Chapter 1
The early afternoon sunlight filtered through the lovely stained glass windows of the Wallace keep, illuminating the chiseled—and frankly, formidable—physique of Errol McTavish’s exposed torso.
His taut muscles writhed beneath his sweat-sheened skin as he helped to move the long tables into place for the upcoming Beltane celebration.
It certainly did not escape Darina Wallace’s notice that every few moments, Errol glanced over his shoulder as he labored, as though making sure that Darina was watching him. He was hoping, no doubt, that one such glance might catch her blushing or swooning at the sight of him.
His most charming grin—which had been frozen upon his face for the better part of an hour—was beginning to falter, however, as he realized that Darina was not observing him. In fact, she seemed to be looking everywhere except in his direction.
“Oh, come now, Darina!” her younger sister Edwina tittered merrily. “You mustn’t ignore him so, or ye will likely humiliate him!” Edwina was eighteen and thus the closest sister to Darina in age. She also tended to tease Darina the most.
“Perhaps he could stand tae gain a bit of humility,” Darina sniffed haughtily. “I mean, really! Goin’ in and out half-dressed like that, struttin’ and preenin’ like some sort of ridiculous pheasant!”
“I cannae recall ever seein’ such an attractive pheasant,” fifteen-year-old Fionna cooed. “If you dinnae want him, might I have him?”
Unlike Edwina, Fionna tended to look up to Darina in most things, gratefully accepting her old clothes and wearing them like badges of honor, even when their father offered to buy her new ones instead.
Which, admittedly, had not been for quite some time.
Wartime was not a time for extraneous expenses or lavish gifts.
It was important to show kinship with the less-fortunate members of their clan, whose food and clothing had been rationed so that the Wallace soldiers could be adequately fed and clothed.
“He is too old fer ye,” observed Ella. She was twelve, the youngest of the sisters, and generally too solemn and caught up in her own little world to understand the humor of others.
Fionna rolled her eyes but did not bother to tell Ella she’d been joking. She’d long since grown accustomed to the girl’s literal-minded nature.
Darina risked a look in Errol’s direction and had to stifle a laugh as she saw that he was grunting and flexing as much as possible for dramatic effect.
“Do ye mean tae tell me that such a paragon is somehow beneath yer notice?” Edwina scoffed.
“Men worth noticin’ generally dinnae need tae labor so hard at being noticed,” Darina replied curtly. “They are effortless at being captivatin’.”
“Have ye met many such men?” Fionna did not mean the question to be mocking; rather, she sounded genuinely curious.
“Of course she hasn’t,” Edwina said with a smirk. “Our older sister is speakin’ on matters she kens absolutely nothing aboot.”
“It is true that I have had nay practical experience with men tae speak of,” Darina admitted.
“Even so, I can speak tae my own interests, and I am not interested in a self-absorbed and churlish fellow such as Errol McTavish! He can flex and pose all he pleases, but it will nae make his case fer him, at least where I am concerned.”
“Father would approve of him, at any rate,” Ella commented mildly. “He comes from a noble house.”
“Father would nae approve of his conduct,” Darina countered, “nor his reputation with women.”
“It’s strange, is it nae?” Ella said.
She made these sorts of vague pronouncements often, then drifted away from them as quickly as she made them, forcing others to remind her to follow up.
“What is strange, Sister?” Darina asked, trying not to sound impatient. The poor girl did not mean to be difficult. It was just that she was so easily distracted.
“Errol is one of Father’s fiercest warriors,” Ella went on. “He has seen dozens of his friends and relatives slain since the war began. Yet instead of being consumed by the grief of it, he is still able tae smile and court ye in his silly fashion.”
“Aye, there is that tae be said aboot him, at least,” Edwina conceded. “He has a strong mind and heart, and he shows uncanny resilience in the face of adversity. Are ye certain ye dinnae wish tae claim him, Darina?”
“Quite certain, thank ye, though ye make a good point,” Darina said. “He is foolish in his matin’ gestures, but a good man just the same. I am sure he will make some lass very happy someday, but it shall nae be me.”
“In that case, what sort of fellow do ye envision yerself with?” Fionna asked eagerly, as though taking note so that she might seek out the same sort of man for herself as well. Now it was Edwina’s turn to roll her eyes.
Darina laughed nervously, caught off guard by the question. “I suppose it is easy enough fer me tae dismiss Errol as an example of what I dinnae want, but in terms of what I do want? I must confess, I have nae given the matter much thought.”
“Oh, ye liar!” Edwina crowed. “As though ye have given nay thought tae boys whatsoever! Or do ye pretend tae be some sort of statue in our midst?”
