Page 1 of The Highlander's Virgin Widow
1
Evander Sloan stood before the burning building, the wind blowing a wave of damning heat across his face. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he continued watching his castle burn. There was nothing he could do, and that fact alone bothered him greatly.
“M’Laird?” the voice of Rory, his man-at-arms, called, at first faint. Or at least it sounded distant to him.
“M’Laird?” Rory called again, this time his voice a little louder, but it was still drowned out by the noise of the hungry fire licking at the towers of the castle.
“M’Laird!”
Evander’s eyes widened in surprise as he was snapped back to the present. Rory was right beside him, yanking at his arm.
“We have to get the women and children to safety. They cannae stay here and keep watching the fire.”
Evander swallowed. He took another sweeping look around him. He had managed, with the help of some of his men, to get the people out of the castle before the fire grew vengeful and turned into this intense inferno.
There wasn’t much he could do. His castle was gone, and he was going to have to accept that. The next thing was to start building it back up, and for now, he was going to?—
“Tommy!” a feminine voice screamed from behind him, cutting straight through his thoughts.
He froze, and recognition hit him almost immediately.
“Is that—” he began.
“Shona, M’Laird. Yer sister-in-law,” Rory confirmed, his voice curt.
“Tommy!” The voice was louder now, and Evander turned around.
Shona was running toward him, determination written all over her tear-streaked face.
“Tommy!” she screamed again.
Her focus was not on Evander or even his man-at-arms. She was staring at the burning castle.
“Hold her back,” Evander ordered.
Just as Shona was about to run past them, Rory reached for her and pulled her to him.
“Nay nay. He’s in there! Tommy’s in there!”
Evander swallowed. Tommy was Shona’s six-year-old son.
“What?”
“Please. He’s in the castle!” she cried desperately.
Evander swallowed, his eyes briefly darting between the shocked mother and the blazing fire.
“He was sleeping, and I went out to get some cheese for him. He’s still in there, please!” Shona screamed, trying to break free from Rory’s firm grip.
“Should I ask some men to—” Rory began.
“Nay. I dinnae want to send any of me men in there.” Evander drew his sword and adjusted his shirt.
“M’Laird—” Rory sputtered, a hint of warning in his voice.
“If the boy is still in there, I’ll find him.”
“M’Laird, the fire?—”
