The Wrong Highlander, page 23
Evina considered the question with a frown. Love him? She liked him. She enjoyed talking to him, and hearing the tales of his childhood and his travels as an adult. She liked playing chess and Nine Men’s Morris with him, and she most definitely appreciated the pleasure his body gave hers. But love? For some reason that word scared her. She didn’t love him, did she?
Fortunately, a knock sounded at the door then, saving her from having to think about that further.
Leaving her to do up her tunic, Tildy moved to answer the door and Evina’s eyebrows rose when she heard Saidh’s voice, followed by the excited chatter of other women.
“Lady Saidh would like to ken if yer ready fer visitors?” Tildy asked, amusement ringing in her voice.
Since Tildy would have simply said no if there was a man in the group, Evina assumed it was women only and said, “Aye.”
The moment she did, Tildy pulled the door wide and Saidh swept into the room with Jetta and two blond-haired women on her heels. Knowing from what Saidh had said that Murine and Edith were both blondes, Evina was just thinking that Niels must have arrived with his wife, Edith, when Saidh announced, “Evi, this is Dougall’s wife, Murine, our sister-in-law and dear friend, and this is Jo Sinclair, a dear friend to all of us and sister of our hearts.”
“Oh.” Evina was a bit disappointed that the woman wasn’t Edith, but she managed a smile. “’Tis a pleasure to meet ye.”
“Thank ye. ’Tis a pleasure to meet ye as well,” Jo assured her, and then added, “And I’m so sorry that we’ve just shown up like this. I fear we thought to surprise Saidh with a visit, and when we arrived at MacDonnell only to discover they were here, we thought to stop on the way home to at least say hello. But I promise we don’t plan to stay and trouble ye with more guests.”
“Oh, but ye must stay for Evina and Conran’s wedding,” Saidh protested, turning on her with a frown. “And then ye can come home with us to MacDonnell. Ye can hardly just turn and ride all the way home without visiting as planned.”
“That would be lovely,” Jo said, but then added with regret, “But I’m sure there isn’t room here for us with the whole Buchanan clan already in attendance.”
“Nonsense,” Evina said at once. “We’ll find room. Somewhere,” she added with a frown as she realized they were fresh out of rooms. They were going to have to consider adding rooms above stairs now that she was marrying into such a large family, she thought.
“They can have the boys’ room,” Saidh announced, turning to Evina now. “Alick and Geordie probably won’t be sleeping in there until yer attacker is found anyway, and Rory can sleep on a pallet in the hall with them, or go down to the barracks. If ’tis good enough for yer poor cousin Gavin, ’tis good enough for him.”
“That would work best,” Tildy murmured.
Evina nodded. It was probably the only solution.
“I’ll go prepare the room after I have ye dressed,” Tildy announced, and moved to the chests to fetch her a clean gown.
“I told the men at the gate that the blackguard they’re looking for may have clean clothes now rather than dirty, ratty ones,” Fearghas Maclean announced as he returned to the table, trailed by two huge deerhounds. “They’re going to stop and check anyone who tries to enter.”
Conran nodded as he watched the man reclaim his seat at the high table. Noting the caution with which he settled himself, Conran glanced to Rory. But his brother had noticed as well, and suggested, “Perhaps I should take another look at yer wound after we’re done here, m’laird. Be sure infection has no’ set in again, put some salve on and rebandage it.”
The Maclean grimaced, but nodded on a sigh. “Aye, mayhap. I think ’tis just tender from me being overactive yesterday. But ’twould probably be good to be sure.”
Conran relaxed a little, but then turned to glance along the table at his brothers, as well as Greer MacDonnell, and Cam Sinclair. “Is there anything else anyone can think of that we can do?”
When no one else spoke, Aulay commented, “All ye can do is put guards on Evina for now. Perhaps if we kenned more we could do more, but we have no idea of the who or why behind the attack.”
“The why is usually coin or madness,” Rory said, and when everyone turned to him, he pointed out, “Well, the woman who was trying to kill Jo was crazy.”
“Aye,” Cam Sinclair agreed grimly.
