they all looked at the young boy standing there fidgeting with his head down, Keir smiling next to him.
“Brian?” Skye asked.
“Aye.”
“What is it, lad?” Elizabeth asked when he didn’t explain himself.
“Well . . .” He stuttered to a stop.
Skye motioned him over, took his hand, and smiled. “We can’t read minds, Brian, so you’ll have to tell us what you need.”
“Tis rainin, ye see?” He went on in a rush. “An I was chosen to ask if ye had any games we could play inside.”
“Is that right?” Skye stood and faced the other women. “Well, ladies, it seems as if my break is over. Off to work I go.”
She grinned at the two women, who smiled their understanding, and took Brian by the hand before heading downstairs.
Aiden and Collin stood at the study door, perplexed as to why there was a group of children at the base of the stairs when they heard a cheerful voice.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Upon seeing Skye, the children started talking at once.
“Alrighty then.” Laughing, she held up her arms to quiet them. “Entertainment is needed, I get that. So what will it be? Shall we play a game, or do you want me to tell you a story?”
The children’s voices raised in their excitement as they each made their thoughts known, trying to out-voice the other.
“Okay, okay! Seems as you all are a bit too rambunctious for a story so let’s start with a game and go from there, shall we?”
When she asked where they could play without interrupting the adults, Skye found herself immediately surrounded by the lot, a hand taken by the two littlest ones, and led away.
As Aiden watched in awed silence, he began to wonder how his world had become turned upside down so easily.
It wasn’t until he heard Collin chuckling that he remembered he wasn’t alone and glared at his friend, cursing when that only made the man laugh harder.
* * *
“We need to get rid of her.” Riona shrieked.
Finley glared at his sister as she went on a tirade about the English girl.
“An ye need to keep yer voice down, sister mine.” He stressed the accent in a furious whisper.
Hissing between gritted teeth, Riona cleared her throat and continued.
“She came out of Aiden’s den all askew, an the door had been closed, her guard defendin it like it was full of treasure. Then Aiden refused to talk to me, made some excuse, then ushered me out.”
“Ye need to calm down before ye get a wrinkle from frownin so.”
Riona twirled around, angry with her brother before catching herself and clearing her features. “Ye sit there as if ye have nary a care in the world. Do ye no ken that if he marries her all our plans were for naught?”
Finley’s calm exterior turned cold. “I ken, sister, I ken. However, as ye stomp around in a huff, I have come up with a plan an have someone workin on it now.”
Riona’s eyes widened and she clapped her hands with glee. “Tell me of this plan, brother.”
* * *
Gladys put her book of spells down when Doug and Sarah came through the door, immediately feeling the tension.
“How did the ultrasound go, m’dear? You were gone longer than expected. Did you go out for lunch?”
Doug guided his wife to a chair before turning to Gladys. “The heartbeat stopped for a little bit.”
“Dear heavens.”
“The doctor doesn’t know what caused it.” Sarah whispered. “He wants me to go in for more tests.”
“Oh no.” Gladys covered her mouth with a trembling hand.
“Tell her the rest, Doug.”
Doug sighed before continuing. “I passed out as it happened. The nurse just thought it was from anxiety but when they checked my pulse there was none.”
“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t used magic, Skye would be here and everything would be fine.” Gladys lamented.
They sat in silence, each lost to their own worries.
“Skye will be contacting me in the morning. I suggest we think of a way to get her back by then.”
“Brian?” Skye asked.
“Aye.”
“What is it, lad?” Elizabeth asked when he didn’t explain himself.
“Well . . .” He stuttered to a stop.
Skye motioned him over, took his hand, and smiled. “We can’t read minds, Brian, so you’ll have to tell us what you need.”
“Tis rainin, ye see?” He went on in a rush. “An I was chosen to ask if ye had any games we could play inside.”
“Is that right?” Skye stood and faced the other women. “Well, ladies, it seems as if my break is over. Off to work I go.”
She grinned at the two women, who smiled their understanding, and took Brian by the hand before heading downstairs.
Aiden and Collin stood at the study door, perplexed as to why there was a group of children at the base of the stairs when they heard a cheerful voice.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Upon seeing Skye, the children started talking at once.
“Alrighty then.” Laughing, she held up her arms to quiet them. “Entertainment is needed, I get that. So what will it be? Shall we play a game, or do you want me to tell you a story?”
The children’s voices raised in their excitement as they each made their thoughts known, trying to out-voice the other.
“Okay, okay! Seems as you all are a bit too rambunctious for a story so let’s start with a game and go from there, shall we?”
When she asked where they could play without interrupting the adults, Skye found herself immediately surrounded by the lot, a hand taken by the two littlest ones, and led away.
As Aiden watched in awed silence, he began to wonder how his world had become turned upside down so easily.
It wasn’t until he heard Collin chuckling that he remembered he wasn’t alone and glared at his friend, cursing when that only made the man laugh harder.
* * *
“We need to get rid of her.” Riona shrieked.
Finley glared at his sister as she went on a tirade about the English girl.
“An ye need to keep yer voice down, sister mine.” He stressed the accent in a furious whisper.
Hissing between gritted teeth, Riona cleared her throat and continued.
“She came out of Aiden’s den all askew, an the door had been closed, her guard defendin it like it was full of treasure. Then Aiden refused to talk to me, made some excuse, then ushered me out.”
“Ye need to calm down before ye get a wrinkle from frownin so.”
Riona twirled around, angry with her brother before catching herself and clearing her features. “Ye sit there as if ye have nary a care in the world. Do ye no ken that if he marries her all our plans were for naught?”
Finley’s calm exterior turned cold. “I ken, sister, I ken. However, as ye stomp around in a huff, I have come up with a plan an have someone workin on it now.”
Riona’s eyes widened and she clapped her hands with glee. “Tell me of this plan, brother.”
* * *
Gladys put her book of spells down when Doug and Sarah came through the door, immediately feeling the tension.
“How did the ultrasound go, m’dear? You were gone longer than expected. Did you go out for lunch?”
Doug guided his wife to a chair before turning to Gladys. “The heartbeat stopped for a little bit.”
“Dear heavens.”
“The doctor doesn’t know what caused it.” Sarah whispered. “He wants me to go in for more tests.”
“Oh no.” Gladys covered her mouth with a trembling hand.
“Tell her the rest, Doug.”
Doug sighed before continuing. “I passed out as it happened. The nurse just thought it was from anxiety but when they checked my pulse there was none.”
“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t used magic, Skye would be here and everything would be fine.” Gladys lamented.
They sat in silence, each lost to their own worries.
“Skye will be contacting me in the morning. I suggest we think of a way to get her back by then.”
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