by Fiona Faris
“Mama, I dae nae know if he feels the same way I feel. I dae nae want tae look too desperate fer love, “Gretchen said, pink coloring her ivory cheeks.
“He will surely come one day soon. This I am sure of,” Merriam said and drank the remaining ale in her cup. She was entirely grateful to Gretchen for the care she had received. If not for her, she might have been somewhere deep in the soil, buried amid plants and long dead. But here she was today, scooping a nice meal into her mouth and drinking beautifully made ale. If there were anything she would have most loved and been absolutely happy about, it was Callum getting married to Gretchen. She had noticed how they both stared at each other and smiled. She had seen how Gretchen’s face was always flushed pink, and she could tell what kind of thoughts would be on Callum’s mind.
“Mama! See what I caught!” Ava’s voice called out from a distance jolting Merriam and Gretchen out of thoughts. Gretchen had been thinking of Callum’s fondness for Ava. She had seen how he cared for the little girl, how he had loved her and played with her like his own child.
“What a nice catch, will ye catch more for me? I need a bigger fish,” Gretchen said, flashing a smile to Ava who was standing with Callum at the river.
“Yes, Mama! Uncle Callum and I shall catch all the fish in the river for ye and the whole community!” Ava shouted excitedly and laughed as Callum ruffled her hair playfully. Gretchen and Merriam laughed too.
“Oh, the little child is as graceful as her mother. How come a child would think well of others that she would want tae feed the whole community with her fish,” Merriam said and smiled.
“Mother!” that was the only word that slipped out from Gretchen's lips as her eyes were fixed on Callum and Ava fishing. Her memory flashed to some years back when she had been out with Callum and Fraser fishing in this river. She remembered how Callum had defeated Fraser in a fishing contest and had made himself the Fish Laird. She remembered how he had requested a hug, and she had stylishly declined, seeking consent from Fraser, and to her greatest surprise, he had given his consent. She remembered what it felt like to have been hugged warmly by Callum and recalled how the butterflies flew all about in her stomach.
She was the kind of woman who wouldn’t want her heart divided. But recently, she had found it most awkward that Callum had been in most of her thoughts. For instance, while she had been cooking in the kitchen and had tried calling Ava to come for her food, Callum’s name had slipped from her mouth, and she had realized only after some seconds. To her great dissatisfaction, Merriam had been in the kitchen with her and had laughed about it. She realized it wouldn’t be so challenging to convey her feelings for him only if she was sure of the fact that he had felt the same thing for her. She couldn’t be sure if she would ever act on her feelings, but one sure thing, she would never make the first move.
“Mama, we have caught lots of fish today,” Ava’s voice called out again from a distance. She was happy and laughing.
“Good one, dear,” Gretchen replied as she watched Callum lift the child up and throw her into the air, catching the giggling girl in his arms.
When Callum set the child down, he turned his gaze to Gretchen and found the beauty in her eyes. His gaze was locked on her face, and even from a distance, he could tell she was gazing at him too. Although he had seen many ladies, some pretty and graceful, some luxurious and classy, some with the magnificent endowment of what made and defined womanhood, but he had only had an undeniable feeling for one.
She was the only lady who had ever appealed to his emotions, the one who had brought relief to his soul and had given him hope to love. If she had not been his best friend’s widow, he would have married her a long time ago and would have had her not as a maid, but as a wife. He maintained the glance and remembered everything that had brought them close.
He remembered her smile, some years back when he, Fraser, and she had ridden on horseback to through the forest, hunting for boars, and how he had scared her, mimicking the sound of the boars. He remembered the smile on her face when they all had gone to the river and how he had caught the biggest fish and crowned himself the fish lord and had requested a hug from her. He had felt something grand and beautiful.
He yet remembered how she had cared for him after he had returned from the war and her husband dead, yet she had seen to his care, administering drugs to his wound, and lastly, he remembered how she had cared for his mother, delivering her from the cold hands of death and giving to her drugs and tasty meals. So much she had done for him, but he hadn’t done much for her in return. He smiled at her. She smiled back, and soon, the smile faded as she saw him turn his back and return to his fishing, and Ava came back to finish her food.
“Ye should have had enough of the fishing today, let’s gae back home before everyone gets too tired,” Gretchen called, yawning and drinking the last of her water.
“Oh! I shall be right there now,” Callum said, lifting his hook out of the river and returning to his family.
“How dae we pack all these fish ye had taken from the river?” Merriam said glancing at the fish that lay at their feet.
“We will wrap them in one of the saddling clothes, and I’ll see tae it washed,” he said, pointing at one of the cloths that lay spread on the grass.
“Well then,” Gretchen said and picked the cloths up, she deftly wrapped the fish and dipped it into one of the baskets. Moving economically, she packed all the plates and bottles into their baskets. Each one of them had a basket grasped in their hands as they walked to the wagon.
