“Curious that ye had the chance to try them in an orphanage,” he observed, keeping his face carefully neutral. “They’re quite expensive. They have to be imported by sailors. From the sound of it, ye grew up somewhere more well-funded than any orphanage I’ve ever heard of.”
Amelia froze, the second piece of fruit halfway to her mouth. Her throat worked nervously as she averted her eyes from his. The heat in her face was humiliating, and her mind whirred. She couldn’t speak, her entire body closing off as she realized that she’d revealed what she’d been trying so desperately to hide.
If he kens… if he contacts me father…
Shifting back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest as he observed her. The chatter in the hall faded into the background, their battle of wills coming to a head in a brand-new setting, one where Amelia couldn’t scream and kick. She felta bit sick to her stomach, the heat spreading through her entire body.
“I’m curious about which orphanage ye were in,” he said lightly, keeping his tone conversational, but she could hear the judgment just beneath it. “If they were able to afford luxuries such as these, even only on special occasions, I’d like to speak with them and learn how to implement their practices in the orphanages on me land. Which clan lands did ye grow up near?”
“I daenae ken,” she said immediately, sharp and dismissive. She’d stopped eating, glaring down at her plate as if it had betrayed her.
Ithadbetrayed her.
“Ach, then perhaps ye ken one of the lochs or rivers?” he suggested, pressing further even though she thought it was obvious she was unwilling to reveal any further information.
“Nay,” she said, reaching for her goblet and taking a slow, measured sip. She had to keep her fear contained. If she revealed too much, she’d put herself in danger. She could very well put the entire castle at risk depending on what Laird Fraser did with the information. “We simply had a generous donor. That’s how we were able to eat these. And I wasnae the kind of child that enjoyed spending time outdoors. I dinnae learn the rivers.”
He grunted, and she could tell that he didn’t believe a word she said.
“Did ye happen to be anywhere near the western coast? That’s where these imports are typically brought in.”
“Nay,” she said, her voice tight. She wondered when the great hall got so bright. “I’ve nae had the pleasure.”
“Shame,” he said. “It’s quite bonnie there.”
Amelia nodded before picking up another piece of fruit. She tried to eat without betraying her discomfort, to project a sense of normalcy. Her hand shook, though, and it felt as if she couldn’t draw a full breath.
“Ye ken,” he said evenly, “ye speak like someone raised in a laird’s hall.”
She hummed, the sound noncommittal. She desperately needed him to drop the subject. If he was going to be stubborn, she could be too, even if the walls of the room felt like they were tightening around her.
“What’s yer father’s name?” he asked, maintaining his conversational tone.
The fork nearly fell from her grip, an undignified noise catching in her throat. Every muscle, including the ones that controlled her lungs, froze. She coughed, readjusting her hold on the utensil before setting it down beside her plate. Her voice was quiet when she finally managed to respond, “I have none that matters.”
That’s why I was sold, aye? To rid me of me name and any claim to property I might have?
Darragh’s gaze sharpened, his body shifting to face her. “Everyone has a name.
Her reply came quickly, icier than a winter night, pulled from the very depths of her soul. “Nae all names are worth keepin’.”
It was the truest thing she’d said all night, and her body paid for it. She was sweating now, barely able to keep the cool mask on her face, but she was exposed, nearly transparent.
“What was done to ye?” he asked, dropping his volume and the false casual tone he’d been using.
Ach, that’s even worse.
She lifted her head, feeling all of the blood in her body drain to her feet. Her eyes found his, and his gaze was unyielding. Her ears roared.
“Did the man who raised ye do somethin’ to ye?” he asked even lower, leaning in closer. She swayed forward, his presence magnetic. “The one whose name ye refuse to speak?”
The candles on the walls got impossibly brighter, her vision going fuzzy at the edges. A sound came from her lips as she pitched forward. The last thing she saw before the worldabruptly went dark was Darragh reaching forward, his mouth open as he barked an order she couldn’t hear.
* * *
The world came into view slowly. It was dark, candlelight flickering across the ceiling. The chatter from the great hall was blissfully absent.
Amelia turned her head to the side, squinting as she tried to make out the figures next to her. It wasn’t until the smaller of the two moved that she realized who was there. Isla and Hazel. She must be in the healer’s room.
