Jamie swallowed, wiping at his eyes. “All right. Will Alexander catch me?”
“Jamie!” Alexander’s voice called up. “I’m waitin’!”
“All right,” Jamie said again, more bravely this time. “I trust ye. An’ I trust Alexander.”
He allowed Cicilia to help him onto the sill, and then he jumped. Cicilia watched him fall and breathed a sigh of relief when Alexander caught him, too. She could see Nathair approaching with the Humphries and Katie, meaning she was the last one in the house.
Good. I dinnae have to worry about me family. Now I can worry about me.
She stepped up onto the windowsill just as the door exploded behind her, sending sharp wooden pieces flying everywhere.
“Jump, Cicilia!” Alexander urged.
She did.
She felt like she was falling for years, and then she was in his arms, her weight sending them both crashing back into the hay pile, their bodies pressed close together. He clutched her to him, his hand on the back of her head to prevent her from injury, and they finally rolled to a stop.
Breathing heavily, staring at his messy hair and soot-stained face, she whispered, “Ye saved me life.”
Alexander’s responding look was so intense that Cicilia almost forgot everything else, but then Nathair was helping her to her feet, then pulling Alexander up, too. The twins rushed to her side, both grabbing at her hands.
“What about me toys?” Annys said sadly.
“Me clothes!” Jamie sobbed.
Cicilia couldn’t answer. She stared in transfixed horror as her home, her parents’ house, shone like a terrifying beacon in the night. Alexander and Nathair led them all to stand a little further back, away from the danger. At some point, Alexander’s arms were around her in comfort, but she barely noticed.
Her siblings, her servants, and she were alive. But she’d lost the pigs, lost the goats, lost the sheep…and now the house, too.
Eventually, she turned into Alexander’s chest and dissolved into sobs so powerful they shook her whole body while he held her.
I failed. I failed.
The Humphries suggested that they all go to stay with Jeanie and Ewan, but it was impossible to do so tonight. The village was a long ride by horse—too long for the adults at night, never mind two sleep-deprived, terrified children.
In the end, all of them holed up in one of the huts on the property that were built for the farmhands. Joshua, the animal healer, lived on his own, so he offered the space. Nathair, Katie, and the Humphries all slept in other cabins. Still, even then, it was an uncomfortably tight fit for Cicilia, the twins, and Alexander.
Nobody slept well that night.
The next morning, Alexander took Cicilia to examine the damage of the house. He felt like his eyes must be deceiving him, where there had been a house, there was now a skeletal structure, burned black as coal. The half-standing walls were damaged, and smoke still rose from the ashes.
Nothing inside could have survived the inferno.
He glanced nervously at Cicilia to see her staring open-mouthed at the shell of her home.
I’m sorry. I should have done somethin’.
What could he have done? He didn’t have an answer for that, but he felt guilty nonetheless. “I…” he started.
“Me home,” Cicilia said softly, her voice cracking. “Nae body could live here. It’s destroyed. How could this happen? I dinnae…I cannae…Angela would never leave the stove burnin’. How…?”
“I’m sorry,” he said because there was nothing else to say. “Can I help ye salvage?”
She nodded quietly, and the two of them traversed into the smoldering remains of the house, picking up the little bits and pieces which had retained even part of their shape after the blaze. They found one or two of the twins’ more hardy toys and a slightly charred necklace that Cicilia had inherited from her mother.
An’ little else but a few tattered rags. How is she gonnae go on wi’ her whole life in flames?
Cicilia disappeared into the ruined kitchen and returned with a sack of money, which she told him had been protected in a cold stone hidey-hole, which gave Alexander some relief. At least she had some coin other than that which resided with the bankers.
They rooted around for around an hour before they gave it up, and their meager pile of possessions sat sadly on the ground before them.
Alexander had the nagging feeling, as he surveyed the pile, that he was forgetting something. He’d given up on his own belongings. It didn’t matter too much, he hadn’t brought anything particularly important along with him. But still, for some reason that he could not identify, looking at what they’d managed to save filled him with an aching sense of loss. It wasn’t the ache of empathy, either, it felt like something had been torn from his own heart.
But he couldn’t focus on that now, not when Cicilia looked so lost and distraught. His attention, all of it, must be on her, and how he could possibly help her out of this plight.
She looked exhausted, and the sorrow in her eyes cut Alexander to the quick. “I dinnae ken what we do now. Aye, I can afford to have this place fixed, but it’ll take weeks—weeks that I dinnae have. I cannae expect the twins to bunk wi’ the farmhands until then. Mayhap they can go stay wi’ the Humphries at Jeanie’s, but…”
“Nay,” Alexander said abruptly. “Ye’ll all come to the castle.”
Her eyebrows raised almost comically. “I beg yer pardon?”
He’d said it without thinking, but actually, it made sense. Why not? He had plenty of rooms sitting empty. The bairns would be a breath of fresh air to his servants. As well, Cicilia would be in an excellent position to discuss the future of the farm. At the same time, Alexander got to be in his home again at last. “Come to the castle, the three o’ ye. Until the renovations are complete. I insist.”
