Chapter 7
Elspeth returned home in the afternoon. She set her basket of flowers down by the castle’s front door and ran through the halls, crying after Finlay.
She met Elaine, who told her that Finlay was outside training with his men.
Elspeth turned to the rear of the castle.
A patch of land rested between the forest and the castle, and Finlay was lined up there with his men.
It was a heavy day with hunting and military training on the agenda, and she wondered where he found the energy and vigor for such things.
Since Elspeth was in such a state, a few maids and servants asked her if anything was wrong, but she brushed them off quickly.
She couldn’t let anyone but Finlay know that men were plotting against him.
They would have to decide what to do about this together.
She burst out of the castle and was met with the sound of clashing steel.
Swords gleamed as they caught the faint light of the sun.
The band of clansmen fought hard and fierce, acting as though it was a war even though the battle was a mock one.
Blood was spilled, although the cuts were only shallow.
Even so, Elspeth found herself wincing at the sight of these men fighting.
Thankfully Kilin had been a peaceful place, and she had been removed from anything regarding conflict.
The closest she had come was the performances at the feasts where skilled swordsmen had reenacted battles of old, but those were always elegant things, more like dances than anything.
What she witnessed now was raw and crude.
The soldiers cursed at each other as they kicked and punched and did anything they could to get the upper hand. In the middle of them was Finlay.
Elspeth had a sharp intake of breath as she looked at her husband.
He was shirtless, and his body glistened with sweat.
He roared with delight as he wielded two swords and took on two men, spinning between them.
The blades moved so quickly they were nothing but a blur, and for such a big man, Finlay was extremely agile.
A queasy feeling rested in the pit of her stomach as she wondered how such a raw, animalistic man could have been so tender with her in bed.
With one powerful strike he sent one man to his feet while the other stumbled back in fear.
It wasn’t long before the men noticed Elspeth’s presence.
One of them, a wiry man called Alan who had shifty eyes, called out.
He was one of the men who had led the renditions of lewd songs at the wedding celebration, and Elspeth didn’t think much of him. He whistled to get Finlay’s attention.
“She might want more of what ye gave her last night,” Alan said.
The other men fell about in laughter while Elspeth blushed and crossed her arms over her chest. Finlay glared at them and shushed them as he came towards her.
A surge of hungry desire flashed through her as Finlay pulled her to one side.
Now that he was closer, she could see the sheen of sweat and the drops that lingered upon his chest. His muscles bulged and swelled because of the workout, and every part of him seemed to be primed for battle.
He was the epitome of masculinity, and there was something about him that spoke to something deep and profound in her heart.
Her gaze roamed over every inch of his body, and she remembered the shadowed outline that hung between his legs.
Her throat ran dry, and she became uneasy.
She had not yet grown used to these new feelings, but they were becoming more familiar.
His beard was cut neatly along his jawline, and his hair was loose around his head. His eyes were stern, as always, and his shadow fell over her, for he was much taller than her. Her lips parted as she looked up at him, and she wished that he would feel just an inkling of the same desire as her.
“What dae ye want?” he asked bluntly. She was taken aback by the brusque tone of his voice, and was a little hurt that he didn’t greet her with affection and happiness, as she thought a husband should. “I hope it’s important because I dinnae like being interrupted when I’m training.”
“I’m sorry…I just thought ye might like tae know that…that…” It was difficult to tell him that his men were plotting to overthrow him. But her stammer didn’t endear her to him.
“Get out with it, lass. I dinnae hae all day. Is this an actual problem, or is it something ye can bother the maids with? I hae more important things tae dae,” he said.
Elspeth searched his eyes for anything approaching humanity, but it seemed as though it was in short supply, and she wondered if she had, in fact, seen any sign of tenderness at all.
Shocked at this emotionless and disrespectful treatment, anger swirled within her mind, and she exploded with fury.
Her feelings had been all over the place, and she certainly wasn’t going to be treated like this.
Her father had never spoken to her mother in such a brazen and callous way.
“Put her over yer knee and spank some sense intae her!” Alan cried out. “There’s only one thing lasses like that understand.”
The fact that Finlay didn’t tell Alan to shut up was another mark against him and only made Elspeth’s ire grow. Her face darkened, and her hands turned into tight balls.
“Ye should work on yer social skills, Husband. If ye were as good at talking tae people as ye are with a sword, then maybe yer own people would nae rebel against ye.”
The words took him by surprise. The change in expression was pleasing to Elspeth as she was glad that she could make him flinch.
