by Fiona Faris
"Mother," he murmured, smoothing her dull hair. " Tell me what tae dae. Tell me what ye want." Merriam regarded him with a mild affectionate gaze, while her lips, shrunken in her wrinkled face tilted in an answering smile.
"Gretchen," she whispered into his ear.
"Yes, Gretchen," Callum said, his voice, shaking only a little. "Come quickly," he murmured to Gretchen and went back to his mother. Some of his fear must have shown through his efforts to maintain a reassuring smile, as his mother took one of his hands and exerted a feeble tug to bring him and Gretchen closer.
"Gretchen," came her faint whisper.
"I think I would be joining Callum's father and yer parents in Heaven. I will surely say tae them how much ye have taken care of me. Moment by moment, I feel life drifting away from me and my soul is weary. I feel my eyes gradually closing, and I feel my feet moving toward the heavenly gates. Thank ye for everything. Please, dae continue tae take care of my son. I see that ye are the only lady he has truly loved. I will smile in my grave if ye could give tae him a lad. I will be glad," she said, flashing at Gretchen a pale smile.
After her farewell words to Gretchen were given, Merriam beckoned to Callum to come to her. Callum leaned over the bedside, clasping her hands in his, just as Gretchen had done.
"My mother," Callum said softly. "Be at peace with every soul ye are leaving behind. I know God will open yer way intae a new life," he said and sniffled, caressing her fingers. As Merriam whispered into his ear, Callum inclined his head and rubbed the old woman's hands soothingly. " I will sure dae whatever ye want me tae dae, Mother," he said and paused for a short time. "I will see that it is done."
After that, Merriam smiled at him, patting his hands with hers, then she relaxed and closed her eyes.
The evening had slipped into a foggy, cold morning, Gretchen walked into Merriam's room with the usual bright smile on her face. Settling the tray on a nearby table, she moved to sit beside her. She lay a gentle hand on her chest, and then to her neck where she had felt an unusual coldness. She returned her hands to her chest, and paused, feeling for the slight movement of her chest as she took in air. But there was none. No breathing. She wailed, her sobs echoing out of the room and down the corridor, tears falling from her eyes. Mother was gone. The maids and some guards rushed into the room. By the time Callum got there, the maids were still trying to console and calm Gretchen down.
Swiftly, Callum entered and crossed to the bed where his mother’s still form lay. Deep exhalations escaped his mouth as knelt beside the bed. Realizing that there was no life in his mother’s body, Callum pressed his cheek to her unmoving chest and closed his brimming eyes.
"Goodbye, Mama," he whispered. A single tear fell, and every word he had intended to say he found muffled.
Chapter Twenty-One
There was a quick arrangement for the collection of the body, and the funeral was quickly arranged. Two days after the death of Merriam on a bright morning, Callum was seated in his room, reading scrolls from other Clan Lairds who had written to him to console him. He found a wry smile covered his lips as he fixed his gaze on the MacKenzie's letter. He finished reading and tossed the scroll back into the cabinet.
He remembered as a child how he had been cuddled by his mother, how she was someone he could run too whenever he had had troubles with the other kid and had always used as a source of escape. While growing up, he knew she had been the one to ever give him advice about how to defeat enemies in warfare. Playing well the motherly role, she was also a father he never had. His hands were clasped on his chest as his gaze fell on nothing in particular. His thoughts were interrupted by the gentle knock on the door.
"Who's there?"
"It's me, Gregory, my laird."
"Dae come in Gregory," Callum said and sat up in his chair, glancing at Gregory's huge figure as he walked in with his hand clutched his sword.
"My laird, I want tae tell ye that the hearse is ready, and we can proceed with the funeral," Gregory said, taking a bow and standing by the wall, waiting for a response.
"Gregory, we shall proceed with the funeral soon. I await the coming of family. Then we can move on with the funeral," Callum said, his voice breaking as he tried not to cry.
"That will nae be a problem, my laird, the Council of Elders has been gathered, and the clan members have assembled. Whenever ye are ready tae proceed with the funeral, I will nae be far," Gregory said. "May I take my leave now, my laird, and wait till ye send for me again?"
"Yes yes, ye may. I will call ye soon; they should have been around since last night, but I guess their carriages should be getting close tae the keep now. I will send for ye."
"All right, my laird," Gregory said and walked toward the door. He took a step, and as if he just remembered something important, he closed the door and turned back, walking closer to the Laird, who was gazing at him softly.
"My laird. I know sae well how the news of yer Mother's demise has caused ye sae much pain, but I want ye tae know that she has gone tae a better place, away from this loathsome world. She was a kindly woman, and ye have been the best son tae her. I want ye tae take heart, my laird, because as ye grieve, the whole clan grieves. The clan has been clouded by grief since a fortnight ago. We all know how much ye could be sae fond of yer mother. But dae take heart, my laird. She has gone tae a better place tae rest," Gregory said and started to leave, but as he did so, Callum’s voice called him back.
