Chapter Ten
Taskill
Taskill, near the stables, conversed with two lasses as distant thunder rumbled.
He’d taken his time going inside because he feared a confrontation with Dermot again.
The last thing he wished for was to be a spectacle in front of everyone at the festival.
If Dermot got enough amber liquid inside him, he’d definitely be calmer.
One said, “Why have you not chosen a bride yet, my lord MacVey? You surely are a handsome one.”
“You know my name, but I don’t know you. Where are you from?”
“We came along with Chief Rankin. We helped in the kitchens all day, but they no longer require our assistance.”
“I like the color of your hair,” one said.
“But I like your strong shoulders. You must work hard in the lists.”
“I do. It’s been lovely chatting with you, but I’m going to head inside. I heard the food is wonderful. It probably is if you both made the tarts.”
The two giggled and blushed. “We did. I hope you like them.”
One serving girl’s hand lingered on his arm. “You could escort us home, Taskill MacVey. I’ve a warm hearth waiting.”
Once, he might have accepted. Anything to forget the ache in his chest, the loneliness that followed him like a shadow.
But that was before Dermot’s announcement. Before he’d seen Sheona’s face go white. Before he’d remembered what it felt like to want something—someone—he could never have.
“Not tonight, lass.” He gently removed her hand. “But I thank you for the offer.”
Someone flew out of the keep. Brian MacQuarie came directly to him. “Taskill, they’re looking for you inside.”
“Who is?” Taskill asked, stepping away from the lasses and moving Brian from their prying ears.
“Logan. Hagen took a stroll with Sheona, and when they came back inside, Dermot demanded he marry her. Then Connor got involved, and then Logan. It is a wild melee, and I just saw your mother going over to argue with Dermot. It’s kind of entertaining to watch them all battle so.”
“Shite.” He moved toward the door, and though he hated confrontations of any kind, he needed to be inside. “My thanks, Brian. I’ll go see.”
Brian grabbed his arm. “Wait. Are you betrothed to Sheona?”
“Nay. Dermot is trying to force it, but neither of us is ready for marriage.”
Brian lowered his voice. “So, Sheona is available? She’s surely a pretty thing.”
“Sheona is a wonderful person. I’ve known her all my life, and I guess that’s why we aren’t interested at the moment. Too familiar, I think. We played together when we were younger.”
“Well, you’d have to be able to tolerate her sire, but he won’t be around forever. And besides, she’d move out of Dun Ara, would she not?”
“She probably would. If you’re interested, Brian, then make sure you visit with her this eve.” The two headed toward the door just as his brother exited, his mother’s voice louder than the others.
“He deserved it, Lennox. Taskill, there you are. Where the hell have you been?” Then she stared up at the sky. “Is it going to rain, because I’ll not go home in the rain.”
“Mama, we’ll go to the stables and see. I think this is going to pass right over. The thunder is in the distance.”
The two lasses giggled as they passed them.
“Taskill, I know where you’ve been, or should I say with whom.” His mother gave him that look of derision he knew so well as she tossed her head toward the two serving girls.
“I chatted with many people, Mama. I just finished a conversation with Brian. Now what happened?”
Lennox said, “I’m taking her home as soon as this storm passes. Go find Sheona, and once Dermot is gone, find a private place to calm her down. It was not pretty, but it gave everyone much to talk about for a while. She can tell you all.”
Taskill scratched the bit of scruff that was his beard but then moved along, glad to get away from his mother’s accusations. Once inside, he saw Sloan and Ingelram leading Dermot out the door, so he held it for them. Sloan said, “Da, not a word to him.”
“He could have stopped it all if he’d done what he was supposed to do,” Dermot said, glaring at Taskill.
“I’m sorry, Chief, but I don’t know what I could have stopped.”
“Ignore him. Go in the keep, Taskill.”
Taskill went in and headed for the table with a tray of fragrant meat pies, but his ears couldn’t ignore all that was being whispered as he passed.
“Did you see her hit him?”
“I thought he was going to punch her.”
“I thought Connor was about to put his fist in his face.”
“Logan was about to hang him by his bollocks.”
