Page 75 of The Highlander's Virgin Widow
Evander. Brave.
“’Tis why I have this burn mark,” Tommy whispered, raising his arm to show Keira the raw red spot on it.
“’Tis a rather prestigious mark,” she commented, studying it intently. “I’d carry that as a badge of honor for the rest of me life if I were ye.”
“Aye,” Tommy agreed, his voice high-pitched with excitement.
“Whenever his friends ask about the mark, he never hesitates to tell them that he got it from surviving a fire. He tells people every day, the wee rascal.” Shona gave a fond smile, and Keira nodded.
Another moment of silence passed between them. The loss of a husband, Keira could understand to some extent. The loss of a child, on the other hand, might be a little harder for her to comprehend.
“I cannae imagine how scared ye must have been when ye found out that Tommy was still in the castle while it burned.”
Shona laughed. “Me whole body was on fire, as ifIwere trapped in the castle and nae him. I remember screaming so loud that me voice almost gave out. Dinnae worry. Ye’ll get there someday.”
Keira cocked her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. Shona caught it almost immediately and broke into a quiet laugh.
“Nay, nae the burning part. The part where ye always have to worry about yer bairn. ‘Tis a rite of passage every maither must go through.”
Keira laughed. “I dinnae ken if I’ll remarry or have children, to be honest.”
The words fell out of her lips before she could stop them. Why was she being so tragically honest with a stranger? Was it because of the story she shared? Did she have some kind of bond with Evander’s sister-in-law now?
“Ye’re jesting, are ye nae? Have ye seen yerself?”
Keira laughed.
“When Evander told me that he overtook this castle from a lady, the first thing I thought was that she must be an old crone. Ye were the last thing I imagined. Ye’re a goddess. Men would fail at being men if they didnae run after ye.”
“Ye’re too kind.”
“I am quite certain that during the cèilidh, ye shall find the man of yer dreams. A lot of them will be here, and if the night goes well, ye shall have yer pick of the litter.”
“Aye,” Keira muttered.
She felt the words rest on the tip of her tongue, the response she wanted to give. That she would not be at the cèilidh. That the last thing she wanted was to be in the way. But for some reason, and no matter how hard she tried, the words simply refused to come out.
She returned to her food instead and continued to eat, chewing as silently as she could. With where she currently stood with Evander and his people, it would be a disservice to her to attend the cèilidh.
Shona must have noticed her worry and probably even read the thoughts racing through her mind.
“Tommy would have died if Evander wasnae there. I owe him quite a lot. He’s a good man, and I dinnae ken anyone who is as good apart from his braither.”
“Yer husband,” Keira commented.
Shona nodded slowly. “Aye. Losing a husband is quite terrible, as I said. I am certain ye can understand.”
Oh, can I?
“The point is that I ken the man might seem a bit difficult and—like most men—unable to communicate his feelings, but underneath all of that, he is a good man. Ye can trust me on that.”
Keira nodded, part of her grateful to have heard that—for some reason. Perhaps she had judged Evander a little too quickly. She had perceived him one way all this time, but her conversation with Shona seemed to have challenged that.
Perhaps what she needed wasn’t borders or a way to try to avoid him. Perhaps what she truly needed was to talk to him and see where it could go from there. Part of why he was the way he was made sense to her now, and instead of frustration and anger, all she truly felt was nothing short of compassion and pity.
Perhaps she needed to?—
A loud crash outside the dining hall jolted her out of her thoughts, making her grow more conscious of her surroundings. Then, the sounds of heavy and distant footsteps followed. A mild frown creased her face.
