Page 27 of The Laird's Secret Bairn

With a heavy sigh, he stared at the dying embers in the hearth and wondered if it had truly been a good plan to invite Skye into his home.

A month. It would just be a month, and then she would be on her way with her story. His reputation would be restored in a sense, and the two would have nothing to do with each other as far as he was concerned.

10

Skye hadn’t slept, and breakfast held no appeal either, so she wandered the castle instead, trailing her fingers along the portraits lining the corridor, stern-faced ancestors who’d likely never once questioned their place in a castle like this one, never once had to wonder if they belonged.

Every time she tried to think about eating, her stomach would twist in protest. The last thing it wanted was food after the argument she and Dougal had.

Skye remembered how she had felt when he pleasured her, how good he had made her feel. But then he had looked at her with such coldness. All the warmth he had previously shown her was gone, abandoned for the rage he felt over her words.

A crash sounded ahead. She followed it to find Lily kneeling on the floor in the kitchens, scolding a small black kitten with great seriousness, one hand on her hip in an uncanny imitation of someone older.

It was a sight to see, that was for sure.

Skye watched her, smiling to herself. The girl was adorable and just as lively as she had been last night during dinner.

“Ye cannae just knock things over because ye want attention, Blossom. It isnae proper, and Da will be cross with both of us.”

“I think she heard ye,” Skye said, stepping into the room. “She looks thoroughly ashamed of herself.”

The cat almost ducked her head, refusing to look her mistress in the eye. She understood that what she had done was wrong and accepted whatever punishment was coming her way.

Lily brightened instantly at the sight of her. “She isnae. She never is, no matter what I say.”

“Then perhaps she needs convincing. What if we found her something better to do with all that energy? Something a little mischievous.”

Lily’s eyes went wide with delight. She leaned closer to Skye, wanting to hear what she had to say about expending all that excess energy. “Like what?”

“Do you have any ideas?” Skye asked, smiling.

“How about sneaking down to the kitchens for sweets and milk for Blossom?”

Skye had to laugh at her sweet innocence.

It was something she had done as a young girl—sneaking down to the kitchen to take as many sweets as she could carry. She would use the skirt of her dress to carry them if she happened to take too many. Once, Freya had caught her and promised not to tell, but only if she gave her half of what she had taken.

Skye had not wanted to get caught, so she had had no choice but to fork over half of her sweets, glaring at Freya with every piece she slid into her open palms. She had gotten her sister back later that same month, taking a few of her precious sweets that their father had brought back from a trip. Freya had decided right then and there that they would call a truce. No point in punishing themselves or each other.

“We’d get caught,” Lily argued. “But sweets do sound so good… Do ye really think we can do it?”

“Only if we’re careless.” Skye grinned, then lowered her voice to a conspirator’s whisper. “Are ye careless? I can teach ye to be careful if ye like. I was able to sneak quite a few sweets from me kitchen when I was a wee lass like ye.”

“I am nae careless!Never!” Lily cried. “We can be careful!”

Skye slipped her hand into Lily’s, allowing the little girl to lead her to the kitchens.

Despite how loud Lily could get, she quieted the moment they were in the kitchens. She knew exactly how silent to be and when the moment called for it.

Predictably, they were careless. They were nearly back to Lily’s room, their arms full of stolen treasure, when a deep voice stopped them cold in the corridor.

Skye’s heart lurched. It was a voice she had hoped to avoid for most of the day. The argument from last night rushed back to her mind.

She was still cross about what Dougal had said. He likely felt the same. He did not seem like the type of man to easily let go of a grudge, no matter how many times the other person apologized.

“Did someone dare steal from their Laird?”

Both of them froze for a moment, then Lily recovered first, giggling helplessly. “We borrowed, Da! I promise we didnae steal anything.”