Taskill turned around to listen, but his gaze caught Connor escorting Sheona into the solar, so he followed.
“Sheona?” he asked as soon as he stepped inside. “What happened?” He looked at Connor, who answered him.
“Dermot got excited and did some bellowing. Sheona’s going to sit in here for a bit. All the excitement will settle down shortly.”
Taskill looked at her, noticed the tears misting her eyes, the clench in her fist held up to her mouth, the tremble in her lower lip. “Was it about me? Did I do something wrong?”
“Nay,” Connor replied. “I’m going to speak with Logan. I’ll be right back. Sheona, do you mind if Taskill stays for a bit? You can update him on what happened.”
She nodded. “As long as Da is gone.”
“He’s gone. I’ll return soon.” Connor left and closed the door.
“What happened?”
Sheona stared up at him, her eyes glazed with tears that were about to fall, and all he wished to do was hold her.
“Da.” Her voice hitched. “Hagen. He invited me for a stroll in the courtyard, and when we returned, Da demanded he marry me on the morrow.”
“What? Why?” He moved closer and massaged her shoulder a bit, hoping to comfort her. Honestly, he’d never had such a powerful gut reaction to someone. All he wished to do was wrap his arms around her and hold her until her tears were spent.
What the hell was wrong with him?
“Because Hagen didn’t ask for his permission.
Da was yelling and screaming and hollering.
Told Hagen he had to marry me, so Connor jumped up and defended him.
Said that all Grants chose their own spouses, and Hagen wouldn’t be forced.
Then Logan came down and bellowed too. All three of them were hollering … ”
“And that’s when my name got into it.”
“Aye, Logan said he thought you and I … were … betrothed.”
Then her tears fell hard, and Taskill did what he was compelled to do, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Hell, but he’d always wished to protect Sheona, and the instinct was still there.
She stepped back enough to finish. “And then your mother heard your name and pushed Connor and Logan out of the way and started yelling at my sire, who told her to be quiet because she was a woman … or to stay out of men’s business. Something like that.”
“Oh, that wouldn’t go over well.” Then Taskill grinned because Sheona smirked. “What happened? Tell me, please.”
“Your mother slapped my father.” She began to giggle, and Taskill chuckled. “And she said something like just because she didn’t have a piece of meat dangling between her legs didn’t mean she didn’t have a brain.”
Taskill guffawed. “How did I miss that? What the hell! And what did your father do? I doubt he took it lightly.”
She swiped the tears away with a linen square Connor had given her. “He was stunned. He stared at her and said, ‘You hit me.’”
“Oh, I can only guess what my mother’s response to that was.” Taskill berated himself for staying outside. “Let me guess. Did she hit him again?” He wished he’d seen the situation as it unfolded. They’d be talking about this for many moons.
Sheona shook her head. “She said she’d hit him again if he didn’t stop. That was when Sloan pulled him back, and Lennox came over and pulled your mother away, but not before she tried to kick my father.”
Taskill closed his eyes. “Hellfire. No wonder everyone was whispering. I’m sorry, lass.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. Da says I have two days to decide, or he’ll take me to Iona Abbey and the nunnery.”
“Truly? The nunnery? Do you wish to be a nun?”
“Taskill, I’m so confused. I liked Hagen, but I’m sure he’ll not come near me again. I have no idea what I should do with my life.”
Taskill pulled a second dry linen square out of the desk and said, “Here. We’ll get your tears cleaned up, and we’ll go back out there and enjoy the festival.
There’s no reason for you to hide. It sounds like you did naught wrong.
Go out with your head held high. I’m sure everyone understands the awkward position you were put in.
I’ll go with you, and we can present a united front.
It sounds like Meg is probably still here, and Eva too.
I’ll lead you over to the hearth, and you can sit for a moment.
I’ll find you a fruit tart and a goblet of wine.
Then you can relax and forget about it. With both of our parents gone, there will be no more trouble. I’m certain of it.”
He dried the tears on her cheeks the best he could, then smiled.
She whispered, “I’ve soaked two linen squares.”
