Page 55 of The Highlander's Virgin Widow
“Nay.”
Evander nodded.
They walked in silence, their air thick with unanswered questions and the subtle smell of the evening air.
Soon, they got to the flour mill, and it was louder than Evander remembered. However, they both stood outside and watched themaids troop in with empty trays and out with heavy loaves of bread.
“The mill heats the bread,” Evander explained.
The large scraping sound and the heat that drifted out and hit their faces teased the edges of his mind, and before he could stop it, he was transported back to that day. The day his castle burned to the ground.
He remembered the man he had chased. The one he had found wearing the tartan of Clan Blythe. He had thought he would have more answers now as to why the clan decided to burn down his castle, but he had only been left with more questions and an attraction to a woman he still struggled to understand with each passing day.
He was not quick to notice it, but the maids had their eyes on him and Tommy as they walked in and out of the mill. His eyes narrowed. While some maids only cast furtive glances at them as they hurried past, some took their time and lingered long enough for Evander to start questioning it.
Something was happening. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. And it seemed to involve either him or Tommy, or both of them.
He turned to his nephew to study his face and see if there was something on it—something thatshouldn’tbe there. He found nothing of the sort. So why were they laughing? What was funny?
Then he slowly heard the word.
“Tapestries,” the maids whispered as they walked past him, their eyes wide with curiosity.
“Ye.” He signaled to one of the maids and gestured for her to come closer.
The nervousness on her face grew as she nodded and did as she had been ordered.
“What has happened?”
“I apologize, M’Laird, I dinnae ken what?—”
“I willnae repeat meself,” Evander grunted.
The maid swallowed, worry flickering in her bright green eyes.
19
He walked as quickly as he could, his expression a mix of anger and unadulterated frustration as he headed into the castle. Tommy had made to follow him, but Evander had asked the boy to continue playing in the courtyard, as he had a feeling that this was something he wanted to deal with alone.
He just knew it.
He pushed the door to the main passageway open, his eyes peeled for what the maid had just mentioned to him.
On his way to the Great Hall, he passed by some maids, who either gave him funny looks or barely glanced his way before they resumed walking—some even walking faster than usual.
People either stopped to ogle him or they didn’t look at him at all.
What have ye done, Keira?
He couldn’t get to the Great Hall fast enough, and when he finally did, the sight alone made his mouth drop open in surprise.
Large tapestries hung from the ceiling and fell to the floor, swaying gently in the light breeze. As he stared at the thick partitions, his mind returned to the conversation he had with the maid outside the flour mill.
“She had us put up tapestries,” she had admitted, the fear in her voice growing with each word.
“Tapestries?” he had echoed, his brow furrowed.
“She said she wanted borders, M’Laird.”