“What are ye talking about? Are ye a spy?” Finlay growled. He stepped towards her, his frame bristling with hostility. Elspeth looked at him in disbelief, wondering if he could hear himself speak.
“Me? A spy?” she snorted at the accusation. “Hae ye forgotten that yer uncle sent me here? This marriage was his idea.”
“Oh, I know, because it certainly was nae mine,” he spat back. The force of his words made her flinch, and her mouth hung open in surprise. “My uncle haes spent a long while trying tae send a lass up here tae be my wife. He finally got his wish. But how can I trust ye when I dinnae even know ye?”
“Ye hae nae taken the chance tae know me!” Elspeth cried. She looked at Finlay with shock as there seemed to be no sense to his words. He was condemning her for a crime she had not committed and deciding that she was guilty before she had the chance to defend herself.
“I know all I need tae. Ye think ye can come here and talk tae me like that before my men? Ye are out of yer mind. Ye are here sae that I can sire an heir, naething more. Ye dinnae know anything about my clan.”
I know more than you, Elspeth thought viciously, although she did not say the words because she was so overwhelmed with anger.
“We will hae words later and I will find yer true intentions. Now get back inside and make some use for yerself. I hae nae finished training.” He walked away, turning his broad back to her.
Elspeth trembled with anger and almost burst with frustration at being treated in this manner.
Finlay went back to his men and took up arms again.
The sounds of clanging steel filled the air as Elspeth stormed back into the castle, a mixture of sadness and frustration in her heart.
All she’d wanted was to help him and he had turned her away.
No, more than that, he had insulted her!
His wife! There was much she did not know about this world, but she knew a husband should not treat his wife like that.
Her father would have never shown such scorn to her mother.
Perhaps the people in the tavern had been right.
Perhaps the glimmer of tenderness she had seen in Finlay’s eyes the previous night had all been an illusion.
But what was she to do? She still had a duty to him as the lady of the house.
Her heart was torn as she wondered what Finlay would do to people plotting treason against him.
She only knew it could not be anything good.
Elspeth made her way back to the entrance of the castle to pick up the flowers she had collected.
If Finlay wanted her to be busy, then she might as well do something to distract herself.
She wasn’t going to sit in silence while she was waiting for him.
When she picked up the basket, Elaine was there.
“These are beautiful flowers, my lady,” Elaine said, smiling.
“Elaine, please, call me Elspeth.”
“As you wish, my lady,” Elaine said. “Would ye like me tae put these intae a bouquet for ye? Or would ye prefer tae hae them in yer chamber?”
“Actually, I was thinking about planting them in the courtyard. It seems as though naebody cares for the gardens. I thought I might try and bring them back tae life.”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea! It haes been sae long since they hae been beautiful. I’m sure ye’ll make a grand job of it. Look at ye, breathing life back intae this place already. It wilnae be long before ye hae a wee one tae.”
Elspeth winced at the idea. “I was wondering if I could ask ye a question, Elaine. What does Finlay think of his clan? Is he close with the people?”
Elaine puffed out her cheeks and placed her hands on her hips.
“I wouldnae say they are close. Finlay, well, he doesnae hae much tae dae with anyone. They are his clan, though, and they are loyal tae him, as he is loyal tae them. If they ever came under attack, he would be the first one tae gae out and fight.”
“It seems that all he wants is a fight,” Elspeth said in a small voice.
“Aye, well, he carries a lot of anger with him.”
“But why? What happened? Why haes naebody tended the gardens? Why is this place sae grim?”
“The gardens were tended once upon a time, by his mother…it’s something that ye should talk about with Finlay directly.
It isnae my place tae speak.” Elaine then made some excuse about why she had to leave and scurried towards the kitchen.
Elspeth sighed. It would have been easier had Elaine told her what she needed to know.
There was something about Finlay that had made him the way he was, and she was determined to find out as the future of the clan might depend on it.
This life was far more complicated than she thought it would be.
She longed for the days when all she had to worry about was looking after Eoin and making sure there was a meal ready for her father when he returned home.
With the servants taking care of domestic matters, there was little for her to do, and it left her mind to worry and fret.
She decided there was no time like the present to go out and start on her project, so she took her flowers and began to work on the garden.
It was an arduous task, and it was going to take a long time to bring her vision to life, but she was confident that she could do it.
In the quiet of the garden, she could hear Finlay training with his men.
They grunted and growled as they fought.
They were at it for hours, and she shook her head in disbelief that anyone could train for this long.
He poured so much energy into fighting, but why?
And why had he reacted to her with such enmity?
There was a mystery to her husband, and it would serve her well to solve it before he grew angry at her.