Chapter 7
7
T he Great Hall echoed with the clatter of wooden plates and the chatter of the clansfolk. It was an all too familiar sound. But today, Thomas wasn’t concerned about the latest squabble between farmers. No, his eyes were fixed on Astrid.
He had been up all night, wrestling with thoughts of her. How she had invaded his mind so easily irked him. Was it her plight that had tugged at his heartstrings? Or perhaps it had something to do with how resilient and sharp she was.
Licking his lip, he let his mind wander for a moment as he studied the curve of her neck. How close he had been to it last night. It was so close that he could have claimed her right then and there.
Why had he not done so? If he had, maybe he wouldn’t be wound up. Maybe he would have had a decent night’s sleep.
“I was wonderin’ if I was goin’ to find ye here or the study. I have to say, I’m glad to see ye here for a change.”
“Maither,” Thomas said without so much as a side glance.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his mother, Alba, sitting in the empty seat next to him. He let out a heavy, irritated sigh as he watched Olivia and Eileen converse with Astrid and Melody. A part of him was pleased to see at least one of his sisters entertaining Astrid. He also wondered which one of them had suggested that she wear green.
With a smile playing on his lips, he tried to think of some sort of reward for their kindness.
The dress hugged Astrid’s hips, accentuating her hourglass shape. How he wanted to let his hands roam freely over her body and explore her. Heat rushed through him, and he swallowed hard, trying to push the thought aside before his body responded.
“Well, hell must have frozen over,” Alba said so loudly that the entire hall must have heard her.
Thomas blinked as his manhood throbbed. He didn’t want to tear his gaze away from Astrid, not when he responded to her in such a manner. Slowly, he turned his attention to his mother and cleared his throat.
“What was that?” he asked as he grabbed his cup, only to find it empty.
“I dinnae think I’ve ever seen ye so distracted before. What on earth has ye so wound up?” Alba asked as she reached for the scones. “Ye’ve barely touched yer breakfast.”
“What was that?”
“See what I mean?” she said, pointing the blunt end of her knife at him. “I kenned ye were distracted. It doesnae have anything to do wit’ the new lass, does it?”
Thomas shook his head.
Yes, Astrid was a lovely woman, with eyes that sparkled like diamonds. But what truly amazed him was the speed at which word traveled.
He pulled in a deep breath and gave his mother his undivided attention.
“I’m nae distracted, merely contemplatin’ me next move,” he countered. “As for the new lass, ye can find her right there and ask her anything ye want. As for why she’s here, she’s the new healer. I brought her in to look after Faither.”
“Another healer? And what happened to the last one?” Alba asked as she arched a judgmental eyebrow.
“He wasnae doin’ what I was payin’ him to do,” Thomas answered as he recalled the last healer nearly killing his father with spearmint.
Would his mother see Astrid differently if she knew it was her who had saved his father’s life?
“Well, if ye keep up like this, we’ll nae have anyone left to look after him. Then what? Ye think God will negotiate and let us have him for a while longer?” Alba asked, her cheerful demeanor shifting.
Thomas grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Faither is in good hands,” he said. “I promise ye. But right now, I’ve got a lot on me mind, and I need time to think.”
“So, there is something that’s distractin’ ye,” she said, arching an eyebrow that could pierce through the thickest fog. “Go on, tell me what it is. Ye ken very well that I like to help.”
“I ken, but I dinnae think this is something ye can help me wit’.”
“Well, if ye change yer mind, ye ken ye can always come to me,” Alba offered.
“Aye, but ye ken that I willnae do such a thing,” Thomas said, a hint of sympathy lacing his voice.
“If nae me, then someone else,” Alba said. “I worry about ye. I worry about our clan. Did ye ken that Clan MacTavish has three bairns and four more on the way?”
“And what am I supposed to do wit’ that knowledge? So there are more bairns cryin’ and droolin’ over there. So what?” Thomas asked as he watched Astrid take Melody’s little hand and lead her out of the room. His plan to talk to her was thrown out the window.
“Do what ye will wit’ it and find yerself a lass to wed and bed. I want grandchildren, Thomas. The council wants an heir. And from what I’ve heard, this lass is quite a beauty.”
“And ye believe what people say?” Thomas asked, arching a knowing eyebrow at his skeptical mother.
“Ye ken very well I dinnae,” she huffed as she swatted at him as if he were a fly. “Yer braither paid me a visit this morning.”
“And there it is,” Thomas said. “And what, pray tell, did he tell ye?”
“That she was lovely but looked as if she’d been lost at sea,” Alba said, her voice laced with concern. “Ye ken that ye’re a fine laird. Nay one in the clan will say otherwise. But just make sure that what ye’re doin’ benefits the clan.”
