Page 39 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
Ava laughed again. “You may give them to her and see.”
Irene nodded and turned to Margaret, who was sitting two chairs away from them. “Lassie. Some wild berries for ye,” she announced.
Margaret looked up at Irene and then at Ava as if seeking permission.
Ava nodded gently, and Margaret reached for the wild berries in Irene’s hand.
Ava’s eyes flicked to Brodrick, who was watching his daughter with rather keen interest. A brief smile crossed her lips. The sight of him paying attention to his daughter would never not intrigue her.
“I have some scones for the wee lass as well,” another voice called, this time belonging to a man Ava didn’t recognize.
He handed out the scones already slathered with butter and honey to Margaret, and she took them.
One by one, the people started handing her some food or dessert they had prepared before breakfast. Ava could see, even for the briefest of moments, the pure contentment on Margaret’s face.
She smiled. If this was all she was able to achieve for the day, it was enough. Seeing the girl get involved with the culture of her people was a joy, and if she kept going, she would be well and truly be able to speak in no time.
Soon, Margaret’s corner of the table was filled with several kinds of sweets, oatcakes, cheeses, and scones. She exchanged a brief look of confusion with Ava as if asking if she was expected to finish all of it in one sitting.
Ava gave her a warm smile as if to tell her she was with her, whatever she did with the food.
Margaret took a few bites of the berries, the scones, and the oatcakes. Ava watched her carefully, ready to jump in almost at the first sign of danger. She could feel Brodrick’s gaze on her now. She couldn’t even see him out of the corner of her eye, and yet she knew from the rising heat on her neck that he was now staring at her.
“Did ye only teach the girl to eat bannocks? Why is she touchin’ the oatcakes like a monster will jump out and bite her?” Irene whispered to Ava, who stifled a laugh in response.
She continued to watch Margaret pick at the food before her, a look of mild curiosity on her face.
“Do you need help?” she asked, not because she thought Margaret needed help, but because she wanted to do something. Anything that could keep her mind away from the fact that Brodrick was still staring at her.
The last thing she wanted was to face him. She couldn’t bear looking into those hazel eyes for any longer than absolutely necessary.
Margaret shook her head as she continued to pick at the fruits and sweets before her. Her eyes landed on a tablet, a confection made with sugar, cream, and butter. She stared hard at it for a second and looked back at Ava.
Ava knew what Margaret was thinking.
Tablets were Ava’s favorite sweets. She always kept a stash of them in her room back at the orphanage and handed them out whenever she needed to. Margaret had always seen her with at least one or two tablets whenever she was around. One of the first things Ava had given Margaret when she’d found her was a tablet, and to say that Margaret hated it would be an understatement. She had spat it out almost immediately and had started to cry.
Now, Margaret stared at the tablet for a few more seconds before reaching for it. She held it tight in her hand before reaching over to Ava’s spot. Eyes turned to the little girl as she dropped the tablet beside Ava’s plate.
Murmurs swept across the table almost immediately. Ava could hear their questions, no matter how quietly they had tried to speak.
“Why would she take the sweet from the child?”
“Does the wee girl nae ken how to eat tablets?”
“Has the governess bewitched the child as well?”
Feeling a wave of heat crawl up her cheeks, Ava grabbed the tablet and placed it back on Margaret’s plate.
“You don’t have to share these with me, child,” she whispered.
Brodrick’s voice cut through the simmering tension. “Why did she give it to ye in the first place?”
All eyes turned to Ava, and she realized at that moment that she needed to clarify.
“Margaret knows tablets are my favorite. She, on the other hand, doesn’t like them as much,” she replied, her voice calm and her words as light and apologetic as they could possibly be.
“So why did ye nae eat it? Why return it to her plate?” Brodrick asked.
