by Mac Flynn
"But it should still not be spoken aloud!" Eva insisted.
"If this is true then I would like to wear the purple dress," I spoke up.
Eva spun around and bowed to me. "As you wish, my lady."
Davina slunk around her and snatched the dress from the dresser at the end of the room opposite the hearth. "If you wish to replace Lyel then you must work faster and bow less," Davina teased her friend.
Eva put her hands on her hips and glared at Davina. "And you rush through the respect that must be given."
"I give it when it must be given, but Muira is a friend," Davina argued.
"But she is still a lady," Eva countered.
"We were acquainted with her before her ladyship," Davina reminded her.
"That does not matter."
"It does to me."
"We must obey etiquette."
"Only when necessary."
I raised one of my hands above my head. "My friends. My dress, if you would," I spoke up.
They both blushed and hurried to either side of the bed.
"Yes, my lady," Eva replied.
"Aye, Muira," Davina answered.
They assisted me into the complicated bodice and heavy sleeves, and in a few minutes I sat on the foot of my bed bedecked in the wonderful dress. Eva sat on the bed behind me and brushed my long hair. Davina stood before me and studied my features. Her lips were tightly pursed and her brow was furrowed.
"Is something wrong?" I asked her.
"Your hair is thicker and longer than I remember," she answered.
"It is as it has always been," Eva argued.
Davina shook her head. "I don't believe so, and there is a soft glow about you that I do not recall."
"Perhaps it is the dress," her friend suggested.
My thoughts hurried to my conversation with my laird and the change he promised me on the morrow. I had felt something change in me during our copulation, and Davina's comments informed me the changes were not my imagination, and were more permanent than in times past.
"I have not had as much sun as I am accustomed," I suggested.
Davina again shook her head. "No, lack of sunlight gives one's skin an unhealthy look. You need only glance at Lady Annabel to see that."
"Davina," Eva scolded her.
Davina held up her hands. "I was only complimenting our lady on her changed appearance and comparing it favorably against Lady Annabel."
I smiled and bowed my head. "I thank you for the compliment, but Lady Annabel is far more beautiful than I."
Davina frowned and took a step forward so she stood over me. She grasped my hands in hers and caught my eyes in her stern gaze. "You are a far greater beauty than she because you are much kinder. She would not pull us from a lake for fear of wetting her dress." She glanced over my shoulder at Eva. "And don't you argue that point. I have even heard Aili comment as such, and she is less likely to speak ill of a lady than you."
Eva sighed and continued to brush my hair. "She is rather cold."
Davina snorted. "Cold as the hardest stone in the middle of a wintry field."
"You mentioned others had come," I asked, addressing Davina. "Who are they?"
"The lairds of the MacLaren and MacNaughton clans," Davina informed me.
"The Laird MacLaren himself and his wife," Eva added. "And Laird MacNaughton has brought his two sons of our age to honor our fallen laird."
"And then there's Seumas Campbell," Davina finished.
"Who is this Seumas?" I wondered.
"Cousin to our laird, a descendant of a younger son of our laird's grandfather," Eva explained.
"And an interesting character he's shown himself to be," Davina spoke up. She turned her nose up and frowned. "His words are high and flattering, but I don't trust his eyes."
"Davina," Eva scolded her.
"We're not in their company, so I am free-" A knock on the door started all three of us.
"Ask who it is," Davina suggested.
"Who is it?" I called.
"Seumas Campbell, my lady," came a young male voice.
The color in Davina's face fled before her look of terror and embarrassment. I glanced between them and stopped on Eva. She set the brush on the bed sheets and nodded her head. I stood and Eva let my long hair cascade down my back. It shimmered in the light of the fire, and my dress glowed a dark purple. Eva crawled off the bed and positioned herself by my side and a little behind me. Davina hurried to my other side and turned to face the door. She pressed her dress with her hands and replaced her expression of fear with a more stoic one.
"Enter," I replied.
