Chapter 5
Chapter Five
“Ach, ye were tellin’ the truth when ye said that we werenae far from the castle,” Katherine said as they rode through the gates. “I thought ye were just sayin’ it to get me on the horse.”
The rain was still coming down in sheets, and the thunder was even louder now. It seemed as if the entire world was roaring around them. When Liam didn’t respond, she assumed that he couldn’t hear her.
I wouldnae put it past him to ignore me words even if he could hear me. If I’m to keep things polite between us, I willnae dwell on that.
Castle MacDougal was much more impressive than the castle she’d grown up in.
Not only was it large, sitting on sprawling grounds with perfectly manicured gardens, but no parts of the facade were falling off.
Above the archway that invited her to come deeper inside, the MacDougal crest was carved into the stone.
She’d known from the amount he spent on her that her new home would be nice, but there was a level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that she didn’t think she would ever be allowed to experience firsthand.
As they moved, her eyes darted from the gardener and his young apprentice who were meticulously pruning the bushes to the stable in the distance where more horses were grazing in the yard.
Somewhere, hidden by the foliage, she heard children giggling.
Seeing this kind of money and community in person was a different experience from what she was used to entirely.
Katherine was so taken by the symmetrical towers on either side that she didn’t realize they’d stopped moving until Liam began to dismount. She shifted back, preparing to dismount herself. Still, she struggled to tear her gaze away from the intricate stonework.
“Lady Agnes!” a flustered woman’s voice called, finally forcing Katherine to get her head out of the clouds. When her eyes came into focus, Lady Agnes was hobbling toward them with a maid chasing after her. “Ye shouldnae be outside in the storm.”
“I was beginnin’ to wonder where the two of ye had gone,” she said, ignoring the servants and speaking to her grandson as he plucked Katherine from the saddle as if she didn’t weigh a thing.
She took in the sight of the two of them, her eyes settling on Katherine. “Brimstone arrived just before ye did.”
Katherine exhaled, the tightness in her chest loosening into something softer.
She wasn’t sure how Lady Agnes had known she was concerned about the horse, but she was grateful that she did.
Perhaps it was the maternal instinct that women always spoke about.
Regardless, at least now she’d be able to sleep knowing the stubborn animal was warm and dry.
“Excellent,” Liam quipped, waving the groom over to take his horse’s reins. As the leather passed hands, he continued, “Ye shouldnae be out in the rain. I daenae how many times I’ve told ye that yer attendants have yer best interest in mind.”
Lady Agnes said nothing, catching Katherine’s eye and giving her a private smile. Without causing any more fuss, she finally let the maid standing next to her, who looked increasingly flustered, guide her back inside. Another crack of lightning split across the sky.
“One of ye,” he continued, looking at two of the servants who had followed his grandmother outside.
They seemed to stand a little straighter under his intense gaze.
“Locate Tilly and bring her to the foyer. Katherine, ye will wait for her. She will take ye to yer chambers and get ye changed. Then ye will meet me in me study, aye?”
“Aye,” Katherine confirmed, wrapping her arms around her body. Now that her heart was beginning to return to a normal rate, the chill was creeping into her very soul. “Will ye be changin’ as well? Or will ye be attendin’ our meetin’ soaked to the bone?”
He looked at her, a flash of confused frustration flickering across his features.
“I will go to me council and announce our betrothal. Then I will arrange the contract.” He looked away from her then, walking up the stairs leading to the elaborate doors.
“Get out of the rain, Katherine. Ye’re nae good to anyone if ye come down with an illness. ”
Right. I’m only here to perform whatever duties he’s yet to tell me.
She climbed the steps after him, lifting her dress so she wouldn’t trip on the muddy hem. Her shoes sloshed, water squishing out from the sides. Rivulets of rain tracked down her face, and her hair was stuck to her skull.
The fear that hadn’t truly gone away since her father told her she’d be sold flared up again as they passed over the threshold.
She no longer looked at the castle with awe, instead feeling intimidated by the impressive architecture.
For the rest of her life, she would have to obey a stranger, and she couldn’t yet tell if her new master would be merciful or if this place would turn into a cage.
Inside, he left her alone in the foyer. She stood in the middle of the room, careful to avoid the carpet spread over the stone.
Water dripped from her dress, her long strands of hair, and her fingertips.
A shiver ran through her again, and this time she was sure it was the cold rather than her body reacting to the enigma that was Laird MacDougal.
“Miss Katherine?” a soft voice said a few moments later. It sounded cautious but excited. Before she even looked at her, Katherine felt like she could trust her.
“Aye,” Katherine replied, turning around to see a small woman coming toward her with a thick flannel cloth.
“It’s a pleasure to meet ye,” the maid said, taking in Katherine’s state before deciding to sop away the water dripping down her forehead.
Her touch was gentle, but the movements she made were confident.
The care felt so personal that Katherine’s eyes nearly fell closed.
“I’m Tilly. I’ll be takin’ care of ye from now on. Let’s get ye into somethin’ dry, aye?”
Katherine didn’t reply with words, letting the woman lead her away.
It didn’t matter how unsettled Liam’s behavior and the impending meeting she was having with him made her; it seemed that there were kind people within these walls.
They wanted her to feel welcome, and she wanted to believe she was.
And, as Tilly pointed out her favorite painting in the castle, she remembered the conversation she’d had with the other women at the auction. It seemed that she had already found a member of the staff who was on her side.