“As was yer aunt, Greer,” Rory continued. When the man nodded, he added, “With Murine ’twas to take over Carmichael, or for coin.”
“’Twas coin for Edith too, then, if ye count taking over Drummond as coin,” Conran pointed out, and then frowned and added, “And madness.”
“’Twas madness with Jetta too,” Aulay put in.
Conran pursed his lips and then commented, “Do ye sometimes wonder what it means that so many of us have ended up with women who have mad people trying to kill them?”
Greer snorted at the question. “Forget that, what does it mean that so many of us have murderers in our life at all? Ye ken there are people out there who live their whole lives without ever encountering a killer, mad or otherwise? Yet this family constantly runs into them.”
“Aye,” Alick agreed. “’Tis like we’re honey and the murderers are bees.”
The Maclean guffawed at the claim and shook his head. “Bees make honey, lad. If murderers are bees, that would make ye lads flowers.”
“No’ us,” Greer countered at once. “’Tis usually the women they’re trying to kill.”
“Aye,” Dougall agreed at once. “Our women are the flowers that are attracting the killer bees.”
“Just do no’ mention that around Saidh or there’ll be hell to pay,” Greer said dryly.
“Aye, ye might no’ want to mention it around Evina either,” the Maclean murmured, but was smiling faintly.
They were all silent for a minute and then Alick commented, “On the bright side, we’re quite good at handling them.”
“We are?” Conran asked dubiously.
“Well, we’re all alive, aren’t we?” he pointed out. “And we learn from each one. For instance, ye thought to check under the clothes in the chests here because of what happened with—”
“There was nothing in the chests here,” Conran interrupted him to point out.
“Still, ye checked. That’s something,” he assured him.
Conran just shook his head and then glanced to the Sinclair’s young son, Bearnard, when the lad suddenly chuckled. Jo had left the boy with his father when she’d gone upstairs with the other women to meet Evina. The lad had dropped to sit on the rushes behind his father and both of the Maclean’s huge deerhounds seemed to think this a fine game and had stood to approach and lick his face and head. They were giving him a fine bath and the four-and-a-half-year-old was laughing as they did.
Conran shook his head with amusement. Today was the first time he’d even seen the beasts. It seemed the men had been keeping them out of the way down at the barracks while the Maclean was on his deathbed. But now that he was much recovered and up and about, he’d sent for them. The affection between the man and his beasts was obvious. They hadn’t let him out of their sight since he’d come below, following him from the keep and back and sitting by his position on the bench.
“Ah, dear lord, Bearnard,” Cam Sinclair muttered, turning to grab his son by the arm and lift him to his feet. “What are ye trying to do? Get me in trouble with yer mother? Ye’ve got rushes all over yer plaid now, and she’d be fair froth if I let the Maclean’s hounds eat ye.”
“They wouldn’t eat me, Da,” Bearnard assured him on a laugh. “They like me.”
“Are ye sure? It looked to me like they were tasting ye,” he teased with a grin.
“Nay,” Bearnard said seriously, and then cast an arm around the nearest dog and started talking to it instead.
Shaking his head, Cam glanced toward the stairs and then back to the men and said, “I think Jo is with child again.”
“Congratulations,” the group said pretty much as one.
“But what do ye mean, ye think she is? Don’t ye ken for sure?” Rory asked.
“Nay. She’s trying to hide it from me, but is showing all the signs she did each time she was with child,” he said, and then muttered unhappily, “If she is, she most like won’t tell me until she gives birth or loses it like she has the last two.”
“She’s just trying to save ye worry,” Rory said quietly. “And many women lose a bairn or two between the ones that live. She’ll give ye another healthy bairn, I’m sure.”
“I don’t care about another bairn. I mean, I do, but I’m more worried about Jo,” Cam growled, and then added, “Which is why I suggested the surprise visit with Saidh and Greer. I knew at one point or another the women would insist on visits to Murine, Edith and Jetta.”
“Aye,” Dougall murmured. “Murine would be terrible upset if she found out Jo was in the south and had no’ stopped to see her.”
