Chapter Two
Three days before
Foulis Castle
Beth looked around the bedchamber she’d slept in for as long as she could remember, the trunks full of the lovely gowns her mam had made for her to bring to the “bride-to-be” auction.
She and another lass would be paraded before some arrogant, obnoxious laird for his choice.
Every time she thought about it, she grew angrier.
She sat on the bed, her chin resting on her fist. She couldn’t believe her da, who had loved her dearly all her life, had agreed to this.
She gave a great sigh, then after a minute or so, a smile broke out on her face.
Slowly she sat up and laughed, then laughed harder.
Yes, she would do it! It would definitely cause some problems for her, but it would be worth it if she turned the laird’s eyes to the other lass, whoever she might be.
She raced to her wardrobe and began pulling out her old gowns, aprons ready for the trash, and her old shredded worn cape.
Next, she took a trip to the kitchen to speak with their cook, Daisy, then she went to the bedchamber where her mam stored the family’s old clothes to give to the unfortunate in the village. She scooped up knitting needles that sat in her room along with an unused ball of yarn.
Happy with her work, and laughing until the tears ran down her cheeks, she blew out the candle and settled into bed. Now she was looking forward to her visit to Castle Leod. This arrogant laird was in for some surprises.
The next morning, she greeted her parents in the great hall to break her fast.
“Good morning, daughter. Are ye ready to leave as soon as we are finished here?” Her da looked expectantly at her.
She shrugged. “Since I have no choice, aye I am ready.”
Her mam wiped her mouth with a piece of linen. “Ye might verra well enjoy yourself, daughter. I hear the laird is quite handsome and verra friendly.”
She huffed. With a man in the laird’s position “very friendly” usually meant he was chasing the lasses in his employ and warming his bed with them.
The ride to Castle Leod from her home took a little less than two full days. Fortunately, her da knew of an inn where they stayed so she wasn’t forced to sleep in the carriage or, worse, on the ground like her da said the guardsmen with them would do.
Castle Leod was only a half day ride from where her sister, Lady Alisa Grant, lived with her husband and bairns. She asked her da about stopping for a visit, but he was anxious to please the king and go to Castle Leod straightaway.
When they arrived at Castle Leod, she breathed a sigh of relief when a woman who introduced herself as Louise Mackenzie, the chatelaine, greeted them and said the laird was in the village solving some sort of problem and would be down shortly to greet them.
They were shown to their bedchambers which were right next to each other.
She examined the room she’d been assigned.
The walls were painted white, a plush carpet covered the floor and the bed was large and looked comfortable with a colorful bed covering and hangings.
It all looked so cozy that she almost forgot what her visit here was all about.
She didn’t want to admire the room or feel comfortable in the bed.
She rested her elbows on the ledge of the glass window and studied the grounds surrounding the castle in the bright moonlight, which cast dips and shadows over the area of valleys and hills surrounding it.
Her mam knocked and entered the room. “This is a lovely chamber. I notice all the rooms we passed looked clean and well-decorated.”
She narrowed her eyes at her mam. “Aye. ’Tis a nice Keep.”
“Ye could be Lady of the Manor here.” Her mam studied the room and Beth could swear she was picturing little bairns running around the area, creating havoc.
Just the thought of it made Beth cringe. Lady of the Manor meant bearing those bairns and listening to them as they cried and kicked and screamed over a biscuit. Or tried their best to kill each other.
Or themselves.
She shook her head to remove the image as her mam said, “I believe they will be serving supper in about an hour.”
“I am weary from the trip, so I think I will request a tray in my room, and a hot bath. What I need is a good night’s sleep.”
“That seems fine, dear. ’Twill will give ye time to recover from our journey and look yer best when ye meet the laird in the morning.”
That’s what her mother thought, anyway. Beth smiled to herself. “Aye, Mam. I will see ye in the morning.”
*
Daniel awoke the next day with a sinking feeling in his stomach. When he’d finished supper with Laird and Lady Munro the night before, he’d been grateful when Lady Munro excused herself and Laird Munro shortly thereafter.
Their conversation had been a bit stiff with Lady Beth missing. Were he not the host, he would have gone with his plan to have a quick supper and bed.
