Read Online The Craving (Rogues of Scotland #1) by Donna Grant - Free Book Online
Authors: Donna Grant
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halt when she saw Aunt Tilly standing in the doorway.
Aunt Tilly was a loud, boisterous sort that even old age couldn’t dim. She was laughing at something one of the maids said, her voice easily carrying around the hall while she leaned heavily upon her cane.
Meg smiled as soon as Tilly’s direct blue gaze landed on her. Her aunt opened her arms, and Meg walked into them to be enveloped in a fierce hug that was unexpected from the thin, frail looking woman.
“You look more yourself,” Aunt Tilly said and then pulled back. She scrutinized Meg’s face with shrewd eyes for several silent moments. “Meg, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you found yourself a man.”
Meg could feel the color drain from her face. No one was supposed to know. How had her aunt figured it out?
“About time,” Aunt Tilly said and pulled her in for another hug.
Once released, Meg turned so that Tilly could lean on her as they walked to the solar. “I had no idea you were coming.”
“I didn’t either, my dear. Just a feeling I had that I wanted to see you. It seems your time at Ravensclyde has done you good.”
“Very much so.” Meg thought of Ronan and how he had touched her so gently.
“And the man?”
Meg swallowed, unsure of how much to tell Tilly. “He arrived recently and needed work. He’s helping with odd jobs.”
Aunt Tilly made an odd sound at the back of her throat. “And the furniture in the attic. Did you find anything that appealed to you?”
“Several pieces.” She helped Tilly into a chair and sat beside her. “Some are being refinished or recovered. A few have already been dispersed throughout the castle after a good cleaning.”
“That’s good to hear, but was there anything in there that drew you?”
Maybe it was the way that Tilly’s sharp blue eyes watched her so carefully, or maybe it was the tone her aunt used, but Meg had a feeling Aunt Tilly knew all about the mirror in the attic.
Her aunt suddenly smiled and sat back, both of her hands resting atop her cane. “Ah. I see that you found it. I suspect that your new worker is Ronan.”
“You know him?” Meg felt as if the chair had been yanked from beneath her as the world tilted precariously.
“I do. He’s the one who put that glow in your cheeks, isn’t he?”
Meg nodded woodenly, still trying to grasp what was going on. “If you know Ronan, then you let him out of the mirror?”
“That was me, aye. Newly married into the Alpin family, I just happened to find the mirror that had been hidden in the attic.”
“You put him back in that prison. Why?” Meg couldn’t believe her aunt could be so cruel.
Aunt Tilly glanced at the floor. “I didn’t want to, but Ina said I must.”
“Ina. I was on my way to see her when you arrived.”
“She wouldn’t tell you anything, Meg. You see, she told me to put Ronan back in his prison until it was time for him to be released again.”
Meg stood, appalled and angry. “So Ina is a gypsy? Do all gypsies hate Ronan so much that they want him to suffer for eternity? Ilinca said he could earn his freedom. I’ve given it to him.”
“It’s not that simple,” Tilly said softly. She let out a long sigh, her stare hard and unmoving. “Sit, Meg. Please.”
She wanted to rush up to Ronan, or out to Ina, and demand to know the truth. Instead, Meg resumed her seat and waited.
Tilly rubbed her swollen knuckles. “Aye, Ina is a gypsy. As I’m sure you’ve figured out, there is such a thing as magic in our wonderful land. The gypsies have a way with curses that make them so unbreakable that not even another gypsy can destroy it.
“Ina knew of the mirror. Her family had remained on Alpin land to keep watch over the times Ronan was let out.”
Meg’s shoulders slumped. “The first time he was released from the mirror he ran away. It was a gypsy that sent him back wasn’t it?”
Tilly’s face scrunched. “In a way. It was also his prison that pulled him back. I wanted to help
Aunt Tilly was a loud, boisterous sort that even old age couldn’t dim. She was laughing at something one of the maids said, her voice easily carrying around the hall while she leaned heavily upon her cane.
Meg smiled as soon as Tilly’s direct blue gaze landed on her. Her aunt opened her arms, and Meg walked into them to be enveloped in a fierce hug that was unexpected from the thin, frail looking woman.
“You look more yourself,” Aunt Tilly said and then pulled back. She scrutinized Meg’s face with shrewd eyes for several silent moments. “Meg, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you found yourself a man.”
Meg could feel the color drain from her face. No one was supposed to know. How had her aunt figured it out?
“About time,” Aunt Tilly said and pulled her in for another hug.
Once released, Meg turned so that Tilly could lean on her as they walked to the solar. “I had no idea you were coming.”
“I didn’t either, my dear. Just a feeling I had that I wanted to see you. It seems your time at Ravensclyde has done you good.”
“Very much so.” Meg thought of Ronan and how he had touched her so gently.
“And the man?”
Meg swallowed, unsure of how much to tell Tilly. “He arrived recently and needed work. He’s helping with odd jobs.”
Aunt Tilly made an odd sound at the back of her throat. “And the furniture in the attic. Did you find anything that appealed to you?”
“Several pieces.” She helped Tilly into a chair and sat beside her. “Some are being refinished or recovered. A few have already been dispersed throughout the castle after a good cleaning.”
“That’s good to hear, but was there anything in there that drew you?”
Maybe it was the way that Tilly’s sharp blue eyes watched her so carefully, or maybe it was the tone her aunt used, but Meg had a feeling Aunt Tilly knew all about the mirror in the attic.
Her aunt suddenly smiled and sat back, both of her hands resting atop her cane. “Ah. I see that you found it. I suspect that your new worker is Ronan.”
“You know him?” Meg felt as if the chair had been yanked from beneath her as the world tilted precariously.
“I do. He’s the one who put that glow in your cheeks, isn’t he?”
Meg nodded woodenly, still trying to grasp what was going on. “If you know Ronan, then you let him out of the mirror?”
“That was me, aye. Newly married into the Alpin family, I just happened to find the mirror that had been hidden in the attic.”
“You put him back in that prison. Why?” Meg couldn’t believe her aunt could be so cruel.
Aunt Tilly glanced at the floor. “I didn’t want to, but Ina said I must.”
“Ina. I was on my way to see her when you arrived.”
“She wouldn’t tell you anything, Meg. You see, she told me to put Ronan back in his prison until it was time for him to be released again.”
Meg stood, appalled and angry. “So Ina is a gypsy? Do all gypsies hate Ronan so much that they want him to suffer for eternity? Ilinca said he could earn his freedom. I’ve given it to him.”
“It’s not that simple,” Tilly said softly. She let out a long sigh, her stare hard and unmoving. “Sit, Meg. Please.”
She wanted to rush up to Ronan, or out to Ina, and demand to know the truth. Instead, Meg resumed her seat and waited.
Tilly rubbed her swollen knuckles. “Aye, Ina is a gypsy. As I’m sure you’ve figured out, there is such a thing as magic in our wonderful land. The gypsies have a way with curses that make them so unbreakable that not even another gypsy can destroy it.
“Ina knew of the mirror. Her family had remained on Alpin land to keep watch over the times Ronan was let out.”
Meg’s shoulders slumped. “The first time he was released from the mirror he ran away. It was a gypsy that sent him back wasn’t it?”
Tilly’s face scrunched. “In a way. It was also his prison that pulled him back. I wanted to help
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