Chapter 20
But sadly, confusingly, it did not. In the following days between the Feast of Saint Patrick and the ancient, pagan celebration of the Turning of the Light, despite their recent intimacy, Edan continued to keep his distance from her.
As the festival approached, there was a sense of growing excitement within the castle.
It was abuzz with preparations. Delicious aromas wafted up from the kitchens, where vast amounts of food were being cooked.
Animals were slaughtered and butchered, ready to be spit-roasted at the celebration itself, and barrels of ale and crates of wine and whisky were brought up from the cellars to ensure plenty of refreshments for the revelers.
In the Great Hall, musicians practiced their playing, and outside in the pastures surrounding the castle, teams of men busied themselves with building bonfires that would be lit on the night of the vernal equinox, their flames celebrating the beginning of spring.
“Someone’s goin’ to die soon, for certain,” Megan was saying as she put away a load of clean linen in Olivia’s chest of drawers.
It was the afternoon of the day of the festival, and the sisters were spending some peaceful time together before attending the celebration that evening.
“Ach, how do ye make that out?” Eileen asked with faint exasperation. She was reclining on her sister’s bed, a book in her hand. “Just because a dog howled? Lord, we’d all better watch out if that’s the case. We’ll be droppin’ like flies.”
“It didnae just howl, Lady Eileen,” Megan said over her shoulder. “It howled three times in a row and then stopped. Nae two, nae four, but three. Everyone kens that’s an omen foretellin’ of death soon to come.”
“Well, I’ve never heard of it. Ye worry too much about such things, Megan. Ye’re always seein’ death or bad luck in quite ordinary things. Ye’ll drive yerself mad if ye carry on like that,” Eileen told her. “Have any of yer predictions ever come true?”
“Some of them take time to come true, but they always do in the end, mark me words. Ye’ll see I’m right. There’s an imminent death.”
“Ach, folks die all the time.”
“A death here, at the castle,” the maid said, closing the drawer. She turned around, arms akimbo, and asked Eileen, “Did Lady Aberfeld tell ye about the strange dream she kept havin’?”
Eileen perked up. “Nay. What dream is this, Olivia?”
Olivia was sitting at her writing desk, where she had been trying for the last hour to compose a letter to her elder sister, Tilly, asking for marriage advice. Despite the approaching celebration, all she could think about was Edan and what to do about her situation.
“Olivia!”
“Hmm? What?” Startled out of her thoughts, Olivia turned her head and looked at Eileen.
“Ye havenae heard a word we’ve been sayin’, have ye?” Eileen asked, though the answer to her question was obvious.
“I’m sorry, I was miles away,” Olivia said apologetically. She swung around in her chair and looked at her sister enquiringly. “What was it ye wanted to ken?”
“I’ll leave ye to it, Me Ladies, if ye dinnae mind,” Megan cut in.
“I promised the kitchen maids to help with gettin’ the food ready for the festival,” she said, hurrying to the door.
“I’ll be back later to help ye dress for the party.
Och, I’m so excited!” she gushed, before closing the door behind her.
“Olivia, what is wrong?” Eileen asked. “Ye’ve been so preoccupied since the party. I ken something is troublin’ ye. Is it Edan?”
Olivia knew her sister was right. Despite her youth, Eileen often showed a wisdom beyond her years.
She already knew all about Nurkirk and the five outings with Edan.
So, desperate to unburden herself and in hopes of getting some good advice about what to do, Olivia decided it was time to confess everything to her sister.
With a heavy sigh, she left the desk and went to sit next to Eileen on the bed. “Aye, ’tis Edan.”
Leaving out the more intimate details, she quickly told Eileen what had happened between them on the night of the party.
“I really believed he would change for good after that,” she sighed.
“But almost straightaway, he went back to bein’ cold towards me.
’Tis killin’ me, Eileen,” she said miserably.
“Every time I think we’re gettin’ close, that I’ve gotten through to him, it just happens again, as though he’s tryin’ to shut me out. ”
“Aye, I’ve seen how it is between ye,” Eileen admitted. “He blows hot and cold.”
“Aye, and it really hurts me, because ye see, I’m in love with him.”
“Oh.” Eileen’s eyebrows rose, and she looked at Olivia sympathetically.
“But I dinnae think he loves me back.”
Olivia was surprised when Eileen scoffed. “Ye’re wrong there, Sister. I’ve seen the way he looks at ye. He cares for ye, all right.”