CHAPTER 29
The door opened and into the room stepped a handsome young man of twenty-three. He wore a black pair of calf-skin riding boots, thick woolen pants dyed brown with chestnuts, and a white blouse shirt with ruffled cuffs. His brown hair was pulled back in a tail over his back. He smiled at me and bowed.
"Good evening, Lady Campbell," he greeted me.
I bowed my head. "Good evening, Laird Campbell."
Seumas straightened and chuckled. "I do not have the good fortune to call myself a laird, my lady, but I thank you for the compliment."
I blushed. "I am sorry. I meant no-" He raised his hand.
"And no offense was taken, I assure you," he answered. Seumas closed the door behind himself and strode across the room. He took my hand and pressed a gentle kiss to its back. His eyes flitted up and he gave me a devilish smile. "But I must admit I am a little vexed."
I blinked at him. "And why is that, my-um-"
"Your cousin, if I might assume the honor before the marriage," he suggested.
I bowed my head. "And why is that, cousin?"
He straightened and released my hand. "I was told her ladyship was lovely, but find the information was false." I sensed Davina stiffen at my side. "Instead, I find that she is quite beautiful, and will be a jewel in our family crest."
"You flatter me, cousin, but surely there is something to which I can assist you?" I asked him.
"You do me a disservice, my lady. I only wished to introduce myself in a gayer time before you are covered in the black cloth of mourning," he informed me. Seumas moved so he stood near my side and turned so he faced the door. He held out his hand and bowed his head. "But you would do me a very great service if you were to accept my arm to supper."
I looked to his arm and furrowed my brow. "I-" I felt a cool chill flow over me. The breeze was not so much a wind but a frost onto the soul, and unbidden did my eyes turn to the door.
Seumas followed my gave and his smile slipped off his lips. My laird Tristan stood in the open doorway, and his eyes held a distinct yellow hue in their depths. Seumas stepped away from me and bowed low to Tristan.
"I sincerely apologize for intruding on your chambers, my cousin, but I had a great need to personally view the beauty of your wife," Seumas spoke to Tristan.
I blushed at the implications in his words, and knew then why Davina had such a poor opinion of my soon-to-be cousin. I expected my laird to grow angry, but he was a master of his emotions. Tristan merely strode up to us and raised an eyebrow at his cousin.
"I appreciate your attentions to my wife, but I am afraid you are wanted elsewhere. Laird MacNaughton has requested your presence in the dining hall," Tristan told him.
Seumas' smile returned and he bowed his head. "Thank you for informing me of this, cousin. I would hate to anger my patron." He turned to me and performed a deep bow. "If you will excuse me, my lady."
I tilted my head. "Of course."
Seumas gave my laird and myself one last fleeting glance with his sly smile and slipped from the room. Tristan made no notice of his leaving, but stepped up to the spot formerly occupied by his cousin and offered me his arm.
"If you will do me the greatest honor, my lady," he told me.
I allowed a bright smile onto my lips and took his arm. "Always yours, my laird."
A grin brightened his face. "I would have nothi
ng else." Tristan looked over his shoulder at Davina and Eva. "You are excused for the night," he informed my friends.
They each bowed their heads, and my laird and I left the chamber for the short walk down the north wing hall. Our feet clacked against the stone floor, and a far-away din of laughter echoed each step. My heart was gladdened to hear such wonderful noise ring throughout the dreary castle, and I had hope Tristan would do as he promised Chamberlain and restore former life to the old keep.
Still, there was a different thought at the forefront of my mind.
"My laird, may I inquire as to the relationship you hold with your cousin?" I asked him.
Tristan chuckled. "You grow more bold in your questions," he commented.
"Would you keep secrets from me, my laird?" I countered.
He smiled and tilted his head towards me. "A very crafty answer, my goddess."
I blushed and looked away. A blasphemous argument slipped into my thoughts. "If I am truly your goddess then should I not be informed of all your doings and relationships?"
He sighed. "Perhaps too crafty, my love. I would not soil your hands with the many deeds I have planned, but I am able to tell you that the relationship with my cousin is strained, as I am sure you noticed."
"Very well," I replied.
