Page 11 of The Laird’s Unwanted Wife (Legacy of Highland Lairds #5)

G erald was surprised at how standoffish Aileen was the next morning. And the morning after that. In fact, she seemed to be actively avoiding him, making every excuse under the sun to not be engaged in more than a two-sentence conversation with him.

If she ended up alone with him in a room, she quickly called out to a maid to inquire about random wedding details. If he directed a question her way, she rephrased it toward Mollie, who then went off on an endless rant about how many cracks and crevices she’d found while exploring the castle.

“Well … ye did ambush her about her little sister,” Gerald reasoned with himself.

“I’d have been cross if someone did that to me.

” And he had been the one to insist she keep her distance, that their union meant nothing more than a contractual obligation.

How could he blame her for trying to follow his previous order?

“The wedding cannae come soon enough,” he grumbled, reaching his study with a stack of letters in his hand. Every one of the lairds had replied to his previously sent message, and he’d only skimmed through Laird MacKimmons’ response so far.

“Did he really have to demand a visit so soon?” Gerald continued to himself. “I already have the ceremony to plan, and Hector’s so particular. And I ken he’ll want to talk about Marcus, which is nae a conversation I want to have. And besides …”

He reached his study door, finding it pushed ajar and the lock seemingly undone.

A tired sigh escaped his lips as he nudged it fully open with his foot, greeted by the sight of papers and books scattered across the floor.

Mollie stood toward the bookshelf, trying to pull a leather-bound tome out of Bannock’s mouth as the deerhound let out a playful growl.

“Bannock, nay! This is the Laird’s study, ye cannae be in here—!” Mollie let out a surprised cry, stumbling back as the leather tore in the beast’s mouth. She immediately toppled backward, landing hard on the ground with a pained squeal.

“Mollie!” Gerald immediately moved to her side, his arms outstretched to help lift her off the ground. Instead, and much to his horror, the little girl recoiled away from him, the book lifted to her face as a sobbing cry escaped her throat.

“I … I’m sorry, me Laird! I … I didnae mean …

the door swung open, and … and Bannock just ran in!

” Mollie’s sobs grew louder as she pushed herself across the room, her back eventually thumping against the wall as the book trembled in her hand.

“I … I just wanted to get her … daenae throw her outside, please!”

Bannock immediately abandoned the pieces of the book she’d torn off, rushing to Mollie’s side and protectively shielding her with her body. A horrific snarl escaped her throat, the hackles of her fur rising as she dug her nails into the wooden boards of the floor.

Gerald couldn’t even describe the ache he felt in his heart as it shattered into a million pieces. Gently, he knelt to the ground, his hands back at his side as his voice dropped to a whisper. “Mollie … it’s all right, lamb. I’m nae upset with ye.”

“Aye, ye are,” Mollie sniffled. “Ye just want me to let me guard down.”

His heart somehow fractured further. “Did Laird Carswell put Bannock outside often?”

Mollie buried her face into the dog’s side, wrapping her arms around the deerhound’s neck. Gerald didn’t need any further answer.

“Bannock, down.”

The dog growled defiantly, her tail stiff in the air.

“ Down ,” Gerald repeated sternly.

Bannock let out a whining growl, butting her head against Mollie’s before finally lying across the ground, exposing Mollie completely. Her face was blotchy and tear-stained, bits of long, black hair stuck to her cheeks as the occasional sniffle slipped out.

“Mollie, I willnae come closer if ye daenae want me to,” Gerald assured. “I just want to ken if ye’re all right.”

Mollie looked hesitant to answer.

“Are ye hurt in any way?”

She shook her head gingerly.

“Good. Cause that’s all I care about right now.

” Gerald sighed lightly, shifting to a sitting position as he crossed his legs.

“That’s all I’ll ever care about, all right?

It doesnae matter if ye make a mess, or get into something ye shouldnae.

As long as ye’re nae hurt, that’s all that matters.

” His jaw tightened, his teeth grinding as he held back his anger.

“Ye daenae deserve to be struck for makin’ a mistake. Do ye understand that?”

Mollie didn’t seem to know how to answer that.

“Mollie …” Again, Gerald sighed. “I am cross with the mess ye’ve made in me study, but I would rather ye apologize and help clean it up. Can ye do that for me?”

Mollie looked genuinely confused. “Th—that’s … all ye’re goin’ to do?”

Gerald nodded. “If ye make a mistake, and ye’re genuinely sorry, ye should take action to fix it.

Putting Bannock outside willnae teach her to respect me things.

It will only teach her to hate me, or fear me.

” And he didn’t want either of those things to happen.

“And as her pack leader, it falls on ye to teach her to be better.”

“Pack leader?” Mollie asked.

“Aye. Bannock needs a strong and confident leader to follow, so she doesnae get into trouble anymore.” He rubbed his beard thoughtfully, an idea beginning to form in the back of his mind.

“If ye’d like … I ken a man who is an excellent pack leader.

He lives at MacDonnell’s seaside keep—Nathan, I believe his name is—I could write a letter and ask him to come teach ye the basics. ”

Mollie wiped her eyes furiously, blinking away any stray tears. “Can ye nae teach me yerself? Bannock listens to ye really well.”

“Aye, well, I learned only a wee bit from Nathan,” Gerald admitted with a chuckle. “Ye’d get farther with him teaching ye.”

“Can … can I write the letter, too?” Mollie asked.

Gerald offered her a small smile. “I daenae see why nae. But we need to find some paper that Bannock didnae eat.”

Mollie giggled lightly, wiping strands of blonde hair out of her face. “I told her paper werenae good for her tummy.”

“Well, I’m sure Nathan will help ye get that lesson to stick.”

