“Mister Stuart requests that ye come to visit his home and perhaps remain for winter season.”
Lady Mariel frowned. “They are not married yet. I suppose I can chaperone, but I cannot be gone for an entire season. Isobel will be having her child soon.”
“Did he mention anything about our wedding?” Cait asked.
The guard glanced to the laird and then shook his head. “No Miss, he did not.”
Lacy Mariel huffed and shook her head. “Someone must go fetch him immediately. Did he fall and bump his head?”
Cait let out a long breath. “When ye return please tell him I will not travel and live there without being married first. Perhaps it is best that we pretend the engagement never happened.” She took the pin Stuart had given her and held it out to the guard. “Please give him this.”
“Oh dear,” Lady Mariel said turning to look in the direction of the laird. “Cait, ye should reconsider.”
She met the caring woman’s gaze. “What would ye do in my place? He asks that I come there and does not mention coming back to marry me. Tell me honestly.”
Lady Mariel sighed. A look of resignation on her face. “Exactly what ye are doing.”
“I only ask that ye allow me some time to see about my family before we leave.”
“Do not be ridiculous. We will discuss the situation and decide what is best. I am disappointed in Stuart and unsure what he is thinking.”
In front of the hearth, Catriona and Isobel sat with the children. Isobel was expecting her first child and spent a great deal of time with Catriona’s children. Darach was insistent that she remain close. Not wishing to upset him, she spent most days at the keep. Although, she did escape every so often to the village or to visit Beatrice.
Both women looked up when Lady Mariel approached with Cait in tow. “Stuart is not coming. He sent a message asking that Cait go there instead. Of course, if she went, I would have to go as well.”
Isobel’s eyes widened. “Ye cannot. I do not wish to be alone until Mother comes.”
“Of course, we said no,” Lady Mariel replied with a frown. “Honestly, I do not know what has gotten into him. Whoever goes, whether Caelan or Gideon, will have a stern message from me.”
“I am sure there is much to do there. Ewan told me the land was overgrown and the locals are reluctant to help. There is the matter of village constable…”
“Ye know more than I do,” Cait interrupted Lady Mariel. “I have no idea what is happening. His letters are short only details of the house, rarely of anything else.”
Isobel held out her hand. “Cait, there will be a wedding. Ye will remain here with us.”
“I do not wish to hold him to his word if he has changed his mind,” Cait replied with conviction and then lowered her voice in hopes her mother was not within earshot. “I ask that ye help me secure a position somewhere else. I cannot remain here.”
Catriona smiled widely. “If it comes to be that ye need a position—which I hope it doesn’t—then ye can be a governess to my bairns. I am already expecting a third.”
Relief flooded her and Cait could not help it. Tears overflowed and she sniffed loudly. “Thank ye so much. All of ye have been so very kind to me and my family.”
The men must have noticed her crying because Ewan came to them. “Is something wrong?”
His mother gave him a patient look. “Nothing is wrong. We are reassuring Cait that even if there is no wedding, she will have a place with our clan.”
“Why will there not be a wedding?” Ewan gawked at Cait. “What happened?”
Lady Mariel pulled him away to explain about the message, and about Cait returning Stuart’s crest. Cait took advantage, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.
Isobel reached for her hand. “Let us wait until after whoever goes returns before we make any permanent changes. I am hopeful Stuart will see reason after receiving yer message.”
Cait wasn’t so sure. Despite the fact she’d fallen in love with Stuart, resentment was taking up a bigger and bigger space in her heart.
Chapter Fifteen
When Stuart and several guards returned to the village, the constable was prepared for a confrontation. Not only had he not left the house, but he’d barricaded himself and hired men to defend him.
Stuart rode up and without hesitation he dismounted and walked closer. The men seemed confused by the cavalier fashion with which he approached the door.
“We cannot allow ye to pass, sir.”
He scanned their faces. “Are ye Clan Ross?”
“Aye,” one replied for them. “Three of us are.”
“I am Stuart Ross, the laird’s brother, move aside.”
The men’s eyes rounded. “We were not told it was ye who we were to defend against.” The men allowed him to pass, and he went to the door. He lifted a rock and pounded on it.
The constable no doubt thought it was his guards because he opened the door and then stumbled backward. “Ye were supposed to stop him,” he yelled at the men he’d hired.
“Ye did not tell us it was our laird’s brother who ye wished to stop,” one man replied.
“Pay us and we will go,” another said.
The constable’s eyes narrowed. Despite being in a dire situation, he still managed to be defiant. “I will not. Ye did nothing for me.”
Two of the hired men brushed past Stuart and took the hapless man by the arms holding him up off the ground.
They turned him upside down and shook him until coins fell from his purse. Then when more didn’t spill, a third took his dirk and cut the strings so that the purse fell into his palm.
“It should be enough,” he informed the others.
“That is more than ye asked,” the constable screamed, his face turning a dark red. “Put me down at once.”
They dropped him and he hit the floor with a loud thump.
Stuart motioned to his men to take the constable, and they dragged him kicking and screaming out the front door and threw him onto the back of a cart.