"Mother was old, but she was never meant tae die this soon. If that bastard had nae kidnapped my daughter, there wouldnae have been reasons tae fight. There wouldnae have been reason tae take a trip away from the keep hence being an object of worry for the old woman. I feel like a bad son right now. I miss my mother. Thank ye sae much for yer kind words. I have found strength and courage in them, and surely, I will embrace it," Callum said. "Will ye take some ale?" Callum glanced at Gregory and pointed at the bottle standing on his desk.
"Nae, my laird. I am just fine, and I think I will have enough for myself after the funeral," Gregory said and took a bow.
"Wait, Gregory. Have ye seen Gretchen today?" Callum asked, fumbling with the tray on his desk.
"Nae, my laird, I heard she still grieves in her confines. I have sent a maid tae console her. Since women are not allowed tae participate in the funeral, I'd suggest ye gaetae see her and tell tae her some words. I am most certain she would find strength in them," Gregory said with a smile.
"Yes! Rightly spoken, I will gae see her after the funeral. She has been good tae mother, and they were fond of each other. Understandably, she gets broken a bit," Callum said and smiled.
"My laird, I think ye should...."
"My laird. Carriages had been seen at the keep's gate. They are identified as family members of my laird," a guard’s voice called out, interrupting Gregory's words.
"Very well, send them tae the waiting room. I will be there shortly," Callum said and walked over to a chair where he had hung his black coat. He slipped it on, looking handsome, although sad.
"Shall we gae now Gregory?" he asked, arching his brows slightly.
"Yes, my laird," Gregory replied, and together, the men left the room.
* * *
At the keep, many people had gathered for his mother’s wake the first thing on Callum's mind when he returned from the interment was to go visit Gretchen in her room and ease away her tensions with his calming words. However, as Laird, there was something else he had to do first. He must ease the sadness away from the community. The clan had been in a state of depression for what seemed like a long time, and he would address all the clan members present. He whispered to Elder Albert and he, in turn, had moved toward the front of the gathering.
"Dear people of the Clan Glenbogle. May I have yer attention please?" the head elder said, looking over the crowd assembled in the great hall, his voice traveling into everyone's ears. He repeated the words twice again, and the murmurs began to subside, and all gazes were focused on him.
"Gratitude tae ye for the honor granted me. It's nae new news that the clan had been swimming in the pool of sadness since we lost our gracious Laird's mother. I want tae use the opportunity granted me tae tender my condolences tae everyone. I humbly crave yer attention as the Laird comes forward tae address every one of us. Thank ye," Albert said and returned to where the other elders were gathered.
Callum nodded at Albert and headed to the front of the assembly. He stood silent for a moment as he let his gaze survey the crowd. Then, he took a deep breath and began to speak.
"The wonderful people of the Glenbogle clan, the youths, the old, the young, the male, the female, the nobles, and the warriors of the land. I greet ye all. I am sae humbled by yer presence tae grace my mother's funeral. I honestly would say that ye all have been the best family I have heard. Since my time being the Laird of this clan, I have never regretted it. I have felt the love ye all have showered me. However, I would like tae tell tae ye all tae stop grieving.
“The time for grieving should pass now and be exchanged with a time of merriment. With the time of joy. We should be the happiest of clans. We should be the source of pleasure tae the other clans, but how dae we become this if we are clouded in despair. My mother had lived a purposeful life, and I know that she has gone tae where my father is and where all good people of the Glenbogle clan who have also lived a good life go. We should nae be sad. Instead, we should be glad and merry.
“Today, we shall have more tae drink and tomorrow we shall have a do here in the compound where there would be dances. We shall nae be sad!" he said and paused as a mix of shrieks and cheers filled the large room. He smiled at everyone and raised his hand for quiet. The noise began to subside again, and the place was silent once more. He continued.
"Should there be anyone here who thinks I am nae worthy being Laird of this clan, they should signify now and table the reasons why I am nae worthy tae be the Laird. I guarantee yer safety," Callum said and waited to see if anyone would raise their hand. The assembly made no sound, nor did anyone raise his hand.
Gretchen had been listening to Callum as he was addressing everyone from the balustrade above the great hall. Her heart thumped as she gazed down, thinking there would be a hand raised up. After some time, applause rose from the left side of the gathering, and then to the right, and then swarmed to the front. A short chuckle escaped her, and her lips began to stretch into a wide grin. There was no moment prouder for her. She smiled and clapped her hands, too, gazing down affectionately at Callum who stood, his huge grin mirroring hers.
"What a wonderful Laird he has always been, he will keep receiving support from the people. I can assure everyone," Patricia, one of the keep's maids, said as she glanced at Callum from the balustrade, too.
"He's a kindly Laird. I would be damned tae think he would never receive any support from the clan members. Almost everyone loves him. The clan is peaceful and secured. I'm sure he's the most loved Laird in the history of Clan Glenbogle," Anabelle, another keep's maid, said from behind Gretchen.
Gretchen, upon hearing all this, smiled generously and affectionately. Her gaze was still fixed on Callum, who was still being applauded. Suddenly, she noticed his gaze move from the people up to balustrade. Their eyes met, and they both smiled at each other. He waved across to her with a grin, and she waved back with a loving smile. Then she saw him walk from the crowd to the stairs leading up to where she was.
