Chapter Three #5
Seeing their eyes grow large with excitement, Mhàiri quickly spoke to halt the speedy direction of their thoughts.
“Laurel can change her mind right back then because I have no intentions of getting married. Laird McTiernay promised that he would send runners south to get word to my father of my situation and where I am. As soon as he arrives, I am leaving. I can imagine nothing worse than marrying a man and taking care of him, his home, and his children all my life.”
Aileen blinked. Mhàiri had just described her life, which she loved. “If you don’t want marriage, then what do you plan to do?”
“My father is a successful merchant and goes everywhere, seeing new sights and meeting interesting people. I cannot wait to travel with him once again. The priory was a safe environment and the Culdees are a wonderful group of people, but there has been no adventure in my life. Nothing exciting to look forward to. The past few years have made me realize I could never settle down, no matter how wonderful the place or the man. And believe it or not, Conan is the first man I have met who understood and supported my desire to remain unmarried.”
Aileen was about to say something when the doors swung open and a young girl with pale curly locks and gray eyes who was about the age of ten came running in.
“Miss Aileen! It’s Gideon! I told him and Braeden not to throw rocks at each other, but they never listen. And now he’s bleeding everywhere!”
Aileen took a deep breath and slowly let it go.
Mhàiri guessed this was a common occurrence from her lack of concern.
“Go tell him I’m coming, and make sure Braeden knows that I want to speak with him as well.
” She looked at Hagatha, who was already rising to her feet.
“If he’s bleeding, then I might need your help.
And, Maegan, don’t worry about the children tonight.
I’ll keep them with me and if Finn doesn’t like it, he can sleep with the soldiers.
It’s unlikely we will see Conor or Laurel until the morning. ”
Hagatha huffed. “Unlikely? It might be noon tomorrow before they emerge based on the look Conor had in his eye when he swept Laurel into his arms.”
“So, Maegan, would you help Mhàiri and ensure she is settled? Best tell Fiona about the situation as well. It would not be good if she were surprised.”
The doors opened again. This time it was Bonny. “Brenna told me to tell you to hurry. But you don’t really have to. He and Braeden are arguing over whose cut is the worst so it can’t be that bad.”
“Braeden is also injured?” Aileen asked crisply, more than a little perturbed.
Bonny nodded. “But it’s his arm, not like Gideon’s head, so it isn’t bleeding as much.”
“Good Lord,” Aileen muttered and followed the young girl out the door along with Hagatha, leaving Mhàiri and Maegan alone in the huge room.
“Thank goodness the boys got hurt,” Maegan murmured and then, realizing what she had said, rushed to explain.
“It’s just if Aileen and Hagatha were here much longer, there would have been no stopping them.
Now that they have decided that you and Conan like each other, those two are about to conspire and take over your lives. ”
“But . . . but I don’t like Conan!”
“Aye, you do,” Maegan stated flatly. “But it’s understandable. He’s good looking, and I’ve seen him charm many a woman.”
“Trust me when I say that Conan was not charming.”
“I believe you, but you can’t argue that he couldn’t take his eyes off you outside and you yourself stated that he was enjoyable to talk to.”
Mhàiri opened and closed her mouth several times before opting for closed. Denying the truth was senseless, just as much as denying that Maegan was one of those few people you met in life that you knew right away that you liked and could trust.
“I don’t like him, at least not in the way you are implying. Seriously, I don’t,” Mhàiri reiterated. Then she leaned in close and, in a whisper, added, “But I will admit to wondering what it would be like to kiss him.”
Maegan opened her mouth, then closed it into a thin line.
Her eyes narrowed and then, without saying a word, she stood up slowly and then ran to the servants’ entrance.
A second later, she reemerged, holding the arms of two little girls.
“Meet Brenna and Bonny. Lady McTiernay’s daughters and our clan’s most pervasive eavesdroppers. ”
Brenna squirmed, but Maegan held fast. “We didn’t hear anything, did we, Bonny?” she grumbled.
Bonny shook her head. “Only the part about Mhàiri wanting to kiss Uncle Conan.”
Brenna finally wriggled free and rushed to sit right beside Mhàiri. “We want to help. We like Uncle Conan, and it’s his turn to fall in love. Mama won’t help him so that leaves us,” she said proudly, pointing to herself and then her sister.
Mhàiri looked at Brenna and then Bonny, who had come to stand by her older sister. Their wide, innocent eyes looked at her with so much hope and unsuppressed excitement. Mhàiri let her head flop onto her arms that were crossed on the table. She closed her eyes.
“Papa,” she whispered, “you cannot get here soon enough.”
* * *
Conan laid in bed staring at the ceiling.
Once again, sleep was evading him, but not for the usual reasons.
He had always been attracted to pretty women.
The few truly smart females he had encountered had been either married to the church or to one of his brothers.
But even the prettiest of women had never created a physical need in him that kept him lying awake at night.
But then never could he remember a woman defending him. And that was what Mhàiri had done.
Maybe everyone else just is not comfortable with Conan, she had said.
Did Mhàiri really believe that? He had a feeling she did, for in the last few days he had come to know that she was almost as forthright as he was.
Mhàiri was not one to mince words to spare someone’s feelings, and she was uncommonly open and honest about her own.
She held nothing back and found it insulting when others did.
That was probably why she had interpreted Conor and Laurel’s fight as romantic.
Very few saw their squabbles as a declaration of love. He always had though, and when Mhàiri had told Maegan that a similar passion-filled relationship was the kind she desired as well, it had shaken him to his core. He could not stop thinking about it long enough to fall asleep.
Simply put, the combination of characteristics and opinions that made up Mhàiri Mayboill was so unusual, so unique, he had not believed someone like her existed.
It would have helped if she had been painful to look at, but Conan could stare at her for hours and then willingly stare at her some more.
But it was more than her physical beauty.
Her voice soothed something in his soul.
Its low pitch drew him in versus the high-pitched sounds many females had, which grated on his nerves.
And her scent! God, the woman smelled phenomenal.
Every time he got even a whiff of her, his body became aroused.
His only explanation was that it had been far too long since he had been with a woman.
And yet he had no desire to entice someone in his bed.
Just the thought of being with another female that way churned his stomach.
The only tresses he wanted to touch were Mhàiri’s long dark locks. He wanted to stare into her pale green eyes and see the hazy look of desire come over them from his kiss. He wanted to press her body into his, knowing it would feel like none before her.
Maybe, if he only physically desired her, he could have found another way to relieve his frustrations, but it was not only her body he craved. He yearned to talk with her, argue with her, ask her questions, and answer hers.
He loved how Mhàiri spoke her mind and offered opinions forthrightly and without hesitation.
She understood his desire to leave the home he had always known and explore the world.
And though she still did not fully agree with him that all art should have value and have an impact on the world, she did understand and appreciate that what he wanted to do was of great importance and encouraged him to seek his dreams. No woman had ever done that.
Not even Laurel. And few men had ever appreciated why he wanted to explore for the rest of his life.
But Mhàiri had. She also longed for adventure .
. . though of a different type. It enabled her to truly grasp why he was leaving in the spring and how he was not going to let anyone stand in the way of his dreams, for she felt the same about hers.
And that was why he had no choice.
He was going to cut Mhàiri out of his life. She was a distraction. So, much as he could, he would avoid seeing and talking to her until she left.
Thank God her stay would not be long.