by Alisa Adams
“Dummernech,” Kaithria said firmly, “easy now, hoa me Dummy, hoa now,” she said assertively in a calm, quiet voice.
Finally, Kaithria got him settled. She looked over at Cat, who was staring angrily at the man. Old Inch’s eyes were rolling back, showing the whites of his eyes.
He was feeling his rider’s anger. Or he was in pain.
“Calm yerself Lady Catriona, ye are frightening Old Inch,” Kaithria said in a soft, soothing voice. “And he may be hurting...calm yerself, now.”
Kaithria looked at the pieces of the staff on the ground and at the man sitting there with the wind knocked out of him, staring in fear at her horse. She quickly jumped off of Dummy, who instantly stepped forward and began pawing and stomping the ground near the man. With Dummy keeping the man’s terrified attention, Kaithria reached down and picked up the largest piece left of the wooden staff. She held it, casually, as she looked down at the man.
“Leave us, and never come near either Lady Catriona or myself; or our horses, ever again!” Kaithria’s voice was quiet, but low and firm with regal command.
It was a voice that Cat had never heard her use before.
Kaithria reached over and patted Dummy’s neck. The big horse quieted, blowing loudly out of his nose.
The man rose slowly to his feet. He took his time wiping the back of his kilt off, staring at the ground, not meeting Kaithria’s eyes.
Kaithria heard a loud, harsh braying.
It was Bunny. Warning them.
Kaithria tightened her fist on the small piece of staff. She stepped away from Dummy. She knew men like him and was ready. She would not let him hit Dummy again.
He did not disappoint her. Suddenly his head whipped up and with a look of total hatred and venom, he lunged at Kaithria.
Dummy stomped his foot and snorted a high pitched, sharp warning sound that was repeated by the tiny donkey above them on the hill, who then came trotting and skidding down the steep hill, braying the whole way.
Cat also saw the man’s intent and screamed out Kaithria’s name, jumping down from Old Inch to grab another piece of the staff.
But Kaithria was ready. Before his fist could connect with her face, she swung the piece of the wooden staff at him.
It struck his shoulder and he fell back to the ground. Immediately, he lunged back up, this time going for Cat.
“I’ll teach this one who dares to wear her hair like a mon!” he sneered as he pulled his arm back to strike Cat.
Cat let out what sounded like an angry growl as she lunged at him, swinging wildly with the piece of the wooden staff in her hand.
The man laughed and dodged away, right into Bunny, who swung around and kicked out at him with both hind feet. The man was kicked forward, but still, he came at Cat.
Kaithria shouted a warning to Cat as she saw that the man was readying to swing his fist at Cat again. But Cat was focused on fighting the man who was laughing at her.
Cat screamed out, swinging her piece of staff as she tried to duck his oncoming fist. She heard Kaithria shout just as the man’s fist grazed her cheek. She lost her balance and fell to the ground.
Kaithria called out, drawing his attention back to her. As he turned, she swung her staff, this time hitting the man on the side of the face, knocking him to the ground a second time. Kaithria moved between the man on the ground and Cat. She stood with her feet planted apart as her tartan skirt swirled around her. Her chest heaved as she stood facing him, holding the staff in both hands. The sleeves on her cream blouse were still rolled up, showing the sweat that glistened on her taut arms. She stared down at the man with fury.
He sat there, looking up at Kaithria with shock as he held his injured cheek.
“If ye can get up, I suggest ye do so or I’ll set me horse back on ye to stomp ye into the dirt where ye belong,” Kaithria said in a low, furious voice. “Get on with ye, go, now!” she said with a certain power and authority.
Bunny brayed furiously, adding her voice as she too faced the man. She spun around and kicked out both hind legs again and again in the direction of the man.
The man eyed the strange donkey and hurriedly stood up, moving out of range of its kicking hind feet. He kept one eye on the woman who fought like a virago. She was certainly not a nun.
She waved her hand, signaling for him to leave.
He didn’t hesitate, and turned and ran away as fast as he was able.
Bunny brayed again and started to chase him.
“Bunny!” Kaithria called out.
