Chapter 4 #3
She endeavored to make the best of the night. But she was tired – the baby took much out of her, and then Ailith’s wedding and her odd behavior of late. The lass hadn’t even remembered to get William a Lukenbooth! It was just one more thing that gave Mairi pause.
All of it weighed so heavily on her. She tried to smile and appear happy for her husband and good-sister by marriage, but all she wanted to do was go up to her chambers and sleep.
Or sleep as long as Morgan let her. He was not a settled night sleeper as of yet, and though Elsbet was there to help as much as she could, only Mairi could feed him, and that, too, was exacting a rough toll on her.
Even her nice russet kirtle, her favorite, was fitting loosely and needed the belt tightened another notch when she put it on.
Seocan had not cared for that at all.
“Mairi, mo chridhe, ye must eat more. I canna have the love of my heart wasting away to naught.” He had spoken the words lightly, but there was heft behind them. He was worried about her.
She flicked her gaze to her husband sitting beside her at the table, and the vision of him lifted her spirits a wee bit. This time, a different sigh escaped her lips.
How she loved that bearish, red-haired man.
Everything in her life was tied to him, as if their souls were entwined, and now they had a babe as a representation of that love.
A smiling, red-haired bairn that was so unmistakably Seocan’s.
That she might lose that man who was her whole world bit at her like a never-ending snake, piercing her to the depths of her being, and it seemed that each action Ailith took put all she held dear in danger.
Losing Seocan, losing her family, her life with him . . .
Nay. There was no greater fear, yet Mairi grappled with that fear daily, which did not help her health by any means.
And if she was not of sound enough mind to deal with Ailith and her peculiarities?
Well, she was a grown lass, ready for marriage, and Mairi had other concerns on her mind.
If only the lass helped her more with the weaving.
At least ‘twas one hobby that Mairi enjoyed and could easily take part in, yet this odd Ailith as of late would rather traipse around the highlands . . .
Then to have to sit at the head table with her sunken eyes and tired body and smile and greet all the visitors – Mairi wasn’t sure she would last much longer this night.
Until her weary eyes rested on the pale lass standing next to Eoghan. Betris Grant.
A sight for sore eyes!
Mairi’s childhood home, a manse near the edge of Gordon lands, was close to the Grant border and Betris’s home.
They had spent their childhood and young adult years together until Mairi moved to Glenbervie to wed Seocan.
Mairi hadn’t expected any Grants to attend the wedding, and here was Betris!
She was kin to William’s childhood friend? Such coincidences!
“Mairi! Och, I have no’ seen ye in years!”
Even Betris’s wavering voice made Mairi’s insides surge. Mairi leapt up and hugged her friend from across the main table.
“I am so pleased to see ye!” Mairi called out, her weariness and everyone else at the feast forgotten.
“I was no’ certain, but Eoghan said he would no’ miss it for the world, and since ye are Ailith’s sister-by-law, I knew I could no’ miss ye.”
“I am no’ to stay long this eve. My babe will need to eat soon. But come up here and join me for a spell. Your brother can do without ye for a while, aye?”
Betris was already walking around the raised table. “Och, he’d welcome it. All he wants to do is talk memories with William and drink.” Betris gave Ailith a side glance. “If he can get the man away from his red-headed betrothed.”
Betris spoke the truth, and Mairi laughed. “Aye, William is smitten with her. He has been since he was a lad.”
“A lad?” Betris asked. She pulled an armless chair away from the wall and drew it up to Mairi’s side, then leaned in close to Mairi to be heard over the din of the hall.
“Och, she has charmed him, I’ll bet, like that orange witch near Stonehaven.
Especially if he’s been smitten with her for so long. ”
“Charmed, aye. I’ve heard it as ensorcelled, enchanted, and enamored!” Mairi teased. “Oh, but we should all have a man who loves us with such passion, aye?”
At this, Mairi moved her hand so it touched Seocan, and without hesitation or breaking his attention on William, his hand covered hers and gripped it possessively.
Aye, they might not show it as publicly as William did with Ailith, but Seocan was just as enamored with her.
Every woman should have so passionate a love as the one William and Ailith showed each other.
As she had with Seocan.
Mairi glanced at her husband’s warm, protective hand and lifted her face back to Betris.
She caught Betris looking at Ailith, nay, glaring at her.
Was Betris tired, too? Or was she glaring at Ailith for another reason?