“She’s a fine healer who will be lookin’ after Faither,” Thomas explained. “Now, I’m sure she doesnae want to bring up her past, so I dinnae want ye or any of me siblings bombardin’ her wit’ questions. She’s been through enough as it is.”
“Why, Thomas. If I didnae ken any better, I’d think that ye’re actually blushin’.”
“Dinnae start readin’ into things as if they were omens,” Thomas groaned.
“Aye, ye never did believe in signs. But that doesnae mean they dinnae happen. A tree can fall in the field, but what if ye were there?”
Thomas arched a skeptical eyebrow at her, immediately silencing her. As much as he loved his mother, he couldn’t handle her superstitions at times.
“I ken ye dinnae believe,” she continued as she swatted at him again as if he were a gnat and not the Laird she had raised him to be. “Yer faither didnae either.”
“Wait, is he…?”
Panic shot through him. Why hadn’t Astrid informed him of his father’s passing?
Anger overtook the panic as his mind jumped to punishments he could dole out to her. That tricky minx… he should never have let her stay.
“Nay,” Alba answered, oblivious to the impact of her words.
Thomas exhaled sharply at that.
“He’s comfortable at the moment, thanks to the healer. Where did ye find her, by the way?”
“In the village,” he answered vaguely.
Did he dare tell his mother that he’d allowed a thief to roam the castle? It would no doubt rattle her to the core.
Thomas had learned the delicate art of skipping between the lines of fact and fiction. What she didn’t know, he wasn’t going to divulge.
“Well, she’s worth every coin ye’re payin’ her. Ye are payin’ her, aye?”
Thomas nodded.
Sure, that was one way of describing the situation. Astrid was his healer, whom he employed and thus cared for. It made perfect sense. Yet, for some reason, he felt as if he were keeping a great secret.
“Aye, she’ll be paid for her services,” Thomas answered. “But I would appreciate it if ye could keep Reid away from her.”
“Ye ken as well as I do that yer braither will go where he pleases. He’s like a cat—have ye ever noticed that?” Alba asked.
The question confused Thomas.
Yes, his mother was growing old and still had a good bit of her wits about her. But ever so often, she’d say something that would throw him for a loop.
Never once would he liken Reid to a cat. A dog, absolutely, seeing the way he goes through life carefree with a goofy grin on his face. But Thomas couldn’t afford those luxuries, not since his father handed him the keys to the castle and made him swear to protect and lead the clan.
“Nay, but I think ye might need a bit of fresh air, Maither,” Thomas suggested as he helped his mother to her feet.
The confusion on her face shifted as she shrugged, plucked a scone off her plate, and made her way to the side door.
Thomas watched as his mother strolled casually out the double doors and onto the terrace.
“She’s nae havin’ another spell too, is she?” Eileen asked, startling him.
“Nay,” Thomas answered. “I dinnae think we have to worry about Maither. She’ll nae have the same ailment that Faither has.”
“True, but still. I think her mind slips sometimes,” Eileen noted.
“Well, yers would too if ye had a son like Reid,” Thomas scoffed as he watched his younger brother strut into the Great Hall as if he was trying to impress everyone.
“And where there is smoke…” Eileen chuckled.
“Aye,” Thomas uttered as she patted him on the shoulder.
“I’m goin’ to go check on Maither,” Eileen said.
Before Thomas could even bid her a good day, Reid was at his right-hand side. The overpowering scent of his cologne turned Thomas’s stomach.
“What are ye wearin’? Ode of Skunk?” Thomas teased as he pushed him back.
“For yer information, it’s musky, and the lasses love it. They cannae get enough of it.”
“Is that so? Let me guess, ye thought ye’d see how it works on Astrid?” Thomas asked as he tried to comprehend his brother’s thought process.
“Have ye seen her? I thought I’d take her to the loch today and maybe have a picnic of sorts,” Reid said confidently.
Thomas pressed his lips into a tight line as he towered over his brother. “What did I tell ye?” he scolded. “Ye’re to leave her alone. Is that understood? She dinnae need any of yer wild schemes. She’s been through enough as it is, and I’ll nae tell ye again.”
“Ye’re nae Faither. Besides, we had a moment in the hall last night. In fact, I think I made quite the impression,” Reid said as he lifted his chin and puffed out his chest.
Whatever conversation Reid had with Astrid, Thomas was certain it wasn’t nearly as profound as his brother was making it out to be.
“So did I,” Thomas retorted. “Only, our conversation lasted longer than what yer limited attention span could tolerate. And she loved it.”
“Ye’re lyin’.”
“Am I?” Thomas challenged.
Reid studied him for a moment, not sure if Thomas was telling the truth or spinning a tall tale.