The little donkey turned around and came trotting proudly back. Kaithria petted the donkey’s big head as she watched the man run away.
“He is yer aunt’s problem now,” she said to Cat.
When there was naught but silence, she looked down.
Cat was still sitting on the ground. Her face was in her hands and her shoulders were shaking.
Kaithria rushed over to her and sat down. “What is it, Lady Catriona? Did he hurt ye?” she asked worriedly. She awkwardly put her arm around her friend.
Cat’s tears turned to laughter. “Aye he hurt me, but ’tis slight,” she said as she gingerly touched her cheek where the man had tried to hit her. “But wasnae that invigorating? And Bunny, coming to our rescue?” she said as she looked at Kaithria. “And ye were almost angry Kaithria,” she said with a grin.
Kaithria took her arm off of Cat’s shoulder. “Ye could have been hurt, Lady Catriona. Even killed.” Kaithria stared at her friend with concern and fear clear on her face.
“’Tis Cat, just Cat!” she said loudly, as she looked sternly at Kaithria. She lowered her voice. “Please, just call me Cat.”
Kaithria’s lips formed a small smile. “Vera well. But ye still could have been killed,” she added quietly.
“I told ye, I have been close enough to death before. It doesnae frighten me any longer. But he hurt Old Inch,” she whispered. “And the hatred within him, for me short hair? For ye? What is wrong with him?” She reached up to touch her hair. “I wish it would grow back,” she said self-consciously. “But why was that man so hateful?”
Kaithria looked towards the river and then at the two horses, now grazing peacefully. “I dinnae know. But I have seen it too many times. It sickens me.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ye must remember; never start a fight. But if it comes to ye, end it.” She looked up the hill towards Kinbrace. “Yer Aunt Agnes has been watching us all morning,” she said calmly.
Cat spun her head to look.
The figure on the hill was clearly Agnes on her mule.
They both stared at her, shielding their eyes from the sun.
Agnes nodded her head once, turned her mule around, and rode away.
Cat turned back to look at Kaithria. “What was she doing? Did she send that mon to attack us, do ye think?”
Kaithria shook her head. “I dinnae think so,” she said very quietly, as she narrowed her eyes and watched the departing figure.
Cat looked back at where her aunt had been. “‘Tis vera strange though…”
“Let’s get ye back on yer horse, Lady Catriona. Can ye stand?” Kaithria asked, reaching down to help her up. “Cat,” she corrected herself, at Cat’s stern look.
Then Kaithria swung up onto her horse’s back. She walked Dummy over to Cat.
“The horses seem fine,” Kaithria said with relief. “No injuries.”
“These horses are neither lazy nor old, like that scunner of a man called them,” Cat said crisply with a big grin.
“Aye, and Dummy has a penchant for walking on his hind feet,” Kaithria said with some amount of surprise in her voice. “And whot a temper he has,” she said as she patted the old warhorse with admiration. “I saw, and felt, the warhorse within him! It was almost more than I could handle. He had a mind of his own just now with that mon attacking us.”
Dummy and Old Inch nickered to Bunny.
Cat looked at Kaithria with a huge grin and nodded.
Both
women pushed their horses into a trot, with Bunny right behind them, back towards Kinbrace.
8
They saw him that night for the evening meal.
His cheek was black and blue.
He would not meet Kaithria’s eyes, nor Cat’s.
Agnes Gunn was watching him closely. She had also watched Kaithria closely, making sure to whisk her away before Keir could greet her as she came down the stairs for dinner in an emerald-green gown. Nor did Agnes Gunn let Keir escort her into the dining room. Agnes had sent several young ladies over to Keir who kept him monopolized with their chatter. She had pushed the old gentleman towards Kaithria again before Keir had a chance to get away from the clinging young girls. Agnes gave Kaithria a narrow-eyed look as she had directed the older gentleman at her.
The gentleman was sitting beside her at dinner again, droning on to Kaithria about his whiskey. He was telling her a story of how it had been smuggled from its hiding hole beneath the church pulpit. Kaithria was just about to tell him the story of the smugglers at Brough Castle. How the smuggler led a horse with a dummy sitting on that horse. The dummy had a big metal belly canteen full of whiskey. From a distance, it just looked like a very fat man on a horse. There were so many different creative ways to smuggle whiskey.
