CHAPTER EIGHT
T he next morning, Alexandra stood before the mirror, studying the dress she had borrowed.
The fabric was soft and light, a deep shade of green that made her eyes seem brighter, but it was the lace in the front that caught her attention.
If she pulled the laces just so, they would reveal more than she was comfortable with, and she quickly tugged them tighter, trying to keep the delicate fabric in place.
She didn’t need any more discomfort today, especially with what lay ahead.
There was a knock at the door, followed by Erica’s voice calling her name.
"Mistress? It's me, Erica," she said.
Alexandra straightened and hurried to answer, finding the maid standing there with a small smile on her face.
"Erica!" Alexandra hugged her. "Are ye all right?"
"I am fine, mistress," Erica said, hugging her back. "Are ye hurt?"
"Nay, I am nae. I was so worried about ye," Alexandra said, pulling her inside the room and closing the door.
"As was I of ye. I thought ye were in a dungeon somewhere," Erica said.
"I thought the same of ye," Alexandra responded.
"They have been kind to me, more than expected. I have been given a room in the servant quarters and told nae to venture outside the castle walls or I will be punished, or worse ye will be punished," she said.
"Aye, I was told the same. Let us nae test our fates until I have plan to get us out of here," Alexandra said.
"I was told this mornin’ I could do me work as yer maid for now. Ye’ve been asked to come to the main hall for breakfast," Erica said.
"That is good to hear. We may be prisoners, but we are nae treated so harshly. I must nae do anything to disappoint the Laird and give him reason to take our freedom to roam the castle. Let us go," she said.
Alexandra's stomach fluttered nervously as she followed the maid through the stone corridors, her heart pounding as they walked in silence.
When they entered the main hall, the sight of the long, polished table only deepened Alexandra’s unease. She saw the other man from the raid, called Marcus, sitting at one end, his posture relaxed, while Nicholas, who was leaning slightly forward, listened intently.
The two men exchanged quiet words, not acknowledging her entrance. Alexandra hesitated before taking a seat at the far side of the table, hoping to stay out of their way as she picked up the silverware in front of her.
As she began to eat slowly, her eyes flicked from her plate to the two men.
Nicholas was leaning back in his chair now, his broad shoulders filling the space, his gaze never leaving Marcus as they spoke in low tones.
Alexandra caught fragments of their conversation, though she could make little sense of it.
They spoke of matters she didn’t understand, of names and places she had never heard, but one thing was clear—whatever this business was, it was serious.
She felt like an intruder in their world, but she wasn’t sure how long she could remain silent.
The conversation shifted to Charlie’s abduction, and she leaned in, her attention sharp. Nicholas's voice was low but clear as he spoke.
“Me boy was taken from his room, nae many have access to it,” Nicholas said.
“Aye, and without a struggle, without a sound,” Marcus added.
Alexandra’s frown deepened at the oddness of it all, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Have ye checked with the people ye ken? The staff, the other children—couldnae they ken somethin’?”
The room went still. Both Nicholas and Marcus turned their gazes toward her, their eyes narrowing in surprise.
Alexandra immediately flushed, realizing her mistake, and she met Nicholas’s intense stare with a mixture of discomfort and defiance.
She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself, but his gaze made her feel exposed, like he was seeing straight through her.
Nicholas’s voice was low and controlled as he spoke, his tone challenging. “What do ye mean by that?” he asked, his words heavy with curiosity and something else, something unreadable.
Alexandra shifted uncomfortably in her seat, suddenly aware of the weight of her words and the attention now focused solely on her. She hadn’t meant to speak out of turn, but now, with both men looking at her, she found herself struggling to find the right words.
“Well,” Alexandra began, her voice shaking slightly, “In me experience when a stranger attempts to approach a child or pick them up, the child screams or makes a ruckus. If ye believe it was McLaren's men that stole yer child from his own room, would yer child have gone so willingly? Surely someone would’ve heard somethin’ if the boy were taken so easily. ”
She dared a glance at Nicholas, who seemed to consider her words carefully. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly, she couldn’t tell what it meant.
Marcus exchanged a quick look with Nicholas, then shifted in his seat, his expression unreadable.
“That’s what we’ve been tryin’ to figure out, lass,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of frustration.
“But nae a soul heard anythin’. The lad’s room was undisturbed, nay sign of a struggle or a fight. ”
Nicholas leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest, his jaw clenched.
His eyes locked onto Alexandra again, as if weighing her words.
“Ye seem to ken a great deal about children and how they react to strangers,” he said slowly, his voice laced with suspicion.
“What makes ye so sure they would’ve cried out, eh? ”
Alexandra blinked, her mind racing for a response.
She hadn’t meant to come off as an expert, but she knew children well enough to understand that they usually reacted strongly to unfamiliar adults, especially ones who weren’t part of their daily life.
“I’ve spent time around children,” she said quietly, trying to keep her tone neutral.
“They’re nae as quiet as ye think. They cry, they scream, especially when someone they daenae ken comes near. ”
Nicholas didn’t speak for a moment, his gaze unwavering as he studied her.
Alexandra could feel the weight of his stare, the silent judgment in the air as he processed her words.
It wasn’t clear whether he believed her, but the moment stretched long, and she could feel her pulse quicken, the tension in the room growing thick.
Finally, Nicholas spoke, his voice as cold and sharp as before. “We’ve been through every room, every corner of this castle, and asked every person and still, nae a soul has anything to say about it.”
