by Lucy Monroe
Emily looked around for a place to sit herself and saw an empty spot at the table where Angus sat. Ulf was also at that table, but that could not be helped. She would know at least one person.
She told Cait where she was going and why and started her way toward Angus's table. The soldier saw her when she'd drawn near and nodded in greeting. She nodded back and he bumped the man beside him, forcing him to move on the bench so the empty spot at the table was beside Angus.
Emily smiled her gratitude, but before she could sit down a strange look came over Angus's features and the blood drained from his face. Two of the other soldiers at the table looked up as well, their features expressing shock. All three of the soldiers looked toward Lachlan. He was scowling, which was nothing new really, but he hadn't been doing so when she first entered the great hall.
Angus jumped up from the bench. "I believe the laird wants you to sit at his table, Miss Emily."
"I'm sure you are wrong. There is no place for me at that table."
"I believe he has just instructed one of the soldiers to move to a different table."
She shook her head. "I'm sure you are mistaken."
"No. I am not. I just heard him."
"You couldn't possibly hear your laird over this din." There were at least seventy-five soldiers eating in the hall and the noise was enough to mask even a loudly spoken conversation.
Emily grabbed Angus's arm, so she could step over the bench to take her seat without falling.
The soldier went absolutely still. "Please, Miss Emily, do not touch me. I like my throat just the way it is."
Emily didn't understand Angus's comment about his throat, but she yanked her hand back from touching him. Had her action been considered forward? None of her father's soldiers would have thought so, but this was not her father's keep and these men bore little resemblance to English soldiers.
"I am sorry. I didn't mean—"
"The laird would like you to join him," Angus said urgently.
She couldn't understand what was wrong with the soldier, but she turned obligingly so she could see Lachlan again. Sure enough, the spot to his left was empty now and he crooked his finger at her. She stared, unsure what to do. His summons and the attention she was receiving from the others in the hall embarrassed her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her friend looked worried again, but her gaze was not on Emily. It was on Lachlan. What had the laird done to upset Cait?
"Miss Emily?" Angus asked, sounding harried.
"Yes?"
"Would you like me to escort you to the laird's table?"
"That would be nice, thank you, Angus."
The soldier nodded and led the way, his movements jerky, like he was nervous. When they reached the head table, he left her standing beside Lachlan with a quick farewell.
Lachlan wasn't looking at her. He was talking to Drustan, so she scooted around both men to lean over and whisper in Cait's ear, "Are you all right? You're looking worried again."
"We'll talk about it later… in the tower room. But I think you had better sit down, Emily."
Emily did as her friend suggested and then was surprised to find Lachlan serving her. It was really very odd. Her father would never have served anyone but Sybil, even the most important guest and especially not a female one.
Emily could not figure out why Lachlan had made a point of having her sit beside him because he ignored her for most of the meal. She was too shy to speak to anyone at first, but the priest was seated across the table and he was quite friendly. She also found the soldier to her left very amiable and by the time she had eaten and drank a single cup of wine, she was feeling much more comfortable and sharing in the conversation.
She leaned across the table, not wanting her voice overheard and said, "Father?"
"Yes?"
"I was wondering something about the marriage sacrament last evening."
"What was that, child?"
"Doesn't the Church stipulate that the Sacrament must be spoken in the morning?"
"That is Rome's tradition, yes."
"But you spoke it last night," she emphasized.
"That was my laird's will."
"But is it valid then?"
The priest looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "You're wanting to know if the marriage ceremony I spoke last night was valid?" he asked, making no attempt to keep his voice down.
Conversation stilled around them and suddenly, Emily was the cynosure of all eyes. She felt heat climb into her face and fervently wished she'd kept her question for another time. But since she hadn't, she might as well brazen it out now.
"I am concerned for my friend's standing with God and the Church. Surely you can understand why. If her marriage Sacrament was not valid, neither is her marriage." She wished Lachlan had thought of that before commanding the holy man to do his duty in such an extraordinary way.
"I assure you the marriage is valid."
"Recognized by the Church?" Emily pressed.
"Yes."
"Oh." She still wasn't convinced.
"The marriage is valid," Lachlan said, speaking to her for the first time since she had sat down.
She frowned at him for his arrogance. "Are you implying that not only are you above the king when you feel like it, but the Pope as well?"
"Do you think to try to give my wife an excuse to run from me?" Drustan asked in a hard voice before his laird could answer her impudence.
Emily shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no. That would not be in her best interests after well… after. If you know what I mean. It is the next day, after all. I am merely concerned for her standing with the Church, but if the priest is not worried, then I realize I should not be either."
"The marriage Sacrament is no less holy spoken at night than in the morning," the priest hastily intervened. "There are dispensations for unusual circumstances to almost all of Rome's traditions."
"There are?"
"Especially here in the Highlands," Lachlan said in a mocking voice.
"Why especially here?"
"Because it was the king who chose to follow Rome's dictates, not the lairds."
"But the lairds must follow the dictates of their king." Even if they grudged him his place of power.
