Page 39 of The Highlander's Virgin Nun
“Nay, nay, go ahead,” Rosaline allowed. Alexandra’s words touched her deeply.
“Did they hit ye?”
The question stung, even though Rosaline had known it was coming. She struggled to string words together. She felt so vulnerable.
“Aye,” she managed on an exhale. “If I dropped something, wasnae fast enough, or didnae read their mind when they failed to even speak an instruction out loud, I would be punished. In various ways.”
Alexandra stopped now, placing a hand over her heart. Rosaline saw the genuine empathy in her eyes.
“I really am sorry, Rosaline. Nay one should have to go through that. I am so glad that Caelan found ye and that ye are safe now.”
Rosaline absorbed her words. Although she knew the cruelty she had suffered was wrong, oftentimes she became convinced that it was her fault. If she was sharper, more careful, and more obedient, perhaps she could have avoided some of the blows.
But Alexandra was right. It was never right to be treated that way. Rosaline hoped dearly that she was really safe now. She certainly felt a lot safer than at the convent.
“Look, the freesias are just over here!” Alexandra gushed, her eyes sparkling as she directed them a few steps further towards a cluster of bright flowers.
She must have realized that Rosaline could discuss the subject no further, and thus she dropped it. Rosaline could not deny that she did feel a little lighter, though. As if the burden of her past was somewhat lifted from her shoulders.
The women gathered flowers together, Alexandra favoring the pinks and Rosaline favoring the yellows. They tied their bouquets together with twine and walked back towards the castle with their bounty.
“I can take yers back yer room if ye like and put them in a vase with some water. The library is just on the second floor, third door on the right.”
Rosaline thanked Alexandra and said goodbye, heading straight for the library. She was still a little unsettled from the events of the day and was eager for an afternoon of rest, time alone, and maybe even some distraction in beautiful tales. She followed Alexandra’s instructions and soon found the correct door.
The library was wonderful. The walls, entirely covered in dark wood, were lined with numerous bookshelves that rose from floor to ceiling. The smell of paper and leather filled her nostrils, and she was transported to a place of calm, of silence.
Rosaline ran her fingers along the spines as she walked around the room, taking it all in. Large armchairs by tall, paned windows called her name, and she quickly sought out a few enticing titles to take with her.
She selected a childhood story she only vaguely remembered, a travel diary of a Scottish merchant, and a biography of a Scottish queen. She took them to the small table by the chairs and sat down, opening the first book, desperate to uncover its tale.
She could finally relax.
* * *
“I hope I’m nae disturbin’ ye,” Caelan said, as he entered the library, his voice far too loud for the silence that the library had known all morning.
He waltzed in, closed the door behind him, and came to sit on the armchair opposite her.
Ye aredisturbin’, actually.
But Rosaline did not dare say it. She would not be rude just because she was shy after their intimacy a couple of days ago.
“I’m glad to see someone finally in here, usin’ this space. It’s had few visitors since me maither died.”
“Ye dinnae read much?” Rosaline asked.
“Havenae got the time since I became Laird.”
Rosaline nodded in understanding.
“What was she like?” she ventured.
“Huh?”
“Yer maither. Ye said that she passed givin’ birth to Alexandra, but what kind of mother was she? Who was she?”
Caelan lowered his head a few inches and blinked slowly, as if having to access a part of his mind that he usually kept locked. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.