He’d headed to his solar and sat in his well-worn, comfortable chair, linking his fingers on his stomach, and thought about what he was soon to face. He had assumed he would eventually get used to this foolish idea the king had come up with, but he still was angry about it.
The worst part was the king’s inviting two young ladies to visit at the same time. It did make it seem as if he was looking over items to purchase. The more he thought about the next morning, the more annoyed he became with the interfering man, king or not.
Not happy about what he was facing, but knowing marriage was something necessary for a laird, he would have preferred to do it in his own time and in his own way. And with his own choice. This farce had the pretense of choice but in truth, gave none at all. It was an insult.
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he headed to the great hall to see Laird and Lady Munro sitting on the dais. There was no young lass in sight. He walked up to them and bowed. “Good morn, my Laird, my Lady, I hope ye had a pleasant sleep?”
The laird stood. “Good morn to ye as well. I remembered after we parted last evening that ye were at the clans’ competition last year.”
Daniel nodded. “Aye myself and Gregory, my cousin as well as my second-in-command, always enter the events.”
“Ye did well at the competition. I was quite how taken with how ye and Gregory took most of the awards.”
Daniel moved to the seat next to Lady Munro.
She turned to him with the bright smile of a mother trying to marry off one of her offspring.
It was one he’d seen before and had always successfully avoided, until now.
“’Tis sorry I am that Lady Beth is no’ here yet, but when I stopped by her bedchamber a little while ago, she said she would be down shortly. ”
Daniel waved to one of the kitchen lasses who took a peek in the room. “Lass, please bring me some ale.” He turned to the laird. “Would ye or yer wife like a refill? Or something else to drink?”
“Nay, yer chatelaine was verra gracious. She is a lovely lass.”
The young maid dipped and left for the kitchen.
Just then Lady Munro sucked in a deep breath as she stared across the room, her hand on her chest, her eyes wide.
He looked where she was gaping at a young lass shuffling toward them.
She was quite plump and was dressed in the ugliest dress he’d ever seen.
Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the back of her head.
She wore spectacles and when he looked down at her feet as she hobbled along, she was wearing what looked like lad’s shoes that were apparently too large for her.
She carried a ball of yarn and two knitting needles. She walked up to them and dipped. “Good morn, Laird.”
Lady Munro seemed to recover herself, but she glared at her daughter. “Laird, this is my daughter, Lady Beth Munro.” It sounded like she was choking trying to get the words out.
Laird Munro scowled at the lass, so Daniel assumed this was not her normal attire. He squelched the desire to laugh. ’Twas obvious this lass was not interested in him, or marriage to him.
“Good morn, Lady Beth. I am glad ye have joined us.”
She nodded and sat in the seat next to him to which he pointed. She stumbled in her shoes as she reached the seat. He held his hand out to help her.
The lass pushed her spectacles, which kept sliding down, up on her nose.
She wiggled it, and he was not sure if she was trying to keep the spectacles on or if her nose itched.
He was having a very hard time keeping from laughing at the lass’s antics.
Meanwhile, it appeared her da was about to suffer apoplexy and her mam kept taking deep breaths.
“Would ye care to remove yer shawl, Lady Beth? Unless ye are cold?” His voice was choked with laughter, but since her parents seemed so distressed, he did his best to hold it in.
Lady Beth drew it closer. “Nay. I am verra cold.” She reached out and filled her plate with the offerings from the platter on the table. She began to eat, and after swallowing each piece of food she wiped her mouth on her sleeve.
Lady Munro groaned.
Once Lady Beth had gobbled her food down, she picked up her knitting needles and began to attempt to knit, but it was apparent she had no idea how to do it.
Conversation continued around her, with the lass not contributing at all. Her mam tried several times to get her into the conversation, but each time the lass merely grunted like an animal and continued to clack and click her needles as she created knots in her yarn.
He had never been so entertained in his life. This lass apparently had no problem expressing her likes and dislikes, even if it embarrassed her parents.
One of the guardsmen approached the table and spoke when Daniel looked at him. “Laird, the Chisholm family has arrived.”
Lady Munro gasped and stood. She reached for her daughter’s arm and pulled her up. “Excuse us, Laird, but my daughter and I need to have a conversation.”