"My cousin is a permanent guest of Laird MacNaughton who's small property lies to the northwest of the castle. I am sure you have not set foot in that country.," he commented.
I shook my head. "You took me the farthest I have ever traveled to the battle."
He chuckled. "Then I must make a promise to you to show you the world when-well, when I change it."
"Change it?" I repeated.
He patted my hand and led me down the stairs. "Perhaps another time, my goddess. For now we have guests to attend to."
The doors were open to the dining hall and a bright light streamed across the floor of the hall. The sound of talking and laughter grew louder, and my heart swelled with the merriment. It was as though I was back home in my small abode with my mother and brother. A heavy weight slipped into my heart and my smile fled me.
My laird stopped us at the foot of the stairs and turned us so we faced each other. He clasped his hands in mine and studied my face with a furrowed brow.
"What is the matter, my love?" he asked me.
I closed my eyes and sighed. "I have thoughts of my old life, my laird, and find I miss my mother and brother very much."
He clasped my chin between his fingers and lifted my eyes so I looked into his. His smile was kind and gentle. "Then we will have to invite them to live with us after the wedding."
I returned his smile with one of my own, and surprised him when I shook my head. "My mother would not abandon our old home for the greatest palace in the world," I told him.
Tristan chuckled. "Then we will see if she will not lease her old home for the greatest treasure in the world."
I tilted my head to one side and blinked at him. "What is that?"
He leaned down and pecked a gentle, teasing kiss on my lips. His voice was like a soft autumn wind, cool and hot at the same time. "You, my goddess."
I blushed and the familiar and pleasant heat of lust rushed through my body. "My laird, your guests," I reminded him.
Two of them made their presence known when they stepped from the dining hall and into the entrance hall. The pair were tall with long brown hair and rough but clean clothes made from the skins and furs of wolves and cattle. The men's ages were roughly twenty and thirty, and the elder was a half head taller than the younger and more stalky. Their arms were slung over one another's shoulders and they had wide smiles beneath their bushy beards. In their free hands was a mug that brimmed over with mead.
"We shall rescue his hide like in the old days!" the elder shouted.
"And win princely rewards from a laird!" the other yelled.
"And let us hope he at least has saved his clothes this time!" the first cried out.
They burst into laughter that was only quelled when their eyes fell on Tristan and me. They slipped their arms off the other's shoulder and stood at attention.
"My laird!" the younger yelped. He tried to make a bow, but spilled half his beer over himself and the floor.
The elder grinned, and patted him on the back as he looked to us. "Some things never change, do they, Tristan? Angus could never hold his beer."
My laird released me and strode over to the pair with his arms wide open. "My dear old friends," he greeted them.
The elder wrapped Tristan in a hug that made me wince. "You old dog trying to play you were dead for so long!" his captor scolded him.
"It was none of my choice, I assure you," Tristan replied in a squeezed voice. He managed to slip from the man's tight grip and stepped to the side of the pair so he could gesture to me. "But might I introduce you to my bride?"
I was flattered and embarrassed when the younger of the two men showed his appreciation for my beauty with widened eyes and his mouth agape.
"Does she have a sister?" the younger man asked my laird.
The elder frowned and knocked him on the back of the head. "Where's your manners? Were you born in a barn?"
The younger rubbed the back of his head and frowned at his companion. "You know I was."
"Well, that's no reason to act like you were," he argued. "This is how it's done." The elder walked over to me and knelt on the ground. "My lady, it is a pleasure to meet you, and might I add that our laird Tristan could do a sight worse than you."
I bowed my head and tried to hide the bemusement they instilled in me. "I thank you, my laird."
The man laughed and stood. "Not for a few years yet, or so I hope."
"My Lady Muira, these are the sons of Laird MacNaughton," Tristan introduced me. He clapped his hand onto the elder's shoulder, and the man winced. "This is Duncan, and his younger brother, Angus."
Duncan pulled his shoulder away and rubbed the spot. "You've gotten some strength into you since we last hunted."
"Last hunted?" I wondered.
