Chapter Five
Eilidh woke and dressed quickly. She wanted to get out of the house early today. Away from her family and whatever prying eyes were apparently always watching her every move.
When she had arrived home from the market the day afore, her mother had not been waiting to see her as she had been told. In fact, her mother had looked at her as if she had grown two heads.
“I didnae send anyone out to fetch ye, Eilidh,” her mother had laughed as she shook her head. “Whate’er gave ye such a daft idea. I ken how much ye enjoy the market. I wouldnae take that away from ye.”
“Weel, somebody did,” she had mumbled under breath.
“What was that?”
“’Twas naught. If ye dinnae need me, I will go to my chambers then.”
Her mother had just nodded and looked at her perplexed, her fingers stopped mid-stitch on her needlepoint.
She had a sneaking suspicion that the elder who had put an end to she and Torquil’s conversation was under her father’s command.
Was he the one who followed her on the road when she went to play at gatherings? Watching everything she did? Ensuring her safety? Had he followed her when she went to the market? Watching from afar and then reporting whatever he thought he had seen to her father?
If that were true, then hopefully stating that she was going to practice alone would not prompt him to follow.
She huffed as she strapped her fiddle case over her shoulder and closed her bedchamber door with a soft click of the latch.
She supposed it was not an affront if he was there to keep her safe, but she found it quite irritating that he would position himself to where he was interfering with people she met.
No matter how forbidden those people may be.
Ignoring the kitchen, she made her way down the hall to the courtyard. She loved Una, but she didn’t want to speak with her this morn. The woman was far too intuitive. It was as if she could read Eilidh’s mind, and at this time, she did not want anyone doing that.
Outside, the sky was clear and the sun shone bright. It would be a lovely day to go exploring the woods.
“Where are ye off to, Eilidh?” a deep voice questioned her from behind.
She closed her eyes, stopping in her tracks, and took a deep breath. Pressing her lips together, she slowly turned. “Good morn, Da.”
He crossed his arms and assessed her, a stern look on his face.
The gesture made her want to shrink under his scrutiny. Much like she had done when she was young and he would give her that same look.
“Did ye no’ have enough shopping time at the market already?”
“I did.” She lifted her shoulder and pointed to the fiddle case. “I would like some time to practice in peace.” It was not an unusual request. Her father had heard it many times afore. Ofttimes, she would leave to do that very thing, but this morn, her father looked at her differently.
“With yer new strings?” He asked, eyebrows raised in question.
“Pardon?” She was confused.
“Yer new strings. The ones ye went to pick up at the market. Ye did purchase them did ye no’?”
“Och, aye. I mean, nay.” She shifted her feet.
She had left the market without purchasing any.
And they were the reason she had given as to why she absolutely needed to go.
She wasn’t sure how he would ken that she left without them, but…
Her father always had his ways of finding out everything she and her siblings did.
One way or another. Ugh, the elder must have told him.
Had the man really been watching her that closely?
“The vendor was actually out of strings, so I was unable to procure them as I had hoped.”
Arthur Hart scratched his chin, covered in a red beard. “I find that hard to believe.”
She nodded, a bit too quickly. “Aye. I thought the same.” She shrugged. “But, no strings to be had.”
Her father frowned. “How do ye suppose to practice without strings?”
Eilidh bit her lip. This is how she kenned her father caught her in a lie.
Yet, stubborn as she was, she refused to confess.
Instead, she just kept digging herself into a deeper and deeper hole.
At this point she might as well give up and jump in.
“My strings are still playable. They dinnae need to be changed oot quite yet.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to kick herself.
It was like her father had spun an intricate web, building it slowly, and she willingly walked right into the middle of it.
And like a spider ready to spin its prey in its webbing, her father spun her, surrounding her with her lies.
“Then why the rush to market? If the strings arenae needed.” He made a show of tapping his chin, looking deep in thought. “’Tis as if shopping for strings was an excuse. Just what were ye doing at the market, daughter?”
She was unwilling to tell her father the real reason she went to market.
