Page 25 of Claimed by the Ruthless Highlander (Taming the Highland Devils #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

M aisie wandered slowly through the castle gardens, her fingers brushing the dew-damp petals of the roses. She welcomed the solitude. Here, with the sky stretching endless and the earth open beneath her feet, she could breathe as herself and think.

Her thoughts turned inward, heavy as the clouds that lingered beyond the turrets.

Though she knew what she did with Caiden was wrong, there was no regret stirring in her heart.

Instead, she felt a strange pride, as though the choices that had led her here had shaped her into someone more real, more alive.

Freedom had come at a cost, yet she could not wish herself back to who she was before she arrived at McGibb castle.

She thought of her mother's stern lessons, of her insistence on propriety, and she wondered if love itself could ever be considered dishonor. Yet the more she weighed it, the clearer her resolve became.

To deny me heart now would be to live hollow, and I have nay wish to waste me days in empty virtue.

Maisie paused by a stone bench, her hands clasped tight in her lap as the decision bloomed within her.

"Aye," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with conviction. "I'll nae fight it any longer. I'll be open to him, to what may come."

For once, she felt as though she had chosen her own path, instead of walking the one laid before her.

Her heart grew lighter with that resolve, a gentle warmth spilling through her limbs.

The garden seemed brighter, the birdsong sweeter, as though the earth itself approved of her choice.

She lifted her face to the sky, smiling despite herself, and for the first time in weeks, she felt truly unburdened.

It was as though the chains of expectation had snapped, leaving only hope.

"I will nay longer see meself as a prisoner, but a willing partner of his. I will tell him me true feelings tonight at supper."

"Maisie!" a small voice called out, breaking into her reverie.

She turned, startled, to see Norah striding across the grass, her skirts gathered in her hands to keep from catching on the hedges.

At her sides ran her two small boys, their laughter like bells on the breeze.

Arran dashed ahead, while little Hugh stumbled after him with all the clumsy grace of a pup.

"We've been lookin' for ye," Norah said with a grin, her cheeks flushed from the chase. "These bairns'll nae let me rest till ye've promised to play with them."

The boys crowded around Maisie's skirts, their eager faces lifted, eyes wide with hope. "Come on, Maisie! Come on!" Arran urged, tugging at her hand.

Maisie laughed, the sound bright and unguarded, as though some inner weight had truly left her.

"Aye, I'll play with ye," she said, kneeling so she was level with the boys. "What shall it be then? The game of the fox?" Her heart swelled as their excitement burst forth, and she realized that joy was easier now that she had made peace with herself.

"Fox!" Hugh shouted, his tiny fists pumping the air. "Ye're the fox, Maisie!" Arran added, already darting off toward the hedges with a triumphant laugh.

Maisie gasped in mock dismay, pressing her hands to her cheeks as though the task was far too grand. Norah chuckled, stepping aside to watch, her eyes glinting with fond amusement.

Maisie sprang to her feet, giving chase with a dramatic growl that made the boys squeal. Her skirts swirled around her ankles, and her laughter mingled with theirs, light and ringing.

She darted around rose bushes and over the worn garden paths, her breath coming quick with exhilaration. In that moment, she felt not ruined nor bound by duty, but alive, present, and wholly herself.

As she reached to catch Hugh, his small hand slipping into hers, Maisie thought of the man whose presence lingered always at the edge of her heart.

Her resolve to be receptive to Caiden felt even stronger, for if allowing herself to be his could bring such warmth to her spirit, then it could not be wrong.

She would face whatever judgments came, so long as she was true to her own heart. For the first time, the path ahead did not terrify her, it beckoned.

Maisie drew Arran aside from where Hugh was already lost in a game of tossing pebbles across the garden path.

The boy's wee hand fit snug in hers, and she crouched down so her eyes met his.

"Arran, lad, will ye sit with me a moment?" she asked gently, brushing back a curl from his brow.

He nodded, wide-eyed.

"Ye ken I care for ye and Hugh," she began, her voice warm yet steady. "There's somethin' on me mind, lad, and I'd like to hear yer thoughts."

Arran swung his feet, not meeting her gaze, but he listened closely as children often do.

"Ye've a good heart," Maisie went on, her fingers lightly smoothing his sleeve. "But I've seen the way ye keep yerself back from yer Uncle Caiden. Why is that?"

Arran stiffened, his lips pressing tight, and she gave him a moment in silence.

At length, he whispered, "He… he looks like me da. And I daenae like rememberin'."

Maisie's heart gave a tug at his words, for she knew well enough the pain the lad carried. She reached out and gathered his small hand in both of hers.

"Och, Arran, I see it now. He and yer faither are brothers. Ye see it in his face, aye." She leaned close, her tone softening, "But hear me, Caiden is nae the same man as yer faither. He would never harm ye. He loves ye so."

