Page 25 of The Ruthless Highlander's Hellion
He blinked at her, brow furrowed. “How did ye do it?”
Alexandra frowned slightly. “Do what, love?”
He shuffled on his feet, looking down, then up at her again. “How did ye get close with Da? To be a friend? He's nae me friend.”
The ache in his voice gutted her. So young, yet already carrying loneliness no child should bear.
Her hands rested gently on his small shoulders. “Surely ye and yer faither are close already, aye?”
Charles shook his head, the movement small and resigned. “He avoids me. All he does is shout at the lads and write parchments.”
She bit back the fury that burned in her chest. Nicholas, for all his commanding presence, had failed his most important role. Still, she kept her expression warm and hopeful.
“Well now, sounds like he needs a lesson in fun, doesn’t he? Tell me, Charlie—would ye like to play with me for a bit?”
His face lit like a torch, all sadness melting in an instant. “Aye! Can we?”
“Aye, we can,” she said, standing and offering her hand. “Come on then. Let’s find us a bit of mischief.”
They headed down toward the smaller parlor, a space less formal, with woven rugs and old chests filled with oddments.
Alexandra remembered a few games from her own childhood, taught by nursemaids and stable boys. She drew a few pebbles from a dish on the window ledge and knelt on the floor.
“Do ye ken how to play Five Stones?” she asked, scattering the pebbles in a small circle.
Charles dropped beside her, nodding eagerly. “I’ve seen the lads do it. Ye throw one up and snatch another before it comes down.”
“Just so,” Alexandra grinned, tossing a pebble and snatching another mid-air. She fumbled it, laughed, and let him try.
They moved on to “The Corners,” using the corners of the rug as boundaries, where one had to reach a corner without being tagged by the other. Charles squealed with laughter as Alexandra lunged and missed, purposefully slow to keep the game lively. After that came a clapping rhyme game, one she barely remembered, but Charles caught on quickly, giggling when she mixed up the rhythm.
“Ye’re good at this,” he said breathlessly, cheeks pink.
“I’ve had years of practice,” she teased, tapping the tip of his nose.
They played until their sides ached and the fire in the hearth crackled low. Alexandra knew it would be near supper soon, and his nursemaid might come searching. But for the moment, sheheld onto the sound of his laughter and the warmth it brought to her chest.
As Charles curled up beside her on the rug, eyes heavy and smile soft, Alexandra reached over to gently smooth his hair. He leaned into her touch without hesitation. She closed her eyes a moment, her heart torn in two—half melted by the boy, half burning in anger for the man who had left him so starved for affection.
After she led Charles back to the care of his nursemaid, she went on a mission. Her anger led her blindly, and she found herself pushing open the door to Nicholas's study without even a knock.
The heavy oak door slammed shut with a crack that echoed through the stone corridor. Alexandra strode in like a storm in full fury, her eyes locked on Nicholas with fire burning behind them. Her cheeks were flushed, her jaw set, and her hands clenched into trembling fists.
Nicholas looked up from his seat behind the desk, a single brow arched in calm surprise.
“A word, if ye please,” she snapped, her voice clipped and shaking with restrained rage. “What in God’s name were ye thinkin?”
Nicholas, unbothered, leaned back in his chair with maddening ease.
“I’m in a meeting, lass,” he said coolly. “Unless ye care to elaborate, I’ve nay idea what has yer feathers ruffled this time.”
His tone was dry, almost amused, and it made Alexandra's blood boil all the more. The man had a gift for making her feel both foolish and furious in one breath.
Her face turned hotter as she realized she’d barged in without thinking. Only now did she fully register the councilman’s presence, the man blinking at her with mild discomfort. Straightening her spine, she drew a breath and forced her voice lower. “We’ll speak in private, then?”
Nicholas regarded her for a moment, then turned back to his guest. “I’ll return soon. Ye’ll excuse us, Alan.”
He didn’t wait for a reply before shifting his gaze back to Alexandra, sharp and unreadable. She felt his hand clasp around her arm as he pulled her into the corridor.
