Page 75 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
For the first time, Brodrick let himself entertain the thought of her leaving and how much it would wreck him, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
* * *
The week following the cèilidh was hell for Ava, but it was a hell she had to go through. The first time she felt it was one cold morning when she received the missive from her friends back at the orphanage. The letter had come early that morning and she had been incredibly excited to read it. While some letters came to her directly, some were addressed to Margaret herself.
“Would you like to see the things they sent after breakfast?” She asked Margaret who was excited more than anything and had utter and complete curiosity written all over her face. She felt Brodrick’s hot gaze pierce her neck for the better half of a minute as she continued eating her food but continued not to indulge. If she was you to sever herself from him, she would do it incredibly well without letting any kind of distraction occur. Later after breakfast and when the rest of the family had properly settled back in their chambers, Ava grabbed Margaret and the letters and they both headed to the courtyard.
“Who are you most excited to hear from?”
“Sarah.” Margaret’s voice was firm and soft, almost like she never had a problem speaking before and sometimes it was incredibly hard for Ava to believe that the same girl she had once tried to make speak on several occasions had now found her voice.
“I do suppose that is quite fair in a way.” Ava responded as they stretched out a large mat over a patch of grass in the courtyard. As the cold wind blew across Ava’s face she tried to reminisce about Margaret's moments at the orphanage. Of all the women, Sarah had of course been the one to warm up to her the most. The woman's maternal instinct made her instantly connect with the girl and Ava would forever be grateful for it.
“I suppose we shall open Sarah’s letter first then, shall we not?”
“Or we can read everything else and hers should be the last one we open.”
Ava cocked her head. That was not the most terrible idea. “Perhaps we should do that.”
Seeing Margaret's smile, Ava brought out the sealed letters and unsealed the first.
“This is from Henrietta. She asks how you are settling into the castle and if they make your bannocks the way you like them. She wants to know if there'll be a spare room for her in case she decides to visit.”
“Aye, there'll be. There will be a room for everyone in the castle.” Margaret responded, her hands raised in the air, utter glee written all over her face.
Ava laughed. “That there will.”
She properly placed the letter on the other side after she was done resting the entire thing word for word to the girl and waiting for her to properly register everything she had said.
“Now this is from Elizabeth.” Ava whispered, pulling the seal from the letter rather gently and looking straight at the excited girl. “She asks if you're doing well and wants to know if you have an animal yet.”
Margaret frowned. “An animal?”
“Oh you know Elizabeth. She's always peddling animals around and helping them. She had a stray rabbit in her room once.” Ava explained..
“Sounds like an interesting lass, this Elizabeth.” The voice had come like a shock to her. She felt it behind her before she even turned around, Brodrick’s looming presence. She shifted and came face to face with him. He was in a dark shirt and leather trousers, his hands folded gently against his chest, a smirk on his face. The wind blew gently through his hair and Ava watched the strands on his face dance for a while before returning to the present. Why did he have to look so irresistible just as she was getting ready to leave him. Was this life's way of making a rager cruel joke on her?
“We’re reading letters from the orphanage.” Margaret responded, the excitement still lingering in her voice.
“I just got them today.” Ava said, feeling her voice catch as she tried explaining.
“I understand.” Brodrick responded. A tense moment of silence passed between them, with Ava sensing that one was waiting for the other to say something. To break the tension and the silence. As Ava opened her mouth to take the responsibility, Margaret beat her to it..
“Ye can come sit with us and listen.” Her innocent voice sounded so sincere. So unconcerned.
Ava swallowed.What?
Brodrick shuffled his feet. “Ach, nay, Lass. I dinnae want to tamper with this moment?—”
“But I want ye to listen to Sarah's letter. We're reading hers last.”
Ava exchanged a tense look with Brodrick, almost like she was asking him to refuse but she knew better. The last thing she wanted was to deny the girl some time with her father just because of the unresolved issues between them.
“Please. sit with us.” She finally managed to say. Brodrick seemed to consider it for another while before giving a brief nod and settling with them, perching on the mat right beside Ava. The whiff of his musk practically caught her off guard and she tried as much as possible to play it off. She couldn't do this. Not now. Not when she was this close to leaving castle MacDunn for good.
“And now—” she finally muttered, finding her voice. “We have the letter from Sarah.”
Ava perused the letter first before reading. Sarah had asked about Margaret’s mother and if she had fed her enough ever since she returned to the castle. She asked if they have found the reason for her disappearance in the first place and if the person responsible has been punished.
