Chapter 10
Acommotion stirred up the entire keep, drawing everyone into the main hall where two of Laird MacKay’s friends had descended on the castle without invitation.
At first, Rose was certain that this meant there was an emergency.
The men were both Lairds as well, and they arrived with a tiny army of people at their backs, including servants and valets.
“Is everything quite all right?” Rose asked Eilidh as she joined the group who watched the Laird greet his guests. “Such a sudden arrival, has there been trouble?”
“Och, no, lass.” Eilidh shook her head, trading a glance with Fiona, who stood behind Rose, grinning. “I see we’ve failed to cover welcoming guests during our ‘lessons,’ aye?”
“I’d only nae reached that point.” Fiona was quick to defend herself, and Rose fought back a laugh. “We were chatting about what to expect while Rose helped me with some of the tinctures.”
“We did.” Rose nodded, conveniently failing to mention that they had also talked at length about England and any gossip that she was able to scrounge up from memory. “But then there isn’t anything to be concerned about? The men arrived uninvited. Is that…common?”
Rose gaped as both Eilidh and Fiona nodded back at her.
If guests were to arrive uninvited at someone else’s home in England, it would be a terrible faux pas.
It was simply not done. Arranging visits involved sending invitations and exchanging communications between the parties.
Still, Rose had to admit to herself that this method of visitation seemed much more straightforward.
But how would the keep prepare to house and feed their new guests? Would that not cause an awful strain on the household staff?
“It is, me Lady. At the keep, ye must always be prepared for a ‘full house’ of sorts. MacKay Castle is always open and welcome to all members of the clan and our dearest friends. Hospitality, mistress. It is the core of a Highland home.”
“I see.” Rose nodded, still a bit taken aback.
Raucous laughter interrupted her thoughts, however, and she turned her attention to her husband and the two new men standing with him. They were just as robust and intimidating as Dominik, a Highlander trait apparently, but that was where the similarities ended.
The one on Dominik’s right was slightly shorter than he was, with a head of bright copper hair and crystal blue eyes.
He smiled and playfully nudged the others, this air of vibrance and humor about him.
The other looked decidedly annoyed by the man’s constant elbowing and jesting, his dark eyes severe and his expression serious to a fault.
Noticing her at last, the three men all raised their brows, and the guests quickly made their way to her, Dominik trailing along behind them as he rolled his eyes.
“So, this is the English lass our stern Dominik has roped into marrying him.” The man approached her, offering a slight bow of his head before raking his gaze over her so thoroughly that Rose worried he could see straight through to her shift.
“Quite a sight, I will say. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, me Lady. I am Ashton Devlin, Laird O’Neill. ”
He took her hand, kissing her knuckles rather intimately, and Dominik was quick to pull him away playfully by the scruff. Rose was undoubtedly shocked, but the boyish glares they traded back and forth pulled a laugh from her.
“That’s quite enough, Ashton. Ye’ll be keeping yer distance.” Dominik covertly changed positions, coming to stand beside her. “I’ll nae be having me wife tarnished by the Rogue of O’Neill.”
Oh my.
Rose put a hand to her chest, ducking her head. “Pleasure to meet you. I am Rose, though I imagine that the Laird has already informed you of that.”
“Indeed, he did, lass.” There was no avoiding the shameless flirtation of Ashton’s tone, and Rose looked to Dominik. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he leaned back a hair. When he narrowed his stare on Ashton once more, the man laughed, clapping a hand down on the Laird’s shoulder.
“Och, to see ye make such faces brings light to every dark cloud today. It is simply too enjoyable to needle ye so.”
Rolling her lips between her teeth, Rose fought back a giggle. It was so strange to see the Laird like this. Dominik had been argumentative and rather closed off since they met. This side of him, the way his friend took such fun in jesting with him, was new and…delightful.
It’s almost as if this is the real him.
“Ye’ve just met the woman, for Christ’s sake. Can ye nae keep that trap shut for even a moment?”
Rose’s attention went to the other man who’d arrived with Ashton.
He stood slightly behind him, reaching taller than even Dominik.
With him so near, Rose had to stifle a shiver.
He gave off such a stern air about him that she felt a bit nervous.
It didn’t help his case that he had also used his first words to chastise his friend.
