Chapter 12
That bastard. He thinks I daenae ken what he’s doin’!
The first time Callum had tried to distract her from the matter at hand, she had let it slide. But now she was furious with him.
She hated the way he was trying to manipulate her into silence for his own sake, simply because he didn’t like the conversation. Simply because he didn’t want to talk about his stupid, pointless war that she knew would be a death sentence for him.
“Is it truly that difficult for him to accept that he isnae invulnerable?” she asked Lara as they sat at the small, round table under the window in her sitting room. “Must he make me worry all the time?”
“Me Lady, I’m afraid that it is a laird’s duty to protect his clan and go to war if needed,” Lara said, trying to reason with her. “And it is only natural that his wife would be concerned about him, but there is only so much ye can do about it.”
“Well, I’ll do anythin’ it takes if it means that he’ll listen to reason,” Rhea said stubbornly, though she doubted there was anything she could say or do to make Callum see reason.
He is simply nae a reasonable man!
He had given her this impression from the very beginning, from the first time they had met. He did as he pleased, and everyone else around him simply had to go along with it, whether they agreed or not.
But Rhea wasn’t one of his councilmen, nor was she one of his soldiers. She was not obligated to listen to him without ever expressing her disagreement. In fact, it was her duty as his wife to tell him when he was wrong.
And he was certainly wrong now.
The pen in her hand had stilled over the paper, spilling dark ink on the surface.
It spread over the paper in splotches, darkening the words she had already written.
She huffed in frustration as she balled it up and tossed it to the floor.
Then, a moment later, feeling bad that she was making more mess for Lara, she bent over and picked it up, placing it carefully on the table.
“Ach, me Lady, ye seem so troubled,” Lara noted gently, her hand coming to rest on Rhea’s shoulder. “What can I do to make ye feel better?”
“Could ye talk some sense into me husband?” Rhea asked.
Lara’s eyes widened in fear. “I wouldnae dare!”
She sounded genuinely frightened of Callum, though Rhea couldn’t tell why.
Certainly, he had come back changed. His face was now scarred from war, and he looked rougher than anyone remembered him—he had not been dainty to begin with.
From the moment she had laid eyes on him, she had known that he was a hardened man, someone who had spent more time with a sword in his hand than a pen.
Some lairds chose to rule through words, and others chose to rule through actions. Callum was certainly one of the latter. And yet Rhea had never found him frightening, not even when she angered him.
“If it brings ye any comfort, I saw a strange, lone cloud in the sky this morn,” Lara said.
Rhea couldn’t help but roll her eyes fondly at the young woman.
It was another of her silly superstitions, but she didn’t tell her a single thing about it.
She had come to accept that Lara would always believe in such things.
It certainly brought the maid much joy to share what she considered good news with everyone else.
That alone was enough for Rhea.
“And what does that mean?” she asked.
“It means good fortune, of course,” Lara replied. “That’s what me mother says.”
“Well, if yer mother says it, then it must be true,” Rhea said. “Let me write this letter to me sister, and then ye can tell me all about it.”
“So the Laird agreed to let her come?” Lara asked.
She had been rather anxious about it ever since Rhea had expressed her desire to have her sister there for the feast.
Not even Rhea herself had been so anxious about Callum’s decision, but that was only natural. Lara was so empathetic, so concerned about everyone around her that she ended up worrying about everyone and everything else but herself.
And that’s why I must make sure she’s all right. If she doesnae take care of herself, then I’ll do it for her.
“Aye, he did.” Rhea nodded. “Did ye think he wouldnae?”
“I… I…” Lara stuttered, clearly taken aback by her teasing.
Rhea smiled warmly at her as she reached for her hand. “It’s all right,” she soothed. “I was certain he would say nay too.”
Immediately, Lara’s face turned a bright shade of red. “But that isnae very nice, me Lady!” she gasped, scandalized. “It’s nae nice of me, and it’s nae nice of ye. The Laird never had any intention to forbid it, did he?”
“Well, nay,” Rhea said. “But how were we to ken that? He’s so grumpy all the time, surely we are forgiven for thinkin’ like this!”