All right, I admit it’s a risky strategy, but that doesn’ae make it a bad one.
Yes, it had the advantages he’d mentioned already—but the Laird moving a strange woman into the Castle was bound to cause some whispers and loosen some tongues. Not to mention the traumatic experience Thomaes had when he was here. Maybe Alexander was being too hasty. Perhaps he should retract the offer before it was too late.
But then he looked at her, and that wasn’t even a possibility.
The blush that colored her cheeks was almost too sweet, highlighting those pretty freckles. How had Alexander ever thought them a blemish?
“Och, Alexander, I dinnae ken—I dinnae want to impose—” she stammered.
“Ye are nae imposin’,” he insisted. “It just makes sense. Yer servants can go stay wi’ Jeanie an’ Ewan, an’ yer farmhands can keep an eye on the place. Ewan or Jeanie can even come check on it once in a while. Meanwhile, ye an’ the twins will be safe an’ comfortable to discuss the future.”
Alexander watched as indecision warred in her eyes, and then finally, she nodded. “All right. If ye’re sure,” Cicilia said quietly. “But only until the rebuilding is over.”
“O’ course,” Alexander agreed, wondering at how his heart leaped with joy at those words. Was it wrong of him that a small part of his mind suddenly hoped that the renovations lasted forever?
“An’ ye’ll do well to remember I’m a farm lass at heart, castle or nae castle,” she warned. “Nae nobility in me blood whatsoever. Just a fine amount o’ cash an’ a bit more education than average. Dinnae ye expect anythin’ else. Me heart is a farmer, nae a lady o’ the realm.”
He grinned at the defiance in her tone, there despite the desperate circumstances. She was using flippancy to cover up her pain, her now-dry eyes shining with purpose.
“Aye,” he said in a gentle, teasing voice. “Dinnae ye worry. That’s one thing I can never forget.”
A while later, they were ready to set off. Nathair would escort the Humphries to Jeanie’s home for protection and help explain what happened. Then he’d take Katie across the border to where she would stay with her own sister until such a time
as she could return to work. They’d take the buggy, and then Nathair would ride on to the castle.
Meanwhile, Cicilia and Alexander would take Aibreann and Ailill, each riding with one of the children, and go straight back to Alexander’s home. There was no point in delaying any further.
Thank God she can ride well.
Nathair was helping Alexander load the few salvaged belongings into the saddlebags while Cicilia and the twins said farewell to the animals. The Man-at-arms leaned over and he said in a quiet voice, “I need to tell ye somethin’.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow, indicating without words that his friend should speak.
“The fire,” Nathair said. “I went an’ checked out the kitchens. Whoever set it, Sandy, it was nae any accident.”
“Ye’re claimin’ arson?” Alexander demanded, suddenly feeling goosebumps on his skin. He remembered the blood-scrawled message on the fence of Bacon’s pen after the slaughter.
Was it a warnin’? Is somebody tryin’ to hurt Cicilia?
The thought made him as scared as it did furious, and he was filled with the overwhelming urge to run his sword through the first person who looked at him funny.
Nathair nodded gravely. “Aye, an’ we’re nae closer to figurin’ out who,” he replied. “I cannae tell yet if takin’ Cicilia an’ the bairns back to the castle will keep them safe. I just need ye to ken we’ll all have to be on high alert.”
Alexander stared. Surely Nathair wasn’t implying that someone would try something in the castle? Who would dare, right under his nose?
But then, it had been under his nose that the animals had been slaughtered. It had been under his nose that the house had burned to the ground.
If somebody’s tryin’ to hurt Cicilia, just bein’ around me is nae gonnae keep her safe.
Well, that simply wasn’t good enough. A fresh determination filled Alexander’s bones, and he knew now what he had to do. He would take the twins and Cicilia back with him. He would watch over them, especially her. He would not let her know that he expected a threat to her life.
And if anyone tried anything, anything at all, they would have him to deal with.
Alexander couldn’t explain the strange bond he felt with this girl, but it was too new, too fresh, and already too strong for him to be willing to give it up. She was strong, that was undeniable, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t need help.
And as her Laird, and as a man, and as someone who could help, it was his duty to do so. Any threat to Cicilia would be treated as a threat to him—and he did not tolerate threats to himself.
Dinnae ye worry, Cicilia. We’ll get to the bottom o’ this. An’ I’ll keep ye safe, nae matter what.
Chapter 15
Intra Muros
Within the Walls
Cicilia’s family was well-off, and their house—before the flames, at least—large, but next to the castle, she thought it looked like a shack. It wasn’t that Castle Gallagher was particularly grand as castles went. In fact, compared to some of those she’d seen while traveling between clans, it was relatively mundane.
Still, though, there was something about the severe stone building towering over her that drew her eye and made the twins each cling to one of her hands as they approached their new temporary home.
“Are we princesses now?” Annys asked her in a whisper as they followed Alexander through the doors, a few feet behind him.
