Page 24 of The Highlander's Virgin Widow
“Aye, M’Laird,” the maid responded.
Evander turned back and walked toward the edge of the bed, the memories of the previous night replaying over and over in his mind. He could practically feel where he stood as Lady Blythe had challenged him. Where he stood as she grabbed the covers and wrapped them around herself. He could see the shock on her face. The despair and the utter disdain for him in her bright hazel eyes.
Why could he not stop thinking about her face the previous night? Why could he not stop thinking about her entirely?
At some point, it felt like she had occupied his mind for most of the morning, and he wondered if it would have been the case if she had come down for breakfast. Maybe if she had?—
He felt something bump his knee. His brow creased.
What?
He looked down and saw a baby goat—possiblythebaby goat—head-butting his leg.
“What in the—” he sputtered, staring down at the creature, who looked up at him.
He was rooted to the spot for half a second.
“Now, what are ye doing in here?” he muttered, studying the goat carefully.
Had it wandered and found its way to his quarters? Was there something underneath his bed that had drawn the goat’s attention? Did someone?—
The confused frown on his face vanished, and realization crashed straight into him like a flood.
Keira.
He looked up at the doorway as the goat let out a strangled bleat. The maid had left.
He stepped away from his bed and made straight to the doorway, hoping to find someone to ask. Sure enough, the maid returned to the hallway right at that moment, the same nervous expression he had seen earlier still resting on her face.
“Mr. Rory said that he would be with ye soon,” she relayed, her voice slightly shaky.
“That is quite alright, thank ye,” Evander murmured, then narrowed his eyes at her. “But I am afraid there’s another issue. Why is there a baby goat in me room?”
The maid’s eyes widened, and a heavy silence descended on the room. She looked everywhere but into his eyes.
“I dinna have time to wait around for ye to answer,” he pressed.
“I dinnae ken what ye’re?—”
“Nay. That is nae what we are going to do. There is a baby goat in me room. In the Laird’s quarters. What I want to ken is how it got here in the first place.”
The maid remained frozen on the spot, unable to speak.
A dark chuckle escaped Evander’s lips.
Keira was good. She wasreallygood. And if she thought a baby goat would deter him from occupying the room, she had another thing coming.
“I am so sorry, M’Laird.”
Evander raised an eyebrow, pleased that he was finally getting somewhere. “Sorry about what?”
The maid swallowed. “Her Ladyship asked us to keep it here.”
He scoffed. “To keep it here for what?”
“The goat isnae very strong, and she had ordered us to keep it here till it is strong enough.”
Another scoff escaped his lips.
