by Alisa Adams
He walked outside and found a creel which he filled with stones. Now that Sarina had arrived, it was time to perform one of the ancient traditions. Stretching every muscle in his body, Seamus lifted the creel, grunting as he did so. The gray, speckled rocks made the creel extremely heavy and Seamus staggered as he made a circuit of his home with a sheen of sweat glistening on his rippling muscles.
9
When Seamus left Sarina, she felt guilty and she wondered how such a savage man could be so kind. He had taken her doubts and, instead of turning her away, he tried to make her feel at ease. Of course, that could just be because he wanted peace above all else so he had to keep her here to prevent further battles with her brother, but there was a look of compassion in his eyes that she didn’t believe anyone could form of their own accord. It was something innate, something that could not be a product of deceit. And if he was a kind man then it made her task all the more confusing. She had to remember that he was a murderer and that his hands were the hands that had killed her father.
And yet he was far too complex a being to be just a murderer. He was a man too and had been a husband. The fact that he had been married before shouldn’t have shocked her really, he was the Laird after all and there must have been many Highland women lusting after him. Still, the fact that he had loved before and had a wife before made Sarina wonder how she would compare. She was still just a girl in many ways. There were still so many things that she did not know and it only served to make her feel more anxious.
She glanced toward the window, gazing outside, and wondering how long she would fare if she fled into the wilderness. Sadly, she doubted it would be very long at all. The Highlands were a wild place and were filled with danger at every turn. She had always been kept at home with handmaids serving her every whim. She looked down at her soft, delicate hands and cursed them. If she had been more willing to learn how to take care of herself, she wouldn’t have to be at the mercy of her brothers or Seamus. She could run away and live her own life.
The door opened and Martha came in with another young girl. They carried a small tub of water. Martha’s cheeks were red. The other girl scowled toward Sarina. They put the tub down and the soapy suds splashed over the side, creeping along the stone floor. Martha slapped her hands across her thighs and nodded sharply.
“All right lass, ye can get on with the rest of ye duties,” she said. The girl stared daggers at Sarina which was entirely unnerving and then she left.
“Who was she?” Sarina asked.
“That was Joyce.” Martha sighed.
“She didn’t seem too kind.”
“Aye, she hae a black heart that one. She hae nae taken too kindly tae the idea of Seamus marrying an English lass and she is nae the only one.”
Sarina blinked. “I thought people would be happy that peace has been agreed.”
“Aye, ye would think, but people dinnae think the way ye’d like them too. Did ye talk with Seamus?”
Sarina nodded. Martha got to her knees and began to scrub Sarina’s feet with a rough cloth. It was so unexpected that Sarina pulled her feet away. “What are you doing?” she exclaimed.
“Dinnae ye worry lass, it’s just tradition,” Martha said and urged Sarina to put her feet back into the tub. Sarina dipped her feet into the cool, soapy water and tried not to shudder as she felt Martha run the cloth over them. The sensation tickled Sarina, especially when Martha poked the cloth in between Sarina’s wiggling toes.
“Anyway, did ye talk with him?”
“I did and he told me about Ciara. I didn’t quite know what to say.”
“Aye, it was a tragedy. The worst of it was he was happy. The two of them… Well, I will nae lose myself in the past. But since Ciara passed, the other lasses hae been waiting tae see who Seamus would choose tae be his new wife, expecting that it would be one of them.”
“So, they’re jealous,” Sarina said, nodding in understanding.
“Aye, but they will be nae trouble tae ye, although ye may hae tae put up with a few mean glances,” Martha said.
Sarina rolled her eyes because it was another thing she didn’t need. She knew that life was going to be tough in the Highlands, but she didn’t like the idea of having to prove herself to other people. She knew how jealous and spiteful other women could be.
Martha washed Sarina’s feet up to the ankles and Sarina had to admit that she felt better for it. When Martha was done, she dipped a hand into her pocket and then pulled out a ring which she let fall into the tub. It entered the water with a plop and sunk down to the bottom.
“What did you do that for?” Sarina asked, furrowing her brow in puzzlement.
“It’s just a wee tradition. Ye see ye are supposed tae have ye feet washed by a happily married woman and then I place this wee ring here so that the next lass who finds it will hae the blessing of being married next. It may seem simple tae ye...” Martha said, trailing off. Sarina got the sense that Martha, for all her easy confidence, felt self-conscious of some of the traditions. Sarina didn’t want her to feel bad even though she had never heard anything like this before.
“What other traditions do you have? I think I should know so that nothing will take me by surprise. I had in mind a simple ceremony.”
“Oh, it will be simple, lass, but there are a few things ye will need tae dae. First, ye may want tae take a look outside,” Martha said. Sarina shook a few stray drops of water from her feet and went to the window where she saw Seamus carrying a huge basket of stones.
“What is he doing?” she asked.
“He’s proving the lengths he will gae tae. He’ll only stop when ye gae out there and give him a wee kiss,” she said.
“Oh,” Sarina replied. “What will happen at the ceremony?” She watched Seamus’ impressive body bristle with strength as he slowly walked around the village and disappeared from her view.
