell when he dies.
    She didn’t know when she
fell asleep, but the next time she opened her eyes, it was morning.
The sun was beautiful, and she wished she could go outside and
breathe in the fresh country air.
    Arising, she rushed to the window and scanned the outside.
She beheld a glorious view of green hills rolling over more green
hills. At the far left from where she stood, she could see the
woods stretching all the way to her right side until they
disappeared from sight. There was also a stream running across the
land. It was a serenely beautiful vista.
    The door opened, and Ruby
turned to see Lizzie bringing in her breakfast tray.
    “ G’mornin’, lassie,”
Lizzie said cheerfully.
    “ Good morning to you, too.
It’s so beautiful outside, I wish I could go out and breathe the
fresh air. It seems so stuffy in here,” she groaned, looking out
longingly.
    “ Why don’t ya
go?”
    Ruby’s ears pricked up as
she blinked and glanced at the maid.
    Did I hear her right? Or was it just my imagination? After all, she could hardly
understand the woman, or anyone else, for that matter, in this damn
place except that blasted, too-handsome-for-his-own-good Mr. Cook
who neglected to look in on her yesterday.
    She reached for a piece of the toast and took a bite, her
mind whirring with plans. She finished her toast and took a sip of
the tea. It was nice, and she drank the rest of it, draining the
teacup empty. That pleased Lizzie mightily because it was her own
concoction. There would be none of those no-good commercial teas
for Alec and his lady guest.
    “ Ye full, lassie?” Lizzie
asked gleefully.
    Ruby nodded, and Lizzie
tidied up.
    As Lizzie moved toward the
door, Ruby followed.
    So far, so good. No sudden
alarm yet.
    Lizzie moved out the door,
and Ruby did the same.
    Outside her room, she scanned down the corridor and
gasped. Good Lord, the place
was huge and very elegant. Just like in a castle.
    Lizzie turned to look at
her.
    Ruby held her breath as
the woman watched her. “Ya afraid o’ gittin' lost?”
    Ruby sighed with relief
and nodded.
    “ Ya follow me then,”
Lizzie said.
    Ruby’s heart soared with
happiness. She gratefully followed the woman.
    They came down the grand
stairs to the first floor. Ruby noticed the corridor was elegantly
decorated with antique furniture, urns and priceless treasures.
There were also lots of portraits—portraits of people wearing
historic costumes dating from medieval times, and the Renaissance,
to the Regency and Victorian periods, and so on until today. Some
of the men looked a lot like Alec, which was stupid, of
course.
    Finally, they came to the
ground floor landing.
    Looking around, Ruby found
the corridor decorated in much the same way as the first. It was
also beautifully refurbished with antique furniture and other
priceless urns and objects. She smiled when she saw at the center
of the grand foyer a large vase with a coral peony arrangement, her
favorite flower. She gently touched the beautiful, rich pink
petals.
    “ Ya like the flowers,
lassie?” Lizzie asked, feeling rather proud indeed, for that was
her very own arrangement.
    Even though Ruby could
hardly understand the maid, she nodded.
    “ Where d’ya fancy goin’?”
Lizzie asked.
    Ruby tried to figure out
what the woman said. She got the word “goin’” at the end. Oh,
right, where would she like to go? Ruby grinned and said, “Er,
books, is there, er, um—”
    “ Aye, the library.” Lizzie
strolled toward the end of the corridor, and Ruby quickly followed
her.
    The woman stopped and
flung one of the doors open.
    Ruby widened her eyes when
she saw the library, as