“But it’s nae fair to him!” Lara protested.
Rhea couldn’t help but laugh, her shoulders shaking with mirth. Only Lara could be concerned about the very man she feared, and only she could berate herself for ever thinking that the very man she feared could be less than agreeable.
Sometimes, Rhea couldn’t make sense of the girl, but that was only part of her charm. She was too pure to hold a grudge against anyone, even Callum.
“I’m sure he’ll survive,” Rhea assured her. “Besides, he willnae listen to me, and he makes me worry all the time. Daenae ye think he deserves some of our ire?”
“I think everyone deserves understandin’,” Lara stated soberly, all her humor gone and replaced by a heavy seriousness.
“I ken ye fash because of him, but perhaps he kens better, me Lady. He’s the laird of this clan.
He kens what must be done, and it’s admirable that he wants to do it, nay matter the cost.”
“But the cost could be his life,” Rhea pointed out. “He could very well die, Lara.”
“Aye, I ken that,” Lara murmured. “And so does he.”
It was true.
Rhea shifted her gaze to the window, staring out at the landscape beyond.
The treetops swayed in the wind, their movement hypnotic, and the sky was clear for the first time in months.
Soon, she would take Lara out to spend the day outside, but before, she had to write this letter. Only, she found it difficult to write.
What was she supposed to tell her sister, whom she hadn’t seen in so long?
Ye’re overthinkin’ it. She’s yer sister. Ye can simply invite her to the feast.
Rhea had the irrational fear that the months they had spent apart had created such a chasm between them that it would be impossible to bridge. But they were sisters, and they were close, and it had only been a year since they had last seen each other. How could her sister have forgotten her?
She certainly hadn’t forgotten about Mabel. She thought about her every single day, and she wished they were together every single day. But now that the time had come for her to visit, she couldn’t find the words to invite her.
“Ye seem troubled,” Lara remarked, and Rhea couldn’t even deny it. “What is it?”
“Would ye believe me if I said it’s the Laird?”
“Aye and nay. I’m sure it is, but I think it’s somethin’ else too.”
Lara had always been too perceptive for her own good.
“I’m thinkin’ about me sister,” Rhea admitted. “I… I cannae seem to find the words to write to her.”
“Why?” Lara asked. “Are ye nae close?”
“We are. We are very close,” Rhea said. Then, with a sigh, she added, “We were.”
“And ye’re nae now?”
“I daenae ken,” she said. “I’ve written to her, but we’ve been so busy that… I’ve neglected her too much, I fear. What if she doesnae want to come? What if she blames me for nae writin’ to her?”
For a moment, Lara remained silent, frowning as if in deep thought.
Then, she said, “There was a winter when I didnae see me family at all. I was here the whole time, and they were back home, and I… I couldnae visit. There were snow and ice and frost—it was impossible to travel. It was even impossible to send a letter, and… and I couldnae even do that if I didnae have someone to write it for me. Usually, they did. I could get someone to help me, and they could get someone to read it to them. The healer, usually. She used to help with such things before her eyes failed her.”
Rhea listened carefully to Lara’s story, already thinking that her own worries were ridiculous compared to hers. Still, as she spoke, Lara smiled.
“But then spring came, and we could travel again. Mrs. Parsons, the housekeeper, was kind enough to give me a few days off to visit them. I was so scared… so scared that they would be angry with me or that me younger sister wouldnae even recognize me. She was only a babe when I left. But when I arrived in the village, everyone came to see me. Everyone. And me family was only happy to see that I was alive and well. They didnae care that I hadnae written to them for so long or that I hadnae visited. They only cared that I was there, with them.”
Rhea let out a soft sigh, nodding along with Lara’s story as she reached for her hand. She gave her a gentle squeeze, trying to comfort her, but she supposed Lara didn’t need the comfort. It was Rhea herself who needed it.
“And yer younger sister?” she asked.
“Ach, she didnae recognize me at all!” Lara said, laughing at the memory. “She was only a bairn. Even now, she’s nae but seven years of age. But she came to ken who I am very quickly, and now we’re best friends.”