“Ye will stand outside the kirk doors and then ye will walk in holding hands. Ye will enter the kirk and say the caim, receive the siller, and then make ye oath on the stone. It will be over before ye know it,” she said and then her eyes gleamed. “I remember the day of my wedding. I was sae nervous I could barely stand still, but it all went by in a blur. I’m sure it’ll be the same for ye. What ye will nae forget is the feast afterward. Ye feet will need another wash after all the dancing.”
Sarina was lost by all the Highland terms and had to get Martha to explain them fully. There seemed to be a lot to the ceremony. It was an eye-opening discussion as Sarina had always thought of Highlanders as savage people with little or no sense of decorum or tradition, but actually, they seemed to be a deeply spiritual people and the wedding Martha described was something that appealed to Sarina.
“I must admit that when I was first told I was going to be married to Seamus, I thought it would be a matter of standing in front of a tree or a stone somewhere and he would simply declare that I was his woman. I didn’t think there would be so many little details to the ceremony.”
“We take a great deal of pride in our traditions. A wedding is never tae be taken lightly, even one like this,” Martha said.
“I just hope I can live up to expectations. I don’t want to disappoint,” Sarina said, although, at this point, she wasn’t sure if she was more afraid of disappointing the Highlanders or Thomas.
“I am sure ye will nae. Now, get dressed and gae outside sae Seamus can stop creeling,” Martha said.
It was time for Sarina to begin taking part in the traditions of the land and as awkward as it was for her, she knew she could not hide away in the castle. At one stage or another, she would have to take her place as Seamus’ wife and that stage was getting ever closer. How she wished that Harold had stayed though. The abandonment cut her deeply and she felt terribly alone.
Leaving the castle, she skipped downstairs and now that she had been exposed to the fact that not everyone was pleased to have her here, she noticed more glaring scowls. They came mostly from the women although a few men wer
e giving her nasty looks too. If Seamus had treated her this way then the whole endeavor would have been easier.
She ignored these as best she could and went outside. The brilliant sun made her squint and she looked around to locate Seamus. During the time it took her to come down from her chambers, he had done another circuit of the castle. As he appeared, he was met with a crowd and then people started noticing her moving toward him. They whispered excitedly and began to clap as she grew closer. The rising anticipation made her heart flutter.
“It seems I am to give you a kiss,” she said as she came toward him. His face was red and sweat glistened on his biceps which looked even huger than before. It sparked an instinctive desire within her, one that unsettled her for she had never been so overwhelmed by something she could not control. The man she had envisioned marrying was nothing like this, yet the sight of such pure masculinity overpowered her mind and struck at the core of her feminine yearnings.
“Aye,” Seamus said. Even though he stopped walking, he had not put down the stones. Sarina looked down at the basket and couldn’t believe he was strong enough to carry all of that. When she looked at him, she couldn’t forget that he had had a wife previously, but she didn’t want him standing there with those rocks all day, so she rolled onto the tips of her toes and gave him a swift peck on his cheek. Her lips met his soft beard and while she was so close to him, she breathed in his deep, musky scent and this again made her feel alive.
Seamus smiled at her and set the basket on the ground.
“May I?” Sarina asked, gesturing to the basket. In the background, people were applauding and cheering. It seemed only a minority were unhappy that Seamus was marrying an English girl.
“Ye can try,” Seamus said, an amused look on his face. Sarina set her feet on the ground and clasped both hands around the handle of the basket. She breathed in deeply and then tensed her muscles, trying to lift the thing.
It barely moved.
Seamus barked a laugh. Sarina tried a few more times but it was so heavy she thought her bones were going to pop out of their sockets. It made her admire Seamus and his strength even more. She doubted that Thomas could have lifted it and a fleeting thought of how it might feel to be carried in Seamus’ arms swam through her mind.
She quickly pushed it away.
Seamus wiped the sweat from his brow and then pointed over at the kirk doors. At this point, Sarina wasn’t entirely sure whether kirk was a unique word or just the way the Highlanders pronounced church, but it was a small, picturesque chapel.
“I will see ye there,” he said and then walked away to make his final preparations. Sarina then returned to her own chambers and steeled herself for the remainder of the day. She would have to act like the happy and grateful bride for she didn’t want to arouse anyone’s suspicions. Besides, she had always wanted to get married and although these were not the circumstances she had dreamed of, she still wanted to enjoy it for the sake of the little girl who had spent her nights dreaming about this moment.
10
Seamus stretched his muscles, relieved to have put down the creel. He’d forgotten how heavy the stones were. He returned to his chamber and waited for the serving girl to provide him with a tub so that he could wash the sweat off his body. She came in, looking young and pretty. She had hooded eyes and dark hair that was tied in a long ponytail. Her frock hung off her shoulders, exposing freckled skin. She set the tub down and licked her lips.
“Would ye like me tae wash ye, my Laird?” she asked in a soft voice. Seamus studied her for a moment and then dismissed her.
“That will nae be necessary,” he said and got a cloth himself. The serving girl did not leave, instead she moved closer to Seamus and put her hand on the same cloth, letting her fingers rub against his.
