Those were the three words Avelina longed to hear. She so hoped to fall in love and share her life with the most perfect lad. Being the youngest of four and the only lass of the Ramsay brood relegated her to the task of taking care of the family bairns. She was the only one yet unmarried, and she longed for a relationship of her own. But therein lay the problem—how could Avelina Ramsay ever possibly fall in love if she froze whenever a lad came near her? She would have to change, though she knew not how.

She was pondering this problem one eve as she made her way back to the keep at dusk, her arms full of flowers from the garden. The smithy’s son, Keith, passed her, a sly grin on his face. He always looked at her in a hungry way she did not like, so she increased her pace, but panic stole over and she closed her eyes for a moment, intent on calming her soul and starting fresh.

That was her mistake. The lad she had just passed apparently spun around, shoved her from behind, and propelled her into the end of the stables. Her entire body responded with terror, yet she couldn’t scream.

“Daft lass. That’s what you are.” Keith’s heated breath drifted to her ear from behind as his grip on her waist tightened. “Still cannot speak, can you?”

Rough hands shoved her atop the mound of hay. She lurched forward and caught her fall, the straw scratching the tender skin of her arm as she attempted to spin around to shove her attacker away. Panic coursed through her body, giving her tunnel vision where naught else existed but herself and the crude lout whose hands were everywhere. She had to get away; she just had to fight with everything she had. The shock of seeing him fumble with his pants forced her into action. Shoving at him and kicking any part of him she could reach, she scrambled to get away.

Her heart threatened to explode out of her chest while a rushing sound echoed in her brain, threatening to dim her vision. What was his intent? The lad had never treated her thus before. He had oft followed and teased her, but this was the first time he had dared touch her. Her breathing came out too rapid, and she did her best to calm it as she tried to shove away from him. Then something hot and hard hit her hand. A piece of flesh.

She knew what it was and tried to scream, but naught came out. With all her strength, she pummeled his arms, but he slapped her and she fell backwards.

“Cannot even scream, can you? How perfect is this? You flaunt that body around and do not allow anyone to touch you. You have tits better than any lass I have ever seen, and I plan to feel them for myself. I’ll be the first to take you, and I do not care if you are the laird’s sister. And if you say aught to anyone, I’ll hurt you worse. Though ‘tis foolish to think of you talking, is it not? You may be a beauty, but you’re daft. ‘Tis time to take what I want after your stupid brother made me dig out those trenches.”

Keith forced her back onto the hay and held his arm across her throat as he tore the ribbons on her dress. Pinning her down with all his weight, he groped for her breast and smiled. “Just as I thought.” Gasping for air, she managed to free one foot to kick him, but he struck her again. Her hand came free and she raked his arm with her fingernails, but he continued to hold her down and tug at her skirts. Tears blurred her vision as she realized just how powerless she was against the brute.

In an instant, an unknown force lifted him away from her and flung him across the barn, sending him against the wall with a thud. Logan. She could tell by the fierce growl that came from him. Her brother had saved her.

“You filthy piece of slime! How dare you touch my sister! I’ll kill you now with my bare hands.” Avelina managed to stand up and grope her way toward the door while Logan punched the lad’s face and belly. Before she reached it, the door flew open and her eldest brother, Quade, the laird of their clan, flew in with Logan’s wife, Gwyneth, directly behind him. As soon as Quade saw her disheveled appearance, his eyes widened, and a fury set into his gaze the likes of which she had never seen. Quade definitely possessed more self-control than Logan. She pushed past Gwyneth and Quade and ran out the door. Holding her skirts in her hand, tears blurring her vision, she raced toward the keep. She could hear Gwyneth shouting her name, but she couldn’t stop. She just couldn’t.

She managed to choke down her sobs as she shoved through the door of the keep, but thoughts of Keith’s hands touching her made her want to vomit. Why did lads leer at her and tease her so? She managed to find her way up the steps to the chamber she shared with all the young lasses of the Ramsay family—Logan and Gwyneth’s daughters, Molly, Maggie, Sorcha; and Quade and Brenna’s daughters, Lily and Bethia. She threw herself on the large bed and let her tears flow.

Gwyneth burst through the door moments later and rushed to her side, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Lina, are you all right? Och, Lina. I’m so sorry this happened to you. Did he hurt you?”

Avelina shook her head and buried her face in a pillow.

Gwyneth stayed by her side, rubbing her back.

The door opened again, and Brenna came in with her son of three summers, Gregor, and Gwyneth’s son of four summers, Gavin. “Lina, Lina, I’m so sorry. Are you all right?” She sat on the other side of the bed and leaned over to hug her.

Gavin came over to the side of the bed, a sad expression on his face. “Mama, why is Aunt Lina crying?”

“Aunt Lina is sad right now. We’ll just sit with her until she feels better.”

Gregor ran to Gavin’s side. “Dabin, I need to give Aunt Wina a tiss.”

Brenna smiled at her son and ran her hands through his brown locks. “I think that’s a wonderful thought, Gregor. You and Gavin can both give her a kiss.”

Avelina turned her head to face her two nephews.

“Aunt Wina, I tan dib you a tiss. You will be aw bettew.”

