Free Her Rebellious Heart: A Scottish Historical Romance by Marian McBride

now.”
                  Releasing his hold on her then, he held her chin within his hand and tilting her face up toward his own, said quietly, “All right, Bridget, I’ll let you go, I know you are dead tired as we all are.” He looked at her intently, and then continued, “but there will come another time, when I won’t let you go.” Opening the bedroom door for her, he then ran quietly downstairs.
     
     
                  The next few weeks at the castle flew by, and Bridget was amazed how easily she fell into a routine there. Robert treated her like the lady of the house, deferring to her in many small matters. Besse seemed to follow suit, reluctantly. She was kind enough to Bridget's face, but sometimes Bridget thought she saw the housekeeper scowling at her out of the corner of her eye. She was not sure, however, of what she saw and she did not know what she should do about it anyway. She also was unsure what to do about Aidan. He was avoiding her, spending his time in the stables or out tending to the land with Robert. She could almost forget he existed.
     
     
                  “You can do it Bridget,” said Miss Wallace, looking over the top of her steaming cup of tea, “and it will be a wonderful opportunity for both of us. Your final exam is over and you passed with flying colors. There is no one I would rather entrust my beginning students to than you.”
                  Bridget sipped her tea and sat quietly, mulling things over in her mind. She had planned on taking most of the summer off to rest up from all her studies, but this offer put a new perspective on things.
                  She looked around the pleasant room she had spent so much time in, the last few years. The piano she had played on so often stood across one corner between the fire place and a large bay window,and on the opposite side of the wide of the window stood the old pump organ and directly across the room from it, there was a handsome side board, used mostly for storing miscellaneous music books.
                  The iron kettle, black with soot, stood on the bink at the side of the open fire, always at the boil, ready for a quick cup of tea.
                  The large table in the center of the room served as a desk for students written theory lessons, before their actual  half hour at the piano. Miss Wallace living quarters adjoined this room, making it a very convenient way of life,for a single woman.
                  She now looked at Bridget speculatively and continued,
                  “There is something else I want you to do for me, Bridget, while I am away.”
    Bridget now felt the excitement rising in her.
                  “How wonderful,” she thought, “to have my chosen work handed to me like this.  It would give me the experience I need before advertising for my students, and mum and father would be so pleased.”
                  She looked across at her teacher with a smile,
                  “Yes, Miss Wallace, what is the other thing you would like me to do for you?”
                  “Well don’t get frightened at what I am about to say, but I would like you to be acting organist at the church also, while I am gone.”
                  The two women looked at each other, Bridget’s eyes popping wide, mouth flying open.
                  She stammered,
                  “Oh Miss Wallace, I don’t know about that, I’m afraid I would be too excited and nervous to play in front of all those people.”
                  “Nonsense my dear, you have no need to be afraid, you are a fine player, and since I  won’t be leaving for a few months yet, you will have ample time to come to church once a week for choir practice, and I ahall let you take over a few weeks before I do leave. Wouldn’t you like