The boy's blue eyes flicked up to hers, troubled and searching. Maisie brushed her thumb across his knuckles, steady as stone.

"Yer faither made his choices, and they brought sorrow, but Caiden's path is different. He's kind, though he hides it well, and he carries nay wish to harm ye."

Arran frowned, his wee brow furrowed. "But what if he grows angry, like Da did?" he asked, fear threading his small voice.

Maisie shook her head, her gaze never wavering. "Nay, lad, Caiden is strong, aye. His heart beats with care, nae cruelty."

She let her words linger, then smiled faintly. "Would ye do somethin' for me, Arran? Will ye give yer uncle a chance to show ye the man he truly is? Perhaps simply say good mornin' to him sometime."

The boy chewed his lip, thinking long for one so young. At last, he nodded slowly, resolve brightening in his eyes. "Aye."

Her throat tightened, and she bent to press a kiss upon his hair. "That's all I ask, me sweet lad. Just try yer best."

Arran slipped his arms round her neck sudden and fierce, squeezing her in a hug that near toppled her. Maisie laughed softly, holding him close for a long breath, her heart swelling at his trust. Then, with the suddenness of a child's whim, he wriggled free and dashed off to join Hugh.

Maisie sat back upon the bench, her spirit light, whispering a prayer that Caiden would soon see the gift she had coaxed from the boy's heart.

Maisie moved to the garden bench and sat with Norah, the boys' laughter drifting faint from the paths.

"Norah, I'm glad ye have a moment to rest," she began softly, "I ken ye have long days takin' care of these two."

Norah's eyes warmed, and she gave a slow nod. "Aye, I do, but ye helped, Maisie. I thank ye for takin' time to speak with wee Arran. He's a good-hearted lad, but there's fear in him yet, and ye've lightened it some."

Maisie leaned closer, touched by the words. "I could see the shadows in his wee eyes, aye. He shouldnae have to carry such a weight at his age. Tell me, Norah, why does he fear so deeply? Why does the thought of his own father chill him so?"

Norah sighed, her shoulders heaving, and her gaze fell to her lap. "Ye've a right to ken it, Maisie. Me husband, Brian… Caiden's younger brother. He was nae the man ye'd wish a bairn to look up to. He was cruel, both with words and hands, to me and to the lads."

Maisie's breath caught, her heart twisting at the thought. "Saints preserve us," she whispered, her brow furrowing. "I had nae kent of that. To think ye bore such pain in silence… Norah, I'm so very sorry." She reached to squeeze the woman's hand, offering comfort in the only way she could.

Norah gave a faint smile, weary but grateful for the touch.

"It near broke me, aye, but Caiden found out.

He wouldnae stand by and watch his brother do such black deeds.

He cast Brian out, and I've nae seen him since.

Every coin that feeds us, every roof beam above our heads, it's Caiden's providin'. "

Maisie blinked, her chest heaving with surprise. "Caiden did that? Then all the village tales, the whispers of him bein' hard and cold… They daenae see the man he truly is. He saved ye, Norah. He saved yer lads from growin' under a father's cruel hand."

Norah's voice softened, filled with quiet conviction. "He did, aye. He is stern, but I ken him different. He has a heart fierce in its guardin'. He protects, even when none thank him for it." Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Maisie drew in a deep breath, leaning back to steady her thoughts. "I'll nae forget what ye've told me. It changes how I see him entirely. Nae a cold man, but one who carries the weight of others' wrongs. I'm glad Arran kens he has such an uncle, even if he doesnae see it yet."

Norah nodded. "Aye, Arran will learn in time. The lad's heart is gentle, but he fears the likeness to his faither. He looks at Caiden and sees the shadow of Brian. Yet if ye guide him, Maisie, if ye help him see the difference, he'll find trust again."

Maisie's lips curved in a tender smile, though her heart ached for the boy. "I'll do what I can, Norah. I gave him my word that Caiden's nae the same as the man who hurt ye. He listened, bless him, though I ken it'll take patience. He promised me he'd try."

Norah's eyes glistened, hope flickering in them. "Then he's already on the path. It means more than I can say, Maisie, to hear ye've taken such care for me bairn's soul. Ye've done in one afternoon what I've prayed months for." She squeezed Maisie's hand in earnest.

Maisie swallowed the lump in her throat, humbled. "It's nae but a wee step, but it's a start. And it makes me glad to ken Caiden's heart better. Mayhap the lad's trust will mend."

"Aye," Norah said.

Maisie let her hand rest warmly over Norah's, feeling the kinship that had blossomed. "And I'll never cease to admire ye, Norah, for the strength ye've shown. Nae many women could endure what ye did and still rise to smile at their bairns. But ye've done it, and they're better for it."