Alexandra bit her lip, frustrated but unwilling to back down. “Then maybe ye should be lookin’ at the people who would be with him, without suspicion. It sounds to me the person might ken yer son already. Why look outside yer own clan and people if the child was taken from his own room?"
She didn’t know if her suggestion would help, but she couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She needed to be heard, to offer whatever she could, even if it was just a tiny piece of the puzzle.
"Aye, the lass has a point. But who of our own would want to take Charles?" Marcus said.
“Marcus,” Nicholas said, turning his gaze from Alexandra, “start an investigation into Oscar. He’s the only one the boy trusts who’s nae here in the castle.”
Alexandra’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She hadn’t expected him to take her suggestion seriously, but now, it seemed he was considering it with more weight than she had imagined.
Marcus didn’t hesitate, immediately nodding in agreement. “Aye, I’ll look into it. If there’s somethin’ to be found, we’ll find it.”
He stood to leave, but Nicholas raised a hand to stop him, his eyes narrowing in thought. “If this turns out to be true,” Nicholas added, his voice cold and steady, “ye’ll be handsomely rewarded, lass.”
Alexandra was left blinking, stunned by his promise. The words hung in the air like a challenge, and she had no idea how to respond. What was he truly offering? Would he let her go?
Her mind raced, unsure of the exact meaning behind his statement, but her curiosity was piqued, even as a knot of confusion tightened in her stomach.
She watched as Nicholas turned to leave.
He paused at the door and looked back at her.
His gaze was intense, focused in a way that sent a shiver down her spine.
She knew he wasn’t one to speak lightly, that whatever he said, he meant.
And yet, as he looked at her with that same unflinching intensity, she found herself inexplicably drawn to him.
For a moment, their eyes locked, and Alexandra felt her breath catch.
His gaze was like a weight pressing down on her, as if he could see straight into her thoughts.
She couldn’t understand why, but the intensity of his stare made her pulse quicken.
It unsettled her, but at the same time, a part of her liked it, the way he held her with such unwavering focus.
Alexandra sat with Erica in the great hall. Hours had passed since she made the suggestion to Nicholas. She stood by the window, staring out at the storm that still battered the castle walls.
"What do ye think they mean to do with us?" Erica asked.
"I daenae ken, Erica. I hope that we shall be let go soon. I worry what McLaren thinks since I have nae shown at his door. Does he blame me brother?" Alexandra said.
Then, a commotion in the distance caught her attention, followed by the sound of footsteps pounding down the hallway. Curious, she moved toward the entrance, her heart quickening with each step.
As she rounded the corner, she saw Nicholas and Marcus entering the hall, their presence commanding attention. Nicholas held a small boy in his arms, the child limp and pale, while Marcus gripped the arm of a graying man, his face contorted with desperation.
The man muttered incoherently, his words tumbling out in a frenzied, disjointed manner. “I was doin' ye a favor, ye ken,” he babbled, his voice trembling. “This curse, it will take yer boy too, I swear it.”
Alexandra watched as Nicholas’s jaw clenched at the man’s words, his expression dark and unreadable.
Without a word, he nodded to Marcus, signaling for the man to be taken away. “Lock him up,” Nicholas ordered in a cold, controlled voice. “And make sure he stays quiet—nay more nonsense from him. I'll deal with him later."
Alexandra couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene.
The small boy in Nicholas’s arms seemed to be in a dazed state, his face flushed with a fever, and her heart tugged with an unfamiliar emotion.
She wanted to rush forward, to ask what had happened, but Nicholas’s sharp gaze turned toward her, silencing any questions before they left her lips.
“Get a maid in here,” Nicholas barked, his tone unyielding. The command was clear, and within moments, a maid appeared, her face pale with concern. She quickly approached Nicholas, her hands trembling as she reached for the boy.
Alexandra watched as the maid cradled the child, her eyes full of worry as she rushed off to take him to a warmer room. The sight left a knot in Alexandra’s stomach, and she turned her gaze back to Nicholas.
Her thoughts raced as she tried to piece together the puzzle. Was the child the missing child of Nicholas? What did the curse the man had mentioned mean?
She took a cautious step forward, her heart still racing from the commotion. “It seems ye’ve found yer son?” she said, her voice steady but laced with curiosity.
Nicholas turned toward her, his eyes dark with an unreadable expression. “Aye, thanks to yer hint,” he replied, his tone gruff but not unappreciative.
He stepped closer, his boots thudding softly against the stone floor. “I’m a fair laird,” he continued, his gaze softening for a moment, “and I’ll reward ye for yer help.”
Alexandra’s mind raced, the urgency of her situation threatening to overwhelm her. She forced herself to remain composed, but her words felt heavy with the weight of what she had to ask.
“I just want me and Erica to be let go,” she said, her voice a little more firm than she intended. Inwardly, she worried that if she delayed much longer, Leo would have no hesitation in attacking her brother—her thoughts ached at the thought.
Nicholas’s eyes hardened at her words, and the room seemed to grow colder.
“Ye will nae be goin’ anywhere,” he said, his voice as firm as stone, leaving no room for argument.
Alexandra’s breath caught in her throat, and she opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak, he walked away.
His departure was abrupt, his movements swift, as if to leave no time for her to respond.
He didn’t look back, his footsteps echoing in the hall as he walked away with purpose. Alexandra stood there, stunned by the suddenness of his exit.
Her mind spun, the room closing in on her, as she processed his words.
"What did he say?" Erica ran over to her. "Can we leave?"
“Nay, he said I willnae be goin’ anywhere."