Page 14 of The Ruthless Highlander's Hellion
"I was told this mornin’ I could do me work as yer maid for now. Ye’ve been asked to come to the main hall for breakfast," Erica said.
"That is good to hear. We may be prisoners, but we are nae treated so harshly. I must nae do anything to disappoint the Laird and give him reason to take our freedom to roam the castle. Let us go," she said.
Alexandra's stomach fluttered nervously as she followed the maid through the stone corridors, her heart pounding as they walked in silence.
When they entered the main hall, the sight of the long, polished table only deepened Alexandra’s unease. She saw the other man from the raid, called Marcus, sitting at one end, his posture relaxed, while Nicholas, who was leaning slightly forward, listened intently.
The two men exchanged quiet words, not acknowledging her entrance. Alexandra hesitated before taking a seat at the far side of the table, hoping to stay out of their way as she picked up the silverware in front of her.
As she began to eat slowly, her eyes flicked from her plate to the two men. Nicholas was leaning back in his chair now, his broad shoulders filling the space, his gaze never leaving Marcus as they spoke in low tones. Alexandra caught fragments of their conversation, though she could make little sense of it. They spoke of matters she didn’t understand, of names and places she had never heard, but one thing was clear—whatever this business was, it was serious. She felt like an intruder in their world, but she wasn’t sure how long she could remain silent.
The conversation shifted to Charlie’s abduction, and she leaned in, her attention sharp. Nicholas's voice was low but clear as he spoke.
“Me boy was taken from his room, nae many have access to it,” Nicholas said.
“Aye, and without a struggle, without a sound,” Marcus added.
Alexandra’s frown deepened at the oddness of it all, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Have ye checked with the people ye ken? The staff, the other children—couldnae they ken somethin’?”
The room went still. Both Nicholas and Marcus turned their gazes toward her, their eyes narrowing in surprise. Alexandra immediately flushed, realizing her mistake, and she met Nicholas’s intense stare with a mixture of discomfort and defiance. She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself, but his gaze made her feel exposed, like he was seeing straight through her.
Nicholas’s voice was low and controlled as he spoke, his tone challenging. “What do ye mean by that?” he asked, his words heavy with curiosity and something else, something unreadable.
Alexandra shifted uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly aware of the weight of her words and the attention now focused solely on her. She hadn’t meant to speak out of turn, but now, with both men looking at her, she found herself struggling to find the right words.
“Well,” Alexandra began, her voice shaking slightly, “In me experience when a stranger attempts to approach a child or pick them up, the child screams or makes a ruckus. If ye believe it was McLaren's men that stole yer child from his own room, would yer child have gone so willingly? Surely someone would’ve heard somethin’ if the boy were taken so easily.”
She dared a glance at Nicholas, who seemed to consider her words carefully. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly, she couldn’t tell what it meant.
Marcus exchanged a quick look with Nicholas, then shifted in his seat, his expression unreadable. “That’s what we’ve been tryin’ to figure out, lass,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of frustration. “But nae a soul heard anythin’. The lad’s room was undisturbed, nay sign of a struggle or a fight.”
Nicholas leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest, his jaw clenched. His eyes locked onto Alexandra again, as if weighing her words. “Ye seem to ken a great deal about children and how they react to strangers,” he said slowly, his voice laced with suspicion. “What makes ye so sure they would’ve cried out, eh?”
Alexandra blinked, her mind racing for a response. She hadn’t meant to come off as an expert, but she knew children well enough to understand that they usually reacted strongly to unfamiliar adults, especially ones who weren’t part of their daily life. “I’ve spent time around children,” she said quietly, trying to keep her tone neutral. “They’re nae as quiet as ye think. They cry, they scream, especially when someone they daenae ken comes near.”
Nicholas didn’t speak for a moment, his gaze unwavering as he studied her. Alexandra could feel the weight of his stare, the silent judgment in the air as he processed her words. It wasn’t clear whether he believed her, but the moment stretched long,and she could feel her pulse quicken, the tension in the room growing thick.
Finally, Nicholas spoke, his voice as cold and sharp as before. “We’ve been through every room, every corner of this castle, and asked every person and still, nae a soul has anything to say about it.”
Alexandra bit her lip, frustrated but unwilling to back down. “Then maybe ye should be lookin’ at the people who would be with him, without suspicion. It sounds to me the person might ken yer son already. Why look outside yer own clan and people if the child was taken from his own room?"
She didn’t know if her suggestion would help, but she couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She needed to be heard, to offer whatever she could, even if it was just a tiny piece of the puzzle.
"Aye, the lass has a point. But who of our own would want to take Charles?" Marcus said.
“Marcus,” Nicholas said, turning his gaze from Alexandra, “start an investigation into Oscar. He’s the only one the boy trusts who’s nae here in the castle.”
Alexandra’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She hadn’t expected him to take her suggestion seriously, but now, it seemed he was considering it with more weight than she had imagined.
Marcus didn’t hesitate, immediately nodding in agreement. “Aye, I’ll look into it. If there’s somethin’ to be found, we’ll find it.”
He stood to leave, but Nicholas raised a hand to stop him, his eyes narrowing in thought. “If this turns out to be true,” Nicholas added, his voice cold and steady, “ye’ll be handsomely rewarded, lass.”
Alexandra was left blinking, stunned by his promise. The words hung in the air like a challenge, and she had no idea how to respond. What was he truly offering? Would he let her go?
Her mind raced, unsure of the exact meaning behind his statement, but her curiosity was piqued, even as a knot of confusion tightened in her stomach.
She watched as Nicholas turned to leave. He paused at the door and looked back at her. His gaze was intense, focused in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. She knew he wasn’t one to speak lightly, that whatever he said, he meant. And yet, as he looked at her with that same unflinching intensity, she found herself inexplicably drawn to him.