Women rushed somewhere in the back. One, who he assumed was the constable’s wife screeched loudly. “Get out of my house at once.”
“This is my house,” Stuart told her calmly as two other women came to stand next to her. “I gave ye plenty of time to leave. My patience is gone. It is ye who must leave at once.”
It took about an hour for the women to pile all they could into the back of a wagon, all the while glaring in Stuart’s direction. Finally, the constable and his wife climbed into a coach and followed the wagon out of the village.
“Where do ye suppose they are going?” Dougal asked. “It is all Ross lands.”
“There is a corner in the southern portion of the island that is claimed by a different clan. I will wager that is where he is headed.”
He’d hired a husband and wife from the village to clean the house and ensure the property was prepared for someone to move in.
Once Cait arrived, which he guessed would be in a day or two, he would be able to show her both houses.
Upon returning home, Stuart was surprised to note that the guards who’d gone to Keep Ross were already back. He rushed to dismount and hurried into the house, finding the men in the kitchen.
The two exchanged looks, seeming nervous.
“What happened?” Stuart asked when one stood. “Is something wrong with Cait? Mother?”
“No,” the man said and again glanced to the other.
For a moment he misunderstood. “When will they come? Did they say?”
“Laird Darach wishes me to inform ye that Lady Isobel is about to give birth and requires yer mother to remain there.”
It made sense; he’d not considered it. It would have been nice to see both his mother and Cait’s reaction to the house. He was proud of how much had been accomplished not only to the structure, but the lands surrounding it. There were several smaller houses built for the guards. His cousin and wife’s home was quite nice as well.
; “When will Cait arrive?” he asked while scanning the room and taking in the well-made furnishings.
The guard cleared his throat. “She will not be coming either.” The guard held out his hand, in his palm was the Ross crest.
At first, he wasn’t sure why she’d sent it. “What did she say exactly?”
“She would not travel here unless married first and she releases ye of yer promise of marriage.”
The words sunk in. One by one. Stuart stood frozen to the spot. He noted Maisie and Grace, who’d come out with bowls of food, exchange worried looks. Yet he could not force a word, a breath, or even a movement from his body. It was as if the air was taken, and an invisible force tightened around him.
“Ye have been gone a long while Mister Stuart,” Maisie said nearing. When she placed a hand on his shoulder, the spell was broken, and he inhaled sharply.
The men seeming to understand he needed privacy, picked up their bowls of food and left quickly out the back door.
“She said yes,” he murmured, unsure what to think. He’d ensured everything was perfect, had spent every waking moment considering how she’d react to what he did to their home.
“This was all for her.”
“Was it?” Caelan entered the room.
“I did not know ye were here,” Stuart said meeting his half brother’s gaze. “Why did ye come?”
Caelan looked to the women and they left the room as well. “I came because someone has to speak to ye and find out what is truly happening.”
“What do ye mean?” Stuart blew out a harsh breath. “I asked the woman I love to marry me. I came here to prepare a beautiful home. She repays me by breaking our betrothal. Ye should be asking her not me.” He stalked out of the room to the adjoining one to search for the whisky.
Once again, he was of no use to anyone. A man with no purpose.
He poured whiskey into a cup, not bothering to offer Caelan any.
“Stuart,” Caelan began. “Ye have been gone for months. Ye could have returned to spend time with the lass. She barely knows ye.”
He gulped down the whisky, choking on the fiery contents. After coughing until he lost his breath, Stuart swung in a circle, arms extended. “Everything. The house. The lands. Even the village needed my attention. I had no time—”
“Ye could have sent word and asked for help. If ye would have returned to the keep to Cait and returned with twenty or more men, the work would have been completed sooner.”
Fury filled him. “This is my home, my land,” he yelled. “It was up to me to work and complete what needed to be done.”
Caelan was silent. Waiting for him to calm.
Stuart could not. He wanted to hit something, to run out the door and keep going until his body gave out.
“Return with me and fix things,” Caelan said in a firm tone. “Ye should not have stayed away so long.”
Had his brother not heard anything he’d just explained. Even then, the villagers were to gather for him to speak to them the following day. He let out a grunt. “I cannot until after meeting with the villagers tomorrow.”
“We will leave right after,” Caelan snapped. “Why are ye reluctant? If ye do not care to marry her, then ye must tell her in person. It is the right thing to do.” His brother stepped closer. “If not honorable, at least be a man.”
His hands curled into fists, but he would not hit his brother. “I have planned to marry her and still will. Obviously, all I did to prepare for her arrival is not enough.”
“How was she to know? There is no excuse, Stuart.” Caelan’s head tilted a bit to the left, a sign he was serious. “No excuse.”
There was no use arguing. If someone had been there day to day, they would understand all he did. It seemed that unless actions were done by either Darach, Ewan, or Duncan, it was of little importance.
“No one cares what I do,” he finally said falling into a chair. “I give up.” He bent putting his head into his hands. “What does it matter?”
“I do not know what this place looked like before, but I can tell ye that it is beautiful now. We are aware that ye have worked tirelessly Stuart. However, ye also had an obligation to yer betrothed. Ye should be committed equally to her.”
