Page 10 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
Her cheeks still burned with fury and humiliation and also from the feel of his weight pressing her into the earth, the fierce way his eyes had locked onto hers, and the scent of pine and smoke that clung to him like sin itself.
She paced, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides, trying to shake it off.
Focus.
She needed to focus. She had come here with a purpose—to find Reid and bring him home. But her thoughts were a tangled mess of rage and… something incredibly hotter.
Soft, measured footsteps approached from the end of the corridor, and she turned on her heel, ready to lash out and defend against another tackle. But the woman who appeared before her was not the person she had expected.
“Ye must be Lady Kilmartin,” the older woman said in a soft voice.
Eileen blinked, caught off guard. “Aye… I am.”
“I’m Lyla Fleming, Archer’s maither. I thought ye might appreciate a place to bathe and rest, seein’ as it’s late and ye have had a… rough arrival.”
Eileen stiffened.
“Come with me, child. I’ll show ye to a guest room.”
Still wound tight with frustration, Eileen followed.
Lyla walked with quiet elegance, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
“Please forgive me son,” she said after a long pause. “He’s… protective. Nae always gentle. But he means well.”
Eileen offered a tight smile, unsure if she believed that. Still, as they walked side by side through the winding corridor, she stole glances at Lyla. There was a sadness on her face—something old and deep. Not the kind that came from grief alone, but the slow erosion of hope.
The hollowness in the woman’s eyes quelled her irritation.
They stopped before a wooden door, its iron latch cool to the touch.
“We will send in a maid shortly,” Lyla said. “And… I believe yer maid has just arrived.”
The door swung open, and there was Piper—flushed, panting, wild-eyed. “Me Lady!”
Before Eileen could speak, Piper rushed forward and threw her arms around her. Eileen hugged her back tightly, letting herself feel the comfort for just a moment.
Lyla smiled faintly and gave a quick nod. “I’ll leave ye to it. Rest well, Lady Kilmartin.”
Once the door closed behind her, Eileen released a long breath.
“Thank the stars,” Piper whispered, pulling back. “I was half ready to storm the gates. Are ye all right? What happened?”
Eileen sat on the edge of the bed, finally allowing herself to sag beneath the weight of everything that had transpired. “Aye, I think so. Laird MacLennan found me before I could even get a proper look around. He tackled me to the ground like I was some assassin in the shadows.”
Piper’s gasp was sharp and immediate. “Hetackledye?”
Eileen groaned. “Right into the dirt. And then he pinned me like a bloody hare on a spit.”
Piper plopped down beside her, her brow furrowed in concern. “Well… that sounds awful. But at least ye are safe now. He says we are to be escorted back home tomorrow.”
Was it awful, though?
Aye,it was awful, and?—
“Right?” she heard Piper say, but she hadn’t heard anything else.
Eileen nodded her head quietly, not meeting her maid’s eyes. Her fingers twisted in the folds of her untucked tunic. Silence stretched between them as she felt Piper’s eyes fully take in her dirty clothes.
