by Fiona Faris
Sophia watched as Ava finished her meal. Logan flagged down one of the kitchen staff members and whispered in her ear. The woman took the girl with her, but not before she gave her father one last large hug for the evening. Logan kissed her forehead and smiled.
Sophia knew now would be a good time to talk to Logan. She stood and walked over to where he sat. Some people glanced her way, surprised she was going to talk to the laird. Many had to be wondering who she was, to think she could just walk up to him at any moment. But Sophia knew it was important, and she would not be discouraged.
“Logan, do ye have a moment to talk?” Sophia asked him.
He stood quickly and nodded. “Of course. Here, ye can sit where little Ava was sitting. She is off getting ready for bed.” He smiled at the thought of his daughter probably running from the kitchen staff, instead of brushing her hair and washing her face.
Sophia smiled. “Tis about what I saw the night of the flames.”
Logan stood erect, his eyes wide. “Ye saw somethin’? Why didn’t ye tell me?” he asked. His voice rose in volume, but Sophia remained determined.
She leaned in before she spoke. “I didnae remember until just moments ago. I think visiting the home and seeing the flames brought somethin’ back tae me.”
Logan calmed himself; a heat rose through his cheeks as Sophia spoke in a hushed manner only inches away from him. “Aye, I ken. It happens that way sometimes. Well please, tell me what ye saw.”
“Well,” Sophia began. “When me father picked me up from my bed, he threw a quilt over me, tae keep me safe from the licking flames.” Logan nodded. She continued, “Well, I only remembered now that when we went outside, I was able to get a peek from under the fabric. I saw a man.”
Logan leaned back into his chair and looked away, pondering the words. “He was wearin’ a bright red kilt unlike any I’ve seen here. He was carryin’ a torch and ran away from the stable.”
“Red, ye say?” Logan’s face was beginning to match the kilt’s supposed color as his voice grew clipped and harsh.
“Aye, but Logan, he ran towards the woods, and there were others there. I saw many shadows.” Sophia leaned in. The story made her blood rush and her heart race.
“I knew it. The red—I think some of Dillon’s people wear the red kilt, but I cannae be certain. I appreciate ye tellin’ me, Sophia.” Logan reached over unconsciously and put his hand on Sophia’s.
She jumped back, a bit shocked. He fumbled with his napkin, embarrassed. But she reached out and grabbed his hand beneath the table. Her heart raced. What am I thinking? She knew she shouldn’t be this close to him, holding his hand like this, but something had come over her. When she had felt his skin atop her hand, she wanted it to linger, even if it had come as a surprise.
Behind them, Logan’s sister Diana appeared, just as Logan was glancing down at their hands resting together. Sophia, too, was blushing.
“Logan, ye nae goin’ ta introduce me to this lassie here?” Diana put her hands on her hips and glared at Logan. He stood and motioned towards Sophia. Sophia stood as well.
“Diana, this is Sophia; she is one of Fanny’s apprentices. Sophia, this is my younger sister, Diana.”
“Tis a pleasure to meet ye,” Sophia said, shaking Diana’s hand.
“Sophia, I am very sorry tae hear ‘bout yer father and yer home.” Diana put her hand on Sophia’s shoulder.
“Thank ye. Tis a difficult loss, but I am managing. I appreciate ye lettin’ me stay here in the keep.” She motioned to the grand structure around herself.
“Tis fine. We are happy ye are here. We have heard only kind things about ye from all the patients. One in particular seems to fancy ye.” Diana raised her eyebrows playfully at Sophia. “He came askin’ bout ye just today.”
Sophia was confused at first, but then remembered the lad who had sat shirtless on her bench. Logan listened to Diana intently, and seemed to be trying to read Sophia’s face. He clearly seemed not to want to hear another word about it, because he interrupted the conversation.
“And ye’ve met Mildred,” Logan motioned to his other sister, who had stepped away to check on the families at the other side of the room. Sophia smiled at Mildred.
“Papa! Papa! I am ready for yer tale abou’ the dragon!” Logan’s little girl rushed to his side as the kitchen staff member rushed after her.
“She barely let me braid her hair before she raced right back tae ye,” the woman said. Sophia laughed.
“And this little one is Ava, my daughter.” Logan picked up Ava and smiled at Sophia. Sophia looked at the two of them and felt her heart flutter.
“Hello, little Ava, I am Sophia,” she said, smiling. The little girl cozied further into her father.
“Ye have bright green eyes, like dragon skin!” She made a waving motion with her hands towards Sophia’s face.
“Aye, tis because I am part dragon!” Sophia laughed and used her hands to make fangs. The girl howled in laughter.
“But dinnae worry, I am a good dragon.” Sophia crossed her arms as she said this, and the girl continued to chuckle.
Logan laughed along with them. He looked at Sophia with a warmth in his eyes, and she returned the feeling.
Sophia was unsure of what to say or do, so she decided to end the conversation while it was still in a good moment. “Well, I must be getting back tae my bedchamber, I am tired from the long day.” She frowned slightly, thinking of all she had faced today.
