Page 55 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
“No, it is not. You have not one single thing to say about your wife? Not even the number of teeth in her mouth?”
Brodrick turned to her, mild shock crossing his face. “What?”
“I’m just saying you should have somethingto say about the mother of your child?—”
“Like the number of teeth she had?”
“No, that is not what I?—”
“That was quite literally what ye just said.”
“No, I?—”
“I am merely quotin’ yer words verbatim.”
“My Laird?—”
“What else would ye like to ken? The color of her tongue? The size of her nostrils when they flared?”
“Good God, you are as insufferable as they come, aren’t you?” Ava exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in utter exasperation.
She regretted it almost immediately and hoped she didn’t wake anyone in the castle with how loud she had been.
Brodrick sighed. “And ye are quite relentless, do ye ken that?”
“Tell me something I don’t know, My Laird.”
Brodrick shifted slightly. “Davina was as lovely as they come. If I had been in love with her, this would’ve been a completely different story.”
Ava sighed. “You weren’t in love with her?”
Brodrick shook his head. “Nay. My marriage to Davina was purely out of duty. Of course, I cared for her and respected her. Her faither was a warrior, and at some point, she kenned how to hold her own in a sword fight. Lord kens she was better than half the men I train in the courtyard.”
Ava laughed. For some reason, something about that warmed her heart and made her feel some kind of empathy for Davina.
“She sounds like a great woman.”
But Brodrick had fallen silent. Ava could sense his grief.
“You miss her, do you not?” she asked.
“I dinnae miss livin’ with her. Sometimes, a part of me is happy she wasnae here to witness what happened to our daughter. I fear she may nae have been able to bear it. Maybe that would have killed her anyway.
The racing thoughts, the unending anticipation. But at times like this, especially ever since we got back from the orphanage, I wish there was a way she could see her daughter now and ken that she is safe. And that she is with her faither.”
Ava nodded in sympathy. “I am certain she knows.”
Brodrick sighed. “I believe so, as well. And I ken she’d be forever grateful to ye. Just like I am.”
Before Ava could reply, he continued, “Now, this may sound hilarious to ye, but back in the gallery…” He paused, weighing his words. “I could have sworn I saw Davina’s portrait smile when Margaret touched it.”
Ava swallowed. “Oh.”
“I did say this might sound hilarious to ye.”
“Hilarious?” Ava echoed, feeling a flush crawl up her cheeks. “No. No. Why would it be?”
Brodrick narrowed his eyes at her. “Ye look like ye’re on the verge of laughter.”
