Free Journey to the Highlands: Robbie and Caralyn (Clan Grant Series Book 4) by Keira Montclair Page B

dropped to the floor. “Nay.” She plopped down onto the bed. “He is not my husband. I would never have agreed to wed him. He chose me when we lived in South Ayrshire. ‘Twas after I lost my parents and my husband. My village had been a part of the Crauford house by the coastline, but we lost so many to sickness that few of us remained. I had nowhere else to go. He uses my lassies to blackmail me.”
    “Where are they now?” Robbie brushed the silky strands of her hair off her face in a soft caress.
    Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I don’t know. He was never this cruel in Ayrshire. Now he has hidden them from me, and if I don’t do exactly as he commands, he says he won’t allow any visits.”
    “When was the last time you saw them?”
    “A few days ago,” she blurted, her sobs causing her breath to hitch. “They are kept in a shabby room I know not where. Ashlyn says they stay with two men. Malcolm said I could see them once a sennight, but after seeing you, he said I couldn’t see them for a whole moon.”
    “Och, Cara, I am sorry.” He pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in his warm embrace.
    Why could they not be together? Robbie was everything she had ever wanted in a partner: warm, tender, loving, honorable, and safe. More than anything, she wanted to be safe, and she wanted her daughters to be safe, too. Why could they not live together as a family?
    “Caralyn, why does he call you Catriona?”
    “Och, I hate it. He says it’s his name for me, and that I am never to be called Caralyn again. But the name my mama and papa gave me is Caralyn.”
    “What kind of business is Malcolm involved in?”
    “I’m not sure. I think he deals in whisky and spices from the East, but I can’t say for sure. Recently, he spoke of Irish bills. Sometimes he’s gone for a long time. ‘Tis why we lived in the cottage south of Ayr. He wanted me available whenever he came in on his ship. The vessel would sail to the pier in South Ayrshire, then move on toward Glasgow. He would get off and spend a few days with me, then move on. ‘Twas never as bad as this, but it has never been happy. Robbie, what can I do? I hate him. Please help me.”
    “’Tis why I am here. Come with me now and I will help you find your girls.”
    “Nay!” She shoved his chest.
    “Shush, lass. Do you want to be heard by the staff?” Robbie whispered.
    Her hands came up to cradle her face as she shook her head hopelessly. “Nay, but I can’t risk it. What if we couldn’t locate my daughters? I could lose them forever. He would kill them if I wasn’t here. He hates children.”
    “Lass, listen to me. We’ll find them first.” He took her hand in his, tugging it away from her face.
    A small flame of hope burned inside her at the thought of being rescued and protected by Robbie. “Aye, that could work.”
    “But the lassies may not be willing to come with me.”
    “Gracie loves you. You’re the only man she has ever willingly allowed near her. She will go with you. I know it in my heart. Please, Robbie. Find them first, then come for me.”
    Robbie tucked her in close, apparently weighing the information she had given him. She couldn’t lose her girls, but if Robbie managed to find them, they might have a chance at happiness together.
    He reached down and cupped her face, kissing her tenderly, the kind of kiss that she would dream of and hold close to her heart in the days to come. He kissed her as if he had strong feelings for her, as if there was more to her than pleasing a man with her favors.
    “Fine, lass, we’ll try it that way. If you’re in trouble, send a message to the priory. I will stop there occasionally to check. He does allow you to leave the house for worship?”
    “Aye, with an escort, but I do go to the priory where you brought me.”
    “Then send a message through the nuns or the guards, and I will find you.”
    One more chaste kiss on the lips and he was gone. She licked her lips, wanting to savor the