Page 24 of A Scottish Lord for Christmas
Rowena let go of his arm and knelt on the ground, arms outstretched. “Do you remember me, Blair? We looked at lily pads in the garden together.”
Blair peeped out from the folds of Kenna’s skirts and gave a tiny nod. “We looked for fishes.” She had such a tiny, high-pitched little voice, like a wee bird chattering. It made his chest ache when Blair spoke.
“That’s right, we did.” Rowena grinned. “May I have a hug, Blair? I’m awfully lonely and it would make me feel better.” Rowena curled her fingers in invitation, and Blair, as though mesmerized, released Kenna’s skirts and ambled forward to tuck herself into Rowena’s arms.
It was impossible to miss the relief and joy in Rowena’s face the moment she picked Blair up and cuddled her close. Rowena began to speak softly to the child, telling her about the long car journey and how excited she was to come to live here. Blair stared at her, one thumb tucked in her mouth, as she listened with rapt attention.
The two of them walked down the hall, giving Quinn a minute alone with his sister.
“She’s very pretty, Quinn. You didn’t tell me that.” Kenna was watching him, her too-observant gaze pinning him to the floor.
“She is, but it doesn’t matter. I did not marry her because she is pretty. I married her so Blair can have a mother and to help you, so you do not have to stay here and run the house.”
His sister crossed her arms over her chest. “If you think you’re going to stay away from a lovely lass like that, you’re a damned fool, brother.”
Quinn curled his hands into fists. “Kenna, I don’t love her, and she isn’t here for me but for my child. That is all.” The words came out louder than he’d intended, and it was then he heard the silence. Rowena and Blair were staring at him from the end of the hallway. Rowena’s eyes were bright with tears.
She bit her lip and glanced at Blair. “Which room is the nursery? I’d like to take her back so she can play. And then if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like some tea.” She spoke not to him, but instead to Kenna.
“Of course. I was just about to have the nurse ring for a maid to bring me a fresh pot. This way.”
His sister sent him a quelling gaze that threatened him pain if he dared to come after them. As they entered the nursery a few doors away, he stood there, feeling like a fool and a bloody bastard. He should not have said what he did, especially not when Rowena stood so close. Still, she needed to know what his intentions were. This was a marriage of convenience, not a love match. The sooner she learned that, the better off she would be.
Chapter 9
Blair squirmed as Rowena set her down inside the nursery. The old nurse was seated in an armchair in the corner by a fire, snoring. Rowena and Kenna shared a look before both of them stifled giggles.
“She’s a dear, I promise, but she was Quinn’s and mine and we’re all grown now. Quinn didn’t have the heart to replace her.”
“It means we need to watch Blair more carefully. When I first met her, she was on the verge of falling face-first into a fountain, and now she’s got a cold.” Rowena gazed at the little girl, who toddled over to the rug by the fire, playing with a pair of well-loved dolls. The child half hummed, half sang a little song as she played.
“Children do get colds now and then,” Kenna chuckled. “Ian, I mean Dr. McIntosh, came to check on her today. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
Rowena stared at Blair’s rosy cheeks, still worried. But the child was amusing herself and seemed quite fine.
“You really like her, don’t you,” Kenna mused.
“Hmm?” Rowena was pulled from her daydreams of Blair playing with another child, one a little younger, with her eyes and Quinn’s dark hair.
“I can see it in the way you look at her.” Kenna leaned back in her chair and studied Rowena.
The intense scrutiny made her flinch. “Yes, I do. I suppose it sounds silly but the moment I held her in my arms, it felt like she belonged to me.”
If only her father belonged to me too…Quinn’s biting words still lingered inside her, cutting her up into little painful pieces.“I don’t love her.”
“Why did you agree to marry my brother?”
Kenna’s blunt question caught her off guard.
“I…” Heat rushed to her face and she dropped her gaze.
“I suppose he is handsome,” Kenna continued. “But you don’t seem to be the sort of woman who is swayed merely by a man’s looks.”
Emboldened by Kenna’s friendliness, Rowena decided honesty was best. “Quinn is handsome, very handsome, but…” She paused, considering her words. “I was drawn to him because of his smile. He does it so rarely, and when he told me about his wife and Blair, my heart opened up to him, to them both. I want to heal him. It sounds silly,” she added.
Kenna reached out and covered her hands. “No, it doesn’t.” Quinn’s sister’s gaze was level. “My mother used to say that some souls were marked for each other. Branded in a way. Like you were born to be with someone. Mated souls, you understand.”
Mated souls?The notion was a tad romantic, but Rowena liked to think of such things. Milly had always been more sensible than her, but Rowena loved the idea of love and destiny.
