Chapter Fifteen #2
Mhàiri had gripped his head between her hands and kissed him with a surge of exasperation and enthusiasm. “Can you believe this lunacy?” she had asked. “The only one who isn’t here is the King of Scotland, and I’m not sure why, for all his people seem to be camped outside your brother’s castle!”
“Someone had to be responsible enough to stay home.”
Mhàiri had wrapped her arms around his neck and urged his mouth down to hers once more for claiming. When he released her lips, she said, “Can you imagine if our wedding was the reason behind a string of English raids on castles left vulnerable because all the lairds are here?”
Conan had not thought about it, but she was right. If news did get down to certain leaders in England, they might realize the powerful draw of their wedding. While the clan leaders had journeyed north without the majority of their security, those who came had almost assuredly taken their best.
“All for the wedding of a woman they don’t know to a man they respect but don’t like,” she said. Conan had arched a brow, but said nothing. Mhàiri had shrugged. “It’s true, love. But admit it, you feel the same way about them.”
“Aye,” he had replied as he had nuzzled her neck, not wanting to let her go.
“I love you.”
“I’m surprised, with all the things being said tonight.”
She had pulled his head back and cupped his face in her hands so that he would look at her. “I do not care what they say or think. I only care about you and am so lucky you trust that.”
Conan had swallowed at the enormity of her words and their impact.
It had been damn near impossible not pummeling those who’d wanted to tell Mhàiri about women from his past, but he had remained seated.
He had seen the plea in her green eyes and he had complied.
For her. Unable to speak, he had pulled her back into his arms for another steamy embrace that lasted several minutes.
He should have asked about all the men flirting with her.
When he was around, he ended it, usually with nonverbal threats of harm, but he was not with her much of the time.
Almost every laird had brought several soldiers with them, usually their elite guard.
The fact that no one knew who Conan was marrying meant that when those soldiers met Mhàiri, they became immediately infatuated.
Conan wanted to make sure that she was sending them scurrying and not protecting their feelings as she was more likely to do if they were nice.
But holding her in his arms, he had forgotten everything, everyone.
And before he had known it, Brenna had been whispering that someone was coming into the storage room.
“Aye, I miss my woman,” Conan grumbled, glaring at Colin. “She’s the only person who can carry on a decent conversation, and the reason that I cannot do so right now, privately and within the freedom of the outdoors, is because of people like you.”
“Me?” Colin yelped in surprise. “I’ve been here nearly a week! I got here even before Cole!”
Cole threw up his hands. “Blame Hamish—he only arrived yesterday.”
“I was forced to bring two pregnant women!” Hamish wailed, expressing just how difficult it had been to travel with his wife and also pregnant sister-in-law in those few words. “And there were a lot of us.”
Conan fixed a level stare on Hamish. “Why is that?” he asked earnestly. “I don’t know your brother, and I don’t know Laird Mackay. And neither of them know me.”
Hamish’s eyes flew to the end of the hall, where his brother and Laird Mackay were sitting drinking with other very powerful lairds.
All three of them wished they had left a lot sooner.
This gathering was unlike any before it and probably any that would come after.
They had missed much by delaying their trip.
After the ice storm, the weather had been surprisingly cooperative.
Scotland was not a dry land, but it had been a relatively dry spring that had come early.
So the grounds had hardened, making it easier, safer, and quicker to travel.
Hence, some who might have decided to stay home had changed their minds and decided to come.
As the numbers of people and clans grew, more and more realized they would be the only ones not at the event and sent word that they, too, were on their way.
The training fields and those next to them had been taken over by large tents, corralled horses, and campfires.
Training had been replaced with games of skill that anyone could participate in.
And for those days it did rain, like this afternoon, lairds and some of their elite soldiers found their way to the crowded great hall to drink and talk. And the talk had been very interesting.
McTiernay was a large and powerful clan with several strong allies.
Those allies also had strong allies, and many of them had come under the guise of seeing the most unexpected wedding ever known, but also so they would not be left out of any potential discussions.