“Tis one of the most beautiful days of my life, thanks tae ye, my laird, fer the beautiful time out with ye,” Merriam said softly as they climbed the wagon.
“Thanks tae ye, too, Mother! It’s been really wonderful a moment with ye, Ava, and Gretchen,” he said and smiled, glancing at their smiling faces.
“We will come back tomorrow, wouldnae we?” Ava said happily.
“Yes, we shall if the time permits,” Callum replied and whipped the horse into a trot as they headed back to the keep.
As the riding continued, he knew he had found the right woman. He wished he could speak to her and make known his intentions to her. Something kept holding him back, but he would keep pushing until he achieved his desires. He noticed she had been silent all while as they rode. He didn’t know what he might have done to offend her. He didn’t know her mind or desires, but whatever the case may be, it will all come to his favor. He smiled again with his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
* * *
The rainy night had yielded to a cold, damp, green morning. Callum woke up to the sounds of raven’s cawing, pigeons whistling, footsteps from maids and the carriage yard coming alive with the whicker, jangling, and stomping of horses. A muffled clatter of footsteps approached along the hallways as people left their rooms and went about their duties.
He had had a good sleep dreaming about Gretchen sharing the same bed. The morning was different from every other morning as he realized the sun was already out, grinning softly from the sky and peering through the curtains on his windows. He had nothing much to do today. He had assigned Sir Gregory to oversee the training of the clan warriors and discharge them to various duty posts.
He glanced out from his window, trying to see if Gretchen would be walking outside where he could see her. There was nothing more he would have so much loved to see than her figure, and to his fortune, he noticed her moving gracefully toward the keep’s tavern, hand in hand with Ava, both smiling as they walked. He saw from the far distance that her fingers were curled like the edges of an orchid. She was beautiful in the morning, tumbled and relaxed and perfect.
His gaze traveled over her, he had never been so drawn to any woman, but he knew that this one was the perfect one for him. They were well-matched. No matter what happened now, their days of pretense would soon be over.
A frown tugged at Callum’s brow as he pondered on how she had gone through life unprotected before. How could a woman so deserving
of affection have received so little? He wanted to make up for everything she had missed. He wanted to give her what she had been deprived of. If only she would let him. He slipped into some woolen clothes and headed to his water closet.
Gretchen’s face was peaceful, her lips parted, her brown hair curling amid the black of her daughter’s, streaming everywhere, a glimpse of her soft shoulders visible. She looked like a confection wreathed in swirls of whipped cream.
Ava had been playing hide-and-seek with her mama, and they had both been having fun. It was Ava’s turn to search for her mama, and she was looking everywhere for her. Gretchen hid behind a tree so close to the stables. She noticed Ava was coming closer to her and slowly crept from there to another part of the stable where the horses were being fed. As Ava drew nearer again, she crept slowly away, moving from behind one wall to another.
“I have seen ye!” Ava shouted and ran to her. As she was running away from Ava, her body brushed against a considerable figure. She jerked away from the body slowly, her body lengthening in a trembling stretch and her eyebrows lifted. She glanced at Callum in bewilderment, clearly wondering why he should be there with them. It was a stare of disarming innocence and utmost affection. At that point, she knew what she felt was right.
Callum turned and braced himself on an elbow, looking down at Gretchen and Ava. “I could see ye both are having fun on a cold morning. Shall I join in yer game?” Callum offered, watching her frown a little and chew her lower lip uncertainly. If he were married to her, he would have traced the edge of her lower lip with a gentle fingertip and perhaps plant light kisses on her forehead and lips. But he wasn’t married to her, so he could only watch at her and try not to let his thoughts show on his face.
“Yes, ye are welcome tae join in the game. Ye and I will be in the same team, and Ava will be searching us out, and we will dae the same tae her. Whoever searches well the most times wins the game. Understood, my laird?” Gretchen said softly and beamed at Callum.
“Yes, I well dae understand, my lady,” Callum said and walked with her to a corner.
“I will go first, and ye both will search me out,” said Ava as she scurried across to one of the trees that stood near the maids’ home. Gretchen and Callum ambled, searching every corner of the keep and had found it challenging to find Ava.
“Where are ye, Ava? Show yerself and let me catch ye.” Gretchen called, searching for Ava’s little figure.
“She isn’t here, let us check the trees behind the stables,” Callum said and pulled her with him to the trees. Gretchen felt a rush of blood in her heart as Callum’s hands held hers. She couldn’t resist the excitement that was swelling in her and a beautiful surge of happiness in her heart. She followed almost blindly her hand still in Callum’s. They searched the stables and couldn’t find any traces of Ava.
“It seems she’s better than us at the game. We might have tae surrender and give her the credits,” Callum said softly, obviously tired and frustrated with his difficulty in searching the little girl out.
