Chapter 13 #3
Callie blushed as if embarrassed by her confession and tucked her chin to her chest.
Simon quickly got up and led her from the hall so that they could speak.
“Sin,” Lochlan said from beside him, “I realize I’m not a man to be giving advice on this matter, but it seems to me only a fool would let a woman like that slip from his grasp.
If I ever found a woman who could look past my shortcomings and still want to be with me, I would move heaven and earth to keep her by my side. ”
“You’re not me, little brother. And I can’t let myself be open to her when I know that in a short time she will hate me. Hatred and scorn are mother’s milk to me and yet I can’t bear the thought of seeing it in her eyes.”
“Then don’t betray her.”
He looked at Lochlan. How easy his brother made it sound.
“All I have ever had in this world is my word and my honor. They are the only things that weren’t stripped from my flesh.
The only things I have never bartered or sold for my survival.
And you would have me forsake them? You ask more of me than I am able to give. Nay, I must do as I promised.”
And yet as he looked to where his wife had vanished with Simon, he hurt from the pain of what his honor would see him do. But it wasn’t just his honor that mattered. He knew Henry in a way few men did. If he failed to deliver The Raider, Henry would see this clan obliterated.
Silently, Sin ate his food while his brothers made their excuses and left him alone in the hall.
He had barely finished eating when Callie returned. She looked to the vacated seats. “They left already?”
“I fear my dour mood hastened them off. Now are you going to tell me what you spoke to Simon about?”
“I have absolutely no intention of answering that.”
He shook his head at her. “You are a cheeky lass.”
“I am that. Vexing to the point my father oft said that I would try the patience of Job.”
She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Now, we’re off to have our day of fun. Come, Sir Ogre, and let me see if I can keep a smile on your face.”
Little did she know, her very presence kept a smile in his heart and that was the biggest feat of all.
Sin saddled horses for them and once they were mounted, Callie led him to the village of Tier Nalayne where the bulk of the MacNeely clan lived and worked. It was a pleasant day and the village was rife with activity.
Children ran and played games, rushing up and down the roads, between the cottages and shops. Women and men paused along the way to gossip and talk while they went about their daily chores.
Callie had them dismount and leave their horses at the stable so they could walk about on foot.
It didn’t take long before they became the center of hostile attention. Women grabbed their children and scurried away at their approach.
Callie took a deep breath and counted for patience at the way her people greeted her husband. It was a good thing he’d left his armor behind. She could only imagine how much worse they would behave had he come wearing his mail and sword.
The butcher’s wife stepped out her shop, saw them approaching, then ran inside, slammed the door shut and hung a sign on the door saying they were out of meat for the day. Callie glared at the sign, then looked to see Sin’s reaction.
There wasn’t one. He merely took her clan’s disdain of him in stride as if he expected nothing better. And that made her maddest of all.
She’d known these men and women the whole of her life. How could they be so blind?
“Morna?” she called, seeing her stepmother talking to her best friend Peg outside of the cobbler’s shop. Callie took Sin’s hand and led him over to her. “How fare you this day?”
Her stepmother beamed a happy smile at them while Peg inspected the contents of the basket she was holding. “We’re fine, aren’t we, Peg?”
Peg looked up and raked a sneer over Sin. “I needs be getting back to me chores.”
Sin said nothing, nor did his face betray even the slightest offense.
“How are you, milord?” Morna gave him a pleasant smile.
Callie saw relief flash in Sin’s eyes for such a brief time that she wondered if she imagined it. “I am quite well, milady, and you?”
“Oh posh, no milady here. I’m just simple Morna, especially to the man who helped me Jamie. You know, you’re all he talks about.”
“And I’m certainly far from noble myself. Call me Sin. As for Jamie, he’s a good boy. You’ve done a fine job with him.”
Morna’s gaze went over Sin’s shoulder, then she looked to Callie. “Let’s see if we can bash a few stubborn skulls and make the others see what we do.”
Before she could ask Morna what she meant, Morna grabbed Angus as the old man walked past. His long gray hair was tangled and his beard so full that no one knew what he really looked like.
Still, he was one of the most respected men in the clan and if you could get Angus to like you, the rest would follow suit.
“Angus, me love,” Morna said cheerfully, “have you met Callie’s new husband?”
The old man curled his lip as he took in Sin’s English clothes. “I’ve no desire to be meeting a—”
Morna cut his words off by clearing her throat. “Don’t you think you should judge a man by his deeds and not by his birth?”
