Page 30 of The Highlander’s Gypsy Temptation

“He is a terrifying person. Thankfully, Bran was there to save me from his clutches again. I do not know what I would have done or if I would have even found a way back if not for Bran. He fought off the men tasked to make sure I got to August and saved me from getting shot with an arrow. I am very glad to have had him.” She smiled to herself at her words. Yes, she really had been glad to have him. It did not matter that he had been the one to try to take her to August Raymond in the first place.

“We found a boy to take a letter to you and inform you of our safety and about August Raymond’s location, but he was captured before he got to the water. Bran and I had to escape once again to avoid being caught, and we managed to thanks to how well he knew the area. Bran made sure that we got a⁠—“

Idalia stopped talking when she noticed that the others had gone silent and were sharing strange looks among themselves as she spoke. Was it something she had said? Had she given him away without realizing it? She thought back, but she could not figure out what it might have been.

“What is it? Why are you all exchanging looks?” she asked, curious to know what was on their minds.

“Well… it is just that you sound like ye’re in love with him,” Adamina said after a short pause.

“What do you mean?!” Idalia pushed up, causing the water to slosh and pour out from the sides of the tub.

“Aye. Look how animated ye get when ye talk about him. Ye did nae sound that way while talking about anythin’ else,” she theorized. “Ye do sound like ye are in love with him, darlin’.”

Idalia let out shocked laughter as she stared at the woman. She looked at Katarina and Leonor, to find them struggling to rein in their smiles, and her shock grew. Surely, they must be mistaken? She was excited to talk about him because he had saved her, that was all it was.

“I can assure you, we are not like that at all.”

“Well…” began Leonor. Idalia turned back to look at her sister, her eyes widening even further when she realized Leonor would not come to her defense. “I really do not think that is it. If you think the both of you are “not like that,” then it can only mean that you are, but you have yet to realize that it is, indeed, so.”

Idalia swallowed and sunk back into the water until only her face was visible. Her mind flashed to what they had done in the boat on their way here. Was that her body’s way of telling her how she felt, by reacting to him in that manner? Or was she just thinking too much about it now because of the thoughts they had planted in her head with their insane logic? Did she want to love him?

She had never desired to have a man in her life, controlling her actions. She had always prided herself on being a free spirit, strong-willed. Would giving him her love mean she would have to surrender her will to him. Why was she even thinking about any of this?

She was not in love with him; they were wrong. If any of them had been in her position, they would speak of him as she did, and that would not mean a thing other than that they were grateful, and that was what she was.

As she thought of Bran, she realized all of the emotions she had towards him were soft and caring ones. Gone was the old annoyance and sense of betrayal she had harbored before finding out the reason for his actions. Now, she thought of him in a manner that showed she cared.

But that did not mean she was in love with him. Besides, even if she was, he had rejected her invitation to take things further. Did that not prove that he considered what they had done a mistake, that – quite possibly – he did not want anything to do with her? If that were the case, it would be foolish of her to love him, which she, of course, did not.

Idalia cursed in her mind. Why did they have to bring this up despite all of the other things they could have talked about. All it did was make her question things she had no business questioning.

“We will stop hounding you over this. Your love life is yours, and whatever you choose to do is your business. So, if you believe you do not love Bran, then that is what it is,” Katarina said, smiling beautifully at her.

Idalia returned the smile, but her mind was still in turmoil. Her sister’s words had made her think. They might choose to believe she did not love Bran now because she said so, but Idalia herself did not know what to believe. Her mind had been poisoned by their statement and she could not silence the doubts, no matter how hard she tried.

“How are we going to deal with August?” Katarina asked her, drawing her out of her thoughts once again. That was a question she did not have the answer to.

August Raymond was a terrible person, with lots of men at his disposal, most of them too scared to refuse him, knowing what the consequences would be. She doubted they could easily steal in there and kill him so that her worries would end once and for all. They would most likely get caught before they made it to his chambers, and even if they did not, he was probably too strong to fight.

She could not understand why August was so obsessed with her and wanted to claim her at all costs. Was it because she was constantly trying to escape him? Why did he love tormenting her so much knowing she was completely repulsed by him. Or did he fancy himself in love with her? She shivered at the thought, completely disgusted with the idea of August Raymond in love with her.

Idalia shook her head in defeat. She hoped Bran would forget about the shame he had carried about his child for so long and tell his brother about her, otherwise all hope was lost in that regard. She turned to her sisters and sister-in-law, who were waiting for her to respond, and she shrugged in defeat.

“I have no idea.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Bran watched with a smile on his face as Adamina and Idalia’s sisters took her away, laughing and chatting as they went. During the time he had been with her, while she was in captivity, there had only been a few times when Idalia had smiled and even fewer when she had laughed. Whatever joy she had felt had been sucked out of her at the news that she was being taken back to August Raymond. As Bran watched the young women go, he was suddenly glad she had her family around her, that she could relax to the point of laughing so freely.

A part of him could not deny that he was feeling a bit of jealousy. He wanted her to smile and laugh when she looked at him. He wanted to be the reason for the smile on her face. He brushed off the thought and smiled, shaking his head. He was happy she was finally among family and his fear about August Raymond finding them had been lifted off his shoulders, at least for now.

He looked at the beautiful child, sleeping innocently in his cot, and felt a pang in his chest. Bran knew that Katarina and Dunn would make sure that their child was protected and did not have to experience all of the heartache that he had. He made a silent oath to also protect the bairn who had been named after him however he could.

A hand clapped him on the back, diverting his thoughts, and Bran looked up to see Andrew and the Leòideach brothers staring at him, their eyes filled with warmth. Although he still felt shame for his actions and embarrassed to stand before these men whose last memories of him were of the good deeds he had done, Bran was happy to be among family. He did not know how they would react, but he was finally ready to tell them all about Mahala and all of the atrocities he had committed.

“Come. Ye have had a very tiring journey and it is quite telling on ye. Ye must bathe and change into better clothes.” Andrew grinned at him, and Bran chuckled, knowing that he spoke the truth. His clothes were torn in many parts, and he was covered with dust and blood. His hair and hands were a testament of all that he had done and the hardship he had experienced in the time it took him to return Idalia to where she rightfully belonged.

“Aye, ye are nae wrong. I have indeed had a very tiring journey.” He clapped Andrew on the back.