My Highland Heart (On Hold/Editing)

Chapter Twelve

The warmth of the sunlight hitting Kieron’s bare back woke him. Without opening his eyes he sat up in bed, dragging his legs over the side so he could stand and stretch his limbs. It was not until the sound of the chamber door opening and a woman’s loud screech did Kieron open his eyes to find himself standing completely naked, not in his own room, and with Alex’s maid Megan staring at him with complete horror on her face. That was when everything that happened last night finally came rushing back to him.

Kieron quickly grabbed the sheet from the bed to cover himself only to cause another screech from the maid’s mouth. When he followed her eyes down towards the bed where she was looking, he then too saw the dark red spot. It was evidence of what had taken place between Alex and him last night. Although he was not ashamed of what they did, he did prefer that everyone in the keep not know to save Alex any embarrassment she may receive if word was to get out. Thinking of Alex - where was she? Kerion looked around the room hoping to find her maybe over near one of the chairs or behind her dressing screen, but it was clear she was not in the room at all.

Clearing his throat, Kerion looked back to Megan. “Do ye know where yer Lady is this morn’?”

Finally tearing her eyes away from the stain on the bed, Megan briefly looked towards Kerion before dropping her eyes to address him. “I am sorry Sir…I did no know ye where still in me Lady’s chamber this mornin’ when I came in. I had believed that Lady Alexandra was still in bed and came to wake and help her dress for the day.”

“So ye have no seen her at all this morn’?”

“No Sir,” Megan answered looking at Kerion once again. “The last time I saw me Lady was last evenin’ after bringin’ yer sups up. I did no wish to disturb ye both, so did no come up to collect the tray when ye where finished. ‘Tis the other reason for such an early arrival this mornin’ so I could clean from the evenin’ before fetchin’ her Lady’s tea she likes when she wakes.”

They both stood there in silence for a few moments before Kerion remembered his lack of dress. “Megan, will ye please give me a few moments to dress and then I will come fetch you from the hall when I am done.”

A look of embarrassment crossed Megan’s face as she too just remembered the Laird was standing before her only covered by a bed sheet. She quickly bowed as she made her way back towards the door.

“Of course Sir.” Without looking up, she opened and exited the room closing the door once again.

Kerion let out the breath he did not realize he had been holding and ran his right hand through his hair. He then tossed the sheet back on the bed to cover the bloody spot before grabbing his clothes from the day before and started to quickly dress. He was a bit confused and felt a little concerned regarding the where a bouts of Alex.

Why would she have left him alone in bed without waking to tell him where she was going? Was she ashamed of what they shared last night that she felt she could not face him? All of these questions were rushing through his mind while he dressed.

Once he finally donned his boots, Kerion stood from the bed and made his way to the door to retrieve Megan in hopes that she may have located where Alex had gone. For some reason he could not shake this nagging feeling that something was not right...and as soon as he opened the chamber door to find a weeping Megan with one of his younger brother’s Evan trying to console her as he too held a worrisome look on his own face…that Kerion knew something had happened to Alex.

“What is it? Where is Alex? What has happened to her?” Kerion immediately started questioning the two but giving neither one a chance to try and answer.

Evan just looked up to meet his older brother’s eyes and simply answered. “She is gone.”

Kerion felt his knees give way and he stumbled against the wall to save him from completely falling to the floor. He then looked to Evan again.