Page 51 of Sinbound to the Highlander
Shrinking away, Freya went to her room and closed the door behind her. She retreated to the chair placed at the window, folded her arms on the sill, and buried her head in the space they created.
Will this end well?
Evan could feel Laird Lobhdain’s dismay while faced away from him. They entered his meeting room with another man behind him. He turned while the door was half closed, and on the other side of his desk, he braced his arms on the cold wood.
“We need to speak about Miss Milleson’s behavior,” Evan said calmly. “That was rude of her.”
“On behalf of Elspeth, I must apologize,” her father said grimly. “I have never seen her act that way.”
“I have,” Evan said, “on our first walk together, she insulted yer maid, calling her stupid, just because me Maither sent word about our stable burning down. And from the woman’s reaction, I hardly ken it’s the first time.”
“She didwhat?” Laird Lobhdain exclaimed.
“Without apology or care,” Evan replied. “I suppose the maids keep silent to have their jobs.”
Laird Lobhdain found a seat and sagged into it. His face was a contort of embarrassment and regret, “We’ve let Elspeth a lot of room in how she was reared—and in hindsight, I realize we should have paid closer attention.”
“That’s a sensitive way of saying it, me Dear,” Lady Lobhdain said while walking into the room. “Frankly, Laird Ruthven, Elspeth abused our affection for her as we doted on her day and night. I dinnae expect that from her, but there is nay excuse for her words or her actions. She dinnae has the maturity to apologize for her mistake, but still clings to her petulance.”
She continued. “I’ve ignored it for a while, but her actions threw some of her past behaviors into sharp light. We’ve both seen it, but we dinnae want to believe it, because she was all we had. She is still sure that ye will marry her, Laird Ruthven, but I am here to pull her out of this arrangement. She is too childish to marry and be the Lady of yer clan.”
Laird Lobhdain bowed his head, and his eyes clenched tight. When he opened them, he shook his head slowly, “Ye’re right, Love. Elspeth is unready to marry.”
His wife came to rest behind her husband, and laid her hand on his shoulder as he continued, “We should have kent that, after she nitpicked her way through the men who had offered for her hand.”
“And how she demanded that all of her old things be destroyed instead of given away,” Lady Lobhdain added as her eyes took on a far-away look. “Every three months or so, we had to send a maid away because she found the woman unfit. The woman was too ugly, crass, uneducated, and adversely, too educated with a “smart mouth,” to be near her. She had to have the last word in everythin’, and if it wasnae perfect enough to her likenin’, she demanded that she wanted to start over again.”
Laying a hand over his wife’s, Laird Lobhdain said, “I imagine this had been a waste of yer time, Saunderson, innit?”
“Nay necessarily,” Evan said cautiously. He leaned back and looked between the two. “I still want to marry into yer family, so would ye be open to a compromise?”
A look passed—a knowing one, at that—between the Laird and his Lady before the older man squared a look at him. “And that would be?”
“I suspect ye already ken what that means, as there is only one option left, but I will lay me intentions out plainly. I’d like Miss Crushom’s hand in marriage. I find her to be calm, wise, and very strong, without allowin’ anyone to walk over her. I find her purely authentic. Miss Milleson has some great attributes. Undoubtedly, she is educated and accomplished, and I applaud ye for making her so, but her temperament is one I daenae ken I can bear.”
“Especially after what happened this morn’,” Lady Lobhdain said wearily. “I can understand.”
“Elspeth isnae going to take this lightly,” her father rubbed his face, “And I’m afraid Freya isnae ready to take such a central position.”
“I’m sure that she will have a wealth of resources to pull from,” Evan replied, “Yer wife has been yer support all these years, aye, and me Maither was the same for me Faither; ye can both show her how it's done.”
Laird Lobhdain sat forward, and his gaze went skeptical, “Are ye sure about this?”
“Why wouldnae I be?” Evan replied calmly. “It’s the best solution, and I do truly like Freya. I found her intriguin’ the day I saw her in the Cillock meadow, and she’s allowed me to see who she was daily. I ken she is afraid of many things, but there is naything we cannae all help her through.”
“And?” Laird Lobhdain pressed.
Smiling unpretentiously, Evan said, “And she’s gorgeous. There is naything about her I’d change. If she wants to be a healer and care for the ailing fine, if she wants to cook her meals and mine, I willnae stop her. Whatever she is comfortable with, she’ll do. I willnae press her into a mold that will stifle the life out of her.”
Laird Lobhdain sat back, “Ye measure yer words carefully, Saunderson, but I can see that ye care more for Freya then ye say ye do.”
Of course, I do, I’m starting to love her, but ye dinnae need to ken that now.
“I daenae see how that can harm anything,” Evan replied. “We both ken its best for us to have this partnership, and me marrying Freya is the best way.”
“It is,” Laird Lobhdain sighed. “All right, I’ll agree to ye marrying Freya, but she will have to agree to it as well. With all the things that are being thrown on her, I suppose this tops the list.”
“I’ll speak to both of them,” Lady Lobhdain offered. “It’s best that the news comes from me. Laird Ruthven, is there a room we may use?”