A long silence stretched between them as Stuart considered his brother’s words. Caelan was correct. He’d been gone much too long. Winter was settling in and with it the rainy weather, which would make traveling difficult. Despite the fact he wanted to see Cait, he could not ignore the fact that he was needed at the village.
“We shall travel to the keep, tomorrow. I must see about the villagers. If I do not appear, they will see it as another slight by the Ross family.”
His brother nodded in understanding. “I will go with ye.”
They ate a robust meal of wild boar that Stuart had recently killed. They’d not eaten any of the livestock yet, as they waited to give the animals time to breed. Once offspring came, then they could slaughter some for meals. For the time being, they ate what either he or the others killed for meat, along with goat’s milk and eggs from the chickens. Wheat was acquired from the miller in the village, and the cooks made very good butter.
Stuart watched as Caelan ate. “How is Cait getting along with the family?”
“Yer mother and Isobel have taken her under their wing and have taught her many things. She is being tutored and learning to read and write.”
It was hard to imagine the sweet lass being any different. He loved her purity and the delight she took in simple things. “What about her role in the household?”
“As ye are aware, I do not live at the keep,” Caelan replied. “But from what I see when I visit, she seems to be doing well. She looks quite different. I suppose it is the new clothing and hairstyle. She seems a bit shy, but that is not surprising.”
He could not imagine her being changed at all. Clothes and hair did not totally change a person’s appearance, but perhaps the perception from others. “I am glad to hear she is well.”
After Caelan went to his bedchamber, Stuart remained awake and went outside to look up at the sky. There was a smell in the air as if it were going to rain. It rained frequently. He prayed for a pair of dry days for the trip back to Ross keep.
But before he left, he would speak to any villagers who gathered tomorrow and ensure they understood that whoever he appointed as constable, would not take advantage of them. Looking toward the guard’s houses, he considered if perhaps it would be a good job for Artair or Dougal.
After a simple meal the next morning, Stuart, Caelan, Artair, and four guardsmen headed to the village. Dougal had left early and gone hunting.
From atop a hill, the village came into view. The quaint seaside community was pretty to look upon, the smattering of homes and shops welcoming a weary traveler.
Upon their arrival, children raced out into the street running alongside them yelling, “Laird! Laird!”
“Have ye told them ye are not the laird?” Caelan asked.
“I have. But with yer light hair, they must think ye to be Darach,” Stuart replied with a grin. “Toss them coins.”
Caelan’s eyes narrowed as he pulled out his purse. He counted out the coins. “One each,” he yelled tossing the shimmering bits to the delighted children.
Stuart pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted. A few feet from him, two boys grappled over a coin. He walked to them and taking them by the back of their tunics yanked them off the ground. “Who has a coin?”
The smaller of the two pointed a dirty finger at the other. “He has two, Laird.”
“I am not yer laird,” he said, but the boys didn’t listen as one tried to kick the other.
“Give me my coin,” the smaller boy demanded and swung his fist, missing the other boy, but connecting with Stuart’s chin.
Both boy’s eyes rounded. “Sorry, Laird.”
He lowered them to the ground and pointed at the larger one. “Give him back his coin.”
After a short stand
off, the boy tore his gaze from Stuart and finally produced the coin. He held it out to the younger boy. “Here. But it is mine. I found it first.”
Stuart wasn’t sure what to say at this juncture. Instead, he pulled out his coin purse and plucked a coin out. He then held it out to the smaller boy, who snatched it.
“Why does he get two?” the larger boy whined. “He does not deserve it.”
“Do ye think to deserve it?” Stuart asked.
When the boy nodded, he asked, “What did ye do to deserve it?”
The larger boy met Stuart’s gaze and without blinking blurted, “I am faster, braver, and bigger. One day I will protect ye, Laird. It would behoove ye to have my allegiance.”
“Good to know who I should keep an eye out for. A brave man does not attack those smaller than them.” Stuart met the boy’s gaze. “Brave men learn to be kind.”
The boy nodded and hurried to catch up with the smaller one. “Come on. I will ensure no one takes yer coins.”
When he walked to the village square, Caelan stood in the center of the small crowd that had gathered. Stuart watched with envy how his brother fended off questions with the experience he’d garnered from his time at Darach’s side. So many times, Darach had asked Stuart to sit with him, and he’d declined. Now, he wished to have the knowledge of how to ensure to please the majority.
The villagers seemed reluctant to believe him when Stuart announced there would be a fairer constable. He motioned Artair forward. “This is my cousin, Artair, he will fill the position for now.”
The muttering indicated their lack of belief. However, Artair didn’t see it as a bad thing. He held up a hand and waited for the people to quiet.
“I propose we get to know one another before ye judge me,” his cousin called out. “I will remain here until it is decided if there is anyone better suited for the position.”
The people were not totally convinced, but they seemed somewhat appeased when Artair stated his plans to be there at the village square each morning to hear grievances.
After a pair of hours passed and they were convinced Artair was not in danger, Stuart decided it was safe to leave. He ordered the guards to remain as he and Caelan rode away.
The Eagle Page 14