It gave Rhea some hope to hear that. Her own sister wasn’t that young, and of course she remembered her. How could she not? But even if their situations were different, Lara’s words were the most comforting thing Rhea had heard in a long time.
She put the pen to the paper and began to write… only for a knock to sound at the door.
“Come in,” she called.
The door opened to reveal none other than Callum, whose sudden appearance changed Rhea’s expression from one of joy to one resembling a rather annoyed bird, her delicate nose turning into a beak as she scrunched up her face in irritation.
She couldn’t help it. Perhaps it wasn’t the best look on her, seeing that Callum paused by the door, startled, but she was too angry to care.
“Come with me,” he said, in lieu of a greeting.
She couldn’t believe the audacity of him.
“Excuse me?” she scoffed.
“I said, come with me,” he repeated.
“Aye, I heard ye the first time,” she said, putting down her pen and standing with a huff. “And who are ye to think ye can order me around?”
Callum seemed genuinely confused for a moment as he stared at her. “I’m yer husband.”
“Precisely,” she drawled. “And I’m yer wife, nae yer soldier. So ye will treat me as such.”
He stared at her for a long moment, and she did the same to him—a battle of wills. She wasn’t going to shy away from this challenge. From any challenge, in fact. If he wanted her to listen, to go anywhere with him, he would have to ask nicely.
“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. Behind her, Lara let out the softest squeak, as if that single word was enough to frighten her. “Will ye please come with me? I’d like to go on a ride with ye.”
“Where?” Rhea asked.
“Ye’ll see,” he said.
She was quick to shake her head. “I told ye, ye cannae simply treat me like this. I wish to ken where we’re goin’.”
She could see that it took all of his willpower to remain calm and not start a shouting match.
The sight of him like this gave her some pleasure, along with the fact that he was trying to control himself.
She didn’t know what had changed, but something must have, since he didn’t start a fight right away.
“I’d rather keep it a surprise,” Callum insisted, his gaze flitting back to Lara. If she didn’t know him any better, Rhea would have thought that there was the smallest hint of a blush on his cheeks. “Is that all right with ye? Or will ye force me to tell ye?”
Rhea considered it for a moment, then decided it was not worth it just to prove a point. Callum clearly wanted to surprise her with whatever this was, and that was sweet of him—a gesture she had never expected from him, let alone now that they were practically still arguing.
“Very well,” she relented. “I’ll allow it.”
“Great,” Callum grumbled. “Thank ye for yer endless generosity.”
Rhea ignored his sarcastic tone. She was already glad he was taking the initiative, trying to do something nice for her. Perhaps he was trying to change, after all. Perhaps he did listen.
“I’ll meet ye at the gates,” she said, echoing what he had told her before they went to the market. “I willnae be long.”
At that, Callum gave a nod and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Rhea glanced at Lara, who glanced back at her, the two of them standing there in silence for a few moments. Then, they burst out laughing.
“Ach, me Lady, he really is tryin’,” Lara noted. “And ye are much too harsh on him.”
“Do ye think so?” Rhea asked. “I think I’m just as harsh as I need to be, if nae less. He would never have suggested this if I wasnae harsh.”
“Ye daenae ken that,” Lara said. “The Laird… he seems so taken with ye.”
That gave Rhea pause.
Was Callum taken with her? She couldn’t tell. One moment, he was acting as if he genuinely cared for her; the next, he was yelling like a rabid dog.
She didn’t know what to think anymore. Did he truly care for her? Did he only see her as a duty, since she was his wife? Was he simply putting up with her as much as he could?
“Daenae trouble yerself,” Lara added, immediately noticing the shift in her mood. “Go with him. See what he wants. And then ye can judge everythin’ for yerself.”
“Ye ken, Lara, ye are much wiser than most councilmen I ken,” Rhea said with a smile.
“Aye, me Lady, of course.” Lara nodded. “They are men, after all.”
Once again, the two women laughed, and Rhea finally felt a weight lift off her shoulders, each breath coming easier.
Lara was right; she had to go and see what Callum wanted. And then, only then, could she judge him—or praise him—for it.