Those who were not there were noticeable.
MacCoinnich, Andrias, Hamilton, and Keney were the most obvious.
Hamilton and Keney were more important to Colin, as they were powerful Lowland clans.
But MacCoinnich and Andrias were not. And MacCoinnich was just as powerful as the Mackays from the north.
But unlike the Mackays, who had few truly trusted alliances due to their history, the MacCoinnichs had key strategic relationships in place that stretched from one side of northern Scotland through to Inverness.
Iain Mayboill strolled up to the group and wedged himself in between two McTiernays without worry that they might be offended or would not move.
Conan could not think of another person in the world—including their eldest brother, Conor—whom they would have willingly shifted in their seats for.
But they did it for Iain. Conan bit back a derisive comment, not to his future father-in-law, but to his brothers.
He had to admit that Iain was a marvel. Mhàiri’s father had sold everything of any value that he had wanted to sell weeks ago and was just as antsy to leave as Conan was.
“That was a pretty good fight you and my daughter had yesterday.” Iain stared at Conan with mirth dancing in his eyes. The old man was intentionally stirring up trouble.
“Only fun if you get to make up. Which I didn’t.”
Iain pursed his lips together, but it did not do much to hide his smile. “That is true.”
“And furthermore, I won. It’s really not fair of Laurel not to let me spend time with my woman right after a fight.”
“Worse, you probably won’t win another argument for a long, long time,” Cole added, speaking from experience. Another “aye” came from Colin. And the rest were bobbing their heads. “Another reason for me to hate Laurel,” Conan added, directing this one to Conor.
“She loves this stuff. Not me,” Conor said in his defense.
“Nor me or Mhàiri. We should have just left,” Conan moaned. “Someday Scotland is going to have a place, some town, that people can rush off to in the dead of the night and wed without any fuss.”
Iain took a deep breath and slowly scanned the room.
It was full and only getting more packed as the rain continued and it got closer to dinner.
“I’m looking forward to tonight’s meal. I’m not sure how Fiona manages with these numbers, but the quality of what comes out of her kitchen is still some of the best food I’ve ever had. ”
For the first month, hunters, falconers, and fishermen could find enough in the hills and lochs to feed everyone.
Then they’d had to start butchering kyloe.
Highland cattle were known for their long horns and long, wavy coats.
“Thankfully, Laurel thought about food when she sent out the invitations,” Cole said.
Conan snorted. “That only proves she knew exactly what she was doing when she sent out the invitations. The woman is a menace.”
Cole’s head snapped back and he put his hands in the air. “Don’t look at me! I’m just glad I’m married and don’t have to worry anymore about her meddling in my love life. Which is just fine by the way.”
Hamish swung an arm over Cole’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “What? Chricton is now almost two. You never know.”
Cole narrowed his gaze. “I know. We agreed. Two were enough. One girl and one boy. Don’t need any more.”
“You need to talk to Makenna,” Colin grumbled. “We have three, one on the way, and I can tell she is nowhere close to done. She loves being a mother and the chaos that comes with it.”
Hamish grinned. “The McTiernay brood is growing.” He then looked out the window to the steady rain. “Have you noticed that it always rains when it is our turn to use the loch?”
“Aye,” Colin answered, pouring himself some more ale. He had no idea how much he had had, but no longer did it taste weak. “Looks like another cold one for us men.”
With so many at the castle and staying in tents, not only were food and space an issue, but bathing had become one as well.
The kitchens were always operating at a furious pace, despite tripling the help.
They had no time or room to heat water, leaving all to bathe in the loch, which was also needed by servants to do the laundry.
With so many needing access, and privacy and space becoming an issue, Laurel had declared the morning for the women, directly followed by the launderers, and then the men could have the rest of the day since it was impossible to predict when the weather would turn or the games would be over.
It had worked, but as the rain usually came in the afternoon, every man was grumbling that it was not fair.
“I can solve that problem today,” Conan muttered.
“Could you?” Hamish asked.