“Would you two like me to leave?” Robbie asked.
“Nay! You will stay until you answer my questions.” Alex glared at him.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Enter,” Alex said.
Caralyn stepped in hesitantly before closing the door, pausing for a moment when she saw Robbie standing by the window. “Should I come back?”
“Nay.” Alex stood and ushered her over to a chair. “I have asked my brother to attend. Is this agreeable to you, Caralyn?”
She nodded and smoothed her skirts as she waited for a prompt to begin.
Alex settled back into the chair behind his desk and nodded for her to begin.
“My laird, I have come to explain a bit about myself and to ask a favor.”
Robbie couldn’t guess what she was about. Nervous, he started pacing in front of the hearth.
“I have two things I wish to discuss with you, if I may.”
“Go ahead, lass.”
“My mother always taught me to be honest, so I feel the need to give you an explanation of my background. I don’t know what Robbie has told you about me.” She glanced from Robbie to Alex Grant.
“Verra little. You tell us whatever you need to tell us,” Alex said.
Caralyn’s hands gripped her skirts before she started. Robbie wanted nothing more than to walk over and hold her inhis arms before she started, but he could tell how much it had cost her to come here to speak with Alex, and he needed to let her stand on her own.
“I have a verra different background. While I was married for a time, for the last five years I have been a mistress to a man who sometimes gave me to his friends.”
Robbie barked. “What are you doing? They don’t need to know this.”
Alex held his hand up to his brother before taking his wife’s hand. “Maddie, would you like to leave?”
“Nay, Alex, I am fine.”
“Continue.” Alex nodded to Caralyn.
Caralyn glanced up at Robbie before she spoke. “I realize it may not be best for me to be around all your weans due to my background, so I wanted to be completely honest with you. I would like to stay at your keep, if possible, but I realize I’m an imposition. Still, I wondered if you might have a cottage near the loch where I could stay with my daughters.”
Robbie stopped pacing and crossed his arms.
“I apologize if this upsets you, but I can’t change who I am.” Caralyn kept her eyes fixed on Alex Grant as she spoke.
After taking a moment to reflect on her words, Alex cleared his throat. “Is this what you wish to do? Do you wish to continue to be a mistress to someone while you are at the Grant keep?”
“Nay!” Caralyn bolted out of her seat, but then sat down again. “Your pardon,” she whispered.
“Was it your choice to be this man’s mistress?” Alex asked.
“Nay.” Caralyn shook her head adamantly, then bowed her head. “I was forced. We were desperate for food, and the man made his price clear. Then he held my daughters and threatened to hurt them if I didn’t comply with his instructions.”
“Then I don’t see its relevance to this discussion.”
Caralyn’s head jerked back up, and she glanced from Alex to Maddie.
Maddie stood and walked around the desk to her, grasping her hands in hers. “It does not matter to us what you have done in the past. I disagree with you. Youcanchange who you are. What would you like to do to contribute to the clan?”