“Do ye really think so?”
“Aye, I do. I’m sure there’s a reason why he shuts ye out. Maybe ye just have to persevere.”
“That’s another thing I’m worried about. I may be runnin’ out of time. Our last outing is comin’ up. And after that, Edan must go away to fight Nurkirk, but there’s nay guarantee he’ll come back alive this time. I’m so scared I’ll lose him,” Olivia told her, her heart aching.
“I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it all right for ye, Olivia. But all I can say is if this is yer last outing before he leaves, and ye fear he may nae come back, then ye must make the most of yer time together.”
Olivia nodded unhappily. “Aye, I ken ye’re right,” she agreed. “But I just wish things were different.”
Later on, when Megan had finished styling her hair and was working on Eileen’s, Olivia sat and thought about what her sister had said.
She wondered what she and Edan could do together that would make their last outing special and memorable, so it would sustain her if, God forbid, anything happened to him while he was away hunting Nurkirk down.
Eventually, she had an idea, and she resolved to present it to Edan later that night at the festival.
Night had fallen when the sisters made their way out of the castle gates.
“Oh my, what a wonderful sight!” Eileen exclaimed when they stepped out into the pastures to see bonfires burning brightly all over. “They’re like stars lightin’ up the night sky.”
“Aye, ’tis a lovely atmosphere, and there are so many people here,” Olivia remarked as they walked over the grass among the various little encampments gathered around the fires.
Children were running about, clearly excited about being allowed to stay up late. Music was playing, people were making merry, laughing, dancing, drinking, and eating. The scent of woodsmoke and the enticing smell of roast meats wafted in the air.
“’Tis quite magical,” Eileen said, looking around excitedly, the flickering orange light from the fires playing across her face.
“Shall we get some wine?” Olivia suggested, gesturing to one of the many tables that had been laden with food and drink.
As the wine was poured, she said, “Edan sent word to meet him by the big bonfire. He is goin’ to make the libation to the old gods and recite the ritual.”
So, once they had their drinks, that was where they headed.
Things were even livelier once they reached the clearing around the biggest bonfire.
Many performers were displaying their various talents, acrobats and jugglers, puppeteers and sword dancers.
Eileen lingered to watch some young girls dance, while Olivia made her way to Edan, who was standing by the fire, a tankard in his hand, talking to Zander and some other men who, judging from their attire, were farmers.
She thought he looked very imposing in his full kilt. He saw her as she approached and cut the conversation short to come over to meet her.
Though she was unsure of what sort of mood he would be in, she said lightly, “I hope ye havenae made yer speech yet. I wouldnae want to miss it.”
“I was waitin’ for ye to come. As the lady of the castle, ye should be here.”
She was pleased that he was speaking to her. Even though his voice held little warmth, it was better than being ignored.
Perhaps he is puttin’ on a show for his people, she mused, wary of being lulled into a false sense of security again.
“Grandmaither’s over there, with Megan and Jane and some of the other ladies from the castle,” he said, nodding in their direction.
“Och, all right. I’ll go and join them while ye make yer speech.”
For a moment, she was disappointed, thinking he was banishing her and she would not see him for the rest of the night.
“I’ll come and meet ye there afterward. Hold this for me,” he added, handing her the tankard, “and I’ll do it now. Then, we can get on with the celebrations.”
“I approve of that idea,” she said, pleased with the way things had gone so far.
Eileen was still watching the dancers, tapping her foot to the music. Olivia went over to tell her where she was going and then wandered over to greet Greta and the others.
They all watched while Edan stood up on a wooden crate and clapped his hands to gain people’s attention. It was not hard to rally folks to his summons with his commanding voice. It carried on the night air, its sonorous power sending little thrills up and down Olivia’s spine.
Despite everything, she felt enormously proud of him as he made the libation, a dram of whisky that was fed to the fire and blazed brightly as he recited in Gaelic the sacred words that had been spoken since ancient times on this special night.
With the ritual completed, the crowd gave a great cheer and set about enjoying the festival in earnest.
Edan came to join her. “What would ye like to do now?” he asked civilly, which she found surprising.
“I would like us to go for a walk—perhaps find a little bonfire of our own and spend some time together. I have something I want to talk to ye about.”
He seemed to frown, but it could have been the light from the bonfire flickering over his darkened features. Whatever it was, her heart sank, for she was convinced he was going to refuse.