Duncan slapped Tristan on the back and nodded. "Aye! We were the best hunters in all the land some ten years ago. I hope your five years gone hasn't softened you."
"On the contrary, I am as ready for the hunt as I have ever been," Tristan assured him.
"And what of me?" Angus spoke up.
"What about you?" his brother teased him.
"I hunted with you," he reminded them.
"Aye, on the back of my saddle!" Duncan guffawed.
"My friends, it is wonderful to see you, but we must have supper," Tristan reminded him.
Duncan sniffed the air and rubbed his belly. "Aye! And by the smells it will be a fine one, so let's be returning to the hall!"
CHAPTER 30
Tristan offered me his arm and the pair of boisterous but kind brothers followed us into the great hall. The long table was set with ten places. Beside the great hearth with its tall flames sat a old man of seventy upon a stool, and beside him stood a woman of thirty with a kind face. He wore a heavy shawl of wool and clasped the hand of the woman to his shoulder. Her soft eyes looked down at him with love, and he returned it when he looked away from the others around the hearth. I guessed they were the Laird and Lady MacLaren.
Opposite them stood a tall man of fifty. His large frame told me he was Laird MacNaughton, father to the brothers. He wore the same crude but clean clothing, and bushy eyebrows were set over dark eyes. His mouth didn't have the same pleasant smile as his sons. Beside him stood Seumas Campbell, who leaned against the hearth as easy as though he lived in the castle.
Seated at the end of the dining table that was nearest the fire was Laird Graham. His chair was set at an angle towards the fire and the small group, and he was in such flattering humor that he laughed at the slight hint of a joke. Annabel was beside him, and I noticed she glanced often at Seumas with eyes that showed an interest to his form.
We four finished off the group of ten and joined the
others at the hearth. Everyone stood at Tristan's coming except Laird MacLaren, but he bowed his head as did his wife. Tristan led me through the others and up to Laird Lloyd MacLaren.
"My Laird MacLaren, I am grateful for you in making this journey to bid your farewells to my father," Tristan thanked him.
"I t is only my duty, my laird," MacLaren argued.
"But duty is not always remembered, nor sometimes easy to keep," Tristan countered.
"We are forever your servants, my laird," MacLaren promised.
Tristan smiled and bowed his head. "Then I will never want for a friend."
"If I may be so bold, my laird, but who is this lovely woman you bring into our midst?" Lady MacLaren spoke up as her eyes fell on me. "Some member of the fairy folk who wishes to grace us with her presence?"
"Near to it, Lady MacLaren," Tristan replied with a laugh. He pulled me in front of him. "This is my bride, Muira. Muira, this is the fair Lady Aileas MacLaren."
Lady MacLaren smiled and bowed her head. "A pleasure to meet someone with such kind eyes."
"The honor is all mine," I answered.
"And when shall we have the pleasure of a warm meal?" Angus spoke up.
Laird MacNaughton glared at his younger son. "Have you no patience like your brothers?" he snapped.
Angus bowed his head, but cast a dark look at Seumas. "Brother indeed. . ." I heard him mumble.
Tristan stepped into the midst of the company and held up his hands. "I must admit I, too, am famished. Let us all be seated according to age." He clapped his hands and the servants poured from the kitchen. My laird offered his arm to me and guided me to the tables while everyone followed.
I was placed on his right with Laird and Lady MacLaren on his left. Laird MacNaughton took the seat on my right while his sons filled the others down from him. I noted that Seumas took the seat beside MacNaughton that was normally reserved for the eldest son while Duncan was forced into the lower seat. Laird Graham and Lady Annabel sat opposite the young sons, and she cast long, bashful glances at Seumas. He humored her with his dark smile.
"This is a very grand feast, my laird," Graham complimented Tristan.
My laird smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you, but I nor my servants can accept all the compliment. Much of what you see before you is from my subjects. Those not present, that is," he added.
Laird MacNaughton raised an eyebrow and set his mug on the table. "Speaking of your people, my laird, I noticed on my travels through the lands that there was no sign of mourning for your father. On the contrary, I noticed much jubilation."