Page 23 of Wedded to the Twisted Highlander
“How far will ye go to keep yer promise?” she asked, her voice low.
“I promised her me life,” he answered.
“Then ye must marry the lass,” she whispered. “It’s the only way ye can keep her safe and have the clan back ye. Marry her, and every clansman will bend his knee to her. Nay other woman in Scotland will be better protected than her. But yemustmarry her.”
Thomas shook his head, the idea sliding off him like water to his oil. “Nay. The clan will understand her plight. I can tell them.”
“And humiliate her in front of everyone? Do ye really think she wants pity? Or dignity? Ye ken what yer faither would do,” Alba argued.
“He’d do the right thing,” he answered. “But he married ye.”
“Aye, and do ye think I was his first choice? The clan has been and always will be his first love. It is why he passed the mantle to ye and raised ye to be the Laird ye are today.”
Thomas mulled over her words and let them sink in. He didn’t exactly like what she was saying, but it made perfect sense the more he thought about it.
How long could he have the clan watch over Astrid before they started asking what her worth was? Not to mention that his father was on a short clock and everyone would expect her to leave the moment he passed. Thomas wouldn’t be able to protect her then.
As his men scattered to find Astrid and Melody, he considered this new plan. It was a wild idea, but would it be enough to keep Astrid and Melody safe and out of Laird Chalium’s clutches?
The longer Thomas mulled it over, the more it made sense.
8
“Melody, dinnae get too far ahead,” Astrid called as the sun peeked through the afternoon clouds.
“Och, she’ll be fine,” Eileen said, popping up around the rosemary bush. “Let the lass spend some of her energy. I’m sure it’s been a while since she’s been able to just be.”
Astrid couldn’t deny that fact. She couldn’t remember the last time she let Melody chase after the butterflies. A tentative peace settled in her heart as she plucked the herbs she needed for her tonic.
Although there was nothing she could do to help the Laird’s father get better, she was going to make him as comfortable as possible.
“Do ye have any ginger over there? Or perhaps some cloves?” she asked as she searched through the Marigolds and various flowering plants.
“I’ve got rosemary, thyme, and… Och, wait, here. I’ve found the chives,” Eileen said, pulling a bushel.
“Nae chives, cloves,” Astrid corrected as Melody came rushing back, her little face lighting up like the summer solstice. “They have a pungent smell.”
“What do ye do wit’ them?” Eileen asked, much to Astrid’s disappointment.
There was no way Astrid would be able to describe the herb she was looking for if Eileen had never seen it before.
“I dinnae think ye have them here,” she said. “We had them in our previous residence. I just assumed everyone did.”
“Maybe we can ask around. There are many people who are well-versed in botany around here. Maybe I can talk to Hugh or Liam.”
Astrid shook her head as if she knew exactly who Eileen was talking about. But if they knew anything about medicinal herbs, then she might have a chance to prolong her stay at McFair Castle.
“That would be wonderful. I ken of a few things that would help ease yer faither’s pain,” she said as she turned her attention to Melody, who’d been plucking the petals of a flower.
Eileen’s mood shifted. Her happy-go-lucky energy that flowed like a never-ending waterfall evaporated. Astrid glanced at her as she nodded her head toward the side doors.
The Laird stood in the doorway like a sentinel bound for war, his wide shoulders filling the frame. For a split second, Astrid wondered if she was looking at her Scottish Hercules.
“Braither,” Eileen greeted, a hint of irritation in her tone. “What brings ye out here at this hour? Arenae ye usually tied up wit’ other matters? What is it that ye always say to me? Aye, that’s right, ye dinnae have the time.”
“And I dinnae,” the Laird said as his gaze fell on Astrid.
Her heart fluttered wildly. She wondered if he could even tell. Pushing the feelings down, she tried to figure out exactly why he had such a strong effect on her. It was as if every nerve ending in her body came alive.
