Page 3 of The Laird's Secret Bairn

Not one to be vain, he avoided looking at his reflection if he could. It was better that way, for it was a reminder of everything that had happened with Elsie and how he had failed to help her in the only way that truly mattered.

A rapid knock at the door drew his attention from his reflection, something he was ultimately grateful for.

“It’s yer maither.”

Dougal crossed the distance to the door in three steps and opened it to find Kenna standing there, looking bothered.

“What is wrong?”

“Is it that obvious?” she asked with a gentle laugh.

“I simply ken ye too well.”

Kenna nodded. “We were trying to decide how to tell ye about the pamphlet. Quite a surprise, I imagine.”

“If ye want to call that a surprise,” Dougal grumbled. “Stephen tells me to show me face. Show them that I have nothing to hide.”

“I think ye’ve made the right decision.”

He sighed, adjusting his mask. “Do ye now, Maither?”

“I do.”

“How do ye ken it’s nae going to end in disaster?”

“We have managed so far, have we nae?”

Dougal supposed theyhadmanaged as best they could. And he could always… eliminate any trouble that stuck too long.

“Managing isnae the same as thriving, Maither.”

“Nay,” Kenna agreed, reaching up to straighten his collar the way she’d done since he was a boy. “But it has kept ye alive this long, and it has kept Lily safe. That counts for something, even if ye’re too stubborn to admit it.”

“And if showing me face tonight only gives them more to whisper about?”

“Then they’ll whisper. They’ve never stopped, son, with or without ye giving them reason.”

He studied her for a long moment. “Ye sound certain.”

“I’m yer maither. I’m allowed to sound certain even when I’m nae,” she gently reminded him, a soft smile gracing her wrinkled face. “It has been some time since ye attended a cèilidh.”

Dougal grunted.

“I will look after Lily while ye’re gone. Daenae worry about her.”

One of those rare smiles graced his scarred face. “I never worry about Lily when she’s with ye.”

“Good. Ye should take care of yerself, nae worry about us,” Kenna murmured.

“Would ye rather I remain here?”

Kenna shook her head. “Nay, but I worry for ye. Ye’re me son. It is natural for a maither to worry about the safety of her only child.”

“I’ve survived worse.”

She nodded, smiling, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “People will always talk and believe the worst of others. It is how ye respond to it that matters.”

“And this is me response,” Dougal pointed out.