Page 53 of When the Laird Conquers

“I just came to see how you were faring,” Agnes said, amused that Lizzy was wide awake.

Gordon looked awkward for a moment. “She woke up, had her milk, and now I’m tryin’ to get her to sleep again.”

“Well, it seems someone is enchanted by your stories.” Agnes nodded toward the fox cub at his feet. “How is it that Snout is here too?”

“Iona brought him in,” he replied gruffly. “Said she’d be back for him, but that was two hours ago.”

Agnes crouched and gently stroked the creature’s head. “I am surprised you have not kicked him out yet, poor thing.”

“Ye said the bairn liked it,” he replied with a shrug. “If me stories didnae work, I was goin’ to put him in the cradle with yer niece, see if he couldnae get her to sleep.”

Agnes smiled. “And if he bit her?”

“Ye and Iona were the ones who said he could be trusted. It would be on the pair of ye.”

She chuckled. “That is fair.”

Although I already know you would not let any harm come to me or my niece.

The fox cub barely stirred, enjoying his gentle scratches. A sweet-natured creature, if ever Agnes had seen one, so it was only right that dear Snout had decided to sleep at the feet of an equally sweet-natured creature. A Wolf and a fox. An unlikely pair, perhaps, but it made perfect sense to her.

“Thank you for letting Snout stay,” she said, holding out her arms for Lizzy. “I think all beings deserve a chance at a good life, and this little fox will surely have his chance now.”

Gordon narrowed his eyes. “I maintain that he’s goin’ to eat Iona’s chickens, and then she’ll be the one throwin’ him back into the woods where he came from.”

She frowned at him for a moment. Was he incapable of accepting gratitude? Is that why he had ignored her thanks before? He seemed to be ignoring it again, making light of it.

“Thank you for making up such wonderful stories for my niece, and thank you for taking care of her. I can already tell she is sleepy again.” Agnes rose to her feet with the baby in her arms. “Truly, thank you for offering to help.”

Gordon stood up too. “The stories werenae made up.”

There it was again, his rejection of her gratitude.

“Oh? Is it a Scottish story I don’t know?” she asked, perplexed.

“I daenae ken,” he muttered, turning his back to her and fixing his gaze on the twilight landscape beyond the window.

“Well, thank you for telling it to her. I could hear how much she enjoyed it,” Agnes pressed.

But once again, he ignored her thanks and said nothing.

Puzzled and slightly annoyed, she carried Lizzy to the cradle and laid her down. Lizzy gave a dozy smile and stretched her mouth wide in a yawn, her eyes fluttering shut.

It never failed to fascinate Agnes just how quickly babies could fall asleep. She had envied Lizzy for that ability more times than she cared to count, though it seemed particularly enviable tonight.

“Have you ever noticed that children are able to fall asleep quickly?” she asked. “They just… doze off. No thoughts, no worries, no troubles, no obstacles. They just close their eyes, and there they go, into the land of Nod.”

“I cannae say I have,” he replied stiffly.

Agnes tucked a blanket around Lizzy. “I wish I could do that.”

“Did ye nae rest?” His tone changed, carrying a hint of interest.

“I did, but I doubt I will be able to sleep again tonight,” she told him with a somewhat heavy sigh. “You see, I had a bad dream, and now I am too afraid to sleep alone. Perhaps that sounds silly to you, who is probably not afraid of anything, but alas…”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him turn.

“I’m nae tuckin’ ye in,” he said, though she couldn’t see enough of his face to know if he was teasing her or not.