Highland Wolf Read Free Page B

and saw that your door was open. Since it isnae your habit to be in your bedchamber at this time of the day, I felt compelled to see what was going on in here.”
    “The only thing ye should feel compelled to do is what ye were brought here to do—watch o’er Margaret. Naught else at Dunncraig is of concern to ye save for doing what ye are told.”
    “Of course, Cousin.”
    The humiliation Annora felt over being spoken to so dismissively in front of Rolf Lavengeance bit far deeper than she thought it should. After all, Donnell always spoke to her in such a manner. She had thought she had become accustomed to it. This time, however, it took every scrap of willpower she had to subdue the urge to blush in shame. If nothing else, she refused to give Donnell the satisfaction of seeing just how he had hurt her. Her pride might be badly battered after three years at Dunncraig, but it was not dead yet.
    “Margaret isnae with ye, either, is she? Just why is that?”
    “She went down to the great hall to wait for me. I but needed a moment to fetch her cloak from Mary, who had taken it away last eve to clean it.”
    “A lot of time is wasted in cleaning that child and her clothing. If ye find it too difficult to care for her properly, mayhap ’tis time I found her a better, more capable nurse, aye?”
    Donnell’s voice was dangerously soft and he watched her closely as he spoke. A chill snaked down Annora’s spine. He had never struck at this particular weakness before. She had thought she had kept her love for Meggie well hidden, but she suspected he had finally sniffed it out There was even a chance he had known about it all along, had just been waiting for the perfect moment to strike and use her feelings for Meggie just as he used his fists—as a way to keep her cowed. It was working. Meggie was her only joy, and even the thought of being separated from her terrified her.
    “I shall strive to do better,” she said, praying that she sounded appropriately submissive yet revealed none of the fear gripping her heart.
    “See that ye do.”
    Annora curtsied and walked away. What she really wanted to do was race to the great hall, grab Meggie, and flee Dunncraig. So strong was that urge she trembled as she forced herself to walk away with a steady, even pace. All she could do was try even harder to stay out of sight, to be meek and quiet when in Donnell’s presence, and to hide how desperately she needed to stay with Meggie.
    “I thought ye got lost.”
    That sweet, high voice pulled Annora from her thoughts and she looked down at Meggie as the little girl tugged gently on the cloak Annora held. Crouching down she helped Meggie into her cloak and studied every soft curve of the child’s sweet face. It always astonished her that Donnell could have helped to make such a pretty, sweet child, which was one reason she questioned his claims.
    Meggie had become her life, her joy. Somehow she had let her cousin see that. Considering how strong her feelings were for the child, Annora supposed she ought not be so surprised. One could never completely hide such deep feelings. Donnell could simply have realized how often she shielded Meggie from his anger and brutality and wanted it known that he had noticed it. She knew she could never stop doing that, but there might be some way to do it in a less obvious manner. If she had to become some spineless ghostie slipping in and out of the shadows of Dunncraig to stay with Meggie, she would.
    “Where are we going to today, Annora?” Meggie asked.
    Standing up, Annora bit back the urge to say they were going to run away to France. Dunncraig under Donnell’s rule was not a good place for such a sweet child as Meggie, but it was more than Annora could ever offer the child. It was a roof over Meggie’s head, a bed to sleep in, and food to eat. On her own and fleeing from Donnell, Annora doubted she would be able to meet even one of those meager needs. It galled Annora to admit it but they