Page 26 of Claimed By the Heartless Highlander
Duncan rolled his eyes at their behavior, but he could feel a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he led them to where the kennel master would have kept the nursing mothers.
There was one of his favorite female dogs, who looked briefly and lovingly at him before she returned her attention to the five small, round-bellied little balls of fur nestled into her belly.
Lily squealed quietly with delight, and Ailis cooed happily. “Och, look at the wee things. Are they nae cute?”
“Aye!” Lily giggled again and tugged her down so that she could whisper—not nearly quietly enough for him not to hear, but she made an effort—in Ailis’s ear, “I’m hoping Faither will let me have one! Nae a hunting puppy, but one to play with, like the one Shelly the gardener has in her cottage.”
“Well, that’s up to yer faither, little lass. But there’s nothin’ wrong with gettin’ to know them now.” Ailis inclined her head to catch his gaze. “Unless, of course, ye have some concern, Me Laird?”
And there was that false-sweet, overly modest, overly polite tone again.
Duncan struggled to keep his tone neutral as he beckoned them closer to the dogs. “I’ve nay concerns. Blaze is a well-tempered b—girl—even when she’s just whelped a litter. So long as ye’re careful with the pups, there should be nay problems.”
Ailis smiled, and she and Lily flopped down to offer Blaze their hands to sniff before they scratched her ears and picked up a tiny puppy each.
Duncan watched as Ailis showed Lily how to properly hold the small animal, and how to make it feel safe. Both girls laughed as the puppies wiggled and nuzzled against them, seeking warmth and comfort.
He wanted to join them, but he couldn’t bring himself to relax. It was hard enough to watch Lily interact with a woman he barely knew, without being afraid it was some sort of trick or plot.
He hoped that Ailis would realize he was attempting to change his behavior and that his invitation to spend time with Lily was as close to an apology as he could bring himself to offer.
He’d thought about it for a long time, between sips of scotch last night, and he’d realized she was right. He couldn’t ask her to be his wife and also demand she keep her distance from his daughter or remain a stranger to his kinfolk.
He might not be able to give her his heart or be a loving husband, but that didn’t mean he had to keep her isolated.
His thoughts were interrupted by Jack, who joined him at the door to the kennels. “Do ye have a moment?”
“Aye.”
“In private.”
The soft words made him turn to look at his brother more closely. Jack’s expression was more solemn than usual, and it contrasted sharply with the easy-going smile he’d had at breakfast only a few minutes ago.
Duncan nodded. “Lily.” Lily and Ailis both looked up at him. “Yer uncle and I have some business to attend to. We’ll leave ye here with the guards for a few minutes. Behave yerself, and I’ll return soon.”
Lily nodded. After a moment, Ailis did as well.
Duncan followed his brother and tried to ignore the voice in his head that insisted that nothing Jack might want to tell him in private could be good news.
CHAPTER11
The puppies were adorable,and Ailis was heartened to see that Duncan actually trusted her to watch over his daughter. It was a pleasant change from his harsh words the night before.
The five pups were still too young to have fully grown out their coats or even opened their eyes. Still, she could see they were all mottled colors and split between two males and three females.
There was one female pup with a white ear that Lily seemed to be particularly attached to. Ailis made a mental note to see if Duncan could give the pup to Lily. There seemed to be plenty of hounds, especially for such an isolated castle and clan.
The scent of salt and the faint sound of the waves finally drew her attention away from the puppies. They were cute and made her heart melt, but they were far too young to spend much time away from their mother.
She coaxed Lily to return the puppies to their mother. “The wee things need to stay with their maither for a while, darlin’. Why do we nae tak’ a walk around the garden, and mayhap find a place to look at the ocean.” Lily nodded, and Ailis turned to the nearby guard. “Is there a place ye’d suggest for lookin’ at the sea?”
The guard guided her to stairs that led to a small guard chamber at the top of the wall. Ailis picked Lily up so they could both get a good look at the gleaming expanse of blue.
Lily grinned. “Pretty!”
The sky was clear, and the air was warm. Ailis couldn’t do anything other than agree. “Aye. The ocean’s lovely this time of year.” She ruffled the little girl’s hair gently. “I’ve always loved swimmin’. Mayhap when yer faither returns from his business with yer uncle, we’ll all go down to the shore and have some fun.”
Lily’s expression turned wistful in the way that only a young child’s could. “Is it fun? Me faither doesnae like me bein’ outside too much. I’ve never been beyond the walls, nae even durin’ berry season with the cook an’ scullery maids.”