“Aye, and I must get the wee one to sleep. Goodnight, Sophia,” Logan said. She nodded in response and turned to leave.
As Sophia walked away and left the great hall, Logan could not help but watch her. She mesmerized him. Their contact and brushing skin, even if only their hands, had stirred within him. He had not felt this stirring at the presence of another woman in a long time. He longed to run after her, to pull her back even if it meant all they would do is place their palms against each other through the night. Logan’s daydream was interrupted by his sister, Mildred.
“What is yer opinion on the new healer, Logan?” she asked. Her mouth lifted slightly in the corners, and she pulled in her lips to keep from smiling too widely.
Logan attempted to ignore her enjoyment in asking this question. He brought his hand to his thick beard. “I think her skills are much needed here. Ah’m pleased she has joined Fanny.” He continued watching the area where she had left the great hall. After he realized that he was still staring longingly in that direction, he turned back towards his sister.
“Is that a bit a’ blush on yer cheeks, Logan?” Diana brought her hand to her mouth to conceal her soft giggle. Mildred smiled alongside Diana.
“I think it is, Diana,” Mildred added teasingly.
Logan was never one to enjoy being teased, especially not about something like this. Whatever this feeling was. “I dinnae appreciate bein’ a joke for the two of ye.” Logan crossed his arms and looked over at his sisters.
Mildred walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Logan, if ye have any feelin’s fer the girl, tis alright. Tis normal. Isla has been gone a long time, and she would want ye to be happy.” She looked him in the eyes as she spoke and tried to convey her sincerity.
“I dinnae have feelin’s for the lassie, Mildred. I loved my wife, and only her.” His eyes softened as he spoke the words, but even he knew he could not lie to himself. He felt something for Sophia. Maybe it wasn’t what he felt for his wife, but it was something that could become more. The thought frightened him. What would his wife say?
“Logan, ye dinnae have tae lie to us. Mildred is right. Isla would want only happiness for ye.”
“Nae, none of us know what Isla would want because she isnae here. She is gone, taken far too soon. And I miss her dearly. And I will nae have the likes of ye two soilin’ her memory by suggesting I have any feelins’ for any lassie here.” His voice was steady and low, and his sisters knew they had pushed the subject too far for the day. The truth was that the
ir jokes had only amplified a fear he already felt deep within him: the fear that his wife could be overshadowed by a new intrigue and attraction. In addition to all he had to worry about with his clan, these feelings were too much for him to face.
Logan bent down and picked up the waiting Ava, who finally, thankfully, seemed to be getting a tad bit sleepy. She rubbed her slow-blinking eyes.
“I like the dragon-eyed girl too, Papa.” She leaned into him, and Logan was not sure how he should respond. He walked towards Ava’s bedchamber, cradling her tiny body in his arms. He wondered what it must be like for her to move through the world without a mother. She did have her two aunts, but he could not deny that a mother figure would be good for her in a different way than his two sisters were.
As he left the great hall, he could hear his sisters whispering and chuckling behind him. He knew they meant no harm, and he should probably have told them about his feelings. Mildred was always good at helping him sort out his emotions. Maybe she could have talked him through what it meant to be thinking about Sophia often, to be wanting to touch her skin, even if only running his thumb along the top of hers.
He didn’t know if he wanted to deal with the consequences of facing these emotions, however. As he walked towards the bedchamber, he pondered something else as well. Diana had mentioned a lad coming to ask about Sophia, to visit her specifically. Did she have a lover from close to where her farm was? Had she a secret past that he did not know about?
Logan thought back to seeing her just a few days before in the great hall, healing a gentleman. The man had been complimenting her. and even Logan himself could see her blushing at his shirtless figure. Maybe the two knew each other. Logan didn’t know why he continued to think about the possibility of the two of them spending time together when it was clear that she was occupied with a certain shirtless patient.
Logan laid Ava down in her bed. She was already fast asleep. Running from the kitchen staff had clearly worn her out. As she laid there sleeping peacefully, Logan could see his wife’s smile in her face, the furrow of his own brow in her brow. Logan was so happy Ava had been born in perfect health, unlike the fate that awaited her mother. His days as Laird seemed to be marked too much by trauma and loss.
But as he thought of Sophia again, he realized her life, too, was marked by great loss. But unlike him, she was pleasant, she was a person people wanted to be near. Logan knew he could learn a thing or two from her and the way she interacted with others. Even if she had a man seeking her as well, he knew he still wanted to spend some time with her. Perhaps he would ask her out on another walk on one of her nights off. He knew his sisters would tease him relentlessly about it, but the thought of her going with the shirtless man brought up a fire in him. Logan might not have any claim to her, but he didn’t enjoy the idea of her spending moments alone with another man. He didn’t know what this feeling meant; he only knew the pull to do so was growing much too strong to ignore. He wanted to be near Sophia, regardless of what it meant or the guilt it caused him.
