The Angel and the Highlander(35)

Andrew’s cheeks blushed. “I like you.”

“Why?” Megan demanded and snapped the branch in her hand.

Andrew grinned. “You’re a tenacious little one and fearless. I admire you for that.” Andrew’s grin faded. “If there’s something you don’t like about me maybe I can change it.”

Megan stared at him for a moment then said softly, “You’re too tall.”

“Oh,” Andrew said, looking deflated then suddenly brightened. “I could hunch down when I’m beside you.”

And he demonstrated, looking positively ridiculous, though he had Megan laughing.

Terese quietly slipped out of the cottage, the pair not noticing her departure and that she had to contain her laughter at the sight of Andrew making a fool out of himself to win Megan’s chilled heart. A heart that Terese believed Andrew had been defrosting all along.

She strolled the convent grounds, stopping to speak to different people along the way. While Lachlan had been generous in offering everyone a home with the clan Sinclare, Frances and Henry expressed interest in possibly making a home here with the women, both having spent their lives in the area and not wanting to leave it.

Gelda expressed the same to Terese when she had stopped to admire her freshly sowed garden. Gelda and her family much preferred to make Everagis their home if that was possible.

Terese wished the same for herself, that Everagis could remain her home, but where it was a certain possibility for the others…it wasn’t likely to be for her.

Her passionate mood quickly dwindled to one of concern not only for herself, but for the other women. She had to keep her feelings for Lachlan in perspective. She would enjoy him here and now, know intimacy for the first time with him, but never forget that there was no future beyond that.

Rowena caught up with her as Terese approached the common house.

“You look concerned,” Rowena asked while keeping her smile bright. “Do you feel all right?”

“Better but weary.”

“From your wound or your thoughts?”

“A bit of both, I think,” Terese said and wasn’t too successful in forcing a smile.

“You should rest your wound and your thoughts,” Rowena suggested. “I could make you a brew if you’d like.”

“I would like that,” Terese said and was grateful she had such good friends and would always have them. They would be there for her long after Lachlan was gone and that she must also remember.

Terese cupped the mug in her hands as she walked down the narrow hall to her room. She had instructed Rowena that if she didn’t wake for supper not to disturb her. She closed the door to her small quarters where a narrow bed and chest vied for room and sat on the bed.

She almost changed her mind. Her body, and damned if her heart hadn’t joined in, wanted to see Lachlan. But she had to stay in control. She couldn’t surrender completely to him. If she did, in the end she would be hurt.

Once she finished the brew, she laid on the bed to rest, but when she closed her eyes all that she saw was Lachlan, all that she felt was Lachlan’s touch, all that she breathed was the earthy scent of him and all she wanted was…

“Lachlan,” she whispered as she drifted to sleep.



Terese woke with a start from a dream well before sunrise. She threw off the wool blanket and swung her legs off the bed, shaking her head at the dream or to rid herself of it, which she wasn’t certain.

Her father’s hardy laugh continued to echo in her mind, so pleased was he that he had gotten his way. He had married her to a man of his choice and there she had stood in chains.

Terese shivered and hurried into her green wool skirt and yellow blouse, she tied her shawl around her waist wanting it on hand when she walked to the hill to watch the sunrise. She slipped sandals on, combed her hair, and just as she began to braid it she stopped and stared at her wrists. The idea of being chained to a stranger for the remainder of her life suddenly made her all the more determined to remain free of her family.

Alyce was dead and she would stay dead. She would get involved with no man, but she would enjoy Lachlan while he was here, then send him on his way and worry over it no more.

Her door creaked opened and Piper peeked her head in. “Good, I was afraid I’d have to wake you.”

“A problem?”

“Someone wants to see you,” Piper said. “Now.”

“Septimus?”

“How did you know?” Piper asked.

“Something he said to me when he and his men came to our assistance.”

“I’ll go change into my nun robes.”

Terese stood. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Why?”