Jealousy? Perchance. Mairi knew many a lass jealous of Ailith and her marriage to William.
But this glare seemed different – something bubbled under Betris’s translucent skin. Anger? Animosity?
That was it. Betris’s glare held a measure of hostility in it. Why would that be?
Then Betris shifted and turned back to Mairi, and the look was gone as if it had never been there to begin with.
“Aye, I guess,” Betris admitted, “but he seems too enchanted, aye?”
Mairi cleared her throat, uncertain as to how to respond to Betris. With her free hand, she grasped Betris’s arm.
“Enough about that. What about ye? Have ye your own paramour yet?”
Though the conversation moved onto lighter topics, the dark expression on Betris’s face did not leave Mairi’s mind.
The night drew on long. A few more ribald guests had moved outside with their drink, and several couples danced near the piper and drummer, their feet pounding the stones in time to the music.
Ailith’s cheeks ached. William had escorted her around the hall for more greetings, more cheers with mead or wine, and even a short jig with the dancers. She was sweaty, tired, and wanted only to find her bed. William, on the other hand, looked as chipper as a jaybird at daybreak.
However, as they made their way back to the head table, he noticed her discomfort.
“Aye, a bit much for the night?” he asked in that tender, rumbling tone of his that made her heart flip-flop.
Ailith nodded.
“Let’s say good-eve to the head table, and we’ll retire to our chambers.”
Our chambers. Another flip-flop.
When they returned to the head table, Mairi had already departed, not that Ailith blamed her with the new bairn.
Most of the men had made their way to the lower tables to eat and drink.
Bernard was still at the head table, speaking with Robb and a smiling Ailbert, and William and Ailith bid them goodnight.
Just as they moved past the head table toward the hallway, Daniel, her brother’s right-hand man, found them. He raised a beefy hand to halt them.
“Ailith! William! I wanted to bid ye good evening.”
“Daniel, where have ye been? We did no’ see ye in the hall?”
A smirk crossed Daniel’s lips. “Och, with all these drunkards? I’ve been in the yard, keeping the peace.”
William and Ailith nodded in unison. “Smart thinking, that,” William commented.
Daniel’s eyebrows rose on his forehead. “Might I steal the lass from ye for just a moment?”
With a flair, William bowed and stepped toward the hall, giving Daniel and Ailith the privacy of the darkened archway.
“Is there a problem?” Ailith asked. Daniel was one of the few people who had ever seen her use her martial arts skills, and while he seemed impressed with her ability to defend herself, she was still in 900 CE, where women typically did not possess that skill set.
Was he choosing now to call her out on it? Question it?
He rested his bear-paw of a hand on her shoulder. “I know ye are marrying the warrior, lass, but that does no’ mean ye should stop whatever training ye have been doing to fight as ye do.”
Her heart caught in her chest. Not only did he not question it, he approved of it? Wanted her to continue? Oh, but her speculation about Daniel as an ally and friend was correct. Ailith relaxed her nerve-stiffened back.
“He is a braw man with a rare skill with a sword, and he will fight and kill anything that ‘tis a threat to ye. But he canna be by your side every moment of the day. And though the mad king is gone, those who would follow him are no’. The Highlands are just as dangerous as they ever were, especially for a lass. Do ye ken my meaning?”
Aye, did she understand! It wasn’t too different from the 21st century, only in the Highlands, the knives were bigger, and the guns were swords. And as a college history student, she knew the raw violence that gripped the Middle Ages.
She nodded and patted her hand on his. “Ye dinna have to worry about my training. I will no’ stop, no’ matter what anyone says.”
Daniel nodded once. “Aye. Dinna have a care for what others say about ye. ‘Twill always be loose and jealous tongues wagging. Ignore them, focus on ye and your man, and ye will have a bright future.”
Then he kissed her forehead like her father would have, and gave her a gentle shove back toward William. The brawny man filled the archway as he made his way back to the main hall to play security for the feast.
William stood behind her. “That man always did have a soft spot for ye. He was close kin to Father, and saw ye and your brothers as his own. He never had his own children, so ye filled that need.”
Ailith froze and felt horrible. She had never asked or inquired about Daniel, who he was it Ailith and her family, or anything about him! Och, keeping up the guise as Ailith was difficult! Hopefully, after this wedding, some of these aspects would ease.
They thought they had escaped everyone else and were free to head to their chambers when a shout abruptly stopped them.