"Must we?"
"You speak treason."
"Nay, simple truth."
The others around them nodded their agreement. Even Cait. And Emily stifled the urge to argue further. The Highlanders saw the world differently and that was that.
One thing was certain. They all believed Cait to be well and truly married.
Thank goodness.
Chapter 13
After the nooning meal, Emily was unsure if she was expected to return to her tower, or not. Lachlan left before she had a chance to ask, which might have been for the best. Since he had not expressly ordered her to do so, she could tell him later—if the matter came up—that she had assumed his silence meant it was all right for her to stay in the great hall. She didn't plan to wreak any mayhem anyway, just find something to keep her occupied.
And really, couldn't she assume he meant to allow her the freedom since he had not expressly denied it to her? He was, after all, a man who did not mince his words.
"Emily, Drustan has said it would be all right for you and me to explore the castle grounds." Cait spoke from behind her and Emily spun to face her friend.
"Oh, that would be lovely. I've seen some of it, walking to the loch and all, but honestly my mind was too busy with other things to take it in."
And her courage had not quite extended to making such an exploration on her own without express permission. She didn't want to end up locked in the tower again.
They started by touring the upper and lower bailey. There was a tanner's cottage, a blacksmith and an area where the women of the keep laundered, including a grove of lilac and heather bushes on which to dry the clothes so they would smell sweet. The stable was large, with over a dozen horses all as big as the ones they had ridd
en the day before.
The priest's cottage was behind the chapel and the two women stopped to chat briefly with him when they saw him sitting outside his door enjoying a little sun.
"Are you worried about the validity of your marriage, lass?" Father Paul asked Cait.
Cait smiled and shook her head.
"I am glad." He patted Emily's shoulder. "It is good to show such genuine caring for your friend's spiritual welfare. It gladdens my heart to see it."
Emily blushed under the praise. "It is no more than she would do for me, Father."
They declined his offer of refreshment and continued on their walk. When they had fully explored the upper and lower bailey, Cait asked Emily to show her the way to the loch. It wasn't within the castle walls, but when Cait explained they had Drustan's permission, the women were let through the gate onto the drawbridge.
The loch was only about a ten-minute walk from the castle and more cottages dotted the landscape along the path. They met several Balmoral clanswomen who seemed pleased to make the acquaintance of the new wife to the laird's first-in-command and her English friend. Some had also seen Emily pass by that morning with Lachlan and were curious about a woman he chose to spend time alone with.
"This clan is certainly friendlier than the Sinclairs," Emily remarked and then wished she'd kept her mouth shut. Her dear friend might be a Balmoral now, but she'd been born a Sinclair.
Cait sighed, her eyes sad. "My brother's clan would have welcomed you more readily under different circumstances. You must believe me on this, Emily."
"I do," Emily hastened to assure her. "I understand better since our chat this morning. I didn't mean to offend you with my remark."
"You didn't."
"Are you certain?"
Cait laughed. "Yes. The women did go out of their way to make you feel like an outsider and I am not so easily insulted, trust me."
"Your brother is. Imagine getting so testy over being likened to a goat," Emily teased.
"Well, it is better than a horse's backside."
They were both laughing when they came into the clearing beside the water.
"Oh, it is gorgeous here," Cait exclaimed.
Emily looked at the lake shimmering in the sun and could not believe she had gone out far enough for the water to reach Lachlan's chest and be over her head. The gift he had given her that morning was greater than any she had ever known. Lachlan could be harsh and he was certainly bossy, but he was also gentle and passionate with her. And he cared enough to help her. That made him a hero in her eyes, even if he was an arrogant one.
Thinking out loud, she said, "I have another swimming lesson tomorrow morning."
"With Lachlan?" Cait asked in a strange voice.
"Yes, who else?"
"But I'm sure you won't be alone. There will be other soldiers nearby."
"If there were this morning, I didn't notice them. He has really superior hearing and he heard his brother approaching before he ever broke the cover of trees."
"Still, I'm sure Lachlan had guards with you." There was a strange urgency in Cait's voice and Emily didn't understand it.
"No, really. I don't think so. He's so sure of himself, he probably doesn't think he needs guards. Especially on Balmoral land."
Cait made a sound of distress, her gazed focused on something across the lake.
Emily turned to look and saw a huge gray wolf. He was too far away to leap at them of course, being on the other side of the water, but the aura of menace around him was enough to make her shiver. He didn't have the boney look of a desperate, hungry animal though, and she doubted the wolf would try to harm them. They were shy creatures as long as they weren't hungry… or establishing territory.
"I'm married now," Cait was saying. "The wedding was last night… and the claiming."
"Yes, I know," Emily replied, thinking it an odd topic when they were facing down a wild animal.
"There has been a misunderstanding. Susannah did not have the laird's permission to hunt alone. Her brother insists she was taken from the Balmoral's island."
"So you've said." Cait touched her friend's arm. "Are you all right?"
"The Balmoral laird is looking for an apology."
