Page 27 of Forever My Lass

If the girl had gone down the path lining the cliff wall to the inlet, it would take only one misstep for her to slip and fall to her death or suffer a serious injury. As she reached the edge of the cliff overlooking the inlet, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ainslie throwing rocks out into the water. Now to convince the child to return to the house. Madeline carefully made her way down to the inlet and walked across the sand toward the girl.

“Hello, Ainslie.”

The moment Madeline greeted her, the girl whirled around to face her with first shock and a bit of fear, both of which vanished quickly to become rebellious defiance. Madeline smiled at her then turned to look out over the water.

“It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it?”

“I suppose.” There was a hint of bewilderment in the girl’s response. Madeline turned her head and offered her a brief smile before she looked away to stare out at the Phoenix Rising.

“Has anything else from the shipwreck washed up on shore?”

“Nae. At least nothing interesting.”

Madeline simply nodded at the child’s response, keeping her attention focused on the flat surface of the water. It was a tranquil picture compared to the night Iain had pulled her from the water. The waves gently brushed against the shore, and she noted it was even calmer than yesterday when she’d raced down the steep path along the cliff to the water. There was a peaceful serenity about the inlet today that made it hard to imagine she’d been fighting for her life in the same water two days ago.

“Do you ever have picnics on the beach?” Madeline asked, turning her head to study the girl. Surprise crossed Ainslie’s pretty features as she nodded. “Aye, Eileen brings us sometimes. Nae with Faither, though. He dinnae like the inlet.”

“He doesn’t like the water?” Madeline eyed the girl with curiosity.

“Nae. Something bad happened here a long time ago. He will nae talk about it, but I think tis about my Uncle Thane.” Ainslie shrugged slightly her expression one of pensive curiosity. “My uncle died in the sea cave when Faither was a boy.”

“The sea cave?”

“Aye, ye cannae see them now because the tide has come in, and they are full of water, but at low tide ye can go inside. They are on the other side of the outcrop.” A frown of discontentment furrowed Ainslie’s brow. “But Faither made me swear never tae go into the sea cave. I dinnae want tae swear, but I did, and I cannae break my oath.”

“I think that’s very honorable of you, Ainslie. Integrity is something very special. It says no one has the ability to make you do something you know is wrong. It also shows how trustworthy you are when you give your word to someone else and don’t break your promise.”

The child didn’t answer her for a long moment, she simply studied Madeline with a frown of concentration. Suddenly, she nodded and smiled.

“I dinnae think about it like that before.” The small note of satisfaction in her voice made Madeline bite back a smile.

“Well, I think I’ll go back to the house now. I’m hungry, and I’m hoping Mrs. McFayden will have lunch soon.”

Without waiting for Ainslie to reply, Madeline turned and headed toward the path leading to the top of the cliff. She prayed she’d earned enough of the girl’s trust that Ainslie would follow her. A second later, her prayer was answered as the girl appeared at her side. At the foot of the path, Ainslie touched Madeline’s arm.

“Let me go first. I can show ye the slippery spots, and dinnae let go of the rope.” At the girl’s authoritative tone, Madeline nodded and bit back another smile. Ainslie was clearly her father’s daughter.

When they reached the top of the cliff, the two of them walked back to the house with Ainslie pointing out different landmarks and what she liked about them. As they walked through the front door of the hall, Iain emerged from the study with a fierce expression on his face. Not about to have him send the child back into her shell, Madeline deliberately stumbled, making it appear as if she’d tripped over her dress. In a split-second, Ainslie was at her side to steady her.

“Thank you, Ainslie.” She smiled at the girl as she glanced up to see Iain staring at them slack jawed. “Would you do me a favor, please? Would you find out when Mrs. McFayden will have lunch ready. I’m starving.”

With a bob of her head, the girl darted away, and when she was out of earshot, Iain shook his head in amazement.

“Are you sure that is my daughter, or did you switch her with one of the fae?”

“The fae?” Madeline frowned at the word.

“Fairy folk.”

“It’s not magic to simply listen,” she stated quietly before she narrowed her gaze at him. “And I have a feeling you weren’t in any mood to listen when Ainslie and I entered the house.”

“My daughter is impulsive and takes far too many risks. It is a family trait that often has unpleasant, tragic consequences.” His posture was rigid as he eyed Madeline with cold anger at having been admonished by her. “As her father, it is my duty tae keep her safe.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to tell you how to be a parent.” The words sounded hollow because she knew that was exactly what she’d been telling him. She sighed, and this time her apology was filled with sincerity. “I truly am sorry. It’s just that Ainslie reminds me of myself when I was much younger. I was rebellious, impulsive, and unthinking of potential danger.”

Iain glanced over his shoulder in the direction Ainslie had headed before he turned back to Madeline and gestured for her to move into his study. When she hesitated, he narrowed his eyes at her in a clear message that said she wasn’t to argue. Irritated by his arrogant manner, Madeline glared back before she walked into the study. To her surprise, the drapes were partially open now, which indicated Iain’s migraine was almost non-existent or completely gone.

The sound of the door closing behind her made Madeline spin around. His chilly anger had vanished, but she could tell he still wasn’t happy with her. Iain stalked past Madeline, heading toward his desk. As he circled the large, mahogany piece of furniture, he sank down in his chair. When he gestured for her to take a seat in front of his desk, Madeline experienced the urge not to blindly heed the man’s silent command. Instead, she tilted her chin upward in a small gesture of defiance.