Page 12 of Wedded to the Twisted Highlander
Astrid’s back stiffened as all the warmth in her body drained out of her toes. His eyes bored into hers as if he could read her mind so easily.
“Because,” she answered, her voice just as harsh, “the world will chew us up and spit us out. I cannae and willnae let any harm come to me daughter. Ye saw it wit’ yer own eyes. There are people out there who arenae very nice. And even lairds will say one thing and do another. I’ve got to protect her from the world.”
“Ye think me a threat?” the Laird asked as he plopped down into his chair, as if defeated.
Astrid found herself wanting to comfort him, but she remained rooted to the spot.
“Nay, Me Laird, but there are other lairds who arenae as kind,” she answered, her voice cracking as images of Laird Chalium flashed through her mind. His blond hair and blue eyes were etched into her memory like a scar.
“Ye speak of experience then. Who is he? Name him.”
Astrid hung her head as the walls seemed to close in on her. Every breath was a struggle as her throat constricted and her chest tightened.
“Easy,” the Laird murmured, his voice much closer than she had expected. “’Tis just ye and me in here. There’s nay danger.”
Astrid blinked until Jenson’s face merged with Laird McFair’s. The two images were so different that they startled her out of her daydream. She was shocked to find the Laird standing so close to her again.
His fingers curled around her arms as if it was by his grace that she remained on her feet. There was a pain in his eyes that made her flush with embarrassment.
“I see,” he whispered as if he knew exactly what she had been through.
“Laird Chalium,” Astrid choked out. “He willnae stop until he finds us.”
“Ye said the faither was dead,” the Laird said.
“And how I wish he was,” Astrid mumbled. “But there’s nay place for us to go that dares go up against him. We need sanctuary.”
She watched as he moved back to his desk and leaned against it, his brow furrowed. Her chest tightened as she glanced down at the bear rug before the fireplace. She couldn’t help but wonder if the Laird had killed the beast with his bare hands.
It wouldn’t surprise her one bit if he had. Laird McFair was certainly a man who looked like he could take on an army all on his own.
“I’ve heard the name.”
“It doesnae surprise me. Jenson has built a reputation for himself.”
“Aye, a man of ill repute, to be certain. And what had he done to warrant yer ire?”
“What all men seem to promise but never deliver,” Astrid gritted out.
“That doesnae answer me question,” the Laird said as he tilted his head.
The time for games was over. She could sense his irritation beneath his cool facade.
“Laird Chalium seduced me sister. He never intended to father a child wit’ her. When Melody was born, he didnae even acknowledge her. He wanted nothing to do wit’ the lass. But she was a constant reminder of his betrayal.” Astrid sighed as she closed her eyes.
The images lingered in her mind, reminding her once again that her sister was gone and the bastard was still alive.
“And where is yer sister?”
“Dead,” Astrid answered as she opened her eyes. “She took her life. That was when he turned to me. I couldnae let him touch me, nae after what he put me sister through. So, I left and took Melody wit’ me. She’s all I have left of me sister.”
Her lower lip trembled as the words tumbled out. She hated to think about the past. It was dead to her as long as she could keep moving. But how would Laird McFair handle her revelation? He didn’t appear to care one bit about her plight.
“Ye escaped him,” he prompted.
“Aye,” she answered with a nod of her head. “He had come to me chambers. His advances werenae welcomed. When he grabbed me by the shoulder, I grabbed his dirk and tried to chop off his head. But I missed.”
“Chalium will come for ye, and I have half a mind to let him take ye both,” the Laird said as he spun the tip of her dagger on his desk. “If he were a noble and decent man. But I cannae allow him to harm ye, nae while ye’re under me protection.”
