Page 53 of Highlander's Captive Bride
“But I already have me scarf,” she pointed out, frowning, fingering the article around her neck.
“Ach, that was pennies,” Bellamy scoffed. “When I said I want to buy ye a thank ye present, I meant something a bit more substantial than that. Go on, choose something ye like,” he urged.
Touched by his generosity, Daisy looked again at the array of wonderful objects in front of her, this time hunting for something she was drawn to. Eventually, she came across a delicate silver bracelet with several tiny charms dangling from it.
When she looked more closely, she was delighted to see that one was a tiny boat, complete with a miniature sailor with oars in hand, and another was a pair of swans whose necks were entwined in a heart shape. There was also a salmon, a hawk, a sprig of heather, and a tiny castle.
“Och, I love this,” she said, taking the bracelet in her hand and showing it to him.
Bellamy examined the diminutive charms with a surprisingly delicate touch, then looked deep into her eyes. She felt something warm and fleeting pass between them, and when he gave a small smile and nodded his head, she knew he had understood exactly why she had chosen it.
It was the perfect memento of their time together that day, their journey by boat across the loch from the castle and everything they had seen and shared along the way. It encapsulated their entire relationship.
“Aye, ’tis perfect,” he murmured, handing it to the stallholder, who once again wrapped the item up and took payment.
Finished at last, Daisy and Bellamy tarried a little longer among the stalls before he suggested they make their way back to the castle.
“I want us to go and see how things are with Elodie,” he told her. “But we dinnae have to hurry, so I thought we could walk home and go back along the causeway.”
“I have everything I want, so aye, let’s do that,” Daisy agreed.
She imagined they would leave the village the way they had come, so she was quite surprised when Bellamy continued in the opposite direction, taking a path at the other end of the village that veered off to the left.
They strolled at a leisurely pace further up the street, past the market, and took a left turn out of the village and onto the moor. A grassy path eventually took them into a copse of pine trees, where they came alongside a babbling mountain burn, whose waters fell musically over a rocky bed. By its banks, Bellamy drew them to a halt.
“’Tis so peaceful here,” Daisy breathed, entranced by the tranquility of the place as they stood side by side. “The more I see of yer lands, the more I see their beauty,” she said, turning and looking up at him with a smile.
Bellamy took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank ye, Daisy, but ye see, I brought ye here so we could talk in private, away from everybody else.”
“Oh?” Daisy murmured, feeling a stab of worry at his words.
“I want to tell ye something very important. But first, I need ye to swear that ye’ll never tell another soul.”
16
Daisy was taken aback by Bellamy’s sudden change in demeanor. A moment ago, he had been lighthearted and carefree. Now, he was looking down at her, holding her hands in his. His handsome face had turned serious, and Daisy could see the earnestness in his eyes.
“Well, if ye wish to confide something so important to me, then of course, I swear to keep it to meself,” she told him, her heart thumping slowly in her chest with anticipation.
“Let’s sit down,” he said, letting go of her hands and leading her to a large, flat rock by the burnside.
They sat down, side by side, but turned so that they were facing each other, their faces quite close.
“What is it, Bellamy? Ye’re starting to scare me,” Daisy told him truthfully.
“’Tis about Elodie,” he began, looking steadily into her eyes. “She’s nae me daughter.”
You could have knocked Daisy off her perch with a feather, she was so surprised.
“What was that?” she muttered in confusion, wondering if she had heard him correctly. “Did ye just say that Elodie isnae yer daughter?”
He nodded. “Aye.”
Daisy let that sink in for a moment before asking, “So, what is she, then?”
“She’s me niece.”
“Yer niece?!” She gazed at him in confusion. “But—but… why? Why let everyone think she’s yers? I dinnae understand.”
