“I think you must exorcise this horror fromyour memory.Perhaps, by talking about it, the bad dreams willend.”
Lindsey wrapped her arms around him, holdingon as if she would fall.With her lips against his throat shewhispered, “I have never spoken of it.”
“Not even to your family?”
“Only once to my father and mother.We made apact to never speak of it again.My mother warned me that my fathercould not bear the pain of that awful time.”
She grew silent and clung to him.
Jamie realized it was up to him to open thefloodgates, else the moment would pass and she would lock her fearsaway again.“I have surmised most of it, Lindsey.You were abductedby your father’s enemy.”
“Aye.Neville Sinclair.”
She shivered again as she mentioned his name,and Jamie heard the way her voice shook.
“He carried me off to his castle and took meto his chambers.There he told me what he intended to do tome.”
“How old were you?”
“Eight years,” she said softly.“Not oldenough to understand everything, but old enough to know that hisintentions were evil.”She began to cry, softly now, as thememories returned.
“But you thwarted him.”
“Aye.I chose to jump to my death rather thansubmit.”
He gathered her closer.“And you thwartedeven death.”
“Aye.”He could hear the tears in her voice.“My father and his clan arrived in time to see me leap from thebalcony.Father was certain I would die.He said his heart stopped.But though I suffered painful injuries, I lived.”
“That is why you sometimes limp.”
She nodded and wiped the tears, but theystarted afresh.“I shattered my leg.It mended, but imperfectly.Each time I limped, I would see the pain in my father’s eyes, andso I had to learn to walk in such a way that my father would notsuffer:”
Now Jamie understood why Douglas Gordon kepthis daughter so close.And he understood Lindsey’s determination toreturn to her overprotective father, despite the dangers anddifficulties of such an undertaking.
“My father’s suffering was greater thanmine,” she said simply, “for I was young, and my wounds healedquickly.But the wounds in my father’s heart have neverhealed.”
“You taught yourself to walk without a limpin order to spare your father any further suffering.”
“Aye.It was not easy, but it was necessary.It required great discipline.”
“What an amazing woman you are.”
Lindsey pushed herself away to stare at him.Tears still filled her eyes.“I am a coward.Did you not see?Istill fight this man in my dreams.And I still weep like a childwhenever I am reminded of that time.”
“Aye, my fiery little Lindsey.You do indeedfight your demons.But at least you fight; you do not surrender tothe fear.And as for your weeping...”He lifted her face and histhumbs to the corners of her eyes.“It is not only children whocry, my lady.If anything should happen to you, I would be rackedwith tears.”
He brushed his lips over each of her eyelids.It was the sweetest of kisses, and she felt her heart leap to herthroat.
This rough, terrifying giant, knownthroughout her land as heartless, caused her to feel things noother man ever had.
Or would.
“Now,” he whispered against her temple, “youmust rest and heal your mind as well as your body.”
“You will not leave me?”
“Nay, my lady.You will never again bealone.”
