Chapter 8
Kate managed to move away from the festivities and grabbed herself a pitcher and some ale.
The drinks had been cooled in the cellar, and had a very relaxing feel on her tongue.
She swallowed and allowed herself to relax.
As much as she did not trust the McDonalds, the fact that the Lady Grear had done this for them was more than Kate could even make sense of.
She had treated them with a kindness, one which she could not question, and so for the first time since she came to the estate, Kate found herself relaxing.
Three men who were most certainly drunk began a song, beating their boots to the floor to make a beat while they sang groggily at the top of their voices.
Kate smiled as she knew the lyrics to the song, as it was a Puirt-à-beul which her mother and father had sang often when they lived.
Tunes from the mouth, that was what they were called.
It had a steady rhythm, and spoke about the success and glory of the McDonald house, replacing the names of Kate’s grandfather with Reuben and his father.
Kate shook her head, knowing that she would not allow her emotions to stop her from having some fun.
Looking around at her sisters, she saw that they were having fun, and even Freya who was the most reserved seemed to laugh at something which Willow had said.
They looked so comfortable, and at home.
She made a promise to herself to thank Lady Grear for the feast, and to do her best to repay her for the comfort and shelter which she had given to them.
“Aye, ye cannae walk and yer tryin’ to dance? This bampot is pished to shite!” A man laughed, raising the hand of his friend who was so drunk, Kate was certain he would throw up soon.
“Even drunk…still…still a better dancer than ye!” the man shot back and joined a few other women who had begun to dance in the crowd.
Kate watched with a smile on her face. The people in the room were not just from clans, the servants had also dressed in their best, and had come out to be a part of the feast. They helped with the wine and ale, but they were having just as much fun as anybody.
Back in the McGowan estate, such a thing was unheard of.
A servant seen enjoying the music would receive a beating, or at worst, would lose their place in the estate.
But here, despite all of the bad things which was said about the McDonald’s from the outside, Kate was beginning to see that it was all rumor, and effort to slander the house in the eyes of others.
They were the best of the best, and Kate could see why it could be called a home.
“Bet ’cha won’t know my name off the top of yer pretty little head, nae?” a man behind Kate asked.
“Nae, I’m sorry.” Kate replied.
“It’s alright,” said the man. He extended a right arm to shake her, and she took it. He brought the back of her palm up to his lips slowly and kissed it. “I’m Sir Mylo, house of Stewart.”
Kate raised an eyebrow, wondering if the man was actually British. His accent was purely Scottish, but his house name told a different story. Kate flashed a smile and took her hand back before bowing slightly, “Lilias, house of Saundra.”
The man smiled wildly, his scruffy beard moved along his jawline and he rubbed his face with an open palm. “Ye got a beautiful name. Guess it ought to be that way, since yer a beautiful woman.”
“Aye, thank ye.” Kate replied and turned around, “Excuse me.”
As she made to walk away, Mylo grabbed her, “Nae, wait a moment. Would ye like to dance with me, Lilias?”
Kate began shaking her head, but just behind Mylo, she spotted Freya with a big smile on her face, nodding at her with glee. Freya knew that Kate would refuse, and she was already pleading with her to agree to the dance. With a huff, Kate took Mylo’s hand.
“Aye, I’d be glad to.”
Both moved out to the space where the dancing happened, locking elbows and dancing in tune to the beat.
They kept light on their feet, moving back and forth and swaying to the tunes.
Kate laughed as she realized that it was the first time she was dancing out in public like that.
In the McGowan house, there was music, but never any dancing, and while Kate had seen people dance in the town, she had never tried for herself. But as she moved now, she felt free.
The sound of the men humming and singing in unison filled her ears, and someone played a flute in the background, guiding the singers.
Her shoes bounced off the floor, and soon she was controlled by the music.
Mylo was great as well. He matched her every move, dancing wildly and moving to the rhythm.
They switched places and jumped close to each other, before taking steps back.
He grabbed her hands and spun around for a bit, before stopping and spinning back in the opposite direction.
Freya let out a shrill cry of joy, and Willow followed with some hooting noises.
The Lady Grear cheered them on, saying something which Kate did not hear, but with a single look at her, she could tell that she was happy.
A bunch of others joined in, dancing as well, and soon, half the room was moving to the music, with shouts and ululations filling the air.
Mylo grabbed Kate by her hips and pulled her close.
“Lilias, yer the most beautiful woman I ever set my eyes on.” Mylo began.
“Yer just saying that,” Kate replied, speaking over the sound of the music.
Mylo crossed his eyes and stared at her, “Nae really. It’s hard to set my eyes on anyone else.”
Kate laughed, and Mylo grabbed her hand and twirled her. As she spun, she moved away from him and bumped into someone with a laugh. Kate began apologizing as she pushed herself away from the person, and realized just how muscular the body of the person was.
Kate looked up and realized that she was right in front of Reuben, and he had a somber expression on his face. For a moment, she saw the lights of the candles spread out in his eyes, and the rage in his eyes told her that they were directed at her.
Mylo reached for Kate from behind, but Reuben pulled her towards him, out of reach of Mylo and turned to him, “I need to borrow her for a wee bit.”
Mylo barely had a chance to respond as Reuben whisked her away from him. For a moment, Reuben tried dancing, but he was simply unable to. Kate looked up at him, frowning as well, “Why would ye do that? Do ye nae ken I was dancin’ with someone?”
“I do, but I daenae like it.”
A loud crash beside them drew their attention, and Kate saw that the man who had been making fun of his friend for being drunk had fallen over, drunk.
