Page 97 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
“One moment, Jack,” she said kindly and squeezed his hand as she came to stand over Noah, glaring at him furiously. “Have ye lost yer senses? Ye will catch a fever and ye are far worse than any man alive when ye are ill.” She stopped and then raised her eyebrows at him. “Or is that yer intention.”
“Away with ye,” he growled.
“Are ye goin’ to make yer sister and the bairn stand in the rain all night?” Jack asked savagely.
“I havenae made her do anythin’! I was mindin’ me own business,” Noah said defensively. “And Amelia has always liked the rain, or did ye nae ken that?”
“Noah,” Amelia’s voice was gentle. “Come inside.”
He sighed, knowing it was no use arguing with her. Jack was glowering at him as he tried to coax his wife back into the castle and Noah rose, water running off his clothing in rivulets as he followed them.
He passed Callum on the way, who was standing watching them with a gloomy expression on his face. Noah knew he would have to make up for his terrible behavior toward him later. After all he had done for him, he owed Callum his life, not a slice through the arm.
If Keira were here, she would tell me I’m a brute and she’d be right.
They entered the main hall where a merry fire was burning. Noah assumed that Amelia had instructed for it to be lit because since Keira had left him, he had enjoyed walking through the castle in the darkness. It made her absence less painful.
“Sit.” Amelia commanded as Jack carefully removed her cloak and maneuvered his wife toward the fire.
“Ye should warm yerself,” he said as Amelia rolled her eyes at him. “It’s nae good for the bairn for ye to be cold,” he insisted.
“Do ye wish me to getintothe fire, me love? Because that is how close ye are pushin’ me to it. I am fine, dinnae worry. This babe is safe and warm inside me and fully in agreement that I need to give his uncle a piece of me mind.”
“It’s a boy, is it?” Noah asked wryly.
“Whatever it is, he or she is in agreement that ye are bein’ an unbearable monster. What is the matter with ye?”
“What are ye doin’ here?” Noah asked, glaring at her. “I dinnae ask for ye to endure me company. Go back to Dougal castle if I am so disagreeable,” he said angrily and collapsed into a chair, waving a hand to a manservant who swiftly bought him a glass of whisky. He ignored Amelia’s disapproving look and took a large mouthful of it.
“Am I permitted one of those?” Jack asked. “Or are ye in such bad humor ye have forgotten how to host yer guests.”
“I dinnaeexpectany guests, did I?” Noah thundered, but after a short pause to glare at him, he nodded at the servant, who bought Jack a whisky and Amelia asked for some sweet tea which he went off to fetch.
“Ye are a mess, Noah Black,” Amelia said. “I never thought I would see ye in this state,” she chided, taking a seat opposite him and looking at him with far too much understanding in her eyes.
Jack went to stand by the fireside, looking into the flames, swirling the liquid in the glass, clearly pretending not to be listening to their hushed conversation.
“Where is she?” Amelia asked.
At that, Jack looked back, seemingly confused, and Noah frowned at him all the more.
“Where is who?” Noah asked, knocking the rest of his whisky down and raising his glass for another.
Amelia promptly plucked it out of his grip and handed it to Jack, who placed it on the mantelpiece behind him. Noah opened his mouth to protest, but Amelia fixed him with a frighteningly angry gaze, and he closed it again.
“I hate ye both,” he muttered.
“Where is the healer?” Amelia asked, and Jack’s eyes snapped to Noah’s, looking intrigued now.
“Ah, sothatis what this is about,” he said.
“Ye can be quiet, Dougal, or I’ll knock ye out,” Noah said sincerely.
“Are ye goin’ to attack me husband, or answer me question?” Amelia replied, entirely unfazed by his manner. “It is a simple request.”
Noah was mortified to find that he could feel tears building behind his eyes. He tamped them down with a force of will, grimacing as his sister took his hand in hers. Her slim, cool fingers reminded him of Keira’s and made his chest ache all the more.
“She is gone,” he said, surprised by the hoarse quality of his voice as he spoke the words.