Chapter Fourteen
Logan walked into the council meeting feeling somewhat apprehensive. The last meeting had gone fairly well, but this was mainly due to the advice his sister had given him. His hands shook as he prepared to call the room to order. This one could go many ways. Would people feel he had done his best given the situation? Would they think he’d failed already? Would more people turn away from him in a moment where they most needed to band together?
“Shall we begin then, lads?” Logan’s voice boomed in the stone walls. Alrick looked around, and the men all nodded to each other, as if in agreement.
“Alrick, why dinnae ye tell us about the homes since ye’ve been keepin a close watch on the rebuilding and the mending, aye?” Logan sat down and the men around him all listened intently.
Alrick stood. “Aye, let me begin then. Seems there were some homes that werenae so damaged. We were able to get some families tae return to them today. I’ll be takin’ them out after this meeting. Tis only a few families, but more than we thought it would be.”
Logan interrupted, “And ye’ve warned them tae keep a look out? We need to be on watch, ‘specially given the whispers we’ve all heard ‘bout this being Dillon’s doin.”
“Aye, I’ve told them tae be protective and tae keep an eye out. I also have scouts doin’ rounds each night. We will nae be caught off guard this time,” Alrick said in response.
Logan nodded, pleased to see that his second-in-command was taking a leadership role. Still he wondered about that conversation he’d heard only a few weeks before. But seeing Alrick now, talking like this, he didn’t believe his second would turn against him.
Alrick continued with the rest of his notes. “As was suggested at the last council meeting, we are doin’ all we can tae prepare for planting the winter wheat. The family’s that are headin’ back tae their homes today have strict orders tae begin turnin’ the land and preparin’ the fields. In only a few days’ time, the fields should be ready. If we plant the winter wheat soon enough, we expect to have it harvested come time for winter. Hopefully, we will have enough grains tae last us through the cold, despite this dark tragedy.” Alrick cleared his throat and sat back down.
Some of the men began clapping after Alrick finished. Logan gave him a swift nod of approval. “Thank ye, Alrick, sounds like yer doin’ a fine good job out there. I’m happy tae hear we shall likely have enough wheat tae last. Let us talk now about the hunting. How is it going, Glenn?” Logan turned to one of the hunting scouts, who seldom appeared in the council meetings. He was young but driven, with deep emerald eyes and dark brown hair that fell over them.
Glenn stood then, almost falling over from the rush to get off his chair. The men around him chuckled. “Aye, Logan. Things are going well.” He was about to sit back down when Logan moved his hand in a rolling motion, as if to say continue.
Glenn looked around the room with nervousness. This was the first time he had been called to speak. “Tis going well. We have been able to find a few of the cattle that had gotten loose.” The men around cheered in response. Everyone had been impatiently waiting to see what the hunter’s updates would bring. Even with winter wheat, if they had no meat to get them through the winter, it would be a hard one, and it would lead to a great deal of sickness.
“We were able to bring in ten different cattle. One has already been set tae be butchered; the kitchen is working on preserving it for the winter. The other nine are bein’ fattened up fer now,” Glenn continued.
“That is great tae hear, Glenn. Thank ye fer the update. Have ye and the others been able tae find any boars as well?”
“Aye, we have. We were able tae find six boars fer now. But we will focus on findin’ more fer the winter. We were trying to find the stallions, mares, and cattle that escaped during the flames. We also found some of the chickens that had escaped. I think we will be able tae gather enough meat fer the winter, especially with what we have left of the season,” Glenn finished.
“Tis great news, great news indeed. Thank ye, Glenn, ye may sit now.” Logan clasped his hands together and leaned against the table in front of him. Behind him, a cool breeze blew in through the open window. The sun had already risen and by this time it was normally warmer than it was today. The breeze told him the season was changing. All of this good news came at the right time, because they only had a short while longer to prepare for the winter.
Logan could not believe how much time had passed since the flames had caused such great devastation. They had mere weeks until the time came for them to truly prepare the keep for winter. For how nervous Logan had been, the meeting was going better than he could have hoped. Logan glanced out the windows to the right just as a cloud hovered over the bright sun. The weather was changing, alright. But by the sound of it, things would be fine. All he needed to focus on was raising the morale of his people. If Dillon kept to himself, they might be able to prepare for the season after all.
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��There’s one other thing that we must discuss before I release ye all from this room.” Everyone who had been fidgeting in their seats turned and focused their attention on Logan.
“I think tis time we prepared some men fer battle. I think we can all agree that we have a clear idea of who and what started the fires.”
The men around Logan nodded and mumbled amongst themselves. They all agreed. After Dillon’s request for more land and his anger at being denied, it had been clear from the beginning that he would stop at nothing to gain more power and to claim more land. He had always been the kind of laird who would go after whatever he wanted without considering how it might affect his people.
An older man in the back stood and said, “Dillon’s always been a cruel man. Tis time we prepare, because he willnae keep to himself if he thinks he stands a chance at this estate, and I stand with thee, Logan.” The man bowed toward Logan.