Chapter Twenty-Nine
Meg
“How long will it take us to ride to Drimnin?”
Lennox leaned back, staring up at the gray sky. “Probably a full day’s ride, but since we’ve lost half the day, we’ll probably have to sleep under the stars. Are you up for it, lass? I swear on my honor I’ll not hurt you or do anything I should not.”
“I have no problem sleeping under the stars. I slept on the ground, in a cave, and in a locked dirty chamber with four bairns.”
“And your preference?”
“I think the cave because it was raining.” She took in the beauty of the landscape as they traveled, the greenery of the thick woodlands surrounding the path her favorite, though she could see the sea in the distance. “Lennox, may I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” he said, moving his horse abreast of hers as they cantered along the path.
“Is my reputation ruined because we’ve been seen alone? I don’t know much about those types of rules, but I think I should learn.” She glanced over at him in time to see the tension in his jawline.
“In usual circumstances, I would say aye. I didn’t introduce you, so in the village, they probably assumed you were my wife. My guess is you have naught to worry about there. At MacKinnis Castle, I would say aye. Isaac is unlikely to say anything, but Angus took in that you were not my wife, because he knows I’m unmarried.”
“You should have warned me before we left,” she said, her lips pursed as she stared straight ahead.
“I tried to, though I’ll admit not in the best way, but when I said you should not be rowing alone, it was intended as part of that thought. A single woman does not go anywhere alone, but with an older female escort or with her parents. I don’t qualify as either. Now, I will say this—our rules are not as strict as in London, so you’ll not be ostracized by anyone, but mostly because who will know? You do not live on Morvern, so no one will recognize you.”
She considered his words, wondering exactly what she wished to do with her life, especially as it had changed so.
As if reading her mind, Lennox asked, “What do you wish to do with your life, Meg? What are your hopes and dreams?”
She thought of how she’d gone from a time of sheer happiness when her mother was alive, the days with her mother and sister the fondest memories she had, only to lose the most precious part of her family, and then several years later to lose her life’s blood when Tamsin left. It certainly had felt as though she’d lost her only friend.
Her time with her father had been one of drudgery, the work hard with few rewards, and the hope of a different life impossible. There were no lads in the small village where they lived, only lasses.
But then the baron had come, promising to turn her life upside down in a day, and she’d run. She’d run as though ten boars had been chasing her. How lucky she was that nothing untoward had happened to her, but she’d had no idea of the possible harm that could have been lurking along the way.
She’d surely learned differently at the kirk. In a single day, she’d had a wee bit of hope at nearing the sea, then faced the grim reality of being taken prisoner to care for four bairns. The next day she’d turned sickly and eventually cast into the middle of an isle of so many clans and strangers that her head had spun from the first light until the last.
But much good had come from her adventures because what sprang from being among the Granthams and the MacVeys—of getting to know Magni, Lia, Rowan, and Tora—was the hope of a better life. Could it happen for her?
“I imagine you are confused by all your experiences. Have they changed your dreams at all?”
She cleared her throat, organizing her thoughts before she spoke. “Aye. After leaving my sire’s place, even though it was certainly a challenge, I have more hope than ever before. The hope of happiness in my life.
“When Tamsin and I were young, our mother made simple chores fun. We would see who could roll a pea across the table the fastest after shucking or see whose clothes would come out the cleanest. We would play tag in the village with the other lasses, but once we lost our mother, the fun left with her.
“I have hope now that someday I could marry someone who would respect me, then have bairns of our own, and still visit with my sister. I’m excited about the prospect of being an aunt to Alana, but I also recognize that I don’t know enough about lads to know how to go about attracting one. But I surely hope that the baron does not come for me. I will not do anything with that man. I don’t like feeling helpless.” She paused then said, “Enough about me. Your turn, Lennox. What are your dreams?”
“Dreams? I can’t say that I have any. Hopes, mayhap, but they seem to be dashing away as I grow older.” He glanced over at her, something he did often, as if to check on her.
She didn’t mind at all. He was an attractive man who she knew would protect her. Even though he had become stubborn and bossy, she still trusted him. She liked Lennox, and it wasn’t the kind of like she had for her sister or for the bairns.
The way she felt about Lennox was completely different from anything she’d experienced before. How she wished her sister were here, but she would find her once they found Lia.
Lennox continued, “My sire called me in when he was near death, and he made me promise to be responsible, to protect and take care of my mother and my siblings, the clan, and to marry and have heirs so that MacVey land stayed in MacVey hands. I guess my hopes are that I’ve made my sire proud for how I’ve run the clan. That someday I’ll meet him again, and he’ll tell me he’s proud of me. But my mother feels I’m failing him, and she reminds me of it too often.”
“How have you failed him? You have a beautiful home and fine clan members. I’ve met your brother and sister, and they are both happy.”
“My mother constantly reminds me that I have one more obligation—to marry and have heirs. She thinks I’m ignoring that part of our legacy.”
“May I be so bold as to ask how many summers you are?”
“Seven and twenty. And you, lass?”
“Seven and ten. So why have you not married? You are a chieftain. Are there not many lasses who would wish to marry you?”
He glanced over at her with a smirk, a devilish, lopsided smile that she liked. It was distinctly Lennox. “There are many who have asked, or should I say, their sires have proposed a betrothal.”
“But?”
“They don’t suit me.” He took in the clouds changing overhead. “We’re nearly at the coastline. You’ll enjoy the view when we travel alongside it.”
“And we turn that way?” she asked, pointing to the right.
“Aye, verra good. You like maps?”
“I do. I find them interesting and challenging. I hope to learn more so I always know which way to go. So if I were to leave your castle, I would know which way is Clan Rankin and Clan Grantham and Clan MacQuarie. How to get to the ferry. Am I being too simple for you?” she asked honestly. These were all new concepts to her after never having lived on an island.
“Not simple, Meg. Inquisitive. The sign of a strong mind.”
She accepted that as a compliment so asked no more about it. “And your betrothed? What are you looking for?” This was sheer curiosity on her part because she had no idea what men valued in women, besides the baron’s requirements—the ability to bear heirs. Though she had to admit that she still didn’t understand exactly how that worked. How did one end up with a bairn in their belly? And how did it get out? She and Tamsin had guessed and giggled, talked to the other lasses in the village, but nothing had been confirmed. One lass who had raised two brothers had given them a vivid description of a lad’s private parts, something that had made her wriggle her nose.
They reached the big bend in the path, heading down a line parallel to the shore, the sea breeze as sweet as anything. Meg tipped her head back to take in the sea air just in time to catch a huge bird flying overhead. “Look! What is it?”
“Och, that is a fine golden eagle. We have many over Mull and Morvern. Puffins and warblers too. Otters, deer, pheasants. And I hope that on our way back, you might see some dolphins in the sound. They are frequent visitors.”
“What’s a dolphin?”