Suddenly Agnes called out, “Cormag!” very loudly, as she looked at the man whose cheek was black and blue.
He was sitting midway down the table. Everyone stopped and looked at Agnes and then at the man named Cormag.
Cormag froze as he looked at Agnes. Then he glanced nervously around the table, his face turning bright red. “Aye, Lady Gunn?” he asked her hesitantly.
“Tell us what happened to yer face,” Agnes demanded with a shrewd look.
“Och, ’tis nothing. I tripped and fell is all,” Cormag said quickly as he took a sip of whiskey, not meeting anyone’s eyes.
Cat looked at Kaithria, who was once again sitting at the far end of the table. Cat winked at her but Kaithria’s face remained immobile.
Keir’s eyes narrowed in on Cat’s wink to Kaithria. And the fact that Kaithria looked very uncomfortable. She kept her eyes on the plate of food in front of her. Her cheeks were bright pink. She hadn’t taken a bite of food, only fidgeted with what was on her plate. He felt sure that she was not eating, but not because his aunt had for some reason chosen puffins—a fat sea bird—for dinner, along with lampreys and also brain cakes that had been boiled in milk and fried into little patties. No. He knew Kaithria was upset. He lowered his glass and paid close attention to this man Cormag.
Agnes sniffed loudly. “Ye dinnae trip. Ye brought this on yerself!” she yelled.
A gasp came from a young lady at the table. “Lady Gunn, no! Thot’s not fair. It was that girl,” she said, glancing with a meaningful scowl down the table at Kaithria. “She caused this. ’Tis her that brought this aboot, not me poor brother!”
Agnes arched an eyebrow at her. “Twas a girl that tripped yer brother and made him fall?” Agnes asked incredulously. “Yer brother must be vera clumsy, or blootered from drink.”
Keir placed his hand on his aunt's arm.
“Hold Aggie,” he said quietly. His voice lowered as he looked at Cormag and then at Cormag’s sister. “Explain how Lady Kaithria caused ye to have a bruised cheek?” he demanded with an arched brow that somehow managed to be much more frightening and intimidating than Aunt Agnes’s eyebrow.
Cormag’s face went white at the orders of the big Highland warrior who was now a laird. He stammered and stuttered, but no words came out.
“I know how it happened,” Cat said loudly, as she glanced at Kaithria.
Keir immediately looked at Kaithria. She looked up from her plate where she had been pushing her brain cake around. She gave Cat a subtle shake of her head.
Keir looked back at his niece. “Lady Catriona? Please, do tell us,” Keir said in a gruff voice. “I am sure we are all interested to hear how a mon such as Cormag could be caused to fall by a woman?” Keir raised an eyebrow as he looked back and forth from Cormag to his niece.
Cat glanced quickly at Kaithria. Cat’s mouth opened slightly but then closed. She saw that Kathria did not want her to say anything about what happened. She raised her chin slightly and spoke very fast. “He was walking past Lady Kaithria and I and was stunned by our beauty. He wasnae paying attention to where his feet were. He tripped and fell. That is all,” she said quickly.
The MacMelchon sisters started giggling at that. Cheri said loudly, “Stunned by their beauty? That is hard to believe!” The two sisters snickered behind their hands.
Keir looked at the two sisters; anger was clear on his face as he stared with narrowed eyes until they saw him, and stopped giggling. Their faces went bright red with embarrassment at having brought on Laird Gunn’s anger.
“Ye may leave as soon as ye are packed,” Keir said gruffly to the two sisters.
Aunt Agnes started to say something but Keir looked silently at her. She quickly closed her mouth. Then Keir looked back at his niece.
Cat started eating in a very interested manner that belied her face when she put a spoonful of egg yolk in red wine sauce into her mouth. She made a face that showed horror, but then very quickly schooled herself to act like it was delicious.
“This is all so vera enjoyable, Aunt Agnes!” Cat said after she managed to swallow. “Everyone, ye need to taste the food Aunt Agnes’s cook has prepared for us!”
