Page 63 of The Highlander's Virgin Nun
Rosaline familiarized herself with where everything was, moving the jug of water beside her bed, checking the desk for parchment and ink, and pulling the curtains closed. She would check the view in the morning, once the sun had risen. She took off her boots and put on a pair of slippers Eliza had left by her bed.
“I hope this is all right. Dinnae feel pressured to eat anythin’ ye’re nae fond of.”
Eliza returned with a plate of bread, meat, and vegetables and placed it on the small table by the window.
“I can leave ye to rest now, or I can stay and answer any questions ye have.”
Rosaline considered for a moment. She was tired and had had a very emotional few days. She would have liked to simply rest and try to calm her nerves, but she knew that rest would not come so easily.
So, she decided it would be best to get to know her sister-in-law and what life was like here.
“Please, stay.”
“Of course,” Eliza said with a smile, seemingly glad of the opportunity to chat with her sister-in-law.
“If ye dinnae mind me askin’, how did ye meet me braither?” Rosaline asked, thinking it best if she started the conversation.
She could see that Eliza was very considerate, but she also noted that the woman looked unsure where to start.
“Ye can ask me anythin’, lass.” Eliza let out a small laugh. “It was an unconventional meetin’. Yer braither kidnapped me.”
Rosaline’s hand flew to her mouth in shock, but then it lowered as she saw the smile on Eliza’s face.
“It sounds terrible, and it wasnae very charmin’ at the time, but he had his reasons.”
She kept silent, waiting for Eliza to elaborate.
“The clan was sufferin’ a grave illness. He desperately needed a healer, and me talents were spoken of far and wide. I never wanted to leave me home, and he kenned I wouldnae come if he simply asked, so he brought me here by force. He had nay choice.”
“Still, I hope he didnae hurt ye,” Rosaline said, fearful that her brother had turned into a cruel laird.
“Nay. We didnae get on well at first, but eventually, I saw the man desperate to save his people, who had gone through so much already. I was able to help, and as his stress ebbed, his kindness and softness shone through. And I fell in love with him.”
Rosaline took it all in, a sad smile crossing her lips. The story was complex and difficult, just like hers. She wondered if her story would have the same ending.
“I read yer letter,” Eliza admitted. “Yer husband, Laird Sinclair, he sent ye here. Why?”
“I am unsure,” Rosaline confessed.
While she had taken his words to heart—that her brother owed her and that he should take care of her while he still could—before leaving, she saw in his eyes and his words that there was perhaps more to it.
“He is under attack, constantly. Now that I am carryin’ his child, I am under attack too. He thought I would be safer here.”
“Ye are,” Eliza agreed.
“But he was cruel. He told me that Conall owed me. He made me a deal I couldnae walk away from. He is cold and distant and doesnae want to care for me. I cannae trust him.”
Eliza moved her chair closer and took Rosaline’s hands in her own once more. She looked deep into her eyes, and Rosaline saw her sincerity, care, and wisdom.
“It is hard for us to trust them,” Eliza began. “They have so much more power than us. They have wealth and armies and castles and titles, and we both met them while we had nothin’. I was terrified to leave me family and me patients, and I resented Conall for takin’ me from them for so long. But ultimately, he treated me with such kindness and was willin’ to share everythin’ he had with me.
“I think they struggle to express themselves sometimes, as they were taught to act, nae to speak. They come off as cold because they hide their warmth. But if ye look for it, if ye make them feel safe enough to show it, it can be truly worth it in the end.”
Rosaline listened to Eliza’s words. She tried to imagine how they applied to Caelan, a man Eliza had never met. They almost matched up, but she still had to take a leap and trust that the picture was real.
“Follow yer heart, Rosaline. I followed mine, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
“I’m nae that brave,” Rosaline breathed.
