Page 61 of A Virgin for the Icy Highlander
Ellie chuckled obliviously. “Why are ye sayin’ sorry for nice things?”
“Well, Ellie Belly, I got some of me words wrong in the message I sent to yer faither,” Trevor replied, refusing to set her down. “So, I have to apologize for any misunderstanding.”
Ellie nodded, her expression sweetly serious. “Aye, I see.” Shrugging off the thought, she pointed to Grace with a lively grin. “Come and eat pie with us, Uncle. That’s Grace. She’s goin’ to marry me faither. She’s me best friend.Oneof me best friends. Ye and Lilian and Maddie are me best friends too.”
He's nay friend of yers,Hunter wanted to say, clenching his hands into fists to hold the words back.
“I’d love to, Ellie Belly,” Trevor said, his eyes narrowing as he looked directly at Grace. “But I cannae. I came to apologize toyer faither, and now that I’ve done that, I must be on me way. Otherwise, the council will start shoutin’ at me, and ye wouldnae want that, lassie, would ye?”
Ellie chewed on her lip in thought. “Nay, I dinnae want ye to be in trouble. It’s nae nice bein’ shouted at.” She played with a lock of Trevor’s light brown hair, which was so like his cousin’s. “Will ye visit soon? I have a kitten. He’s called Snowflake.”
“I’ll try,” Trevor replied, still staring at Grace in a way that made Hunter want to wring his neck there and then. “Grace, is it?”
The slight tug on her arm did nothing to stop her from answering, “Yes.”
“And ye’re to marry him?” Trevor nodded his head toward Hunter.
“God willing,” Grace replied with a nervous laugh. “Why, were you hoping for an invitation? Any friend of Ellie’s is?—”
“Nay, that’s quite all right,” Trevor interrupted with a wry smile. “As I said, I really must be gettin’ back to me castle, but I wouldnae forgive meself if I left without sayin’ one thing.”
There was nowhere that Hunter could move Grace where she wouldn’t hear, no barrier between what might leave Trevor’s lips and her ears, and no way of preventing what was about to happen.
Of course, Hunter had left it too long. Of course, Trevor would be the one to tell the story and twist facts. Of course, it had to happen like this.
“Oh?” Grace frowned. “What is that?”
Trevor’s smile faded, and his face hardened. “I just hope ye’re luckier than me cousin was, for she made the same… choice.”
He kissed Ellie on the forehead, adding salt to injury, and set her down, waving to her as if he hadn’t just dropped a barrel of black powder and tossed a flaming bottle of whiskey in it.
Ellie waved back, unaware of the danger she’d been in until Trevor disappeared into the crowd.
“Hunter?” Grace’s breathless voice broke him out of his trance. “Hunter, what did he mean by that?”
The moment had arrived, whether he liked it or not.
“Lady Lilian?” Hunter said, scooping Ellie up. “Could ye return to the carriage and take Ellie back to the castle?”
There were already two mounted guards waiting by the carriage. They had followed the entourage from Castle MacLogan, but Hunter hadn’t told Grace they were there, seeing no need to worry anyone when he was merely being cautious.
But now he was glad that he had taken such precautions. The carriage would be safe under their guard, for if anything happened to Ellie, those soldiers knew that their lives would be forfeited.
He nodded to the men, who nodded back in understanding.
“Of course, M’Laird,” Lilian replied, taking Ellie as Hunter handed her over. “But why are you not coming with us?”
Ellie nodded. “Aye, are ye goin’ to eat pie without me?”
“Nay, I just need to talk with Grace,” Hunter replied, his heart sinking. “Lady Lilian? Please.”
Lilian frowned, and her lips pressed into a thin line. “Come on, Ellie. I know that Maddie has raspberry tarts hidden away in her chambers. We shall have ourselves a picnic while we wait for Gracie to return. What do you say to that?”
Ellie hesitated, her infuriatingly wonderful child’s intuition clearly telling her that something was amiss. “I love picnics.”
“Then let us have the loveliest picnic ever,” Lilian enthused, her voice ringing false as she carried the girl away from Hunter and Grace.
But not without looking over her shoulder just once, shooting a glare so ferocious that Hunter wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