“Exactly,” Cam said, and then turned to Rory and admitted, “I kenned we’d go to Buchanan at some point if we were in the south, and was hoping ye could take a look and be sure she is well.”
Rory’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Jo and her aunt Annabel are fine healers, Cam. She no doubt has already—”
“Aye,” Cam interrupted. “But ye’re better, Rory. Ye’ve traveled far and wide to learn fancy tricks and such. I want the best care for me Jo.”
Rory let his breath out on a sigh and nodded. “I’ll speak to her while ye’re here, and if she is with child and is willing, I will examine her to be sure all is well.”
“Thank ye,” Cam breathed, and then glanced around at his son again as he released another chuckle. The boy had an arm over the back of each hound and was hanging between the beasts, with his feet drawn up, letting them carry him. Cam smiled faintly and shook his head. “At least he’s no’ rolling around in the rushes.”
“Afraid Jo would be froth?” Conran teased lightly.
“Damned right I am. That woman may look small and sweet, but when she gets her temper up, she kens how to turn the thumbscrew.” He shook his head.
Conran smiled faintly, but knew the man was only half joking. From what he’d seen with his sister and brothers and their relationships, that was the problem when you loved someone. They knew you as well as you knew them, and knew how best to make you sorry if you angered them. Conran certainly wasn’t looking forward to finding out how Evi would punish him if he made her angry now that she’d agreed to marry him. Not that he loved her, he added quickly with a frown. He liked the woman, thought her quick-witted, kind and brave. He’d even go so far as to say he loved lovin’ her. But love her? Nay, he assured himself, and wondered why it sounded so much like he was trying to convince himself of it. It was a simple truth that needed no convincing. Wasn’t it?
“There,” Tildy announced, stepping back after helping with her lacings. “Ye’re all ready, m’lady. Now ye ladies go below and break yer fast and I’ll prepare the room the lads were in for Lady Jo and Lord Sinclair and their son.”
“Son?” Evina asked with interest as they headed for the door.
“Aye.” Saidh grinned. “Bearnard. He’s such a little cutie, and he’s betrothed to the eldest of our triplets, Rhona.”
“The eldest?” Evina queried with amusement. “They’re triplets. They’re all the same age.”
“Aye, but Rhona came out first,” Saidh explained. “She is the eldest by three hours.”
“Three hours?” Evina asked with alarm. She hadn’t really considered how triplets would be born, but would have thought they’d have come out one right after the other like plop, plop, plop.
“Aye,” Saidh said with a grimace. “But Sorcha, the second oldest, dallies about doing everything. Once she was out though, little Ailsa followed almost on her heels.”
“Oh,” Evina said weakly as Tildy opened the door for them to exit.
“Ladies,” Dougall greeted them as they filed out of the room. “Are we heading below stairs now?”
“Aye, husband,” Murine said with a smile, and leaned up to kiss his cheek in passing.
“Good. I’m hungry,” he commented, slipping an arm around her and holding her to his side.
“So am I,” Murine admitted.
Dougall narrowed his eyes. “Ye did no’ eat, did ye? I suspected ye had no’ been down there long enough to break yer fast ere ye were rushing back up with Saidh, Jetta and Jo.”
“Jo and I wanted to meet Evina. I will eat now, I promise,” she said soothingly.
“Aye, ye will,” he growled, and then narrowed his eyes. “Did ye take yer tincture this morn?”
Evina didn’t know Murine well, but even she could tell from her expression that the answer to her husband’s question was no. The guilt on the woman’s face was priceless.
“Murine,” he groaned. “Lass, ye have to take care of yerself. Beathan and I love ye to distraction. If ye faint and fall and hit yer head and die on us—”
“I’ll get it right now,” Murine said quickly, and then turned to smile apologetically at the other women. “Ye ladies go ahead below. I’ll catch up in just a minute.”
“Nonsense, we’ll accompany ye,” Saidh said at once, and then paused to glance to Evina. “Unless ye’re weary and wish to head straight below? I ken ye’re still healing.”