“I cannae tell if ye’re tellin’ the truth or nae.”
“I’m tellin’ ye right now to abandon yer quest for Astrid. She’ll chew ye up and spit ye out for breakfast,” Thomas warned.
“I think I can manage,” Reid answered, overly confident.
Thomas shook his head and heaved a sigh. “Until ye cannae. And when that day comes, dinnae come runnin’ to me, askin’ for me help. I told ye three times now to steer clear of her. If ye dinnae, what happens will be on yer head.”
“Ye dinnae understand,” Reid protested. “Our moment was magical. She could be the one.”
“I wouldnae get me hopes up. For all we ken, she’ll be gone in a week,” Thomas said.
“Then I’ve got a week to prove meself to her.”
Thomas shook his head as he watched his brother turn and start toward the doors as if he were on a mission from God. All he could do was shake his head and wonder what exactly he had just unleashed.
The smirk on his face dropped the second he spotted Clan Chalium’s colors and the confused-looking messenger standing in the crowded hall.
“Aye, come forward,” he boomed, silencing everyone in the hall.
All eyes turned and watched as the messenger rushed toward him.
“Laird McFair, Laird Chalium has a message for ye,” the messenger said with a stiff bow as he handed Thomas a missive.
Thomas took the parchment and unfolded it.
Laird McFair,
It has come to my attention that you are harboring Miss Astrid Fulton and her daughter, Melody. The men you dispatched on the road were loyal to me and will be missed greatly. I find your actions most alarming and a threat to our peace.
Allow me to make myself very clear. I do not appreciate it when others interfere in my affairs. However, I’m willing to overlook such matters if you return Astrid to me promptly.
Thomas scanned the room for any signs of Astrid or Melody. When he couldn’t find them, a prickle of unease ran up his spine. Did they leave the Great Hall of their own volition?
He clenched the letter until his knuckles turned white. He clenched his jaw as his eyes landed squarely on Olivia. The sympathy in her gaze was as alarming as it was soothing.
“Thank ye,” he said to the messenger.
“And what of the lasses?” the messenger asked.
“Never ye mind about them,” Thomas answered coldly. “They are here and well cared for. Ye can go and tell yer master that they are both under me care at the moment and if he wants to see them, he must come and collect them.”
The messenger bowed low and hurried out of the Great Hall.
Thomas’s chest tightened. He had just seen Astrid and Melody, but how long ago was that?
“Guards,” he called. “Search the grounds and find the new healer and her daughter. I willnae have anyone harm them, understand? They are to be protected at all costs.”
“Thomas, ye need to think things through,” Alba urged, rushing to his side as the guards marched out of the Great Hall to execute his orders. “What are ye goin’ to do once ye find them?”
“I’ll assign a guard to them,” Thomas answered.
“Why? Think about this,” Alba said as she grabbed him by the shoulders. “Ye must consider the consequences.”
“I dinnae have time for this, Maither. I need to find Astrid.”
“Aye, and then what? That’s what I’m tryin’ to get ye to see here. Ye cannae just keep her locked away. Laird Chalium will find a way to get to her—he could bring war to the halls of McFair. Is that what ye want?”
“Nay. Ye ken I want peace, but I cannae hand her over. I willnae. I vowed to protect her, and that is what I will do.”
Alba paused as the weight of his words sank in.
Exhaling sharply, Thomas watched the worry leave her eyes like dirty water flowing down the stream.
“How far will ye go to keep yer promise?” she asked, her voice low.
“I promised her me life,” he answered.
“Then ye must marry the lass,” she whispered. “It’s the only way ye can keep her safe and have the clan back ye. Marry her, and every clansman will bend his knee to her. Nay other woman in Scotland will be better protected than her. But ye must marry her.”
Thomas shook his head, the idea sliding off him like water to his oil. “Nay. The clan will understand her plight. I can tell them.”
“And humiliate her in front of everyone? Do ye really think she wants pity? Or dignity? Ye ken what yer faither would do,” Alba argued.
“He’d do the right thing,” he answered. “But he married ye.”
“Aye, and do ye think I was his first choice? The clan has been and always will be his first love. It is why he passed the mantle to ye and raised ye to be the Laird ye are today.”
Thomas mulled over her words and let them sink in. He didn’t exactly like what she was saying, but it made perfect sense the more he thought about it.
How long could he have the clan watch over Astrid before they started asking what her worth was? Not to mention that his father was on a short clock and everyone would expect her to leave the moment he passed. Thomas wouldn’t be able to protect her then.
As his men scattered to find Astrid and Melody, he considered this new plan. It was a wild idea, but would it be enough to keep Astrid and Melody safe and out of Laird Chalium’s clutches?
The longer Thomas mulled it over, the more it made sense.