Page 88 of A Highland Bride Taken
There was a pause, and Campbell thought that their visitor might have decided against meeting them. He was about tolie back down when the door opened and, surprisingly, Talia walked in, looking subdued and small, like a criminal who was heading to the guillotine.
Mabel must have noted the woman’s strange demeanor because she rose to her feet and stepped towards her.
“Talia,” she said, stopping before the governess in the middle of the room. “Is everything alright?”
Everything was definitely not alright, Campbell was sure of it. While Talia’s somber expression might be normal in light of the boys’ disappearance, something about her posture told him that there was something more. Another reason why she had needed to come to their bedroom.
Slowly, he stood up and walked up to the young governess, his hard eyes fixed on her, watching for any hint of her mission.
“Everything is nae alright,” he said quietly. Turning to Talia, he asked, “What did ye want to tell us, lass?”
“I am so sorry to disturb yer rest, Me Laird, Me Lady, but ye need to ken something important,” Talia began, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Campbell wrapped his arm around Mabel’s waist and drew her into him, her warmth almost like a buffer from whatever news was going to come out of the young governess’s mouth.
“I cannae take it anymore,” Talia burst out, falling to her knees. “I am so sorry. Please forgive me.”
“What are ye apologizing fer?” Mabel asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
Already, Campbell could feel the pieces coming together, bringing him to the perfect conclusion.
“I believe this is about the twins,” he said quietly, anger smoldering in his chest, threatening to boil over, while he waited for the bedraggled woman at his feet to confirm his suspicions.
“It is true, Me Laird,” she said between sobs. “I ken where the boys are. I ken who took them.”
“Who is it?” Campbell asked hoarsely, taking an unconscious step forward. His whole body was vibrating with rage.
“Darragh. Darragh took them,” Talia replied, fear blooming in her eyes.
Campbell held on to the sofa beside him and slowly lowered himself before his weak legs decided to collapse from the shock.
“Darragh?” Mabel echoed, confused. “Yer grandfaither?” Her gaze flitted between him and Talia. “Why would yer grandfaither kidnap his great-grandsons?”
“Why are ye surprised?” Campbell asked with a bitter chuckle. “He had nay qualms about forcefully taking his grandson twenty years ago. I guess he needs a new heir, now that the last one is dead.”
“Laird McCormick doesnae want the twins as his heirs,” Talia interjected quietly from her place on the floor.
“Then what does he hope to gain from kidnapping two little boys?” Campbell gritted out.
“He said that he wanted to remove them. That they were distractions. They were distracting ye and the lady from performing yer duties.”
“Duties?” Mabel’s mouth fell open in shock. “What duties?”
“Producing heirs. Laird McCormick believes that the twins are preventing ye from producing heirs.”
“I dinnae understand, the twins are me heirs—why did he nae attempt to take one of them to replace his lost heir?”
“He believes their blood to be tainted, since their maither was a servant,” Talia replied with an apologetic look in Mabel’s direction. “He sent me here to ensure that they were taught well, since they are still related to him. He also wanted me to keep an eye on ye, Me Laird, to ensure that ye were making plans to produce an heir soon.”
Suddenly, everything became clearer. The reason why his grandfather had been sending him letters, all urging him to marry, since Aiden had died. It was not because he cared. It was simply because he wanted him to produce an heir so he could steal him, just like he had stolen Aiden all those years ago.
Campbell was actually impressed with the man’s consistency of character. It could not have been easy to remain a right bastard, even after decades.
But while his grandfather was formidable, Campbell was even more so, and he had the advantage of youth on his side. He would never be as weak as his father. He would never sit back and allow the bitter old man to destroy his family again. Not now, not ever.
“Where did he take them?” he asked, rising from the sofa so swiftly that it groaned at the rough treatment.
He prowled towards the traitor on the floor, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he fought the urge to wring her slender neck.