“I know the deeds of his kind.”
Morna sighed as Angus hobbled off. “Don’t take it to heart,” she said to Sin, “They’re good people, really.”
“Believe me, I don’t even hear it. I fear Callie is the only one to be hurt by such comments.”
He might say that, but Callie didn’t believe it. How could it not hurt him?
Callie glanced to see a group of eight men, led by Fraser, headed toward them. Oh, this wasn’t good. By their swaggers, she could tell they meant harm.
Fraser glared at her. His sneer twisted his reddish-blond beard. “Why did you bring him here?”
“I wanted to show him the village.”
“Why?”
“Because we live here and I thought he might like to see it.”
Fraser’s eyes were dark and menacing. “You might live here. He is visiting. At least he’d best be.”
Sin scoffed as if amused by Fraser’s words. “Let me guess. If I don’t leave soon, you’ll make me wish I had gone home. Or better yet, you’ll make me wish I’d never been born or some other worthless cliche meant to frighten me.”
Fraser opened his mouth to speak.
Sin spoke before he had a chance to. “I know already that you don’t want me here.
You’ve no use for me or my kind. You don’t even want to be bothered having to see me in your midst.” Sin cut a hostile glare to the group of men that made several of them take a step back.
“Fine then. Hand me The Raider and I shall gladly go.”
“The only thing we’ll be handing you is your head.”
“Ooo,” Sin breathed. “Very scary. Have you ever thought of making up children’s tales? You might actually succeed in frightening a two-year-old.”
Fraser gave Sin a disgusted glare. “I really don’t like you.”
“The feeling is quite mutual.”
Fraser took a step toward Sin, who didn’t move at all. Callie held her breath, waiting for them to fight. The two of them reminded her of rams about to lock horns and she had no idea how to diffuse this situation.
Not that Fraser would even let her. The man really had no sense to be pushing her husband, and she had to admire Sin’s control. Any other man who possessed half of Sin’s fighting skills would already have Fraser on the ground whimpering.
When Fraser spoke next, his tone was disrespectful and cold. “You think you can come in here and tell us how to live. Look down your English noses at us.” He looked to Callie. “Take our women while we do nothing. Well you have another think coming.”
Sin’s smiled was evil. “I’m sure I do.”
Fraser swung at him.
Sin ducked, caught Fraser’s arm and held Fraser in place with a fierce grip.
“Listen to me,” Sin said in perfect, flawless Gaelic.
“I will speak slowly so that you can understand me. I have no wish to embarrass you in front of your friends and family by hurting you. So go home and take your men with you.”
He released Fraser.
Fraser staggered back as he raked a malevolent glare over Sin’s body. “You and I are going to have this out.”
Sin cast a frustrated look to Callie. “How mad at me would you be if I hit him really hard? Just once.”
She glowed at the realization that his respect for her was the only thing that had kept him from pulverizing Fraser. Whether he admitted it out loud or not, her husband did have feelings for her. In that moment, she could kiss him.
“‘Tis Fun Day,” she said simply. “So, if it will give you pleasure, I might be swayed to forgive you.”
Sin smiled at that.
Until a scream rent the air.
Women and men started grabbing at children and running for cover. Callie froze as she saw a crazed bull running down the village street attacking anything and everything that got in its way.
Before she could move again, Sin grabbed her up in his arms and tossed her to the low hanging roof of a nearby cottage. She scrambled up the roof, making room for him to join her.
He didn’t.
Fraser grabbed Morna and did the same with her, then ran for a little boy who’d fallen in the street. He reached the boy just seconds before the bull and managed to get him to a rooftop, but before Fraser could get out of the way, the bull caught him about the leg and gored him.
Callie cringed at the way the bull attacked. There was no hope for poor Fraser. He was dead.
Or so she thought until she saw Sin seize a huge wooden laundry swatter and plaid kirtle where one of the women had dropped her laundry. While the bull toyed with Fraser, Sin smacked the bull across his flanks and clucked his tongue at the beast.
The bull whirled around and eyed him angrily.
“That’s it.” Sin taunted the animal. He wrapped the kirtle around the swatter to make a banner of sorts that would entice the beast. “Run after the idiot who has no sword.”
He waved the banner before the bull that now stood still as it watched the motion he made. It stamped twice, put its head down and charged.