Cicilia chuckled. “Nay, nae body would have me as a princess, me button. This is nae a prince’s keep, it’s the castle o’ the laird. Ye ken what that means?”
“It means Alexander is very important,” Jamie said, staring at one of the wall tapestries adorning the entrance hall in wonder. “An’ we’re very fortunate.”
Cicilia affectionately ruffled his hair, her eyes on Alexander’s muscular back, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Aye, that we are,” she agreed.
An inner door opened as the main doors closed behind them, and a slender, tidy man walked through, perhaps around the age that Cicilia’s father had been or a little younger. Then, with a start, she recognized him.
“Mr. Cunningham,” she said, a faint blush in her cheeks. The last time she had seen the man, he was covered in mud and yelling that her siblings were demons. “I dinnae expect to see ye here.”
“Much the same to ye,” Thomeas replied stiffly, his eyes darting between the children on either side of her. “What brings ye to the castle?”
“I do,” Alexander told him. “There was a horrible accident on the farm, Thomeas. A fire. Cicilia an’ her siblings will be stayin’ here wi’ us until such time as repairs to their home are complete.”
Cicilia watched as the accomptant’s brow tightened ever so slightly. “Aye? An’ Miss O’Donnel an’ the bairns couldn’ae secure lodgin’ elsewhere?”
There was a stiffness to Alexander’s shoulders as he replied. “Probably they could. They are well-liked in the village. But I am their Laird an’ I’ve sworn them into me protection. Ye wouldnae have me go back on that, would ye?”
Cicilia felt a rush of affection for this awkward, kind man, and took an unconscious step closer to him.
Thomeas bowed his head. “Nay, Laird. Forgive me, I was just surprised. We dinnae exactly part on the best o’ terms, me an’ Miss O’Donnel.” He looked at Cicilia directly then. “Forgive me rudeness. Shall we start afresh?”
“Please,” Cicilia agreed. “For what it is worth, I apologize for the troubles ye had durin’ yer time stayin’ wi’ us.”
I may as well make all o’ our lives as easy as I can if we’re all gonnae stay here for a while.
“Oh, it’s the Angry Man!” Jamie said suddenly. “I dinnae realize! Good day, Angry Man!”
“Jamie,” Cicilia hissed.
“Nay, dinnae worry,” Thomeas replied. “Good to see ye again, James. Annys.”
Jamie scowled. “Nae body calls me James,” he said. “It’s Jamie.”
“Quite,” Thomeas replied. “Well, ye both look passin’ well since I last saw the two o’ ye on the back o’ that monstrous pig. How fares the beast?”
Jamie’s expression shut down, and his lip quivered as he moved closer to Cicilia. She wrapped a protective arm around him. “Actually, sir, Bacon is nae with us any longer,” she said. “Somebody attacked our farm. That’s one o’ the reasons Ale—one o’ the reasons that Gallagher was kind enough to get involved.”
She saw his gray eyes narrow just a fraction at the near-slip of Alexander’s first name. Still, perhaps she had imagined it, for the next moment, he was giving her a pitying smile. “I’m right sorry to hear such a thing, Miss,” he replied. “Perhaps the Laird can spare some coin an’ purchase yer faither some new animals.”
Cicilia’s heart clenched in her chest at the mention of her father.
He kens. Alexander has nae told him yet, but he kens anyway. Has he kent since he was at the farm? Why wouldnae he tell Alexander?
“Thomeas,” Alexander started.
“Actually,” Thomeas continued, as though he hadn’t heard Alexander speak at all. “How is yer faither? Surely he should be back by now?” He smiled without humor. “Will he nae be joinin’ us here?”
Cicilia opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. Was he genuinely taunting her, or had the fire and the slaughter of her animals made her see ghosts in the shadows? The twins clutched tightly to her, and she heard Annys sniffle. “Nay,” she said after a moment. “Nay, me faither will nae be joinin’ us.”
“Oh?” Thomeas asked. If it was an act, it was a good one, as he looked genuinely surprised. Perhaps she had imagined it before. “That’s a shame. It’s passin’ strange that a faither would allow his unwed daughter to—”
“Thomeas, a word?” Alexander interrupted abruptly.
The accomptant turned to him with raised eyebrows. “Laird?”
“I would speak wi’ ye,” Alexander said. Then he turned to Cicilia and the twins, and in a gentler voice, said, “Wait here. I’ll
send one o’ the women to get ye settled, an’ come see ye when I’m done here, aye?”
Cicilia nodded, though she still felt on edge and couldn’t quite put her finger on what was causing the feeling. “Aye, o’ course, Laird.”
“Alexander, will ye play wi’ us later?” Annys asked quietly. When Cicilia glanced down at her, she saw her sister’s lip wobbling as she kept back tears. “I dinnae ken this place an’ it’d be nice if ye were around.”
Alexander crouched to her level and whispered something that Cicilia couldn’t hear. When he straightened up again, Annys was nodding thoughtfully.
A Hellion for the Highlander: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel Page 13