“I have noticed the handsome features of certain men here and there,” Darina acknowledged, “but I have never encountered one I truly fancied if I am tae be wholly honest with myself. Perhaps I will simply ken him when I see him.”
“And perhaps by the time ye do, ye shall be an old maid with a face like a wrinkled hag!” Edwina jeered.
“A man needs tae be attractive, come from a noble family, and be at least moderately pleasant company. And even that last part is nae terribly essential since a clever wife can always find ways tae avoid her husband if she must.”
“Ye should be easy enough tae find a husband for, then,” Ella said, “as yer standards fer the job appear tae be so low.”
The joke had been unintentional on Ella’s part, but that did not stop Darina and Fionna from laughing heartily anyway. Edwina turned bright red and scowled at the three of them.
Suddenly, the sound of Laird Cawley’s voice cut through the great hall: “Errol McTavish, what in God’s name has gotten into ye? Put a shirt on this instant, or remove yerself from my daughters’ presence at once! Have ye gone mad?”
“Beggin’ yer pardon, Laird Cawley,” Errol replied sheepishly. “Only we had tae move the tables, ye see, and they were quite heavy, which made it hot work indeed, Sir.”
“It shall be hot work fer the man I appoint tae whip ye fer such outrageous behavior! Now do as I say at once!”
It was bluster, of course. Nay matter how annoyed or offended Cawley may have been, he would never order the whipping of a loyal warrior for such a mild offense, particularly a noble-born one. He was known to be hyperbolic when he had a temper.
Still, his threats were enough to send Errol darting out of the great hall as quickly as his legs could carry him.
“Such a sight tae assail my daughters’ tender eyes with!” he huffed, shaking his head and walking over to the girls. “What a rascal! Who on Earth does he think he is?”
“I daresay he thinks he is the man tae turn Darina’s head,” Edwina said with a smirk.
“Then he is very much mistaken,” Darina informed her primly.
“Indeed he is!” Cawley chuckled. “The impertinence of him! Now, what were ye ladies discussin’ before I walked in and saw one of my soldiers half-naked and actin’ like an eejit?”
“We were speakin’ of men in general,” Ella piped up, “and potential husbands in particular. Or rather, these three were speakin’ of it. I was mostly only listenin’, as I am far too young tae ponder such things.”
“Ye are,” Cawley agreed, picking her up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Ella tolerated the gesture, though she was generally made uncomfortable by affection.
He turned his attention to the others. “Fer the rest of ye, however, it is a crucial matter indeed. And one that I hope tae address with each of ye in turn before the year is out.”
The three girls exchanged surprised glances. “Father, what do ye mean by that?” Darina asked. “Have ye been makin’ plans fer our future without consultin’ us?”
“As is a father’s prerogative,” he answered with an impish grin. “I seek out none but the best potential candidates tae marry my beloved daughters… Ah, but that is a topic best saved fer later! Fer now, ye ought tae be choosing’ yer nicest dresses fer the festivities!”
“Is that because the men ye have in mind fer us are tae be in attendance, Father?” Edwina asked slyly.
Cawley appeared poised to respond for a moment, then caught himself and wagged a finger at her in mock reproach.
“Now, now! That would be tellin’. Fer the moment, let us simply say that ye are dressin’ tae impress yer dear old father, who needs all the joy and merriment he can find during these dark days of war. ”
“We shall do our best tae please ye, then,” Darina said with a small curtsy.
He smiled and withdrew, taking a few final moments to admire the decorations on his way out.
“He seems tae be in better spirits than he’s been in fer some time,” Ella remarked. “Why do ye suppose that is?”
“Well, that was rather the entire point of this Beltane festival, was it nae?” Darina answered.
“We have all endured such misery and loss these recent years due tae the war that it is important tae remind our people what they’re fightin’ for.
Tae take a break from countin’ our dead long enough tae celebrate life.
Perhaps it is simply that spirit which has gotten into him, and if so, I am most glad of it. ”
Darina did not wish to admit it to her sisters, but deeper down, this sudden change in their father’s mood made her vaguely uneasy.
What had he meant by his earlier remarks about seeing them married within the year?
He was not normally so evasive, and he had not spoken much about finding husbands for them, which was to be expected since he had been so busy trying to keep the clan intact during the conflict with the Wallaces.
She continued to smile and laugh with her sisters as they spent the rest of the afternoon watching the decorations go up. They were simple, really, just garlands of fresh flowers and a few banners that had been decorated by the children of the clan’s villages.
Will there be more such decorations hung fer my wedding soon? Darina wondered.
And who is tae be the groom?