Chapter Eight #2
Beth turned to the woman. “My nieces and nephews are from two different mothers.”
Ignoring her comment, Lady Chisholm tugged on Daniel’s arm. “I can feel Lady Alice shaking. We must get to a place where we can warm ourselves and dry out our shoes.”
Since there was no way Lady Chisholm could feel her daughter shaking since they were on different sides of his body, he chose to ignore correcting her on that. “Aye. ’Tis sorry I am. I will take ye to the village tavern. ’Tis small, but they have a few tables there and a braiser that will warm ye.”
He nodded to Beth. “I will be back once I get the ladies settled.”
Lady Chisholm sucked in a breath. “Surely ye doona intend to leave me and my daughter alone in a village tavern?”
Beth attempted to hide her smile as Daniel squeezed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb.
“My lady, ye will be fine. I ken the owner of the tavern and he will watch o’er ye.
I did promise to spend time with Lady Beth on this trip, so please be patient and allow us some time to look around the village as I promised. ”
Lady Chisholm began to protest, but Daniel walked, pulled, and dragged them to the tavern. He introduced them to the owner, Gabriel Mackenzie, and told him to give them whatever drink or food they wished, and that he would return in a couple of hours.
Before he could get caught up in another demand or complaint from Lady Chisholm, he hurried from the tavern and strode up to Beth.
Her grin turned into laughter as he approached her. “Did ye get yer guests all settled in the tavern?”
“I am finding it harder all the time to no’ dump her into the nearest loch.
” He took Beth’s arm. “If Laird Chisholm wishes to marry off Lady Alice, he best do whatever negotiations necessary without his wife present, or even within shouting distance.” He shook his head.
“I have ne’er met anyone like that woman.
I noticed Laird Chisholm has been mostly hiding in his room or out and about with yer da since they arrived, and now I ken why.
Were she my wife, I would be standing in front of the judge, explaining where I had buried the body. ”
He picked up one of the small wooden animals and looked it over. “These are quite nice. This mon is verra talented.”
Beth nodded. “Aye. I think I am going to purchase one for each of my six nephews. Then I must find something suitable for my nieces.”
He found he was enjoying learning about Beth’s family. He had known from speaking with Lady Munro that there were several grandchildren. However, once he’d gotten her on the subject, it was hard to speak of anything else.
“And how many nieces do ye have?”
Beth smiled, obviously enjoying talking about the little ones. So she wasn’t against bairns, just not her own. He needed to discover if she was afraid of giving birth, or having the responsibility. But then, knowing her as he did so far, she didn’t seem to be afraid of much.
“Just two, but my sister, Patricia is expecting her first and she swears it’s a lass.”
“Do yer sisters and their families e’er get together all at the same time with yer mam?”
Beth rolled her eyes. “Oh, aye. Almost every time one of them comes, ’tis like the others have ways to read each others’ minds because they all show up at the same time. ’Tis chaotic.”
He couldn’t help laughing. As an only child, he could not imagine what it would be like to have a keep full of bairns. “I am sure yer mam loves that.”
“Aye. She is crazy enough to love the confusion.”
“And ye donna?”
Her face softened. “I love my nieces and nephews, and I even love when they all come at the same time. But I am also glad when they leave.” She looked up at Daniel. “Ye see, when they are yer own, they doona leave.”
He laughed again. “’Tis true, but I’m no’ sure ye want yer own bairns to leave. And, as I told ye, there would be plenty of help should we marry and have lots of little ones.”
Beth looked off into the distance and he couldn’t help but wonder if she was re-thinking her position on marriage. He certainly hoped so. He was anxious to call this visit with the lasses over and move on to important things. Like marriage.
And the bedding.
After purchasing the six little wooden animals, they continued to browse; most of the vendors were familiar with him and enjoyed teasing him about the bonny lass by his side.
Beth was not immune to their comments, because she spent a lot of time with reddened cheeks.
They moved onto another vendor he didn’t know, where Beth bought two pretty ribbons for her nieces.
“Are ye hungry lass?”
She glanced at him sideways with a smirk. “Mayhap, but it depends on where ye put Lady Chisholm and Lady Alice.”
He stopped and placed his hands on his hips. “They are at the tavern. Lady Chisholm was no’ happy about where I brought her, but there was no other place.”
“And Lady Alice?”
He shrugged. “As usual she dinna seem to care where she was.”
Beth tucked the wooden animals and ribbons into a small sack she carried with her, then took Daniel’s arm and they continued to walk. “I believe there is something wrong with that lass.”
“Aye. I do as well.”
They began to pass the tavern. Lady Chisholm emerged and waved her handkerchief at them. “Oh, Laird Mackenzie, Lady Alice and I are ready to leave. I’m afraid our shoes are still wet and we are certain to catch a chill.”
Daniel groaned. “’Tis sorry I am, Beth, that this trip wasna what ye hoped for.” He moved her toward the screeching woman. “’Twas certainly no’ what I had hoped for.”