Chapter 9
Even though they had made love on their wedding night, the night she had just spent being held by Finlay felt more like what she expected from a wedding night.
She felt connected to him, as though invisible strings were binding them together, and it now seemed as though their marriage was beginning in earnest. She felt more comfortable about her plans to improve the gardens, and now she was confident that Finlay did actually want her there rather than acting as though she was some kind of intruder.
However, when she awoke, she was alone again.
Finlay was clearly an early riser and didn’t see any sense in wasting one moment of daylight, but she had hoped he might be there to share the morning when she awoke.
It was no surprise to her that he had gone hunting again, and although she was disappointed, she tried not to allow it to get the best of her.
She remembered all that they had shared the previous night, and smiled.
Besides, she had her own errands to run as she needed to get some fabric from a seamstress in the village to fix the dress that had been torn.
She wrapped a shawl around her head once again and ventured out, a little afraid in case she might overhear some other pleasant conversations.
However, since Finlay didn’t seem too bothered about any of it, she decided she wasn’t going to let it bother her either.
She remembered how her father had sometimes complained about working for the laird when he was in a bad mood, but it didn’t mean that he was plotting treason.
No doubt those men simply wanted to get something off their chest, and she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to hear it.
This time, though, for the sake of her own peace of mind, she did avoid going to the tavern.
She went to the seamstress and enjoyed a pleasant interaction.
The seamstress was a kindly old woman, and her daughter helped her.
The younger girl was about Elspeth’s age and was rushing about in the back of the seamstress’s shop frantically, while the seamstress took her time in dealing with Elspeth.
“Ye’ll find nae better fabric in the region. I can tell ye that for sure.”
“I’ll be sure tae come back here whenever I need more fabric then,” Elspeth replied.
A thought struck her before she left that perhaps it might be wise to get the opinion of someone else who lived in the clan.
The seamstress did not recognize her; unlike in Kilin, it was clear that the whole clan had not been invited to the wedding.
“Could I ask ye a strange question? What dae ye make of the laird?”
“Oh, he’s fine. Keeps tae himself, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing.
The last thing we need is some laird tae come down and poke his nose intae our affairs.
We dinnae need tae fear anything from bandits while he’s here.
Merchants know that this is a safe place tae trade, and that’s good for business. Why dae ye ask?”
“Oh, nae reason,” Elspeth said, and continued on her way.
As she walked back to the castle, she stopped off to pick some more flowers, enjoying her time out in the open.
After seeing these flowers and the lake, she was beginning to realize that even though this place seemed grim at first, there was still beauty to be found, and she was going to try her hardest to bring this beauty out into the open.
It gave her hope that she could make this area into a nice home and feel as fondly about it as she did of Kilin.
The thought of walking along here with a child, picking flowers and teaching them to take joy in the gifts of nature as her own mother had done with her brought a smile to Elspeth’s face.
That was before the memories of the screams behind the closed door took hold in her mind.
She pushed the thoughts away and focused on picking the flowers.
The act was meditative, and so she didn’t know how long she had spent there, but there was a point when three shadows stretched beyond her.
Elspeth looked up and twisted her neck around to see three men standing there.
Her face paled as she recognized two of them from the tavern.
One was the brute Angus who had said so many bad things about her husband.
The other she recognized but did not know the name and the third one was unknown to her.
Elspeth dusted the soil off her hands and rose, clutching her basket.
“Dinnae ye worry, lass, ye dinnae need tae be startled. It’s just that it’s a rare sight tae see such a pretty wee thing out here.
Ye look a wee bit familiar. Dae I know ye?
I’m sure I dinnae know yer name, but yer face…
aye…there’s something about ye that I think I’ve seen before, but I dinnae know where. ”
Elspeth gulped. She wasn’t about to tell him that he must have recognized her from the tavern.
“I hae just arrived. I dinnae think ye know me.”
“Oh, ye are a newcomer? Well, welcome tae our humble village. Where are ye staying?” Angus asked.
Elspeth lifted her trembling hand and pointed to the castle.
Angus’s face darkened immediately. “Ah, our laird sees fit tae add another maid tae his ranks.” Angus scowled and ran his hand along his beard.
He turned to his companions. “I suppose we can expect our tithes tae rise again.” He turned his beady eyes back to Elspeth.
“Ye should be coming tae sweep round our homes seeing as how we’re the ones making it possible for him tae afford ye.
I suppose he needs another maid tae take care of his new wife.
Aye, what a life he leads. Tell me, lass, what is he like?
And what’s his new wife like? I pity the lass who haes tae share her bed with that brooding, selfish oaf! ” The other men laughed.
“I…I dinnae know! I hae only just arrived,” Elspeth said. She was too nervous to tell them that she was actually his wife. Knowing how they felt about Finlay, she wasn’t sure that would endear her to them or make any difference.
“Well, perhaps ye would be willing tae make a wee deal. I’m curious about what happens in the castle. Perhaps ye could keep an eye on things for me?” Angus arched an eyebrow and stroked his chin.
“I…I am only here temporarily!” Elspeth said. It was the first thing that came to her mind, and the only thing that seemed to make sense to get these men to leave her alone. She was about to try and leave when out of the trees, some guards from the castle appeared.
“What are ye daeing? Leave her alone,” one of them said gruffly.
Elspeth breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a few men she recognized from the castle.
Angus glowered and grumbled as he moved away with his two companions.
Elspeth fell in line with the guards and let them escort her back to the castle.
She was beginning to have second thoughts about going into town by herself, and she was glad when she was within the castle walls again as she knew that nothing bad was going to happen to her while she was there.
The guards said little to her as they escorted her back, although they did say that if she ever needed them to walk into town with her, they would be happy to oblige.
Elspeth thought more about taking them up on their offer as she went into the courtyard and began to plant different flowers around.
She wanted to give the place a burst of color before she started to hack away at the weeds and vines so she could get a hint of what she was working towards.
It helped to calm her shaking hands and to push away the memory of Angus’s angry gaze.
After this, she went into the castle and started to fix her dress.
It took her back to a time when she had darned clothes for Eoin and Lyle, and it reminded her that although she was in this new place with all these new people around her, she was still the same person she had always been.
She had always risen to challenges and taken care of herself and her family.
It was important for her to remember this going forward.
When she was almost done fixing her dress, she heard the door open and was delighted to see Finlay standing there.
She greeted him with a smile, but something seemed to have changed.
He looked at her with cold fury in his eyes.
His hands were balled into fists, and everything about him was rigid and tight.
The skin in between Elspeth’s eyes crinkled as she looked at him and wondered what was wrong.