Everything about this other man, who was probably a Laird like his friends, spoke of harshness and rigidity.
“Rose, this is Odhran Milligan, Laird McCallum.” She curtsied despite being told it was not necessary as her husband introduced the man, feeling her heartbeat in her throat. “Daenae fash over his grim attitude. He is like that to everyone, I’m afraid.”
Again, she was surprised that the men so easily ribbed each other, tossing about comments that would potentially be an act of war if anyone else were to say them.
Still, she could not miss the way Odhran eyed her.
He leveled her so fiercely with that glare that she wanted to shrink away and never be seen.
“And this is yer English bride, Dominik? She’s managed nae to faint already. Ye must be so pleased.”
So that was it. Odhran did not like her because she was English.
That was a common trait among many in the clan, but as she said to Fiona and Eilidh, she would do everything in her power to learn about their culture and earn their respect.
Rose would just have to endure the man’s words until she’d earned it from him as well.
“Och, such a crabbit bastard, Odhran. Ye’ll send the poor thing back to England, and we will lose such a lovely sight in these bleak Scottish Highlands.”
A laugh did break free at that, and Rose covered her mouth, Dominik fuming beside her.
“I have a feeling, my laird,” she turned to him, patting the top of his arm where he rested it on his belt, “that your friend is doing this solely to get a rise out of you. You are quite an easy mark, it would seem.”
Ashton laughed, and even Odhran raised his brows. When Dominik turned her way, Rose smiled, narrowing her eyes like he had with his friend. If the custom was to poke fun at each other, she could certainly learn that skill quickly enough.
“The canny woman indeed,” Dominik whispered, matching her energy. “Ye’ll do just fine with these gowks, wife.”
“And look upon the Laird’s face!” Ashton leaned forward, driving his elbow into Dominik’s ribs jokingly. “A smile? Nay, it couldnae be such a thing. On Laird MacKay? Why, the angels have smiled on us indeed.”
Dominik shoved back at Ashton, and they all laughed, even Odhran.
In fact, Eilidh and Fiona laughed at the display as they watched from a few steps away.
The hall suddenly felt warm and relaxed, and it truly was a wonder to see her husband like this.
He was a different man when his friends were around, and she indeed enjoyed this side of him, the boyish playfulness compared to his stern behavior most of the time.
“But so sudden a marriage,” Ashton added. “Ye dinnae even inform us before ye left. Was there even a proper handfasting in that English church, or has the Laird sacrificed all his customs to appease his council of crusty auld men?”
“There was, in fact, a handfasting!” Dominik shot back, jabbing a finger at Ashton while trying to hide a grin. “I was able to have our customs and appease the council. Finally.”
At the last word, they both burst into laughter, clapping each other on the back while Odhran grumbled to himself, saying, “Why did ye drag me into all this nonsense? I was content in me keep, I assure ye.”
Seeing the man so grumpy in the face of all the laughter was, unfortunately, humorous, and Rose giggled as she did her best not to make eye contact with him. He was in as sour a mood today as Peggy seemed. The two of them would make quite the pair.
“I feel as though I should meet this council that you were so keen on appeasing, husband.” Rose’s voice yanked the attention of the group toward her, but she didn’t let the nerves get the best of her.
“If it was such a task to find a bride for you, they may not believe I am indeed real without seeing me with their own eyes.”
There was a pause, and then Ashton barked out a laugh that rocked the room, looking to Dominik and enjoying his suffering far too much. Odhran, to his credit, grinned, cocking his head as if it was indeed challenging for her husband to find a match.
“Och, ye—” Dominik stopped himself, glaring down at Rose, with a grin lifting the corner of his mouth. “I shall have words with ye about that, just ye wait.”
Rose laughed, Ashton patting her on the back.
In a few moments, all of them, even Eilidh and Fiona, scuttled toward the Great Hall to allow their guests a chance to sit and refresh themselves.
The conversation went on, joking with each other, lobbing ribbing barbs in good fun this way and that.
It was a joy to see such exuberance in her husband, and despite how much she was still nervous about what lay ahead, Rose found herself relaxing.
In fact, this side of Dominik made her heart flutter, and for the first time since she’d arrived, Rose wished to remain with him—with them all in this friendly group—until the wee hours of the morning.
Going to her chambers early was increasingly unappealing, and that felt wonderful.