Page 53 of The Highlander's Runaway Nun
The two women shared an easy silence, with the fire crackling nearby and the soft chatter of the scullery maids and cooks filling the room. But the quiet peace didn’t last long. The kitchendoor burst open suddenly, and a young stable boy stumbled in, breathless.
“Me Lady!” he cried, bowing quickly. “The Laird’s return, ma’am. He’s just returned his horse to the stables!”
Laura’s spoon froze midair, her pulse quickening. “Thank ye,” she said, rising so fast her chair scraped against the floor.
Her hands trembled slightly as she made her way through the corridors, her heart fluttering like a caged bird. The stone hallways seemed longer than ever, her footsteps echoing in rhythm with her anxious thoughts.
When she came upon a passing maid carrying linens, she stopped her. “Have ye seen the Laird?” Laura asked softly.
The maid curtsied, smiling. “Aye, me Lady, he’s in his study with Alan.”
Laura nodded, murmuring her thanks before continuing down the hall. She paused at the heavy oak door, her nerves prickling. Inside, she could hear low voices, Bradley’s deep tone and Alan’s steady reply, speaking of grazing lands and the shifting of herds before winter.
Taking a breath, she knocked.
“Enter,” came Bradley’s voice, calm but clipped.
Laura pushed open the door and stepped inside. Bradley stood beside his desk, a map spread before him, while Alan leaned against a chair. The two men turned at her entrance, and Bradley’s expression softened slightly.
“Laura,” he greeted her, though his tone held a note of surprise.
“I apologize for interruptin’,” she said, her voice trembling a little, “but I need a word with ye, alone.”
Alan exchanged a knowing look with Bradley and inclined his head. “Aye, I’ll take me leave then,” he said with a grin that reached his eyes. “Good day, me Lady.”
When the door shut behind him, silence filled the study. Laura’s fingers twisted nervously in her skirts.
Bradley frowned slightly, concern flickering in his dark eyes. “What’s the matter, lass?” he asked, stepping closer.
Laura’s breath caught. She looked up at him, her heart racing so fast she feared he could hear it. And before she could think, the words tumbled out of her. “Bradley,” she blurted, “I’m with a bairn.”
The room seemed to still around them, the fire’s crackle, the whisper of wind through the window, all fading into quiet. Bradley’s eyes widened, his jaw slackening for a moment before his expression melted into disbelief.
“Ye mean…?” he started, his voice thick with emotion.
Laura nodded, tears of joy pricking her eyes as she pressed a hand over her heart.
“Aye, it’s true,” she whispered, smiling through her trembling. “Eidith confirmed it herself. We’re goin’ to have a bairn.”
For a long heartbeat, Bradley said nothing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I’m with bairn.The words Laura had spoken hung echoing in Bradley’s mind.
For a moment, he could not breathe, could not think. A strange, unfamiliar fear gripped him, one that no blade, no battle, no enemy could have ever roused in him. He had faced death, betrayal, and war, but this, the thought of bringing a bairn into the world, of what it could mean for Laura, froze the blood in his veins.
“Bradley?”
He looked at her, standing before him with wide, expectant eyes and a tremulous smile that could have softened any man’s heart. But in that moment, his heart tightened with dread. He thought of his father, the cold-hearted man who had raised him with cruelty instead of care, who had destroyed every tender thing that had ever tried to bloom in their household.
That darkness is in me blood too. Will I pass it on to the bairn?
His fists clenched at his sides, and a low growl of frustration escaped him before he could stop it.
“What is it?” Laura’s voice broke through his storming thoughts, gentle and uncertain. “Say somethin’, please. I thought ye’d be glad to hear it.” Her voice trembled slightly, the joy in it faltering as she searched his expression.
He turned away sharply, his jaw tightening. “Ye need to leave the study, Laura,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Right now.”
