Page 43 of The Laird's Secret Bairn

They stepped outside and made their way to the gardens, the soft chirping of birds surrounding them. The grass crunched softly beneath their feet, sunlight warming the tops of the hedges. They

Lily clung to Skye, never letting go of her hand.

“Lily, anytime ye want to explore, let me ken.”

Lily looked up, chewing on her lower lip. “Is it all right?”

“Aye, sweetling, it is.”

The moment they were in the gardens, Skye slowly let go of her hand. Lily barely noticed, darting forward and running around. In the distance, she spotted a baby goat and squealed so loudly it scared the birds right out of the trees.

“Skye, look!”

Skye approached, smiling. “Aye, it seems ye found a friend for Blossom.”

“Nay.”

“Nay?”

“Afamilyfor Blossom!” Lily corrected with a grin. “Now Blossom will have a braither or sister!”

Skye ruffled her hair. “I think wee Blossom would like that.”

“When ye and Da get married, will ye give me sisters?” She considered. “Or braithers, if ye must.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

Children truly said the most interesting things.

Skye tried not to react. She needed to be careful. The betrothal, if it even continued, would last only a month. Lily would not understand.

But she couldn’t stand here and tell her that she would be leaving. At the same time, she couldn’t promise Lily that she and her father were going to give her brothers or sisters.

It was a difficult question she had no idea how to answer.

“Let’s focus on introducing Blossom to her new family, aye?”

Lily’s face lit up. “Aye!”

Then Skye heard it: two sets of footsteps. One was faint and unsure, the other loud and almost shaking the ground beneath them. She whirled around, her heart leaping into her throat.

Dougal and Kenna were approaching. Kenna smiled apologetically at Skye, while Dougal lookedfurious. He wouldn’t look at her last night, but he was looking at her now.

She had never felt so small.

“Lily, it seems we have company,” she whispered.

Lily whirled around. “Oh, it’s Grandmaither and Da!” she said excitedly.

It was unfair of Skye to alert her to Dougal’s presence, but it did the trick of calming him. The anger faded from his face, and he gave one of those smiles he reserved for her.

Skye felt like a coward.

She shifted her gaze back to Dougal and the anger reappeared.

What had she done?

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