Page 23 of When the Laird Claims
10
How can such a man approach so quietly?
Victoria’s heart started to thump wildly in her chest the moment that she heard Arran behind her. She whipped around a touch too quickly, even more embarrassed to find that his focus had been on her wrists, and only shifted back up to her face the moment that she snapped her hands behind her back once more.
Ruby squirmed, and Kristin rocked back and forth to soothe her. Her small arms managed to work themselves free from the swaddle that she had been in, chubby fingers opening and closing up toward Arran himself. Kristin smiled a touch brighter at the sight of her brother and stepped toward him.
“Och, is she nae lettin’ ye dance as ye please?” Arran smiled, taking the child into his arms. “Ye’re a wee worm, wrigglin’ about.”
Victoria couldn’t put into words how her heart clenched at that moment, the sight so sweet that she thought she might swoon. Back home, she could not imagine the gentlemen of thetondoing such a thing.
“I think that she might like her uncle more than her maither sometimes, which is rude, if ye ask me,” Kristin muttered as she stretched her arms a bit now that they were free. No doubt she must be tired from carrying her child all hours of the day. Victoria had only seen her twice, yet it felt odd to see her without Ruby, as if the two were inseparable.
“I willnae apologize for that,” Arran answered with a wink toward his sister. It was one of the warmest moments that Victoria had witnessed from him. She still could not manage to find her tongue; it was still so strange to see such a very large man holding such a small child like that.
Watching him made her wonder—did he ever dream of having children of his own?
Victoria knew that most men wanted sons to carry on their legacy, but did Arran want achild,or did he just wish for an heir? Ruby wrapped her tiny fingers around one of Arran’s much larger ones and made bubbles with the saliva in her mouth adorably. It was charming to see the pure fascination in the young girl’s eyes when she looked up at him. Victoria could not even remember if her own father had held her sister when she had been younger.
“I have told Kristin that I would be happy to raise Ruby to be a warrior like meself, so that the mistakes of the past never repeat themselves,” Arran said with perfect seriousness.
“And I have threatened to kick him in the shins,” Kristin answered, her hands settling on her hips as she spoke.
“And I will wear her down, eventually. Ruby’s a natural, I can tell.” Arran answered, not seeming to mind whatsoever that Ruby was a girl, or that the things he was suggesting would be highly inappropriate by society’s standards.
Was there no end to his surprises?
“Bea warrior?” Victoria said, frowning. “I am afraid I do not understand.”
“What is there to understand?” Arran replied. “I’ll teach her to fight once she’s old enough. Just look at these wee fists; they’re fightin’ fists, ye mark me words.”
It was an astonishing thought, and one that rather intrigued Victoria. Couldshebe taught to fight? She did not think she had “fighting fists” but, if she could learn how to defend herself, then that could only be a good thing. If someone had taughtherwhen she was a child, maybe she could have fought back against Charles.
After all, the “accidental” smack of her forehead against the Earl’s when he had tried to kiss her had been undeniablysatisfying, watching him spit and flounder. Even if it had gained her fresh punishment, the act had been worth it.
“She must feel safe there,” Victoria muttered, without meaning to say it aloud. Ruby looked so content in Arran’s arms—somewhere she, too, had felt perfectly safe more than once.
Kristin snorted a laugh, and Victoria’s face flamed with embarrassment before Kristin started to laugh,reallylaugh. She reached for Victoria’s shoulder and squeezed it firmly to keep herself upright while her other hand pressed into her stomach to keep from doubling over.
Arran’s eyes widened as he looked from Victoria to his sister, seemingly shocked to hear Kristin laugh.
Victoria could only imagine how sad Kristin had been, considering what had happened to her, and she was strangely proud to be the one to make her happy, even if it was at the cost of herself. She felt as red as a poppy flower.
“Made me day, Victoria,” Kristin said as she wiped a single tear from laughing off her face before reaching for her daughter. “It’s time to feed her now, and clearly the two of ye have some business to discuss.”
Arran seemed reluctant to give back his niece.
“And besides, the less time she spends admiring the brute, the better.” Kristin teased her brother once more and accepted Rubyback into her arms. “I’ll see ye both at supper,” she called over her shoulder as she winked in Arran’s direction.
Victoria turned back around in time to see the tail end of Arran rolling his eyes at his sister, and couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.
“Have I missed something?”
“Me sister fancies herself a schemer, something that I might call her out on were it not for the fact that this is the first time that she’s seemed anything like herself in months,” Arran answered, and then seemed to catch wise to the fact that he was speaking to Victoria instead of one of his other friends. He shuffled somewhat awkwardly and shrugged.
“I suppose that I should head inside as well,” Victoria said after a beat. “I need to get ready for dinner.”
“Walk with me?”
