Page 47 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
“Aye. Ye dinnae have any clothes that havenae been set alight. It’s the least I can do. And ye dinnae fit into the—” he stopped. “Ye need clothes that’ll fit ye,” he finished lamely.
They walked into the town together. Noah following behind, enjoying the spark that returned to her eyes as she got outside the castle. She must have felt cooped up in the preceding days when she was unable to be as free as she was accustomed to.
As they reached the main street, the market stalls had already been set up. A bustling crowd was moving between the vendors, with shouts filling the air as they sold their wares.
As he walked behind her, he tried not to watch her figure too closely. Colored fabrics floated high in the distance, identifying the seamstress’s shop.
“Look at those,” Keira said in delight as they passed a stall covered with jewelry. Well—jewelry of a kind. Noah’s grandmother would not have classed the cheap stones as jewels, but Keira’s eyes lit up at the sight of them.
“We arenae here for necklaces, lass,” he said, shaking his head apologetically at the store owner, who was a slight man with three teeth. “Let us visit the seamstress and see what she might have that will suit ye.”
But Noah paused as Keira ran her fingers over a gold necklace with a black jewel at the base. He frowned at it. It was exactly the same shade as her hair. She looked back at him, smiling wanly, and then did as he had asked and walked away.
“How much is the necklace?” Noah blurted out.
“Two shillin’, Me laird,” the store owner replied.
Noah could almost hear his grandmother rolling her eyes. There was little chance that the necklace was even worth two shillings, but he felt compelled to buy it for reasons he did not wish to examine too deeply.
He had paid before he knew what he was doing and promptly handed the necklace to Keira. She stared at him in happy amazement.
“I dinnae mean for ye to buy it,” she said, looking around them self-consciously.
“Ye dinnae like it?”
“Nay, I do. But ye shouldnae have done that.”
“I bought it, ye like it. That’s the end of the discussion,” he said gruffly.
Keira did not press the point, dangling the necklace between her elegant fingers before placing it over her head.
Just the same shade as her hair,he thought with satisfaction,worth nothin’ at all until worn on her.
They continued on their journey through the market. Keira was careful not to point anything else out, and Noah could see she was holding back from speaking to some of the market stall owners.
He would have bought her everything she wanted, but he was glad she stayed silent. As the laird, he shouldn’t be seen lavishing gifts on a strange new healer who had come into the town.
However, as they reached the seamstress’s shop, Noah realized no one could prevent him from buying her all the clothes she could ever need, just to make her smile.
* * *
Keira was light-headed by the time they entered the shop.
She had never been bought a present before. Although she was sure MacAllen had done it out of some misguided sense of chivalry, she knew she would treasure the necklace forever.
She was fairly sure the stone at the base was black glass, something that could ward off the evil eye. She felt strangely comforted by it as it bumped against her breast as she walked around the store.
She glanced back at Noah, who was staring out of the window, watching the passersby.
“I will repay ye,” she said hurriedly.
The fabrics on the shelves around her looked very fine indeed. She could not imagine what an entire new set of dresses might cost.
“It is a gift. Pick what ye like,” he said stiffly and sat down in a chair to wait, giving her a stern glare that was not to be quarreled with.
“Thank ye,” she said just as the seamstress whisked her away and started to drape several beautifully embroidered fabrics over her shoulders.
“Nay, nay,” she said quickly, “they are stunnin’ truly, but do ye have any dresses already made up that might be adjusted to fit me? I will be leavin’ these parts soon.”
