HISTORICAL ROMANCE: Scottish Romance: Scars of a Highlander (Highlander Alpha Male Romance) (Historical Fantasy Scottish Time Travel Romance Short Stories) by Cassandra Michaels Page A
Authors: Cassandra Michaels
said as she smiled at her daughters warmly.
******
Lucia sat quietly and watched as her stepsister’s continued to talk about the ball. She could see the excited glimmer in their eyes as she spoke and she realized that she would never understand her “siblings”, even if she spent the rest of her life with them. She looked over at her stepmom whose beady eyes were fixed on her daughters. She looked contented as they discussed dresses and potential suitors.
“Are you not excited Lucia?” The stern voice of Lucia’s father asked over the shrill plannings of his stepdaughters.
Lucia looked over at her father with surprise. It was rare that he found an occasion to speak to her, unless it was to scold her over her unladylike actions.
“I see no reason to be.” Lucia said simply in reply.
“You see no reason to be excited about a ball at the palace?” Her father asked with curious eyes that made Lucia feel as though he was examining her.
“I do not.” Lucia said, and she nodded her head to confirm her statement.
“You are a strange girl.” Her dad said with a confused look on his face. “Don’t you care about finding a suitor who will take care of you?”
“I can assure you that I can take care of myself.” Lucia said stubbornly.
Her father snorted.
“Well, that might be so, but I’d like to get you out of the house before you’re too old to marry.” He said with a serious look. “The atmosphere here is terrible and I can only imagine it will greatly improve upon your leaving.” He said in a trail of thought.
Lucia tried to ignore the stabbing pain that had filled her chest. She could feel a deep, unsettling anger in her stomach, but she knew it wasn’t aimed at her dad. She was angry with herself. She was angry with herself for still letting it hurt after all this time.
“Then I shall make that my top priority.” Lucia said when she realized that her father was expected a response.
He nodded curtly and her stepmom made a throaty noise that drew Lucia’s attention away from the head of the table.
“Do you have something you would like to add, stepmother?” Lucia asked in her most ladylike tone.
“I just don’t think you’re the kind of girl that an association with the palace might marry.” She said with a casual shrug.
“Perhaps you have me mistaken with your actual daughters?” Lucia said quickly and then regretted her confrontational approach.
“I think your father is right.” Her stepmom said with a slight smirk. “The atmosphere will greatly improve without you.”
“Well, you should hope that you are wrong then.” Lucia said as she stood up. “So, then you might have me out of your house sooner.”
Lucia didn’t wait for a response. She didn’t want one. She just walked out of the room with the feeling of eyes burning into her back as she went. She could feel her breaths coming out in short, raspy puffs and she tried to calm herself down.
The anger in her stomach was still churning, but the fire had subsided. She walked away from the dining room and upstairs to her own quarters. Her room was the only room in the house that she felt welcome. It was the only room in the house where she could sit quietly without being made to feel as though she was a burden.
She pushed open the heavy oak doors that led into her room and then quickly closed them. A maid had already stocked the fire and the room felt well heated through. Lucia walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out her nightdress. She pulled off the tight dress she had been wearing all day and slipped on the loose and comfortable white cotton.
She walked over to her nightstand and sat down. Her golden blonde hair was only half being held by its clip and she pulled it out of her hair, so that the rest could fall down. She looked at her reflection. Her skin wasn’t pale like her stepsister’s. She had a slight honey glow to it from walking in the gardens so often, but she was convinced it had her look
******
Lucia sat quietly and watched as her stepsister’s continued to talk about the ball. She could see the excited glimmer in their eyes as she spoke and she realized that she would never understand her “siblings”, even if she spent the rest of her life with them. She looked over at her stepmom whose beady eyes were fixed on her daughters. She looked contented as they discussed dresses and potential suitors.
“Are you not excited Lucia?” The stern voice of Lucia’s father asked over the shrill plannings of his stepdaughters.
Lucia looked over at her father with surprise. It was rare that he found an occasion to speak to her, unless it was to scold her over her unladylike actions.
“I see no reason to be.” Lucia said simply in reply.
“You see no reason to be excited about a ball at the palace?” Her father asked with curious eyes that made Lucia feel as though he was examining her.
“I do not.” Lucia said, and she nodded her head to confirm her statement.
“You are a strange girl.” Her dad said with a confused look on his face. “Don’t you care about finding a suitor who will take care of you?”
“I can assure you that I can take care of myself.” Lucia said stubbornly.
Her father snorted.
“Well, that might be so, but I’d like to get you out of the house before you’re too old to marry.” He said with a serious look. “The atmosphere here is terrible and I can only imagine it will greatly improve upon your leaving.” He said in a trail of thought.
Lucia tried to ignore the stabbing pain that had filled her chest. She could feel a deep, unsettling anger in her stomach, but she knew it wasn’t aimed at her dad. She was angry with herself. She was angry with herself for still letting it hurt after all this time.
“Then I shall make that my top priority.” Lucia said when she realized that her father was expected a response.
He nodded curtly and her stepmom made a throaty noise that drew Lucia’s attention away from the head of the table.
“Do you have something you would like to add, stepmother?” Lucia asked in her most ladylike tone.
“I just don’t think you’re the kind of girl that an association with the palace might marry.” She said with a casual shrug.
“Perhaps you have me mistaken with your actual daughters?” Lucia said quickly and then regretted her confrontational approach.
“I think your father is right.” Her stepmom said with a slight smirk. “The atmosphere will greatly improve without you.”
“Well, you should hope that you are wrong then.” Lucia said as she stood up. “So, then you might have me out of your house sooner.”
Lucia didn’t wait for a response. She didn’t want one. She just walked out of the room with the feeling of eyes burning into her back as she went. She could feel her breaths coming out in short, raspy puffs and she tried to calm herself down.
The anger in her stomach was still churning, but the fire had subsided. She walked away from the dining room and upstairs to her own quarters. Her room was the only room in the house that she felt welcome. It was the only room in the house where she could sit quietly without being made to feel as though she was a burden.
She pushed open the heavy oak doors that led into her room and then quickly closed them. A maid had already stocked the fire and the room felt well heated through. Lucia walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out her nightdress. She pulled off the tight dress she had been wearing all day and slipped on the loose and comfortable white cotton.
She walked over to her nightstand and sat down. Her golden blonde hair was only half being held by its clip and she pulled it out of her hair, so that the rest could fall down. She looked at her reflection. Her skin wasn’t pale like her stepsister’s. She had a slight honey glow to it from walking in the gardens so often, but she was convinced it had her look
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