Page 17 of Sinbound to the Highlander
His mother’s eyebrows were an inch high, “And that would be?”
“Missus Crushom said they found Freya on their doorsteps as a bairn, and that her cousin was a midwife for the Lady Lobhdain,” Evan explained. “There is nay question she is Miss Milleson’s sister. I offered to take them to Lobhdain on the morrow so we can unravel the truth.”
“And if this lass is their daughter?” his mother asked, “What then?”
Evan felt that his mother was seeing through him, seeing the soft spot he had already begun to have for Freya.
“Maither…what are ye suggestin’?” he asked.
She gave him a pointed look, “Seems to me from the look on yer face, that I am sure ye arenae aware ye have shown, but I ken ye like this lass.”
More than ye should,were her unsaid words.
He shrugged, “I do. Freya—Miss Crushom, isnae like the others I’ve met, and if I have the chance to give her a better life, I ken I should.”
Her lips twitched, “As ye should, but still, consider what move ye are goin’ to make with the Millesons. I ken ye will find a way to break this agreement without making any bad blood between them and us.”
“I hope so too,” Evan said, before standing and dropping a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “See ye in the mornin’, Maither.”
“Aye,” she replied. “And Evan…daenae let yer heart lead ye where ye mind wouldnea.”
He paused at the door and rested his hand on the doorframe. He knew what his mother meant; she was cautioning him about shifting his priorities. She had subtly warned him about his feelings for Miss Crushom, and that he should take care of how he went about dealing with Miss Milleson. Somewhere in there, she was warning him not to let them overlap.
“Aye, Maither,” he nodded and stepped away.
The day had been a long one, and it had come with a good number of challenges, but there was one light at the long end of the tunnel. Even if he was not sure what to do about Miss Milleson yet, he was sure he would be doing right by Freya. Mayhap she would change her sister’s attitude into a milder one.
But even he knew that could never be.
