Page 12 of The Laird's Secret Bairn

She flinched at the mention of her sister. “Nae yet, but I will tell her.”

“Then I suggest ye find the words to tell her quickly because if she hears it from anyone else, she’ll have both our heads before the sun has risen tomorrow.”

“I will tell her, Emily.”

“Ye had better see to that,” Emily warned. “I daenae like keeping secrets from yer sister. She has quite the temper.”

Skye stifled a laugh. “Freya would say she has a wee temper.”

“A bunch of shite,” Emily whispered back so only Skye could hear.

She giggled. “Freya would be none too pleased that we are talking about her like this.”

“Well, wemusttalk about yer sister because ye need to figure out the best time to tell her about this arrangement ye made.”

Skye grew quiet.

Emily was already disapproving of her decision, and she hadn’t even left for a month yet! If she were facing such pushback from Emily, how would her sister react?

“I told ye I will tell her, Emily.” Skye remembered Dougal’s words before they parted earlier.

“He intends to speak to me braither.”

Emily sighed. “Yer braither is going to react even worse to the news.”

“He mustnae ken the truth! Promise me, Emily. If he does, he’ll make threats. Or worse. I need to be really careful about this.”

“Ye want me to keep secrets from me husband?” Emily looked horrified at the idea.

Skye reached out, taking Emily’s hands into her slightly smaller ones. “Emily, I wouldnae ask such a thing of ye unless it was important. Ye ken that.”

Emily sighed. “I ken.”

The softening look in her eyes and her deep sigh told Skye that she had nothing more to worry about.

“Thank ye,” Skye whispered, pulling her into an embrace. “I owe ye.”

Emily laughed. “Ye will be tasked with watching over the bairn when yer braither and I need some time to ourselves.”

“Aye, I will.”

“But ye need to be careful,” she warned. “Ye daenae ken what ye are getting yerself into.”

Skye hated that Emily was right, but she was. She wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into, but something was pulling her towards Dougal.

And she needed to get the rest of the story. He wouldn’t tell her a thing unless she agreed to be with him for a month.

It is only a month. I can do that.

Certainly, she could spend a month away from her home to get the answers she sought. When she returned home, she would have her story finished and her heart entirely intact.

She repeated the last part to herself twice more, just to be certain that she believed it to be true.

“Let us return,” Emily said, pulling her back towards the crowd. “Remember, ye?—”

“—must tell Freya,” Skye finished for her. “I ken, and I will tomorrow.”

Emily sighed but didn’t push.