She was for certs, he already kenned. He only wanted her to admit it.
Which she would not. She would continue to dig.
“Looking for strings, as I mentioned afore. When there were none available for purchase, I continued to walk through the market and browse the wares for sale afore returning home.”
His eyes narrowed. It was obvious that he did not believe her.
But she didn’t back down and kept her gaze on his. He was as stubborn as she was. Where did he think she inherited such a trait? It was directly from him.
“If ye dinnae mind, Da,” she tapped her fiddle case.
“I must get my practice in. With summer on the way, there will be much demand for players with all the celebrations and gatherings.” She stepped onto her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his bearded cheek.
She didn’t wait for him to answer but waved over her shoulder as she hurried away.
Once she was out of her father’s sight, she relaxed, releasing a deep breath.
She would need to be more careful whilst she was out.
She walked to the village and made a wide berth around the perimeter of the market.
She was heading in the direction she’d watched Torquil leave when they had been interrupted the day afore.
If that was where he had left, there had to be a reason. He must have left for his home.
More on a whim than on a hunch, and hoping for a little divine intervention, Eilidh entered the woods on the other side of the market square.
Her nerves were high. Her heart pounding so fiercely that she felt it in her ears.
Was she really walking alone into the woods to look for a man that she had only briefly met two times? One that she had only spoken to once?
Aye. She had gone daft, indeed.
If her brothers kenned what she was doing they would have her hide and turned into their father afore she could blink.
Luckily Rory was far from home, and Alpin, well, he was too preoccupied with his own personal trials and tribulations.
The main one being his broken engagement.
All his doing, of course, so she would think that would make him happy.
But he had been naught but miserable since it had happened. He was downright dour these days.
No one kenned the cause of his change of mind. He would not discuss it with anyone. Eilidh guessed it was something he would work out on his own.
Time ceased to exist as she walked through the woods, over fallen logs, loose rocks, and mossy trails.
She had not crossed paths with anyone so far, nor had she seen anyone following her.
With the market happening, she fully expected to see at least a few fellow travelers.
But it was as if she were alone. The birds tweeting above provided entertainment as they hopped from branch to branch, chasing each other.
Sometimes they would fly away when she would trip over a loose vine and made too much noise.
But they always returned to follow along with her.
She was not for certs how far she had entered the woods, and she was in unfamiliar lands.
Her confidence was starting to wane, and her nerves were on high alert the deeper she went into the woods, causing her breathing to quicken.
Mayhap she should turn back and find her way back home whilst she could still find the way.
She paused at the base of a ridge to assess her situation.
That was when she heard the familiar strum of a lute. Her heart skipped a beat and her pulse quickened. Torquil. That was for certs his playing. She would recognize it anywhere.
She had found him.
Excitement rushed through her and her nerves ticked up as she followed the sound. It grew louder and louder, until finally, he was right there in front of her.
Sitting relaxed against a thick tree, he played beautifully.
His long fingers strumming. He was completely immersed in his song.
Even so, at the sound of her footsteps, he looked up, a wide smile spreading across his handsome face.
He didn’t appear to be surprised to see her.
It was as if he had expected her to burst through the trees.
He immediately set aside his lute and jumped to his feet, closing the distance betwixt them in soft, quick steps.
He stopped an arm’s length away from her as they greeted each other quietly.
Eilidh had an overwhelming feeling that they had done this afore, even though they had not. She couldn’t explain the sensation.
“I wondered if I would find ye,” she said shyly, making an arc with the toe of her boot in the grass, suddenly unsure.
“I hoped ye would want to find me,” he admitted.
The confession made her stomach flutter.
“I am no’ sure how ye managed to do so, but I am glad ye did.” His forehead creased. “The man, from the market. Were ye treated fairly when ye arrived home?”
“Och, I dinnae ken who that man was, but my ma looked confused when I sought her out and asked her what she needed me for. She said she hadnae inquired after me.” She shrugged, not wanting to spend their time together talking about an old man she did not ken.