Page 23 of A Nameless Highland Laird
She laughed. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard before. Her laugh was like a chime, twinkling in the summer’s breeze. He hadn’t been trying to be funny, but now, he wanted to do whatever it took to make her laugh again.
“I dinnae ken that much about them, but I am happy to share with ye what I do know.”
He nodded, sending her his own wide smile. The muscles on his face stretched to conform to the new pull. It had been a long time since he smiled at anyone that much.
“I used to love playing in the fields just outside of the courtyard. In the spring, they are filled with the bonniest wildflowers. When I was a wee lad, they were often taller than I was. It was the perfect place to hide from my responsibilities. And the colors, I can nae recall a time when I have ever been surrounded by such an array of colors.”
“Did ye often run from yer responsibilities?” she asked, her smile still intact.
“Nay. I could never afford to run for that long.”
“I imagine being the son of the Laird meant ye had many hours of training and schooling. I can nae see how it would leave much time for ye to be a kid.”
He stumbled over his answer. While he was the son of the Laird, he had never been raised as one. It was a fine line to walk between giving her honest stories about his youth without revealing his secret.
“I can nae say that I ever felt much like a kid. I have two younger siblings that always needed lookin’ after. That aged me quite a bit.”
It was an understatement, but he didn’t think Alastair would approve of him sharing his complicated history with his family.
“Where are yer siblings now? Do they still live in the castle? I would love to meet them.”
Her excitement only darkened his mood further.
“We are nae close anymore. They live far away now. It’s just me in the castle.”
