Page 73 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
“Evermore by the moment, Lady Winterbourne,” Nathair responded dully. He didn’t flinch away from her touch, but he didn’t touch her either. He sat there dull, lifeless, a statue wearing a mask.
Uncertain now, she started to speak. “Nathair, I don’t—”
And then there was a ringing in her ears as she processed precisely what he’d just said.
Lady Winterbourne. He knows. He knows!
She jumped to her feet, backing away. Nathair’s eyes were cold as they followed her, but he still didn’t move. Magnolia suddenly felt very exposed in only her nightthings under the cold, judgmental gaze of the Laird. “Nathair—” she started again.
“I met yer Faither once, Me Lady,” he told her. “He was a proud man. Loyal to his country a little too much for me own tastes, o’ course, but I cannae fault a man for patriotism. Is he a spy, an’ all? Does he bed all his targets an’ all?”
“It isn’t like—”
“It isnae like what?” Nathair asked. His voice stayed level as he stood and took a step before her. Magnolia took another step backward, her heart thumping erratically and her eyes stinging with frightened and horrified tears.
He knows, he knows, he knows.
There was no room for anything else in her mind. She’d forgotten how to think, how to speak. She’d forgotten everything while Nathair stared at her, his gentle green eyes filled with hate and disgust.
“An’ it wasnae only me, was it?” he asked. He was closer now, and she felt the wall behind her back as she took another step. He towered over her, the anger bright behind his eyes. “Ye involved me daughter as well. A wee lass who isnae even five. Did ye feel any regret when ye lied to her? Or did ye laugh about how easy she was to charm?”
Magnolia was crying openly now, which only seemed to annoy him further. She saw pain flash across his face, replaced by sheer rage.
“Dinnae ye turn on the tears as though ye’re the innocent, injured party here!” he growled. There was finally emotion in his voice, but it was deep and angry and filled with hate. “Dinnae ye act like ye have nae been plotting against us this whole time! What was in yer letter, Magnolia? Did ye tell yer people all our weaknesses? Are they comin’ to attack?”
“No, I—”
His hands slammed on her shoulders, pinning her in place, his heartbroken face inches from her own. “Are they comin’ to kill me bairn, dearest Lady Winterbourne? Will ye evencarewhen me little girl is lyin’ cold and dead at the end of a sword?”
“Please!” she finally gasped. “Please, Nathair, please listen to me. You have to trust me, you simply must—”
“Trustye?!” Nathair roared so loudly it must have been heard on the grounds below. “I wouldnae trust ye if ye were the last person alive! Ye got into me heid, into mebed,ye manipulated me daughter and me people. Ye’re amonster!”
“No!” she sobbed. “No, no, please, please listen. IamMagnolia Winterbourne, and Ididcome here as a spy, but I really did fall in love with you, and I do care for Elaine, and I swear I—”
“Shut yer mouth!” he snarled, letting go of her and turning away. His clenched fist smashed against the wall, hard enough that Magnolia managed it might have left a dent was it not made of solid stone. “How dare—how can—ye’ve been a spy since—”
“Please, Nathair,” she begged. “Please listen to me. I did write to them, I did, but I told them the truth! The Order, we thought—”
“Order?”
“The Order of the Red Blossom, Her Majesty’s elite. I could be expelled simply for telling you that, but I don’t care, Nathair, I don’t care. All that matters is you listen to me,please.”
He turned to stare at her again, then folded his arms. “I’m listenin’,” he said. His voice was still low, but some of the anger had ebbed. “Speak quick. I cannae imagine what ye have to say that’d mend any o’ this.”
She let out a shaky breath of relief. At least he was giving her a chance. That was more than she expected in all the imaginings where he’d discovered her secret. Shaking with terror and guilt and pain in her heart, she pushed away from the wall towards her desk.
She felt his eyes on her as she moved, but with trembling hands, she reached for the secret drawer. It took her a few times to open it, but she finally found and withdrew both duplicate letters.
“Here,” she said, the tears unchecked down her face now. “Here, read them. One for the Order, one for my Father. Read them, please.”
Nathair stood frozen with uncertainty for a solid minute, then he grunted and took the few steps to grab them from her. He seemed to spend an eternity reading, while Magnolia stood there in trembling silence.
I’m going to lose him. He should have always been my choice.
To her horror and shame, she saw he was crying heavily by the time he finished reading as well.
“So ye meant some o’ it, I suppose,” he croaked.
