Page 55 of The Highlander's Virgin Nun
Rosaline took the letter and left her room. She made her way down the stairs and tried to ignore the faces that had seen her rush up. They looked confused, and some even whispered, but not unkindly. The people seemed concerned about her, but afraid to ask again. She was not in the mood to explain, even though she had managed to slow her breathing moments ago.
She walked to Caelan’s study, where she frequently found Jayden, hoping that the door was open so she would be able to peer inside. She did not want to find Caelan there, too.
Thankfully, the door was ajar, and upon peering inside, she saw Jayden studying a map, clearly not yet in the loop about the attack in the woods.
Rosaline knocked.
“Come in,” Jayden called. He rose when he saw her. “Lady Sinclair, are ye lookin’ for Caelan?”
“Nay,” she replied, having to clear her throat once she heard the emotion in her voice.
She took a deep breath and spoke the words she had been rehearsing in her mind on her way here.
“I need to send a letter to me braither. Caelan said that ye found his new address?”
“Aye, Me Lady. I can write it down for ye.”
“Just here is fine,” she said, handing him the folder letter.
“Are ye askin’ him to come visit?”
“Somethin’ like that,” she replied, trying to go over the reasoning without him noticing.
Kicking his wife out of the castle was a story Caelan would have to tell Jayden himself. She would spare herself the embarrassment.
“Caelan asked me to write to him.”
Jayden wrote the address on the letter and handed it back to her.
“I thought since Caelan asked for it to be sent, and since ye have strict rules about the post here, ye might have it sent for me. I am nae entirely sure how it’s done, but I ken that Caelan wants it to be delivered as soon as possible.”
“Of course, Me Lady. I will take it to our messenger right away and have him deliver it personally. He will leave tonight.”
Exactly as she hoped.
“Thank ye, Jayden.”
Jayden left the study with her letter, and she watched him go. She retired to her room afterward, trying to calm her nerves and hoping she would not have to wait long for her brother to come and collect her.
Rosaline could not even bear to consider the possibility that Conall might not come. She would have to run away again and fend for herself, but with the baby in her belly, she did not know if she would be able to keep them both alive.
Once again, she felt entirely hopeless, with nowhere to belong and no one to look out for her. She held her books close to her chest, wishing to be part of one of her fairytales or adventure books instead.
She fell asleep, her body tense and her heart sore, hoping for better news in the morning.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
“Would ye pass the bread, please, Caelan?”
Alexandra sat beside Rosaline at lunch, chatting sparingly with her brother. She made an effort with Rosaline, but when she received a few words in reply, she left her alone and spoke to Caelan instead. He chatted away as if nothing was wrong, which made Rosaline all the more upset.
“It is a nice day today, Alexandra. Ye should get out in the fresh air—maybe head to the village.”
“I might, indeed.”
Rosaline could not fathom how he spoke so calmly and normally, as if he hadn’t exiled his own wife after she was nearly killed because of him. She clenched her fists under the table, refusing to let others see how upset she was at his abandonment.
While her stomach churned with nerves and her throat tightened with tears, she endeavored to continue to eat while she could. She was still very thin and would need more weight on her bones to properly grow the child inside her. Even though her husband was abandoning them both, she would not abandon her child.