Callum climbed the stairs with more courage. His wound had gone, and he was no longer limping as he used to do before. As he climbed the stairs, he was faced with the thought of how much people had come to love him. The events that happened long ago still baffled him. He was expecting some hands to be raised in protest of his Lairdship, yet to his surprise, not a single hand was raised. A big smile covered his lips again as he found his way to the balustrade. There he met Gretchen with the other maids in their black gowns looking stunning and beautiful. As he approached, the maids were startled and immediately took a bow. Gretchen joined the maids and bowed as well.
"Thanks tae ye all for being wonderful during the funeral. I'm most grateful. I surely dae recognize yer efforts in caring for Mother, but it's the will of the heavens, and there's nothing we can dae tae change it," he said, flashing a grin at the two maids standing in the room. With no words to utter, they took a bow and smiled again.
"If ye won't be sae annoyed with me, I'd like tae have few words with Lady Gretchen," Callum said softly, arching his brows and smiling dryly. Understanding that the words the Laird had just spoken were a request, the two maids quickly took a bow and hurried down the hall. As the door closed, Callum walked to Gretchen and put his hands on her shoulders.
"My lady," he called softly, his hands caressing the tops of her shoulders. "I know how sad ye feel about Mother's demise. She's the only companion ye have, and I know she's been a mother tae ye too. But I daenae want ye tae be sad. She has gone tae a better place. We’ve had enough sadness for the months," Callum said and tugged her close in a warm embrace.
"I will be yer new companion; I will be yer ears whenever you need one ta listen. I will be there whenever ye want a shoulder tae lean on, and I will be there whenever ye need words of advice. We can only make ourselves better. Beyond all doubts, ye are the only lady I have come tae love sae much. I want tae see ye every day, I want tae protect ye, and I want ye tae be near me," Callum said caressing her back as they continued their tight embrace.
"Thank ye, my laird! Ye have always been wonderful and kind. Truth tae say, Mother has been wonderful too, and I will sae miss our talks, I will miss her smiles, and I will miss her words of advice. As ye have said, we could only make ourselves better. I will remain someone who ye can talk tae to, and I will love ye till the end of time," Gretchen said, sniffing and crying. Her tears, falling on Callum's shoulder. For what seemed like a long time, the embrace continued then, Callum carefully lifted his body away from her and tipped her teary and swollen face up to his.
"I love ye, too, my laird, sae much." He had heard her reply him, and in a swift movement, he locked his lips on hers. His hands traveled down to her chest and gave her breasts a soft squeeze, rolling his thumb over her nipples, still clothed, Gretchen gasped, and a soft moan escaped her. "I love ye, I love ye," she heard herself say as he lifted her into his arms as if she weighed nothing and carried her back to her room.
* * *
Gretchen woke up with Callum's hand curled around her waist. She looked outside through her window and saw the moon gazing brightly at the world, its rays peeped through the glass and served as the only source of light in the room. She quickly picked her gown out from the other clothes that lay in a heap on the floor and moved to the side of the room where a candle stood. She found some flint and lit the candle, satisfied when the warm glow of the small flame lit that corner of her bedroom. She moved all around the room, lighting other candles. She stared at Callum's sleeping body and realized how much she had come tae love him.
"He looks like a god and harmless," Gretchen said, her expression full of admiration. Moments ago, they had been intimate once more. She loved how she took him entirely in, and at that moment, her tension and sadness had been released. She glanced at his lean body again and worked her fingers on his fleece on his chest down to his abdomen. After some time, Callum woke up to the Gretchen's working fingers on his skin. His left eye opened, then closed before it opened again. His gaze flickered on Gretchen's body and lifted his hand to stroke her skin.
"What keeps ye awake, my lady. It's nae yet dawn, the moon is still out, and the sleep should continue?' Callum asked in a croaky tone as his both eyes were now opened.
"I felt I had been sleeping for too long, my laird. I could find some things tae dae right now," she replied.
"Find something tae dae? When it's still night?" Callum asked, his voice telling how surprised he was. "What will ye be doing at this odd hour?"
"I can find one or two dirty clothes tae pick and wash, or maybe I could
find some food tae make. I just want tae be busy with something while time moves," Gretchen said, glancing directly into Callum's face.
"if really ye want tae be busy, I could keep ye engaged with some things. Why nae ye off the candles and come back tae the bed. Perhaps ye could minister tae my body with yer beautiful hands. I will have tae get back tae sleep, tomorrow comes soon, and it will be a long day," Callum said in a sleepy voice.
Gretchen climbed back onto the bed then she hurriedly arranged her skirts as she climbed down again, remembering she had to pull out the candles she had just lighted. Jumping back to the bed, she shuddered in pleasure as Callum's warm skin sent wafts of heat up from her core.
Remembering their first sexual encounter which had not been so long ago, Gretchen thought that it seemed as if an eternity had passed since then. She snuggled against Callum, gratified that he did not try to ease her away, despite the fullness of sleep smudged in his eyes.