Page 30 of How to Woo a Highlander

"It is rather complicated," she muttered. Was Alastair her prince? She remembered the kiss they shared, and a blush stained her cheeks. She wished he could be her prince, but she still had to worry about William.

"What is complicated? I dinnae understand that word," Larissa said, causing Jane's eyes to widen as she remembered that she was talking to children. However, Cynthia spoke before she could.

"That means that it is nae simple, Larissa." The little girl explained, once again, striking Jane with just how intelligent she was. The little girl turned to Jane with big, curious eyes.

"Why is it complicated?" she asked. Jane sighed and played her fingers through the grass.

"I want to be with my prince, but I have a responsibility to my father to be with the prince he chooses," she said, simplifying her problem as much as she could.

Cynthia cocked her head to one side in deliberation.

"Why would yer faither choose yer prince? Yer faither is nae the one marryin' him?" she said.

Jane burst out laughing. Of course, to a little girl it would make no sense the politics involved in marriage. Cynthia was not done, however, and she shrugged.

"Ye have a responsibility to yer faither, but ye have a responsibility to yerself to be happy."

Jane's jaw dropped. The last thing she had expected was words of wisdom from the mouth of a child. She pulled the little girl into her arms.

"Oh my goodness, that's so smart of ye, Cynthia. Who told you that?" she asked.

Cynthia only shrugged as she returned Jane's hug.

"Me maither used to say it when me leg was broken. She said it is me responsibility to be happy." Jane felt her eyes widen in surprise.

What has this little girl gone through?

Cynthia was in no way bothered by what she had said and plonked herself down in front of Jane.

"Will ye braid me hair too?" she asked.

"Of course, yes, I would love to," Jane said, beginning to work on the little girl's hair.

You have a responsibility to yourself to be happy.

The child was right. She had to go after what made her happy first. Her eyes found Alastair again, catching him watching her, and he looked away quickly.

If you will not come to me, I will come to you.

Chapter Fourteen

In the two days since their passionate kiss at his town inn, Alastair had been shamelessly avoiding Jane. He could not meet her eyes at the table, and he always escaped every time he noticed her approaching him. It was not that he didn’t want to see her; it was that he did not know what to say. He’d been in a perpetual state of panic and inner turmoil as he tried to discern his feelings for her.

He was terrified of falling for her. He was not one that opened himself up to love. He could not deal with the pain of heartbreak one more time. He had suffered through the heartache of watching his father die, of watching his mother die, and of having his sister leave him, selfishly engrossed in her own heartbreak.

He was not ready for the dangers that came with loving someone again. With Jane, it was a definite risk of falling in love. It was more than a physical attraction. Now more than ever, it was apparent, especially after spending the day watching her play with the children in the orphanage. His heart squeezed as he remembered the warmth she had given them.

It had especially touched him because he was an orphan himself, and if life had been just a bit tougher, he would have been as helpless as the children were. He was sure that he was in love with her. Even now, remembering how she looked, surrounded by the children and letting them play with her hair made his heart speed up.

He had still been questioning his feelings that morning but had not wanted her to be alone with Lain. He knew that it had been childish to jump into the carriage, but even though he was not talking to her, he still wanted to see her. It had been a stroke of luck that where Lain chose to take her was the orphanage, helping him to come to terms with his feelings.

After they returned to the castle, he rushed to his chambers immediately, knowing that she was looking for him. After watching her at the orphanage, he had decided that he would tell her how he felt. He would plan a perfect day and take her out to the most beautiful village, then he would tell her of his feelings.

He had thought of William but knew his decision to stay away from her was only borne from cowardice. If William did like her, then he would have told him. They were best friends, and William told him everything of value. If Jane were important, he would have told him about it.

He had only just wrapped a cloth around his loins after his bath when a knock came on his door. He frowned in confusion. The only person who ever came to his room so late was William whenever he was having trouble sleeping. The servants never bothered him this late, and neither did Lain or Suisan.

Jane