But even though she had no memory of those men who lived with Hew, they were in the darkness that often came to her in the middle of the night, reaching out for her from underneath her bed or from under Elizabeth’s bed, or from the darkest corner in their bedchamber. They had to be what caused her nightmares. What else could it be?
When she was young, she would scream and run as fast as she could to her parents’ bedchamber, standing at the side of the bed with tears blurring her vision until a pair of large hands lifted her and settled her between Alex and Maddie.
The safest place in all of Scotland.
That place smelled of pine and cinnamon and a sweetness that didn’t exist anywhere else.
Over the years, the running had stopped, but the screaming had not.
At nearly four decades, Maeve still screamed at least once a fortnight. Screamed and struggled with an invisible monster, swinging her fists to stop her tormentor.
But her parents were never there to console her anymore. Now Kyla came to awaken her from her nightmare.
She’d never be able to marry anyone or move away from Kyla.
If no one awakened her, she’d surely die of fright.
The Scot’s Legacy
Book 8
Alaric and Eli were favorites because her personality was so different.
And she was one of Logan’s favorites.
Chapter Twelve
One of my favorite scenes because I can picture Alaric in it. His grandfather’s
teachings were strong. Even the spirit of Alex shows up at odd times…
The next morning, Eli awakened a bit sore in various spots, including one she hadn’t realizedcouldbe sore, but that didn’t concern her. In fact, she was quite pleased with herself for her boldness with Alaric. His arms were still wrapped around her but she forced herself to push away a wee bit, just to check to see if he was still asleep.
He wasn’t, instead looking at her with a sly grin. She gave him the same back. “Pleased with yerself, Grant?” she asked.
“Aye. And by the expression on yer face, Lady Ramsay, I’d say ye are just as pleased with yerself as I am.”
“I cannae deny it. It was a most enjoyable night. Now the question is, can we find our way back to the path and the rest of the patrol?”
He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. The action confused her, but it also pleased her. After unraveling their intertwined limbs, he stood and then helped her to her feet. The cold hit her like a blast and she shivered, realizing how fortunate she was to have slept in his arms. She headed toward the mouth of the cave but he shouted, scaring the wits from her.
“What?”
“Lass, ye know no’ who will be out there. Put yer leggings on.”
She looked down at her bare legs and chuckled. “I suppose ye are correct, even though I dinnae need them for my first task.”
“But Maitland could be looking for us. Have ye no dignity?”
She had to ponder that for a moment because she was unsure of her answer. It wouldn’t have bothered her to walk out and take care of her needs before donning her leggings, but she supposed it made good sense to put them on. After all, she wouldn’t like to be kidnapped half naked in just a tunic. And she did need her boots.
“Probably ye are right. I’ll put them on.” She chuckled as she balanced on one foot to put her clothing on, then her boots. “Have we any food left?”
“I only have a couple of oatcakes. Ye?”
“None,” she said as they headed out of the cave.
They both took care of their needs and met near their horses.