“There’s only one place she could be after this place, and if we can’t find her there, we will credit her the point, but shame on us. We couldnae search a little girl out! Haha!” Gretchen said and laughed. Callum laughed too.
“So, where dae ye think she might be?” Callum asked, tightening his hand on Gretchen’s. He wasn’t ready to release the hand. He liked feeling the softness against his skin.
“She would probably be hiding behind one of the trees behind the maidens’ home,” she said softly. “Come, let’s go.” She pulled him with her toward the maidens’ home. They crept slowly as they walked closer to where Ava was hiding with no sound from their feet.
“Here ye are! We got ye. Haha!” they both shouted, pointing to Ava who had a frown on her face. She was obviously angry that she had been searched out.
“Ye can’t win this game, I promise!’ Ava said, clasping her hands together over her heart.
“We shall see, now yer turn to search us out,” Gretchen said and realized Callum’s hand had left hers. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away to hide where Ava would never find them. They found a dark spot where trees branches grew thick all around and hid there, their bodies touching each other, sharing their warmth on a cold day.
After a while, Gretchen’s legs parted, and she looked dazed and a little lost, her gaze turning inward as if to contemplate the puzzle of her own reactions to him. Her eyes glittered, an involuntary welling of emotions and the sight of him so close to her sent a tide of lust through her. She wanted him to touch her where she burned.
Callum was having a hard time concentrating on the game. His gaze occasionally shifted from the branches of the tree to Gretchen’s face. He was silent as thoughts rushed through his brain. It was one of those silences that were far more eloquent than words. One could see Callum’s mind spinning around as his breath came faster than usual. He let the back of his fingers slowly glide over her chin and along her throat where he felt the swift beating of her heart and the flutter of her swallow.
He knew when a lady was a little bit aroused, and he knew they had a somewhat mutual connection at that moment. He slid his palm over the front of her body, and up to her cheeks where a flush of blood had run and stayed. Their gazes were locked on each other and closer and closer their mouths drew. Pictures began to form in his mind. Before their lips could meet, Callum imagined what the taste of her lips would feel like.
Gretchen stiffened. It had been so long since she’d felt this way, and she couldn’t stop the shivering. She felt the heat rise in her, the excited thrum of her pulse. She took an agitated breath while gooseflesh rose on her arms. Her body seemed to lose all its tension, her limbs loosening. She drew her mouth closer to Callum's, their gazes locked on each as she closed her eyes, awaiting the kiss.
As their lips almost touched, Ava's voiced called out. "Mama! Uncle Callum! I found ye!"
They both stiffened at first, losing composure. Ava had taken it for a surprise that they had been caught after they had carefully hidden. Satisfied with her talent, she smiled at them. Gretchen quickly regained her composure and scurried off with Ava to continue the game.
Callum was slightly annoyed with the interruption; they could have shared a kiss right there, and it would have been the commencement of something great. He rose from the trees and walked to his office. At first, he thought about how Gretchen would feel about what could have just happened between them. Was she annoyed that he had tried kissing her, was she annoyed that they got interrupted, too? The questions stormed his mind.
I should get to my duties too. The morning is too beautiful to ruin it with thoughts.
He continued his way back to his office, realizing that he had much to do, aside from how he felt. He eased himself in his office chair and thought about the moment again. He realized that they liked each other so much, and they only needed time to come together.
He glanced at the sun, gradually moving across the autumn sky. The day was seeping into another lovely afternoon. It was an almost perfect day.
A day that convinced him of love found. He can love a woman. This he knew, and he would love just one woman. The only woman who had always appealed to his emotions.
“Gretchen,” her name slipped from his lips. Realizing how much she affected him, he buried his head on his desk and smiled to himself.
Chapter Eleven
Glenbogle Keep was alive with the sounds of birds singing as they flew across the air, the neighing of horses in the stables and out on the meadow, and the clucking of chickens in the henhouse.
It was a feasting day at Glenbogle Keep as they would be celebrating the Harvest Gathering. It was a feast dedicated to bridging the gap between the rich and poor, calling them to come together and enjoy each other company with plenty of food and drinks to go around. Minstrels would also be available to sing tunes and recite traditional poems.
Callum had been working hard, signing papers, reading scrolls and assig
ning duties to the guards from his office. He had made sure the keep was safe for guests by providing tight security as he assigned guards to different locations to monitor the event. He knew for sure that in any place there was a lot to drink, fights will break out and would give hoodlums the chance to use the situation to their advantage, thereby stealing from the rich. With all the plans he had made, he was sure that nothing like that would happen.
Callum glanced from his window and noticed how everyone was busily occupied, attending to their duties. There was a swell of excitement within him as he realized his dream was about to come true. He would be seeing friends from all over Scotland, the highlands and lowlands, the clans of MacKenzie and MacGregor, and many others. He sat back in his seat and finished his ale.
A knock sounded on Callum’s office door.