“’Tis all vera excellent,” Kaithria chimed in. When all eyes fell on her she quickly added, “The food,” she clarified weakly.
Keir stared at Kaithria with a raised eyebrow and a crooked grin. He knew she hadn’t had a bite yet.
“There, ye see,” Cormag said nervously. “All just an accident.”
Lady Ina leaned forward and looked down the table at Cormag. “Truly? Such an accident then...only a blootered, bowfin, glaikit mon would do such a thing, as Lady Gunn said. Tsk on ye I say, to be falling on yer face at the sight of two braw lasses like a wee gommeral lad.”
Silence came to the table once more at Ina’s words.
Cat tried desperately not to laugh as she knew that Lady Ina loved to use old Scot words, particularly when she was insulting someone. And Lady Ina knew that it was highly unlikely that Cormag had tripped and fell at the sight of herself and Cat.
Lady Gunn cleared her throat and looked at Lady Ina with narrowed lips.
Aunt Hexy was cackling quietly while feeding her dog under her shawl.
“’Tis not true!” said Cormag's sister very loudly. “Thot one,” she said and pointed at Cat, “started a fight with me brother and—”
“That one,” growled Keir, “is my niece.” His brow arched in anger at Cormag’s sister.
“Weel, thot one,” she said and pointed at Kaithria. “Thot girl got angry because she and her horse almost fell into the Devil’s Pool. So she attacked me brother! She made her horse stand up to strike him!” Cormag’s sister said with a bright, red face.
Cat’s mouth dropped open in anger; and before her uncle could say anything, for he clearly was furious, she quickly spoke up. “Lady Kaithria doesnae start a fight,” she said vehemently.
“She ends a fight.” This came from Lady Jane.
Lady Gillis Ross spoke up as well. “A fall into the Devil’s Pool would mean sure death to horse and rider, no doubt. If she was pushed near enough to the Devil's Pool to fear for her horse and her own self, and if she did indeed attack yer brother, one must assume that it was yer brother that caused her to almost fall in. To her death. Thus, she was forced to defend herself.”
The men at the table started murmuring angrily, looking back and forth at each other, and then at Kaithria. They were clearly not on her side.
Several of the ladies glared down the table at the mysterious woman, most notably the MacNuvie sisters.
Keir looked at the very nervous black and blue-faced Cormag, then to Cormag’s sister, and then to Cat. He glanced at Kaithria, whose cheeks wer
e still pink. She sat there, her chin high as she stared down the table.
Not at him.
But at his aunt.
Keir turned to his aunt. “Lady Kaithria and her horse almost fell into the Devil’s Pool?” Keir growled angrily. “Do ye know anything aboot this, Aggie?”
Agnes’s lips thinned. She glared at Cormag. “He started the fight,” she said firmly.
“Whot?” Cormag’s sister said as she started to rise from her chair in indignation.
“Sit doon!” roared Keir at Cormag’s sister. “Enough!” Keir growled loudly. He shoved his chair back from the table.“Thank ye for a...delightful dinner, Aggie. Gentlemen, meet me in my cabinet in a few moments.” He turned and narrowed his eyes on Cormag. “But first...Cormag. Walk with me,” he growled.
When Keir walked into the ladies’ parlor later with the other gentlemen, he ignored everyone. His presence in the room was immediate and overwhelming with his height and his power as he looked around. His eyes searched the room until he found Kaithria.
He walked straight towards her, ignoring the MacMelchon sisters as they stepped towards him. He headed unerringly to where Kaithria was standing in the crowded room, like an arrow to its target, like lightning to water, like a sword to its sheath.
Kaithria watched him coming towards her. Her eyes widened as her heart sped up. She saw the sisters, and then Agnes Gunn, take a step forward to intercept Keir, but he ignored them and kept coming. A trio of young ladies hurried forward, chattering his name. But again, he ignored them, not slowing his stride as his eyes stayed locked on Kaithria’s.
He seemed to grow in stature as anyone in his way parted to let the intimidating laird pass.
Keir walked silently to Kaithria. He stopped and looked down into her upturned face. His eyes roved hungrily over her silken, sun-kissed skin.