Page 70 of Defy the Highlander

Unfortunately, it was one he had to live with.

*

Lilia was in her sewing room, working on a vibrant orange silk for Lady Currie that she planned to wear when spring came. She had been embroidering flowers and bees all around the neckline, a detailed project that took focus and skill, but all the focus in the world couldn’t help her today.

Not after everything that had happened the night before.

Even now, she knew Lady Currie was with Laird Currie, making demands of the man. And she knew what the demands were – Lady Currie intended to purchase Brody from the Ludus Caledonia so he could take charge of Hawkhill’s tiny army. But it wasn’t because Lady Currie wanted Brody’s fighting skill.

It was because she could command the man to bed her if he served her husband’s army.

That had been the grand scheme she’d come up with. As long as Brody was at the Ludus Caledonia, he could refuse her advances. But if she purchased his contract, he could refuse nothing.

Lilia’s hands were shaking even as she thought about it. It was all Lady Currie could speak of last night as they returned from the Ludus Caledonia. Lilia had spent a night of turmoil, thinking of Brody’s body against hers and the importance of their intimate encounter, but Lady Currie’s horrible plan threatened to ruin the joy she was feeling. When she should be focused on her love for Brody, she was focused on her conniving mistress.

It was a hellish situation she found herself in.

“Lilia?”

A little voice broke her out of her train of thought and she looked up to see Tynan standing in the doorway with a tray in his hands. She smiled weakly.

“Come in, Tynan,” she said. “I’ve not seen ye lately. Where have ye been?”

The little boy entered the room, setting the tray down on the corner of a table that wasn’t covered with fabric or needles or thread.

“Angus has been teaching me about the horses,” he said. “I can work in the stable someday.”

Lilia set her sewing down in her lap. “There’s a good lad,” she said. “It’ll do ye well tae learn as much as ye can about many things.”

Tynan nodded. Then, he pointed to the tray. “Mam told me tae bring ye this. She said ye need tae eat.”

Leave it to Amy to pay attention to Lilia’s moods. It was true that Lilia hadn’t eaten much over the past few days. There had been too much on her mind. She smiled at her friend’s concern.

“I’ll thank her for watching over me,” she said.

She peered at the contents of the tray, which contained cheese, bread, and a full cup of wine. The food didn’t hold any allure, but the wine did. Picking up the cup, she downed half of it in two big swallows, feeling the warmth course into her belly.

Tynan was watching her closely.

“Lilia?”

“Aye?”

“Are ye worried?”

She looked at the boy, smiling. “About what?”

Tynan lowered his voice. “About m’lady,” he said. “About… everything.”

“What’s ‘everything’?”

“Ye know,” he said. “Brody. He said he’d come back for ye. Dunna worry because I know he will.”

Lilia’s smile faded and she set the cup down. Reaching out, she pulled Tynan very close to her so she could whisper in his ear.

“Tynan, I want ye tae listen closely,” she murmured. “Can ye do that?”

He nodded eagerly. “Aye.”