Page 16 of Highlander Lord Of Vengeance

Villagers offered her smiles and respectful nods, but few dared speak with her. She didn’t blame them. A single word, taken the wrong way, could bring Torrance’s wrath. No one risked such things, not even for kindness.

The snow blanketing the ground lent the village an almost magical beauty. That was why she headed for the woods because there was where the magic deepened. The woods transformed beneath the snow’s touch, dressed in shimmering white, quiet and untouched.

The woods welcomed her like an old friend. As she stepped beneath the trees, the quiet wrapped around her, soft and complete, broken only by the occasional whisper of snow slipping from a branch or the distant cry of a bird. The hush was comforting, a rare thing in her life… like being cradled by something far greater than herself.

She wandered a narrow trail, her gloved hand brushing over snow-laden branches, each touch leaving a trace of her passing. Icicles clung to the tips of pine boughs like delicate frozen teardrops, and here and there, animal tracks crisscrossed the snow—fox, hare, perhaps a deer. The air was crisp, each breath drawing a touch of frost across her lungs, and she closed her eyes, letting it settle through her like a soothing balm.

This was where she could breathe.

She came to a small clearing where snow lay undisturbed, a silvery-white canvas untouched by man or beast. A thick-barked tree with heavy limbs curved protectively overhead, and she stepped beneath it, tilting her head to watch the flakes filter down through the tangled branches. Here, in this stillness, she could pretend, for a heartbeat, that she was simply a woman on a wander, not a wife tied to a man she feared.

“You come here often?”

The voice startled Esme. She turned sharply to see Una step lightly between the trees, a woolen cloak clasped at her neck, her hair braided back but wind-tossed around her pale face. Unlike the others in the village, Una’s gaze did not drop respectfully. It met hers, curious and calm.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Una said, her tone light, almost teasing. “But I suppose it’s easy to forget you’re not alone, even out here.”

Esme’s shoulders eased. “It’s quite all right. I just… needed some time.”

Una gave a small nod and stepped into the clearing, her boots crunching softly in the snow. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Like the world decided to stop and take a breath.”

Esme looked around again and smiled faintly. “Aye. That’s exactly how it feels.”

Una tucked her hands into her sleeves. “Sometimes I think the forest is the only place where truth can live. It’s quiet here. Honest.”

Esme didn’t know what to say to that, so she said nothing.

“I’ve never liked the silence in the keep,” Una went on. “It’s a false silence, one full of secrets and watchers. Here, at least, no one listens but the trees.”

Esme studied the young woman. There was boldness in her tone that made her nervous, but also curious.

Una seemed to catch her hesitation and shrugged. “I’m a prisoner, same as you. Some chains are just better hidden than others.”

Esme’s eyes widened slightly, but Una only offered a faint, tired smile. “One day I hope to be free. Until then, I take what moments I sneak—like this.”

“You’re not afraid to say such things?” Esme asked, unsure whether to be shocked or impressed.

“I’m afraid of many things,” Una admitted. “But not of truth. And neither should you be. You should speak your mind more.”

Esme sighed softly. “It is easy to say when you’re not bound to a man like Torrance.”

Una gave a low laugh. “I’m bound to your husband’s rules, but I won’t let my voice be silenced.”

“You are braver than I am,” Esme admitted.

“You have more courage than you think. You just need to embrace it,” Una said then leaned in slightly and lowered her voice. “There’s talk Lord Torrance is seeking another wife.”

The words hit Esme like a stone to the chest. “What?”

“I don’t say it to be cruel,” Una said quickly. “Only to warn you. If you want something different, if you don’t want to be replaced, you’d best find the courage to do something about it.”

Esme stared at her, words tangled in her throat, when a voice cut through the stillness like a whipcrack.

“ESME!”

Torrance.

He stepped into the clearing like a storm, eyes blazing, jaw clenched. “What in God’s name are you doing out here alone?” His gaze slid to Una. “Leave us.”

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