Page 62 of Highland Flame

“Nay. I should have stayed here with her,” said Yvaine. “I’m the only one who can really calm her.”

“I asked Brother Gillies for help. I’m sorry, but I was awake all night and didn’t know what to do,” continued the nun.

“Where is Avianca now?” Cam demanded to know. “Gillies, ye were seen ridin’ out of the priory with her.” Cam felt panic for the child rushing through his veins.

“It’s Brother Gillies to you,” said the monk with a stone-like face. “Sister Edna asked for my help, and that is exactly what I did.”

“Gillies, where is she?” asked Yvaine. “Please tell me that she isna harmed.”

“The lass isn’t harmed, and is in good hands,” said Gillies.

That made Cam feel a little more at ease, but he still needed to know where the man took his daughter.

“Why isna she with ye?” asked Cam, becoming very suspicious.

“She isn’t here because she now resides with her new family,” stated the monk, causing a gasp from Yvaine, and a wave of silence from the rest of them.

“New family?” asked Gavin. “I dinna understand. Cam is her faither.”

“He is, but he didn’t want her,” said the monk. “He told me when he arrived here that I was to find a good home for the girl, and so I did.”

“Nay, Brathair, ye’re wrong,” cried Yvaine. “Cam may have wanted that at first, but he changed his mind. He was goin’ to take his daughter back with him to his clan. I’m sure he told ye that.” Yvaine looked over at Cam, and he felt like hiding under a rock.

“I’m afraid, I might have forgotten to mention it to Brathair Gillies with all the prayer services and chores I had to do,” Cam said in a low voice feeling like this was all his fault.

“Egads, Cam, how could ye?” asked Nash.

“Now ye’ve lost yer daughter for guid, and it’s no one’s fault but yer own,” added North.

“Damn it, Monk, why did ye take her without sayin’ somethin’ to me first?” Cam’s hand itched and the warrior blood within him wanted a fight. If Gillies hadn’t been a monk, Cam would have stuck his blade through the man’s heart for what he’d just done.

Gillies fought Cam with his words, just as sharp as any blade. “Excuse me, but if I remember correctly, you were the one who told me last night to do something about the girl’s crying.”

“I never meant for ye to take her away, and ye ken it,” Cam shouted.

“Well, how was I to know that?” said the monk in a huff. He looked over to the nun. “Sister Edna was here. She will vouch for me that you told me to put you out of your misery.”

“He did say that,” agreed the nun with a nod.

“Cam? How could ye?” gasped Yvaine, looking at him in horror, as if she thought he was some sort of monster.

“Nay, it wasna like that. I was talkin’ about him sendin’ me back to Hermitage, no’ about him takin’ away my daughter.”

“You also said you couldn’t wait for this all to be over. Isn’t that right, Sister Edna?” asked Gillies.

The nun looked as if she felt uncomfortable. She wrung her hands now much in the same manner that Yvaine had done earlier.

“Sister Edna?” Gillies asked again, coaxing her to answer.

“Aye, Brathair Gillies, he did say that.” Her voice was soft and she stared at the ground. “Now, may I be excused?” she asked. “I need to tend to the sisters.”

“Of course. Thank you,” said the monk, stepping aside to let her leave.

“Brathair Gillies, when I said I wanted it all to be over with, I was speakin’ of carryin’ out my sentence,” Cam tried to explain. “I never spoke a word to ye about the girl at all. I’m sorry, but ye are mistaken.”

“It’s for the best that she has a loving family to live with now,” the monk answered, not seeming upset by the situation at all. “I’m sorry, Cam, but you are a Highlander with a quick temper and no experience in raising children. It would never have worked. Besides, Avianca was afraid of you.”

“She wasna afraid of me!” Cam exploded, not wanting to think that his own daughter feared him. Then his thoughts drifted to how Avianca had hid behind the nun rather than to go with him. Mayhap his own daughter really didn’t want to be with him, after all.