Page 91 of Hard-Hearted Highlander
The lad shrugged.
Rabbie smiled. It was all he would get, and he tousled Ualan’s hair. “Remember our plan. I’ll come for you tomorrow evening,” he said in Gaelic, and kissed both their cheeks, then stood. “You’re Highlanders. Be brave,” he said, and with a wink, he walked away from them.
Bernadette was hugging herself, watching him warily. “What did you say? What is happening?”
“They are in need of a place to stay,” he said.
It took Bernadette a moment to understand what he was suggesting, and when she did, she panicked. “You can’t leave them here! We’re leaving!”
“You donna leave for two days—”
“But you can’t justabandonthem,” she said. “It’s madness! I’m English! Do they know that?”
“Aye, they know it,” he said. “And they know to judge each person on her own merits, aye? That courtesy was no’ extended to their family, but they will extend it to you. They know no’ allSassenachare thediabhal.You’ll show them that is true, just as you’ve shown me. Help them, Bernadette.”
Bernadette looked at the children. “No,” she said, her voice full of panic. But it was too late; Rabbie was already at the door.
“Rabbie, no!Wait!” He could hear her running after him, and she caught him on the drive, her hand on his arm, and yanked him with surprising strength. “You cannot leave those two children alone here!”
“They are no’ alone, aye? They are with you.”
“Charles won’t—”
“I’ve sent our men to guard the house. I suspect Charles can be persuaded to house two orphans in return.” He shook Bernadette’s grip from his sleeve and picked up the reins of his horse.
“Wait!” she cried again, and lunged for his arm, catching it. “I don’t know what you mean to prove, but this isn’t the way to do it. I can’t keep those children. I don’t know the first thing of it!”
“They are alone in the world with no one to care for them, like you, Bernadette.Iam going to care for them. I will care for you, as well, if you’ll allow it. Those two bairns donna fault you for anything that has happened in the past and neither do I. The only thing they want, theonlything, is to be loved. That’s all I desire, as well. And I believe with all my heart that’s what you want.” He caught her chin in his hand and leaned closer. “I want to love you, Bernadette. I want to care for you. I want to keep you with me always. If you canna bear the burden of your past, I can. If you canna bear children, I can. You made me realize that I couldna neither live with sorrow nor cling to the past. Now it’s time you learn the same.” He kissed her lips tenderly, then let go of her and swung up on his horse.
“I’m to learn this because you’ve forced orphans on me?” she cried, sounding on the verge of hysteria.
“I’ll be back on the morrow.” He reined his horse around. “If those two can open their hearts to aSassenachafter what they’ve endured,then by God, you can open your heart to them.Andto me. You’ve roughly a day to decide if you will take that chance and remain in Scotland, or if you will let your past define your future and return to the constant reminder of it in England.”
He spurred his horse then and galloped away, leaving her standing there.
He wanted to believe that Fiona and Ualan would make her see the life they might have. With all his heart he wanted to believe it—but he didn’t feel as confident as he thought he might. He supposed he thought she might have been more welcoming.
He hoped the bairns would not despise him after twenty-four hours with a grieving woman. He hoped Bernadette would wake up from her grief and recognize the promise in what he offered. Honestly, he didn’t know if any of it would work. He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing, or worse, if even hecoulddo it. But he knew two things with all his heart: he loved Bernadette, and he did not want those children to be sent to a stranger in Inverness.
Rabbie rode away from Killeaven feeling a wee bit as if he’d put himself in a rowboat and pushed out to sea without an oar, without anything to guide him, and hoping for a favorable current.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
BERNADETTEWATCHEDINhorror as Rabbie rode away—she was paralyzed with shock. What on earth would possess him, after all that had been said between them, to deposit two children at Killeaven and ride on? She was confused, she was angry and she very badly wanted something to kick.
She ran damp palms down the side of her gown and slowly turned around to face the house. Dear Jesus, what was she to do now? She started by taking several deep breaths to calm her galloping heart, then forced herself to return to the salon.
The boy and girl were standing in the very place Rabbie had left them. They eyed her as guardedly as she eyed them. Charles was there, too, and looked between her and the children and back again, utterly confused. “I can’t say what this is about, Miss Holly, but I am certain you are aware you can’t possibly return to England with two children in tow.”
“No, of course not,” she said. “They are... I understand they need a place to sleep for the night.”
Charles sighed impatiently. “You’re to be a nursemaid now? There is work yet to be done!”
“Yes, I know,” she assured him. “But I’m feeling much better and I promise to help you—”
“Look here, Bernadette,” he said, and stepped in front of her. “I don’t care what you do. Just keep those two out of the way and out from underfoot. I’ve enough on my mind without worrying where they are or what they’re into.”
“I will,” she said.
