Page 80 of A Virgin for the Stone Highlander
Why did it have to be that one?
Scarlett stared at the drawing for a long moment, and Edith wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.
The sketch was simple. Aaron’s hand, her own, and the faint outline of his mouth pressed against her knuckles. And somehow, that made it worse.
Scarlett looked from the drawing to Edith and then back. “Och.”
“Scarlett…”
“Ye drew this.”
Edith groaned, moving closer as Scarlett slowly lowered herself onto a stool. The movement was slow and dramatic, as though her legs had abandoned her.
“Edith Woods.”
“Stop sayin’ me full name.”
“Ye drew me braither.”
Edith swallowed, lifting her chin. “How do ye ken it is him?”
“Because I grew up with him.”
She made a strangled sound, sitting on the stool next to Scarlett. This time, her legs had truly failed her.
“Scarlett, I…”
“Ye daenae have to explain yerself to me, Edith. I am nae mockin’ ye.” Scarlett’s voice was soft, the mischievous glint in her eyes completely replaced by something strangely somber.
“When I got to ken Robert,” she said quietly, “I drew him nearly daily.”
Edith blinked. “Truly?”
Scarlett nodded, her lips curling into a small smile. “Aye. I couldnae get him out of me head.” She looked away briefly, as though she were embarrassed by the admission. “He was in me thoughts all the time, and even when he was standing directly before me, I could scarcely stop meself from lookin’ at him.”
Edith laughed softly.
She had not drawn Aaron for a reason anywhere near that. She had drawn him because he plagued her mind with his infuriating presence, and she could hardly stand it.
“Ye arenae sayin’ this to make me feel better, are ye?”
Scarlett shook her head. “Nay, Edith. I am serious.” She set down the parchment and looked at her. “Me heart belongs to Robert, as his belongs to me.”
Something in her voice made Edith’s chest warm.
“He listens when I speak. He remembers things I tell him. And somehow, he looks at me as though I am the most important thing in the room.” There was a glint in her eyes as she spoke, and her cheeks turned red, her smile deepening. “I am happy, Edith. Happier than I ever thought I would be.”
Edith smiled back. Her chest loosened slightly as her guilt lifted.
She had spent months wondering how Scarlett was faring in her new home and hoping to hear those exact words. And now that she knew that Scarlett’s marriage had worked out well, she couldn’t be more relieved.
“I am so happy for ye,” she said, her voice warm and sincere. “Ye found exactly what I always hoped ye would.”
Scarlett reached for her hand, squeezing it softly. “And what about ye?”
Edith’s smile faltered. “Me?”
Scarlett glanced down at the drawing resting on the table. “That doesnae look like an ordinary drawing, Edith. ’Tis neither a herb nor a flower.”
