Page 67 of The Highlander's Auctioned Hellion
She turned back to him, the faintest light from the castle behind lighting one side of her face.
Callum had an absurd thought that he tried to banish, but it persisted at the back of his mind, lingering like a loose thread he couldn’t catch.
There has never been a more beautiful view from this tower than there is lookin’ at her.
He looked down to find that the girls had fallen asleep, huddled against the cold wall, embracing one another.
“I dinnae think we are goin’ to get much stargazin’ done with these tonight,” Callum said softly. “Looks like ye have lost yer audience.”
Lydia ruffled Tommy’s hair. “Let us go back to your room before you catch a cold.”
“I want to see more stars,” Tommy protested, but even as he said it, a wide yawn chased the words.
“Another day, perhaps, you have had a long journey,” Lydia said, and she took his hand, leading them down the stairs as Callum bent to pick up the girls.
The little space was even darker than usual, and Callum had to watch his step to keep from tumbling down the narrow flight.
He followed Lydia through the torch-lit corridors to the thick oak door of the girls’ bedroom. She opened it for him, asCallum’s arms were occupied, and settled Tommy on a chair just inside the door to wait for them.
She turned, holding out her arms, and Callum passed Amy’s sleepy body to her as Lydia carried her to bed.
The girls slept in a large room that had once been Moira’s. Callum had removed all of his sister-in-law’s belongings as soon as he had arrived. It was just like Moira to take the largest room in the house for herself, while the girls were in a tiny back bedroom in the west wing.
He had had two beds installed on either side so they could see each other when they woke up. He had loved being able to wake up to Angus in the morning in his youth.
“There you are, sweet girl,” Lydia said, laying Amy down. “You sleep and dream of beautiful things.”
Raven was lying at the end of the bed, curled up and sleeping soundly as Amy settled down into her pillows.
Callum laid Eilis down, too, and they both tucked the girls in.
“Do you miss being tucked in at night?” Lydia asked, her green eyes on Amy’s sleeping form. It was a whimsical question, but Callum felt a throb of heat at the idea.
“Why, are ye offerin’, lass?”
Lydia gasped, glancing back at her brother, who had fallen asleep in the chair.
“I just meant, is this where you and your brother slept?” she said gently, her look of outrage turning to understanding.
Callum shrugged a shoulder. “Nay, we were in another room. Me braither liked to be able to see the courtyard when he woke. Me faither always told us we needed to ken where the guards were at all times.”
Lydia nodded, stepping aside as if to leave the room, and Callum held out a hand, looping his thumb and forefinger around her wrist.
She is so tiny.
“I wanted to thank ye, lass,” he said earnestly, letting her go when she paused.
“What for?”
“For all ye have done for these wee girls since ye came. Ye dinnae ken them before, but they have changed a lot since you arrived. I think they feel safe with ye, and ye’ve made sure to spend time with them. I kenned ye would be good for them, but I didnae ken how much.”
Lydia’s heart soared at that praise. It struck her then that it wasn’t common for anyone to tell her she had done well.
Her father was never happy with anything she did, and to know that Callum felt she had been a positive influence on the girls was wonderful.
“You’re welcome,” she said, her smile faltering a little. “That is what you brought me here for after all.”
Callum nodded, his expression hard to read.
