Page 1 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
CHAPTER1
Laird MacDunn stoodnear a pole on the verge of rot, the wind blowing ever so slightly against his kilt. His hands gripped the sword beneath his belt tightly as he took in the sight of the world burning before him. The roofs of the houses in the village burned with the ferocity of a rather angry gust of wind.
The fires emanating from the dry fields and the roofs licked at the sky, the smoke rising higher than the flames. He remained still, watching his men look through every burning house, every tavern, every other building with enough space to hide someone. To hide anyone.
For a brief moment, he wondered if he should have brought more men.
He remained still nonetheless, watching, waiting. She had to be here. He was sure of it. He couldn’t exactly explain how sure he was, but he had a feeling deep down in his gut—she was here.
His men continued to ransack the village while he stood watching the rest of the villagers flee from the fire. He didn’t stop them or ask anyone to either. He had more pressing matters at hand.
One of his men, Duncan, exited one of the buildings and walked closer to him. Laird MacDunn remained still, wondering if whatever news Duncan was about to break to him would lift or wreck him.
“She’s nae here, M’Laird. This is the second time we have looked through these houses,” Duncan reported, his voice almost drowned out by the roaring of the fires.
Laird MacDunn looked around, his eyes darkening with frustration. He stared at his other men, who were still looking through the other houses. Then, he stared at the fires and the dirt track Duncan had come from.
“Keep lookin’. She’s here somewhere.”
“M’Laird, we have looked over and over. She’s nae here,” Duncan repeated.
“Well then, look a third time.” Laird MacDunn’s voice was bordering on an angry growl. “The informant said there was a girl her age in the village. She must still be here somewhere.”
Duncan nodded and turned around, heading back to the burning houses along the dirt track, once again leaving Laird MacDunn to his roiling thoughts.
He couldn’t let himself get distracted by the thoughts racing through his mind. Thoughts likewhat if the informant was wrong. What if there wasn’t a girl her age here, and what if the girl wasn’t his daughter.
He swallowed and leaned slightly against the rotting pole, his eyes peeled for any other sign of movement. She was here.
She had to be.
* * *
The sound of Ava’s footsteps echoed through the hallways of the orphanage. One of her hands lifted the hem of her gown, while the other held on tightly to a covered bowl as she hurried past several doors, her eyes on the lookout for someone.
She stopped before one of the doors that lined the hallway and pressed down on the knob. She walked in, her eyes searching the room before her feet could even cross the threshold.
In the room were two girls sitting on the ground. They both seemed to be playing a kind of game and had stopped when she walked in.
Ava threw them a smile and looked around again, thinking her eyes could catch something she must have missed the first time.
“Margaret. Is she here?” she asked the two girls after looking around one more time for good measure.
They both shook their heads.
Ava threw them one more smile and retraced her steps. She closed the door behind her and continued down the hallway. Her heart beat erratically in her chest as she ran, and her body moved with a certain fluidity. She filled out her gown, and the lacing around it wound rather elegantly around her curves.
She ran even faster, silently hoping, desperately praying that the worst hadn’t happened. But then what could be the worst?
She stopped at another door and pressed down on the knob once again before walking in. She found a woman her age—a little older or younger, give or take. She was reading a book to a young girl just like one of the girls she had seen in the room before.
“Sarah,” Ava greeted when the woman’s head snapped up. Her eyes flicked to the child, and she threw her a smile as well. “Jane.”
“Ava? Ye look like ye have seen a ghost. Is everything all right?”
“I’m looking for her. Margaret.”
Jane and Sarah exchanged confused glances, almost like they were thinking the same thing. Then, they turned back to Ava again.