Lina smiled and reached for Gregor’s wee hand. She found it so endearing how he replaced his Gs with a D sound, and Ks or Cs with a T. He hadn’t spoken for the longest time, but Brenna swore there was naught wrong with him—he was just shy. She especially loved what he called his cousin, Gavin.

“Dabin will dive you a tiss, too.” He nodded his head with the most serious expression on his face she had ever seen. How she loved the bairns in the family. Of course, she would love to have her own bairns one day.

She wanted to be loved, not groped; cherished, not leered at. Was it too much to hope for?

Lina sat up and reached for Gregor, then patted the spot next to her for Gavin. Brenna made room for the two lads. Once Gregor was settled onto her lap, the two lads kissed her cheeks on either side. Gregor then set his wee hand on her cheek and tipped up his head to look at her. “Bettew, Aunt Wina?”

“Aye,” she whispered. “You have both made me feel much better. My thanks.”

“Good lads,” Gwyneth said. “Now why do you not get down and I’ll find you a treat from the kitchens.”

The two hopped down. Just before Gavin left, he turned toward Lina. “Would you like us to bring you a treat? Gregor and I could do that for you.”

“Nay, I’m fine. But thank you.” She chuckled at how talkative Gavin had become over the last year.

Gwyneth closed the door behind her.

“Do you want to talk about it, Lina?” Brenna asked softly.

Lina’s head dropped. “Nay. There is not much to say.”

“Did he hurt you?” Brenna reached for her hand, which was scratched from the straw in the barn.

Lina swiped the tears from her eyes before bringing her gaze up to Brenna’s. “Why? Why do lads always taunt me?”

Brenna brushed back the stray strands that had fallen from Lina’s plait. “Two reasons, Lina. One is you are incredibly beautiful, and the other is lads of that age are incredibly foolish.”

“They all tease me. What do I do, Brenna? Why can I not seem to speak around them? I could not even scream, though I tried. He called me daft. Am I?” More tears slid down her cheeks.

“Nay, absolutely not.” Brenna hugged her. “Lina, do not worry. It will come in time, just as Gregor’s words came to him. Are you sure the lad did not hurt you? He tore your clothes.”

Lina stared at the wall in front of her in a daze. Aye, Keith had tried to rape her. She’d heard the word before, but she hadn’t realized how dirty such an act would make her feel. She rubbed her arms, wishing she could rid herself so easily of his touch.

Attempted rape was a crime her brother could decide merited many types of punishment. Keith could be flogged, sent away, put in the dungeon, or even executed. Quade was the laird, so it was for him to decide. Mayhap she should not say that the lad had attempted rape. Then his punishment wouldn’t be as bad. If he were whipped, it would be all her fault.

Brenna seemed to read her thoughts, for she said, “‘Tis not your fault, Lina. He made the choice to attempt to take what he wanted against your will. He must pay for his actions. Do not concern yourself with his punishment.” Brenna lifted Lina’s chin with her finger to force her gaze to hers. “The punishment will be decided by your laird, not you.”

“But I do not…” She wanted to say that she didn’t want to cause her brother trouble, but her brother’s wife already shook her head.

“Nay, ‘tis not your concern,” she whispered. “He did not have the right to hurt you. Please forgive me, but I must ask again. Did he complete the act? Did he take your maidenhead? It would be verra painful and you would bleed if he did.”

Brenna was the clan’s healer, actually one of the best healers in the land of the Scots, so Lina understood why she needed to ask the question. “Nay, he did not. Logan stopped him. But he did…” She paused to gather strength. “He grabbed my breast. He tugged my bodice open and touched me…” She buried her face into Brenna’s shoulder to catch her sobs.

The door flew open and Lina’s mother, Arlene Ramsay, burst through the door. “Avelina? ‘Tis true? The smithy’s lad tried to…to hurt you?”

Lina sat up and stared at her mother, not knowing quite how to answer her other than to nod.

Lady Ramsay sat on the other side of her and wrapped her arms around her only daughter. “Lina, my wee Lina. I’m so sorry. Are you hurt? You must stop walking about alone. You are too old, and you can no longer hide in the shadows as you did when you were young.”

Brenna stood up. “Why do I not get you something warm to drink and something to eat?”

“I could not eat,” Lina said. “Mayhap a drink.”

Lady Ramsay said, “Get her a wee dram of whisky.”

Lina decided she did not wish to talk about it anymore. She stood beside the bed and her dress gaped open from the movement. When her mother gasped, she looked down at herself and saw the bruises on her left breast. Aye, he had been rough.

“Lina, he did not finish…?

“Nay, Mama. Logan stopped him. All he touched was my breast…” Tears misted her eyes again. “Mama, I just want to sleep.”

Brenna came back in with the whisky. “Here, drink this, lass. ‘Twill help you to sleep.”

Lina choked it down, but when she glanced at the bruise again, she turned to her mother. “A tub bath? Could I…”

Arlene gasped, “Surely. I’ll see to it. Wash the monster from your sweet skin.”

The whisky took effect and she felt her fine tremors subside. Aye, all she wanted to do was get clean, sleep…and then leave. She could not bear to stay here and suffer all the stares and whispers.

“Mama, I need to get away.”

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