Mollie then rose to her feet with an unsteady wobble, Bannock letting out a concerned whine as her tail thumped nervously against the ground. The little girl offered a reassuring pat, then turned to Gerald, eyeing her shoes nervously.

Then, suddenly, she ran across the room, leaping into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. Gerald briefly locked up, uncertain as to why he deserved her affection. But, after a moment, his own arms embraced her, and the two sat in a long, lingering hug.

“I like ye more than Laird Carswell,” Mollie whispered.

Somehow, that one sentence mended Gerald’s heart immediately.

“Mollie!” Aileen suddenly came bursting into the study, her face flushed and clearly out of breath.

She stared at the absolute mess, her gaze flickering between the guilty deerhound lying across the ground and Mollie sitting in Gerald’s lap.

“Oh, nay! Me Laird, I didnae mean … I should have kept a closer eye?—”

“It’s all right, Leelee!” Mollie wiped her face once more, her cheeks still flushed, but a small smile on prominent display. “Gerald said I just have to help pick up. A pack leader … uh …” she furrowed her brow, turning back to the Laird for help.

“I told her that it falls upon a leader to teach their people how to do better,” Gerald said.

“Aye, that!” She then stood up from Gerald’s lap, skipping to her sister’s side with an excited squeal. “And, and … Once we clean up, we’re goin’ to write a letter to Nathan and ask him to teach me more!”

Aileen shot the Laird a bemused look.

“It’s Laird MacDonnell’s man-at-arms,” Gerald explained. “I promised Mollie he could help train Bannock.”

“That’s … very kind of ye to offer.” Aileen blinked a few times, then turned her attention back to Mollie.

“And I agree with him. Ye should help clean up the mess Bannock made in here.” She paused, then added quickly, “Ah, but Ms. Blair needed her for a moment. Her dress for the ceremony was a wee bit loose, and she needed Mollie to wear it for alterations.”

“Well, we daenae wish to incur Ms. Blair’s wrath,” Gerald chuckled. “Go on, then, lamb. But come straight back once ye’re done.”

Mollie nodded, giving Gerald one more squeeze before scurrying past Aileen and down the hall. Bannock quickly followed after, excitedly yelping at the prospect of avoiding trouble for her misdeeds.

“I would be happy to help ye clean a bit,” Aileen began, kneeling to gather a few papers up into her arms.

“Nay, it’s really nay trouble,” Gerald insisted. “Mollie should learn to handle big messes like this.”

“She’s only six,” Aileen argued back, crossing the room to set the papers back on his desk.

“I learned swordplay by six,” Gerald replied curtly.

“How on earth is that the same as cleaning up a disaster like this?”

Gerald frowned, rising to his feet to look at Aileen. She tried to dart out of his range, barely able to snag a book off the ground before her arm was grasped gently by the Laird.

“I told ye, I daenae need any help from ye.”

“What sort of person daenae wants help?” Aileen asked.

“Someone who has a particular style of organization,” Gerald grumbled. “And already told his new guest to stay out of his life.”

“And yet, the guest’s little sister is welcome to stir up chaos?” Aileen inquired, her brow rising slightly.

Gerald let out a huff, pulling her a bit closer. To his surprise, Aileen didn’t necessarily fight it, allowing herself to be pulled until she was practically pressed against his chest. He locked eyes with her, the swirling brown hiding tinges of green beneath their seemingly simple surface.

He couldn’t help but stare, move his hand along the length of Aileen’s forearm, and settle it against her shoulder. His other hand gingerly moved toward her waist, and she visibly flinched.

“Sorry,” Aileen apologized.

“Daenae be.” Gerald moved his hand higher, bracing against her back as the pair’s lips just barely touched. Then, much to his own surprise, he found himself leaning closer, and suddenly, he was sharing a kiss with his bride-to-be.

Aileen was stunned. Pleasantly so, of course. She hadn’t been expecting any affection whatsoever from the Laird of MacLiddel, especially after making his expectations for their married life crystal clear.

They were to remain strangers, contractually obligated to be seen in public together, but to remain at arm’s length when within the castle proper. And now—now, that same laird was kissing her with such surprising passion, his tongue edging into her mouth in a desperate bid to explore further.

But before she could fully start to enjoy the moment, Gerald suddenly pulled away, leaving her standing in a rather confused daze.

Aileen watched as his posture stiffened considerably, as his fists clenched at his side, and that familiar, dark scowl crossed his face.

Once more, the beast had entered the room with her, and she was positively furious at the fact.

“Ignore that,” Gerald stated coolly. “That was … that was a mistake. I hadnae meant … ye may go now. Bring Mollie back when she finishes with Ms. Blair.”

It was the first time Aileen had felt so powerfully indignant about something. Her whole life had been unjust, but in this particular moment … she could not let the statement stand on its own.

“We … I willnae simply forget about that!” She flinched slightly at his furrowed gaze, but the fire in her stomach refused to allow her to back down, now. “We need to talk about it, Gerald.”

“There is nae a thing to?—”

“Daenae treat me as a wee foolish bairn,” Aileen snapped. “Or as a pathetic woman who will bow to the slightest showing of human decency.” Even she was surprised at the anger in her voice.

Gerald seemed equally so, though he did a far better job subduing his shock than she had. “I ken ye daenae wish to complicate yer life with me own troubles. I would nae ask ye to do as such. But it cannae be possible to simply be strangers after our marriage. Ye must ken that!”

Gerald’s expression remained stubbornly aloof. Only his eyes briefly betrayed a look of realization, a silent agreement with Aileen’s statement. But he wouldn’t admit it aloud—Aileen realized that all too soon—and thus, she folded her hands and offered a nod.

“Very well. I willnae force ye to hold this conversation now. But daenae think I will forget, husband-to-be.” With that, Aileen turned and slipped out the study door, doing her best to close it fully before finding her way back to Mollie.