Page 40 of Highlander's Secret Heiress
“I know you’re right, Gavin,” Lachlan conceded, nodding. “But sometimes I just wish… Oh, never mind.” He paused to take a gulp of water. “I still have to tell Davina that Jeannie has gone.” Knowing that Gavin would never betray his confidence, he had told Gavin who Jeannie really was, and strangely enough, he had not seemed surprised at all.
“I would tell her exactly what happened an’ why,” Gavin advised. “I think she is a lot stronger than she looks.” He turned to go. “I had better get back tae the lads,” he announced, with an anxious glance at Lachlan. “Call me if there is anythin’ else ye need.”
“You are such a good friend, Gavin,” Lachlan said gratefully. “I’m fine now.”
Gavin waved and left.
Lachlan had a pile of work to do that morning, but he knew he had to tell Davina about Alyth’s absence, and he was dreading the look he knew he was going to see on her sweet face.
Why had he let Alyth go? Surely, they could have worked out something that would have permanently kept the peace between them?
And Lachlan missed her, even though she had only been gone for a very short time. He missed her smile, her scent, thesound of her melodic voice, but most of all he missed her body, her cry when she reached fulfilment, his name on her lips. As well as that, he missed the fierce glory when his own body reached its climax within her.
He sent for another cup of willow bark tea to soothe the headache which had just come back to torture him, then sighed and went downstairs to his study.
He planned to have a strong glass of whisky before confronting Davina.Dutch courage, as Sandrina had called it, and Lachlan smiled sadly as he thought of her. He reached for his keys, but when he turned the door handle, he found that his study was already unlocked.
He entered cautiously and found Davina standing looking out of the window, clutching her doll to her chest. Tears were running down her cheeks, and her little face was a picture of sadness as she looked around and saw him, then she turned and rushed towards him before throwing herself into his arms.
“Daddy,” she whispered against his shoulder. “Where is Alyth?”
Lachlan was shocked, not because Davina knew that the maid was gone, but because she knew her real name.
“You mean Jeannie?” he asked gently.
“Alyth,” Davina insisted.
Lachlan was astonished, angry and hurt. Alyth had told Davina about her real identity before informing him. “She told you her real name, then?” he asked.
Davina nodded her head.
Lachlan sat down and cradled Davina on his lap, wrapping his arms securely around her. He kissed her forehead and rested his cheek on her soft red hair, which was only a shade lighter than his own. She resembled him so much; what would a child of his and Alyth’s be like, he wondered?
Abruptly, he cut short his musings.My god, what am I thinking?
He suffered a spasm of guilt as the impossible thought went through his mind. There was no chance of him ever being a father to Alyth’s baby, even if one had already been conceived.
“Daddy,” Davina said softly, “Did you tell Alyth to leave?”
“Davina,” Lachlan said, shaking his head in wonder, “You are really talking now.”
Davina blushed and hid her face in his shoulder for a moment, then she looked up at him and smiled, yet in a moment her face was filled with sadness again.
“Why did she leave?” she asked again.
Lachlan sighed. He had been dreading this moment, and it was even worse than he had been anticipating. At last, he said, “Because she is our enemy, Davina. Our two families have been fighting for years. You know why Alyth came; she wanted to get her pendant back, and after that, she was going to leave us.
She said that the pendant was the only part of her mother that she had left, and it meant everything to her. I caught her trying to get away, but instead of trying to make her stay, I chased her away. I was so angry with her for deceiving us, but now that I look back, I can see how stupid I was.”
Then, to his astonishment, Davina said, “You said to sympathise with your enemy, Daddy.”
Lachlan stared at her for a moment. This was astonishing! Davina was talking like an ordinary little girl again, and she had even remembered the words he had said to her just a few weeks ago. She had not been able to talk then, but she had obviously been listening intently.
“You are so clever, Davina,” he said fondly, stroking her hair and smiling as he spoke.
In some ways, a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, since he could now stop worrying about how Davina’slack of speech would affect her future. But there was still the vexing problem of Alyth MacAdams…
He felt his cheek being patted softly as Davina tried to attract his attention, and when he looked at her, she said, “Please bring her back, Daddy. I miss her, and–and I like her.” She paused. “Do you like her too?”