“That’s naught to be embarrassed about. I should be embarrassed over my mother’s behavior, but she’s been like that for a long time. Everything she does is out of love. She’s as protective of her bairns as a wild boar. Your da is the same. You’ll be laughing about it on the morrow.”
She nodded and smiled. “You’re probably right.”
The door opened, and Connor stepped inside. “They’re both gone, so you can come out and mingle. The meat is being served. Come enjoy yourselves.”
“I’ll escort her, Chief.”
Connor nodded and the two left, stepping into the crowd. A few stared but then everyone turned back to the food and the other guests.
Taskill said, “I see Eva and Meg over there and an open seat next to them.”
“I would love to sit with them.” He escorted Sheona to a chair next to Eva, then turned about, hoping to get other opinions on what had happened. He saw Tristan first, so he approached, though he had two of his men with him.
“Greetings, Tristan.”
“Taskill. I brought two of my best guards with me, Percival and Roger. They’ve been with Clan MacLean for many years. They’re heading back outside once they get themselves a meat pie. You know the Grant pies are the best.”
“Greetings to you,” Taskill offered the two. Percival appeared much older than Roger. “You have quite a few men working with you now, do you not?”
“Aye, after all the trouble here, my uncle sent another ten, so we are around twenty now. We are nearly done with the tower in time for winter. The stable is completed for the horses, and the wall is nearly finished.”
“You’ll be glad for the protection being so close to the sea there.
Tell me, Tristan. I was outside and missed the excitement.
What actually happened?” He wished to hear it from another perspective.
Percival and Roger made their way over to the sideboard and then headed out the door, chuckling along the way.
Tristan said, “Do you mean the battle of the elders?”
Taskill nodded, moving his hand to encourage Tristan to tell all.
“Dermot is a curmudgeon in his old age, but he wishes Sheona to marry quickly, apparently. Hagen was innocent, but he was nearly forced into marrying Sheona on the morrow. But …” He glanced over both shoulders before continuing.
“No one is going to make a Grant or a Ramsay do anything without Connor or Logan’s support.
” Then he grinned like a stable lad. “And your mother was the best of all.”
Taskill groaned but waited.
“Dermot insulted her for being female, and she slapped him so hard that it was nearly like she punched him. And then I thought she was going to belt him again, but Lennox got to her before she was able to.”
“I think I’m glad I wasn’t here.”
“Probably good that you weren’t. I was honestly hiding in the corner because I didn’t wish to get pulled into the ‘who’s eligible to marry Sheona’ battle. She’s a beauty, but I’m not ready yet. Too much work to do first.”
“I should have been here.” And all Taskill could wonder was why the hell had he stayed outside instead of coming in?
Was it truly because he wished to avoid confrontation or was he seeking something else?
Once he saw the lasses staring, he didn’t move away, and he could have.
Had he avoided coming inside just because two lasses had fallen over him?
Why did he persist in basking in all the compliments?
Tristan said, “I’m going for some food, Taskill. Relax.” He clasped his shoulder and disappeared.
Taskill scanned the hall, taking in all the people he knew and loved, while noticing all the unfamiliar faces.
Brian was with someone he didn’t recognize.
Alaric and Eli were with people he didn’t recognize but he guessed they were probably Grant men.
Maitland chatted with two others Taskill had never met.
Perhaps it was time for Taskill to stop listening to all the lasses and spend his time chatting with men. Though he heard it repeatedly, he still found it perplexing when someone praised his appearance. His vanity, he guessed. He loved hearing the kind words.
When he was younger, everyone fussed over Lennox. Everywhere they went people would fuss over the next chieftain, and their father’s chest would puff out, throwing all the compliments Lennox’s way.
And if Eva was around, their father fussed over her endlessly. Spoiled her, even.
In an odd way, Taskill guessed he was always waiting for someone to throw him a compliment, but it never happened. It was as if no one saw him. Not until he turned twenty summers did everything change and then all the lasses noticed him. That’s when the compliments began.
He’d been so shocked the first time that he thought they were teasing him. But the flattery never stopped, so neither did he. It wasn’t what everyone thought. He hadn’t bedded them all or even kissed them.
He just enjoyed the accolades.