The Scot's Quest - Keira Montclair Page 0,22
would consent to their marriage.
She didn’t question why he was asking, which he was grateful for—she thought it through instead. “Emmalin is soft-hearted. She’s warm and loving and wonderful with the bairns. She’s verra good at sympathizing with anyone who has a problem. She gives warm hugs and good advice.”
While she’d wished to help Coira, most of those characteristics didn’t fit Dyna. She didn’t play with the bairns much, though she wasn’t bad with them either. She didn’t spend much time talking to people she didn’t know well. In fact, she spent much of her time alone or with her cousins. That answer didn’t help his quest at all, so he thought of something else.
“May I tell you something in confidence?” he whispered, still afraid he’d be overheard.
“Aye, I’ll not tell anyone.”
“King Robert told me one of the camp lasses I knew was searching for me. Apparently she now has a daughter. Robert said she was heading north. I intend to find her.”
Joya’s brow arched at that comment, not that he blamed her. He wasn’t proud of the situation, but he wished to be honest. It was the only way she could help him.
“Are you saying ’tis possible the babe is yours?”
“Possible? Aye. ‘’Tis not likely, but the only way I’ll know for certain is to ask Senga. See the child for myself.”
“And if she says you’re the sire?” She kept her hands folded in her lap, something he knew Joya did to keep from announcing her emotions. She’d told him once that it was something she’d learned as a spy.
“I should probably marry her.” He glanced at her to see her reaction, but she held steady. “I’m sure ’tis what Papa would say if he were here.”
“I’m not sure what to say. You haven’t really asked me anything, and you haven’t told me if the prospect of fatherhood pleases you nor how you feel about this lass. You also haven’t told me about the most important thing happening to you at present.”
He scratched his head, standing up to pace in front of the hearth. “I’ve always wanted bairns, but…” He took a swig of ale and set the goblet down, nearly knocking it over. “Where would we settle down? We don’t have a clan and Senga mustn’t have one either.”
“Derric, you would always be welcome here. Alasdair and Emmalin are trying hard to build their own clan on MacLintock land. I love it here. ’Tis my home. You’d be asked to fight as a guard or some other contribution, but they’d be happy for you to stay.” She smiled at him, her emotions finally bleeding through into her expression. “I’d love to have you in my life again.”
“You would? And you think they’d agree?” Another thought occurred to him, and he stopped his pacing in front of her. “I must return to something else. What were you speaking of earlier when you mentioned the most important thing happening to me now?”
“You just asked me three questions,” she said with a small smile. “Of course I would like you in my life. You are my only remaining family and I love you. And you would be welcome here. And as for your last question, I’m going to pry as any good sister should. Do you not have strong feelings for Dyna? I notice you cannot take your gaze from her, wherever we are.”
“I do,” he said, taking up his pacing again. “Verra much, but I don’t know if I can ask anything of her until I find out the truth about Senga’s daughter. ’Struth, I was hoping Dyna might be willing to go north with me after seeing Alex to Cameron land. We need another archer in King Robert’s camp right now, and I think we’d both like to spend time with each other without her clan around. But how do I ask her to come with me if I’m looking for another woman at the same time?”
“And if you discover that Senga’s daughter is your bairn? How will Dyna feel if you end up offering for someone else?”
He closed his eyes because that was exactly his fear. But he’d come here anyway—because he’d wished to see Joya too, but also because he’d needed to see Dyna. In his heart, he hoped the bairn wasn’t his, that he might have a life with Dyna, but…
“Sister, I’m not of noble blood. She is. I doubt her sire or her grandsire would welcome me as a suitor. Your husband and his cousin