The wolf shook his head at them and snarled, showing his sharp teeth. Emily jumped back even though a whole wide lake separated them.
"Please, I don't want war between our clans," Cait pleaded.
"Well, I don't either, but I don't know what you expect me to do about it."
The wolf turned and disappeared into the forest on the other side of the lake.
Emily turned to Cait. "That was a close call."
"Closer than you know." And tears were trailing down Cait's cheeks. '"Emily, you must not come tomorrow morning for your swimming lesson."
"But I want to learn to swim now."
"It isn't safe."
"I would have agreed with you this morning, but Cait, Lachlan is helping me to conquer my fear."
"Please, Emily. You must not come!"
Something very disturbing was happening with her friend. "Tell me why."
"I can't. Not here. Just accept that it isn't safe. I think Lachlan plans to seduce you."
"I already know what Lachlan wants to do with me, and I want it. I'm sorry if you don't understand, Cait. I don't mean to disappoint you. Your opinion matters to me very much. You are my only friend here and as dear to me as Abigail, but I want this little bit of happiness in my life. I need it. For all the lonely years ahead."
"Talorc will reject you if he believes Lachlan has mated you. Even if it isn't true."
"Talorc has already rejected me."
"He'll send you back to England in disgrace."
"He can't possibly know about my swimming lessons with Lachlan."
Cait did not reply, but started dragging Emily back toward the way they had come. She refused to answer any questions or slow down until they were inside Emily's tower room with the door firmly shut.
"You certainly move quickly for a pregnant woman," Emily said, panting herself from the exertion of climbing the stairs at a near run.
"Femwolves are like that."
"Fem… what?"
"There is something I have to tell you, Emily. So you will understand." Cait rounded on her, her expression desperate.
"So you can help me avoid a war and the death of my brother or Lachlan."
"What?"
"Do you remember when I told you about the Chrechte people?" Cait asked.
"Yes, of course. It was only this morning. I'm English, not forgetful."
Her jest fell flat as Cait's agitation only seemed to grow. "You are also human and I am not. Not fully."
Concern for her friend had Emily standing and pushing her to sit on the bed. "You are distraught. It has been an eventful time for you and you are pregnant. Let me get you a cup of water to help clear your mind."
"My mind is already clear. Believe me, Emily. You've got to believe me," Cait said with a wild look in her eye. "Sit down and listen. Please."
Emily could not ignore her friend's plea and she sat.
"The Chrechte are shape-changers."
"Shape-changers?" Emily asked faintly.
"They have more than one form, both animal and human."
Oh, no. Last night had been an ordeal and it had broken her friend, only Emily had been too blind to see it. She stared at Cait, unsure what to say to help. If anything.
"Have you ever heard stories of werewolves?" Cait demanded.
"Yes," Emily whispered, her heart breaking.
She could not stand to see her friend like this and in that moment, if either Lachlan or Drustan had been there, she would have attacked them with her eating knife. They had done this to Cait. Damn then: vengeance-loving natures.
"That's what the Chrechte are, a race of werewolves and femwolves. That gray wolf we saw beside the water was my brother Talorc." Oblivious to Emily's tormented thoughts, Cait continued in an urgent tone that pleaded for be
lief. And even though she knew it was all fantasy, Emily almost did believe, Cait was so earnest. "Some wolves cannot control the change like that until they are mated, but he has been able to since his first full moon in wolf form. I have, too. Our mother was a white wolf and she passed the ability on to us."
"White wolves can control their change?" she asked for lack of anything better to say while her mind tumbled with thoughts of how to react to Cait's words.
"Yes."
"I see."
Cait clenched her hands into fists, her face contorted with despair. "You don't believe me, do you?"
Emily's eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. "How can I? You are talking about children's fairy tales, not reality. Please, Cait, stop and think. What you are saying is impossible."
Cait shook her head. "It isn't. Please, don't cry, Emily. I have proof."
"Proof?"
"Yes. I can't make the change right now because I'm pregnant, but I want you to think about some things."
"All right."
"Remember in the forest yesterday, when I heard things you couldn't and how Lachlan heard the approaching soldier earlier today when you couldn't?"
"Yes."
"That is a werewolf trait."
"Superior hearing?" No, it couldn't be, but in both cases they had heard things she hadn't and she knew her hearing was good.
Only, was she trying to believe the unfathomable because the alternative, that her friend had gone daft, was too untenable to accept?
"That isn't all," Cait said sincerely. "We are stronger and faster than humans, too."
Without warning, Cait surged from the bed. Emily blinked, saw a blur of movement, and then the other woman was on the far side of the room.
"Do you see?" Cait demanded.
Emily shook her head. It couldn't be true, but hadn't Lachlan played this trick, too? And according to both Lachlan and Cait, he was Chrechte. It was too much to take in. Perhaps she was the one going daft.
Cait did it again and she was in front of the entrance to the garderobe without Emily seeing how she got there excerpt for a blur of color shifting across the room. She rubbed her eyes.