Page 50 of The Veiled Wish of a Highland Bride

Sheneededto know.

“My name is Maeve Steward. I dinnae consider myself married, but by the law I am still bound to Conrad Steward, yer father.” Maeve sighed, a sigh that felt as though she hated that she was still bound to the man she spoke of even just by the shackles of his family name.

Mia gasped. That was her mother's name indeed and she was certain she had not divulged that information on the day when the woman had helped her.

Mia remained in denial. This woman might have gotten that information from anywhere. She shouldn’t be so gullible.

“For several years after ye were born and I was unable to conceive another child, yer father took to drinking. He had been the only son of his father, and without a male heir his properties would be gone, sold to whoever was the highest bidder. Conradhatedthe thought of that. Try as he might, he could nae get me pregnant, and neither could he marry another until I was dead or gone for good, according to the Scottish law.”

Maeve pursed her lips, touching the hilt of her blade as though terrified to say what she had to say next. Mia did not fail to notice that even Archie had gone quiet, as though respecting the secrets that had hung over their heads for so long.

“Go on, ye wench. We dinnae have all night to speak,” Dallas pressed her once more.

“I grew desperate, Mia. I promise I would never have left ye if Conrad did nae hit me so much.” The tears were flowing freely now, silently.

Mia knew now that this was her mother, Maeve. She could see it in the way her shoulders hung lowly, her gait uncertain, and by the singular scar that still sat on her wrist as it did so many years ago. A scar that her father had given her.

Perhaps if Maeve had not seemed so distressed, Mia would still have remained in disbelief, choosing to stand by the fact that it was all a lie.

But she knew now that it was true.

“What did ye do, Maeve?” she said, a little hostile.

Mia could not call hermother. Not yet at least. This was the woman who had so cruelly left her in the dead of the night. The same woman who didn’t share her a last glance or ask her to come along, to escape Conradtogether. Mia needed to know what Maeve had done that was so bad it brought so many pearls of tears down her eyes.

“I fell in love, Mia. I did. And I was so immersed in love for this man that I committed adultery against my husband, yer father. I should nae have. Heavens ken that I should nae have, but my feelings for this man were much stronger than I could control.”

Mia understood now why Maeve had that look of understanding and compassion when she asked for her help to get back into the castle weeks ago.

“That was nae all, Mia.” Maeve kept her gaze on the floor, her voice almost a whisper. “I fell pregnant by him, and I was scared with all the beating that Conrad had given me that I would lose the baby. So I left.”

Mia felt her heart break. Her mother had abandoned her in order to save her other child. It was shattering, but she couldn't blame her either. But it still meant that she was second best in her mother's eyes.

“I am so sorry, Mia. So trulysorry. I was following ye to tell ye when I saw ye leave the castle to go save this man.” She gestured to Archibald. “And as I watched everything unfold and saw that ye were in grave danger, I kent I had to step in. I could nae just let my child die...”

“What a beautiful story,” Dallas taunted mockingly. “Now that the introductions are seen with, I presume I can get on with the business at hand.”

As he said this, he began pressing the knife harder to Mia’s neck, taunting Maeve and Archibald with the slow death he threatened to give her.

“Nae!” Maeve screamed. “Please, let her go! Please, just—"

Maeve fell quiet as someone hit Dallas from behind, knocking the dirk out of his hand and setting Mia free.

“Ye must have a lot of courage to be engaging in such atrocities onmyland!” Bram bellowed, slashing his sword at a stunned Dallas who blocked it with his claymore.

A flurry of soldiers swarmed the area from behind Bram, taking Dallas' men under siege. The men resisted, fighting the hardest they could in their weary states, but Bram's soldiers had no problem overpowering them. It was clear that they were but amateurs. Bram had far more men than Dallas, and it was clear that Archie's brother'smen were straining to keep up.

Mia saw Clyde being dragged along by one of Bram's soldiers. He looked almost as bad as Archibald looked—battered to a pulp. The man he was held by let him go so he could fight better with Dallas's men, and Clyde hurriedly ran to Mia's side where she lay sprawled on the floor, trying to stay out of the fight.

“Mia, are ye all right?” Clyde asked, clearly worried and paying no attention to his own cuts and bruises.

“I am fine, Clyde! I am all right,” Mia replied, bringing her hand to her neck. “It’s naething but a scratch.”

She flashed a small smile to convince him that she was being sincere. However, she was aware that Clyde would not stop worrying until he was sure no harm had come to her. Mia glanced at the men who were so occupied with fighting that they barely paid them any attention as they talked.

“What happened to ye?” she asked. “Ye look like ye had an untimely encounter with the Red Coats.”

Clyde chuckled. “Bram happened.”

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