She laughed, swaying back and forth with the music again.
Reuben grabbed her, pulling her close. For a moment, she struggled, trying to get out of his grasp, but he held her tight, not letting go of her.
Kate started to verbally object, looking up at his face.
As their eyes met, Kate was shocked by just how close their faces were.
She stared at him, her eyes threatening to drift towards his lips.
Reuben stared back, his anger melting away as he realized just how close they were.
He could perceive her lavender perfume, and it felt intoxicating to him.
He stared down at her lips, daring him to kiss them.
He wanted to, he wanted her, but he knew she did not feel the same way, and seeing her with Mylo had made him incredibly upset.
Holding on to each other, they moved back and forth slowly, as though dancing to the music, but with as little effort as possible. Kate swallowed before she spoke.
“Why are ye holding me? Let me go.”
“So ye can go back to him?”
“What is it to ye?” Kate asked. “Ye cannae handle me dancin’ with someone else?”
“That’s not it,” Reuben replied, unable to hide his lie.
Kate raised an eyebrow and looked him right in the eye, causing him to look away for a moment. “Laird McDonald, dare I ask if ye’re jealous?”
“Of what? Mylo? Nae!”
“So why are you bothered that I was dancin’ with him?”
“Because he’s not fit for ye,” Reuben replied, trying his best to swing Kate around. She grabbed his arms and led him as they continued to dance, letting him move his arms and legs as she directed.
“So ye care about me?” Kate asked with a wink.
Realizing what she was about to do, Reuben shook his head. “Nae, nae. That’s nae what this is about and ye ken.”
Seeing the reaction it had on him, Kate decided to push it as far as she could. She did not like the man, but he seemed to be bumbling just as any other man in his position would, and if there was one thing Kate knew how to do, it was getting the truth out of people.
“So ye daenae care about me then,” said Kate.
“That’s nae what I said.”
Kate let go of him and moved towards the table, causing Reuben to go after her.
As he walked up next to her, she stopped and began dancing again.
Reuben was forced to get back into it again, and Kate chuckled, enjoying the fact that she had the controlling foot.
She could make the Laird do what she wanted at that point, as long as she took the lead, he was going to follow, as he wanted to look good in front of the guests.
“What is it then? Am I lackin’ somethin’?
“If there be anyone lackin’, it’d be Mylo.”
Kate laughed, throwing her head backwards so he would catch her.
Reuben did, and just in the nick of time as well.
He pulled her in, and Kate looked him in the eyes again, hitting the Laird with the scent of lavender.
“Yer just jealous cause he is a better dancer than ye. That’s got to be it.
Or because everyone liked seeing us both together. ”
“Kate, that is not it. He is just no good for ye, trust me on this one.”
“Don’t call me Kate.” Kate replied.
“Nae? Thought ye didn’t want Katherine, now ye don’t want Kate?” Reuben asked, puzzled.
“Lilias, the name ye maither introduced me by. Call me that.”
Reuben shook his head, not caring much about that. He was more interested in the conversation which Mylo had Kate. “I saw ye laughing at something he said. What did he say to ye?”
Kate raised an eyebrow, “If ye say ye aren’t jealous, yer doing a real bad job at hiding it.”
“He’s just a bad fit for ye, I said this before.” Reuben replied.
“And I can pick out what I would like myself, Laird McDonald, I know what I’d like, so thank you for lookin’ out, but I got this.”
She turned to leave, but Reuben grabbed her. Freya and Willow began edging closer, looking to help their sister. Kate grabbed Reuben’s arm and yanked it off her body, knowing that she did not need him to tell her what was best for her.
“Laird McDonald, I can make choices for myself.”
“Yer too young and na?ve to know what is best for ye, so listen to me,” Reuben replied.
Kate froze and stared at him, feeling her blood boil in her veins. Locking eyes with him, she asked, “Was I too young when ye killed my parents?”
A few people around them, along with Kate’s sisters heard what she had said, and they all stopped at the same time, staring at the couple as they argued.
Reuben opened his mouth to speak, but the words refused to come.
He was still holding her, and felt as though he would break her with a single motion, and so he let go, trying to drive his anger elsewhere. But he could not.
“How dare ye speak to me like that?” Reuben asked, barely able to hold himself back. Hudson appeared behind him, grabbing Reuben’s arm. But Hudson was a little drunk as well, and so he had difficulty keeping up with Reuben.
Kate stared back at him, not willing to back down.
She had been insulted, and she fired back, and with the look on his face, she could tell that it had hurt and she loved it.
Reuben turned around and marched off, with Hudson following quickly behind him.
Lady Grear rose from the table and cast a look at Kate, shaking her head in disapproval.
Kate turned around to see her sisters gathering beside her.
She saw the look of concern and confusion on their faces, and she realized that they had heard her.
They had found out who was responsible for their father’s death, and the fact that Kate knew was something which she could not explain with ease.
Freya stared at her sister, and with her eyes, she asked Kate for an explanation, but Kate dropped her shoulders.
She had none, there was nothing which she could say that could take back what had already been said.
“Tell me it’s not true,” said Willow as she got close enough for Kate to hear. The fact that the music was still in full swing felt almost comical. Kate saw that the lives of her sisters had been shattered, and yet the music seemed to dull down the somber moment which they were all sharing.
“Kate, you knew?” Freya asked, her eyes beginning to water.
“I’m sorry.” Kate replied. “I’m sorry, I was the oldest and the only one who they could explain to. You were all children, and I want…”
“Yet you brought us here, Kate. You brought us here.”
Kate watched as her sisters walked away.