Page 111 of The Highlander Who Loved Me
He’d ensure Johanna and Laurel’s safe transport to London. And then, he’d plunge himself into the next mission until the craving for Johanna Templeton became nothing but a faded memory.
Damn shame he didn’t believe the day would ever come.
…
Hours later, Johanna stroked her fingers through Laurel’s unruly strands, gently soothing her as they sat before a roaring fire. The inn had been a welcoming sight. Connor had seen Johanna and Laurel to the safe haven while Gerard stood guard over Cranston’s henchmen until Finn and his operatives could see the blackguards to justice.
Laurel clutched the scrap of paper Johanna had salvaged from her father’s last correspondence and concealed in her corset throughout those desperate days when she fought for the child’s safe return. Tears brimmed in the child’s eyes as she ran a fingertip along the edge of the torn paper, as if to reassure herself that she was not dreaming.
“My darling girl, you are more precious to me than any gem. You are the treasure of my heart. I will always love you, my sweet Laurel.” In the child’s hushed tones, the words were even more heartbreaking than they were on the paper. Richard Abbott had known he likely would not survive crossing Geoffrey Cranston and the countess. He’d entrusted Johanna with his final words to his daughter, just as he’d entrusted her with Laurel’s life.
Johanna swallowed against the bitter lump in her throat. “Your father loved you very much.”
With a sniffle, Laurel nodded, holding the frayed slip of paper as if it were a priceless treasure. She took a gulp of air. “He knew…he knew you’d come for me.”
Johanna wove her fingers through Laurel’s curls, searching for the right words. With a squeak of the door, Brenna entered the room, bearing a silver tray laden with tea and biscuits, and seated herself by the hearth. Johanna took a bite of biscuit and encouraged Laurel to eat. The girl had lost some of the rounded sweetness in her face during her captivity. Physically, she appeared unharmed, but the trauma of her ordeal reflected in her eyes. She’d need an abundance of gentleness and stability to strip away the fear in her gaze.
“Ye’ve had enough excitement to last a verrae long time,” Brenna said with a lightness that did not reach her eyes. She tapped a fingernail against the rim of Laurel’s cup. “Get some tea in ye, lass. It’ll warm yer bones.”
Observing Brenna as if trying to determine whether the innkeeper was friend or foe, Laurel took a sip, then nibbled a biscuit. “What do you call this?”
“Shortbread. Fresh from the oven,” Brenna said.
“Thank you.” Laurel stared down at her cup. What misery lurked in the child’s thoughts? What horror had she witnessed during her captivity?
Brenna took a generous bite of biscuit and washed it down with a swallow of tea. “Connor has the brooch?”
“Yes.” An image of the concealed knife, bloodied after use, flickered in Johanna’s thoughts. Her stomach twisted. “It was…effective.”
Brenna offered a knowing nod. “Cranston believed it to be the Demon’s Heart?”
“He considered the possibility. But I was sadly unconvincing. Pity I’m such a poor liar.”
“Ye told him it was the stone?”
Johanna stared down at her cup. “I led him to that conclusion.”
“’Twas not a lie, my friend.”
If Brenna had spilled hot tea in Johanna’s lap, she might have been less shocked. “What…what do you mean?”
A sly smile lifted Brenna’s lips. “The brooch may contain the stone. Truth be told, there’s no way of knowing.”
“I don’t understand. I saw the gem that had been buried near the loch.”
Brenna nodded. “You saw one of the stones…one of the three rubies.”
“Three?” She gasped.
“Our ancestors, the first to guard the ancient relics of our forefathers, created two replicas of the cursed ruby. Each was hidden for quite a long time. One was placed in the brooch. Another buried at the loch. And the third was entrusted to my kin for safekeeping. I’d ensured it was locked away, in a vault so secret, even my dear husband dinnae ken its location. No one knows which is the real stone.”
“But you have your suspicions?”
“No,” Brenna said without hesitation. “I dinnae want to know. All three will be safeguarded. We cannae take any chances.”
“And the book?”
“It will also be secured. Someone went to a great deal of trouble filling that book with hidden markings. Serena MacMasters will be entrusted with deciphering the symbols. She’s one of the finest codebreakers in the Queen’s empire.” Brenna turned to Laurel. “I see ye’ve had some of yer biscuit. Would ye like something else?”