“Please, Laird, let me, it is only right that a Highland lass touch ye flesh. The English are nae deserving of it,” she said. “And if ye want ye can always rely on me for such things. Ye know that English flower cannae hae the same passion as us Highlanders. Ye are my Laird and ye can dae with me as ye wish. I only want tae please ye and give ye what ye deserve.”
Seamus looked at her blankly for a moment and then he pulled his hand away. Ever since Ciara had died, he had been plagued with women like this, scheming and manipulating. “What is ye name?” he asked.
“Joyce,” she replied, her eyes shimmering with lust.
“Joyce, ye best leave now before I toss ye out. I am about tae be married and if ye think I am the kind of man tae be unfaithful tae his wife then I hate tae think of what kind of Laird I am. Ye should know me better.”
“I know that ye are faithful to the Highlands. This marriage is only a matter of convenience. That lass can never give ye what ye need, but I can.” She moved even closer toward him and placed a hand on his chest. Seamus looked down at it and was filled with disgust. He pulled her hand away with such force that it sent her spinning across the room.
“Leave me and never come tae me with such vile talk again!” he yelled so vociferously that all the sultry desire on Joyce’s face was replaced with unbridled fear. She was as white as a sheet as she scurried out. Angus sauntered in after her.
“I see ye still hae ye way with women,” he said. Seamus mopped the cloth around his brow and body, a dark cloud lingering over him.
“She is nae happy,” Seamus said.
“I can tell,” Angus replied with an amused look in his eyes. “How are ye feeling now that the moment is near?”
“Strange. When I got married the first time, I thought it would be the only time, but here I am again.”
“We can never tell where life is going tae take us,” Angus said.
“Truer words have never been spoken, brother, but I cannae help feeling like I hae done this all before and I know it is nae Sarina’s fault, but I cannae work up the same excitement.”
“Or the same nerves, I imagine. Dae ye remember how ye could nae stay still the last time?” Angus said.
“Aye and part of me thinks it should be the same.”
“Well, things are never gaeing tae be the same because they’re nae. But it dinnae mean they’re bad, only different. Try tae remember that. I am sure Sarina has her own qualities that ye’ll come tae like over time. But I dae hae something I want tae talk tae ye about and dinnae snap at me for speaking ill about ye wife. It is something I hae tae ask as warden of this place.”
“Speak,” Seamus said.
“Can ye trust her?”
Seamus paused what he was doing. Soapy water trickled along his arms and chest. He turned to his brother and narrowed his eyes. “What dae ye mean?” Seamus asked.
Angus chose his words carefully. “We hae never been able tae trust the English. They hae always hae their plots and schemes and hostilities hae run deep between us for generations. Dinnae ye think it’s a wee bit convenient that now they’re offering peace?”
“Are ye trying tae suggest Sarina hae been sent here as a spy?” Seamus asked, his troubled expression giving way to amusement.
Angus shrugged. “Who better tae send than someone ye would never expect?”
Seamus put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I thank ye for ye diligence in ye duty, but ye dinnae need tae look for conspiracies where they are none. Sarina could nae hurt anyone. I hae looked in her eyes. I know she is nae capable of what you suggest. If anyone was gaeing tae kill me it would hae been her brother. If ye ask me, they probably hae other targets in mind and dinnae want tae have their attention split which is nae a problem. We hae lost tae many men tae the English.”
“If ye are sure, brother, but I would advise ye tae be careful until ye can trust her fully.”
“She is a stranger in this land, Angus, I hae naething tae fear from her.”
Angus nodded, accepting his brother’s wisdom, even though Seamus was sure that if Angus had his way, he would be guarded day and night.
“Dae ye hae anything else tae add?” Seamus asked.
“Ever
ything I had tae say I said the first time ye were married. I just hope ye can enjoy the day, Seamus. Try and take it for what it is, dinnae compare it tae the one ye shared with Ciara because it will only look worse.”
“I will try,” Seamus said, although he wasn’t sure that was possible. The first time he got married he had been filled with nerves and excitement for he had been marrying the love of his life. It had been the happiest day of his life up until Ciara announced that she was carrying his child. But on his wedding day, he had been filled with love and when he had been looking into Ciara’s eyes, he had known for certain that he would never feel that way about anyone again.
Perhaps Angus was right and he had to accept that this was simply different. Sarina was her own person, and he had to accept her for that. He was willing to try, but this ceremony would not be tinged with love as his first one was. Indeed, if love was to have any chance of blossoming between them, she would have to commit to the union as well. At least she had shown the initial signs for she had kissed him while he had been creeling.
But now that Angus had suggested the idea that she was some sort of spy Seamus couldn’t get the niggling thought out of his mind. There were already many doubts about the day and he didn’t need another one, so he tried his best to ignore it. However, because of Joyce, he had just witnessed an example of how duplicitous women could be and that was doubly true for English women. Seamus used to have a good instinct for these things, but his emotions had been made askew by Ciara. He decided that he would be a little more careful and take a little more time with Sarina. Not that he actually thought she was capable of anything like that. She was far too young and innocent, but it always paid to be safe.