Page 42 of Highland Spirit

“Nay, it’s no’ like that. Ye dinna understand.”

In anger, Ethan knocked over a chair and stormed to the other side of the room. “Nay, I dinna understand, and I urge ye to explain now because I am losin’ my patience.”

“Dinna threaten me,” she spat, and then broke down and started crying.

Ethan always had a weakness for crying lassies. Especially ones he cared about. He didn’t want to see Alana so sad, and felt now that he had made her cry.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, walking closer.

She sat down on the edge of a bed and hid her face in her hands. “Nay, I’m the one who is sorry, Ethan. I have ruined everythin’ guid I’ve ever had in my life.”

Gently, he sat on the pallet next to her and pulled her hands away from her face.

“I had hoped to marry ye and have a family with ye, Alana. We were lucky enough no’ to have been betrothed just for the sake of an alliance. We fell in love. On our own. Or so I thought. That is somethin’ that is rare. I felt we had somethin’ special between us.”

“We did, Ethan. And I hope we still can.”

“How?” he asked. “I canna even get ye to be honest with me. How can I ever trust ye again?”

“I want to tell ye things, honest I do. But ye have to believe me when I say I canna.”

“Why? That makes no sense.” He stood up and started pacing the floor.

“Because if I do, those I love might be hurt.”

He stopped pacing. “Too late for that,” he said, hearing the sarcasm dripping from his own words. Still, he didn’t care. It no longer mattered. “Mayhap this was a mistake bringin’ ye here,” he said, heading for the door. “Ye can stay here tonight and in the mornin’ I’ll personally take ye back to yer castle and we’ll never have to see each other again.”

“Nay, dinna be that way, Ethan.”

He pulled open the door and was about to step out into the cold when her next words stopped him in his tracks.

“Ye wanted to ken who Isobel’s faither is, so I’m goin’ to tell ye.”

Suddenly, Ethan felt as if he didn’t really want to know. “I dinna care,” he said without turning around, taking a step outside. “Mayhap some things in life are better off left unkenned.”

“It’s ye,” she said as he was shutting the door. He froze in his tracks and slowly turned around.

“What did ye say?” he asked, thinking he’d misheard her, but hoping he had not.

“Ye are Isobel’s faither.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

He stepped back into the hut and slowly closed the door. He didn’t know how to react. Elation, joy, surprise . . . and also anger shot through him all at once.

“Are ye sayin’ I’ve had a daughter for the past five years and ye couldna bother to tell me? What kind of lassie are ye?”

Alana’s mouth dropped open. For some reason, she thought Ethan would be happy to know he’d sired a child. But instead, he seemed to think she was some kind of ogre for not telling him sooner.

“I’m sorry, Ethan, but I wasna here to tell ye. I lived in Ireland up to this past year. And I was ill after birthin’ Isobel for a long time. I nearly died to bring her into this world.” She couldn’t hold her tears back and began crying more.

“Och, I’m sorry about that,” he said in a half-whisper. “I didna ken.”

“I didna ken I was pregnant until right before our weddin’ day. I wanted to surprise ye and tell ye after we’d said our vows, but that never happened. I – I had to leave, and so I did.”

He came toward her slowly, stalking her in a way. “Ye had to leave or ye chose to leave?” he asked, putting her in an awkward position.

“I was called away the day of our weddin’. I had to go.”

“To steal another herd besides the MacKeefes?”