* * *
“I’m sure that whatever ye had to announce could have waited a few moments,” one of Liam’s councilmen said. He dragged his eyes over Liam’s dripping form, seeming genuinely appalled at sight of his muddied riding leathers. “Ye’re soaked.”
“I’m stoppin’ here before I change in me quarters, Harold,” Liam said, not bothering with taking a seat.
He didn’t want to give them the illusion that this was anything more than an announcement.
“It’s important we begin preparations now.
I’ve chosen me wife, and our betrothal is set.
Our bindin’ is to take place in three weeks’ time. ”
“Is that so?” Harold asked, leaning back in his chair, pleased. He folded his hands in front of him on the table, his tone shifting to something a bit warmer. “We’re glad to hear it. I daenae think any of us were truly expectin’ ye to find a woman ye approved of.”
“Daenae be ridiculous,” Liam scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He narrowed his eyes. “Ye kent that was me intent.”
“Aye, but ye’re quite… particular,” another councilman said. “I do believe that we were beginnin’ to worry about wee Agnes bein’ yer sole heir.”
“She may nae be able to carry on me name, but I still believe she’s a fine heir,” Liam said, sharp and leaving no room for further argument.
He understood their concern, but he wouldn’t hear any disparaging comments toward his daughter.
“There is the possibility of a male heir now, but nae until after we’ve had the bindin’ ceremony. ”
He’d only offered the words to keep his council from picking further. His pride in his daughter wasn’t something shared by the men who oversaw his decisions. It would be difficult to find anyone who felt the same as he did.
His pride aside, he had seen what it cost to earn something as precious as Agnes. He would never impose that on another woman again.
“Ye’ve done somethin’ great for the clan,” another member of the council continued, placated for now at the very least. “We’re pleased with how ye’ve been runnin’ things, and now, we ken that yer legacy will be secured.”
“Much less trainin’ for a new laird if, heaven forbid, somethin’ happens to ye, Laird MacDougal,” Harold said, tapping his fingers upon the tabletop.
His tone was objective, the kind of man that thought only of the logistics that supported a robust clan.
“Once ye have a son, we can begin teachin’ him exactly how ye run things.
As he gets older, we will begin includin’ him in council meetings, so he kens what to expect. ”
“We’ll also have significantly more to gain when it comes time for him to marry,” a member who hadn’t spoken up until this point added. “He willnae need a dowry as Lady Agnes will. With yer excellent reputation, he will have his pick of eligible women.”
“That’s enough,” Liam said, unwilling to hear any more of this.
He’d been hoping to avoid discussions such as this, at least for the evening.
“What I do within the arrangement is me business and mine alone. I needed a woman to help raise me daughter, and now, that requirement has been fulfilled. What happens within me household isnae yers to dictate.”
His interjection brought the meeting in the conference room to a sudden halt. A few of the younger council members looked chastised, while the older members kept their expressions carefully neutral though they held themselves in a more controlled manner.
It wasn’t often that they truly tested his patience. He took pride in the collection of advisors he had assembled, all of them understanding that they were there to advise, not dominate. Most days, they performed their jobs effectively and efficiently.
Though sometimes they seemed to be operating on an agenda Liam wasn’t privy to, all it took to get them back on track was a sharp correction. They were good men.
He held eye contact with the loudest voices, ensuring they understood that this was the only warning they’d get.
They held his gaze, silently confirming that he was heard and that, for now, the discussion was tabled.
When he was satisfied that the subject would be dropped, he nodded.
Wiping a bit of rainwater from his jaw, he turned his gaze toward the window.
“With the bindin’ approachin’, we will need to prepare and secure our lands,” he said, shifting their focus back to the practical matters where his counsel’s input was appreciated.
This was truly the point of this impromptu meeting.
“Nay only will we have allies in attendance, but the announcement could draw unwanted attention from enemies.”
He didn’t need to voice the enemy he had in mind. Ever since his father had attacked the Pirate Laird and the man’s younger sister had been killed, Liam stayed in a constant state of battle readiness. It wasn’t a matter of if the Laird would retaliate but when.
And, considering that the pirates’ last attempt had been calculated and executed at a time when the castle was vulnerable, he was not willing to take any chances. Word could get out and back to them regardless of how fiercely the information was guarded.
Or they could be watchin’ us like before. We didnae ken they were watchin’ us last time, either.
“It willnae take much adjustin’ of patrol schedules,” Harold said, professionally changing subjects, aware that their enemies were much more deserving of their worry than whether or not there would be a male child produced.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll increase the number of guards we send out as well as the frequency of walkin’ their routes. ”
“Excellent,” Liam said with a sharp nod of his head.
His let his gaze sweep over the councilmen “We will also need to coordinate the staff. Lady Agnes is too old to plan the bindin’, and Katherine isnae yet familiar with the workings of the castle.
” Before any of them could suggest she try, he added, “Her function is takin’ care of Agnes first. One day she will organize the household, but she isnae ready for that yet.
Me priority for her is Agnes’s education. ”
The conversation shifted to logistics then, his council accepting the reassignment of duties without complaint.
He knew that they weren’t pleased to be doing such feminine work, but they were smart enough to keep their thoughts to themselves.
He wasn’t sure that he’d be able to stand them insisting that Katherine be involved in this planning.
The woman was far too free-spirited. She was loud and seemed to lack the kind of grace he’d expect from a lady. In fact, he was doubtful that she would be receptive to teaching Agnes anything unless she thought that it was her own idea.
I daenae ken what I’ve gotten meself into, but I suppose I can rest easy kennin’ I’ve pleased me grandmother one last time.