Page 15 of Saved By the Cruel Highlander
“Have a seat, Holly. May I call ye Holly?”
Holly nodded. “Of course. I’d be honored.”
Fergus smiled and leaned forward in his chair, stretching his gnarled hands to the warmth of the fire.
“I ken most of the gentry in these parts, but I’m nae familiar with the Taylors. I also noticed ye didnae introduce yerself as Lady Holly Taylor. So, tell me, lass, who are yer parents?”
Holly squirmed in her chair, uncomfortable with the topic. “Me parents died nine years ago. I… I am an orphan.”
Fergus’s bushy eyebrows rose, and he ran a hand down his beard. “Do ye work, then? I suppose ye would need to work to support yerself.”
Holly shook her head. “Nay. Me parents left me with enough coin to see me comfortably through life. I dinnae work, but me inheritance has allowed me the freedom to do things I enjoy, such as takin’ care of the orphans in the orphanage at the church.”
Fergus nodded, his small smile barely visible beneath his beard. “‘Tis very kind of ye.”
They sat quietly for a few minutes. The only sound in the chamber was the crackle of the fire in the hearth. Ollie strolled over and immediately weaved his body between Fergus’s ankles.
Fergus chuckled and bent down to pet the cat. “Has Elias seen this beastie yet?”
Holly’s eyes were trained on Ollie as a fond smile spread across her face. “Aye. ‘Tis fortunate that he likes cats.” She raised her gaze to the older man’s. “To be honest, I was a little worried hemight nae and insist I get rid of poor Ollie here. I could never do such a thing, ye ken.”
At first, the sound that came from Fergus sounded like a chuckle, but then he covered his mouth and coughed.
“Likes cats, ye say?” he asked when he stopped coughing, but he was still grinning. When Holly nodded happily, he asked, “What did Elias say when he saw… er… Ollie?”
Holly furrowed her brow as she tried to remember the Laird’s words. “He just asked if the beastie belonged to me,” she finally answered. “Then, he said that we’d be wed in a month.”
She cringed inwardly. She hadn’t meant to let that last part slip. Thankfully, Fergus didn’t seem to notice.
Ollie, tired of being petted, moved away and curled up on the rug before the hearth. In a matter of seconds, he was sound asleep.
“Other than Ollie here, do ye have any siblings?” Fergus asked.
Holly shook her head. “Nay. ‘Twas just me and me parents before they… died.”
She could tell he wanted to ask more, maybe how her parents passed, but he didn’t say anything. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She could just imagine the elder’s face if she told him what happened—that her father diedfighting her kidnapper and her mother died from a broken heart when she’d seen her husband’s dead body.
“It must have been lonely for ye,” Fergus said sympathetically.
Holly shrugged. “Nay, nae really. The orphans kept me busy, and I still keep in touch with many of them. They write to me once in a while, and I always respond. I love hearin’ from them, and I am proud of the ones who have improved their lives.”
Fergus cocked his head, his brow furrowed in thought. “How do they write to ye, lass? Most orphans dinnae ken how to read, much less write.”
Holly smiled, even as a slight blush of pride and pleasure rose to her cheeks. “I taught them.”
Fergus nodded in approval. “‘Tis good to hear that ye arenae afraid of a challenge,” he said. “Ye will have a lot to learn as the new Lady McAllister, and the people will need some time to get to ken ye.”
“I look forward to the challenge, Fergus,” Holly said truthfully. “I promise ye, I will protect the people and Laird McAllister as fiercely as the Laird does.”
Fergus chuckled. “How do ye ken the Laird protects his clan ‘fiercely’?”
Holly paused as she considered her answer. The truth was, she didn’t know. But she’d seen hints.
“I only have to look at the castle and the people to ken that he is a fair and protective laird,” she answered after a minute. “I didnae see signs of abuse, although the servants seem to be wary of him. But that could just be because he is their Laird and they dinnae want to disappoint him.”
Fergus tugged on his beard in thought. “Ye gleaned all of this after a few minutes in the castle?”
“It doesnae take long to spot neglect,” Holly said with a smile. “The clan may fear Laird McAllister, but they respect him. A man doesnae earn that kind of respect if he is a monster.”