“Nay. I’m fine,” Evina said at once. She did hate being thought weak. Besides, she was doing okay at the moment. Of course, she knew that probably wouldn’t last long. Still, she’d done all right last night with Conran. Although they hadn’t really walked anywhere, and he’d done all the work, she supposed.
“Oh, good,” Saidh said cheerfully. “Just tell us if ye weary and one o’ the boys can carry ye.”
Evina snorted at the suggestion. There was no way she’d ever be so weak that she’d willingly allow a man to carry her. Well, not unless it was Conran. He’d already carried her around a few places. But she wasn’t going to look weak in front of his brothers unless she was gushing blood, or on death’s door, she decided as they moved away from her door.
“How is me nephew doing, Murine?” Saidh asked suddenly as they started along the hall. Turning to Evina, she quickly explained, “Murine and Edith both have one child each. Both are little boys.”
“Really?” Evina asked, glancing at Murine.
“Aye, we named our boy Beathan after me father,” the woman murmured with a smile, and then glanced to Saidh and added, “And he’s very well. Gaining weight every day.”
“Did ye bring him with ye?” Evina asked with interest.
“Nay. He’s only three months old. Far too young to travel. His nursemaid is watching him until we return. Fortunately, I have two cousins at Carmichael who gave birth around the same time as me, and they are taking turns feeding him with their own babies while I am gone.”
Evina nodded. She knew a lot of nobles shunned suckling their bairns, seeing it as inconvenient. They usually had a woman in waiting who had recently given birth and could take over the chore, but Evina herself thought she’d rather feed her own child as well, so was glad these women seemed to agree with it.
“This is the first time I’ve been away from Beathan since he was born,” Murine blurted suddenly, her tone fretful.
“He’ll be fine,” Jo said, patting her arm soothingly. “It’s hard to leave them when they’re so young. But ’tis better he’s safe at home rather than traveling through rain and mud and perhaps growing ill from it.”
“Aye.” Murine managed a smile and then paused to open the door to the room she and Dougall shared.
“Do ye think Edith and Niels will bring young Ronny?” Jetta asked as all but the men followed Murine into the room.
The men took up a position on either side of the door in the hall, Evina noticed as she pushed the door closed. It seemed she had watchdogs.
“Oh, nay,” Saidh said at once. “He’s barely a month old.”
“Ronny is Edith’s son?” Evina asked with curiosity, moving to stand by the fireplace to make room for the other women who had clustered by the door.
“Aye,” Jo agreed, moving farther into the room too. “I suspect that’s why it’s taken her and Niels so long to get here. Edith wouldn’t trust just anyone with the baby after everything she went through with her aunt.”
“Aye,” Murine agreed solemnly, moving to a chest by the bed. “Fortunately, I wasn’t betrayed by a Carmichael, so have no’ issues with being able to trust them.”
Here was another couple of stories she thought she might like to hear eventually, Evina thought as they waited for Murine to find her tincture.
“I thought ye had stopped needing the tincture to keep from fainting?” Jo said suddenly as Murine found what she was looking for.
“I did,” she admitted with a wry smile. “Unfortunately, I was so sick while carrying Beathan I couldn’t keep food down and started in fainting again. Dougall insisted I return to taking the tincture, and made me promise to take it for six months after the babe was born to ensure everything was all right before I stop again.”
“Ah.” Jo nodded, not seeming surprised.
Evina didn’t have to ask what they were talking about. Saidh had told her a little bit about each of the women presently in the room and one of the tidbits she’d told her about Murine was that when they’d all first met her, the woman had a terrible habit of fainting at the drop of a cap. In the end, it seemed this had been a result of her not eating enough out of grief over the deaths of several family members one after the other. But it was a situation that had eventually cleared up when the Buchanan brothers had taken her under their care and made her eat more. Evina could understand how the morning sickness many women suffered while carrying their bairns could cause a return of the affliction for Murine.
“Evina, what’s that on yer skirt?” Jo asked suddenly.
Eyebrows rising, Evina glanced at the pale blue skirt of the gown Tildy had chosen for her, but didn’t, at first, see anything.
