by Alisa Adams
“And then when those sheep appeared out of the mists, ye were so disappointed.” Kaithria laughed quietly again.
She continued to rock Cat slowly back and forth, with Caden rocking her as well. Cat’s whole body is tense as stone, as tense as Caden’s jaw, Kaithria thought.
She kept talking. “And then the twins came out of the fog after the sheep. And ye did get to fight them! Ye tried to swing that big sword from atop yer horse and ye managed to cut one of the twins’ ques right off the top of his head. Ye stared at him in horror, not knowing what to say. And then... ye apologized to him!” Kaithria laughed very softly. “We all thought it was a fine haircut ye gave him! He never forgot ye, Cat! Do ye remember that day?”
Caden was looking straight ahead as Kaithria retold the story. He had a faraway look in his eyes and a proud-looking grin on his face.
Cat nodded her head in sharp movements. She let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “The pain is fading,” she said in a broken, weak voice. “It's letting go of me…” Her voice broke again as she swallowed back a sob.
Kaithria eased her arms from around Cat. She saw that Caden still held her. Kaithria moved off the bed, not wanting to disturb Cat or Caden.
Caden closed his eyes and laid his forehead against Cat’s golden curls.
“Are ye sure the pain is gone?” he whispered.
Cat nodded again and lightly squeezed his muscular forearm that was around the front of her waist.
Caden relaxed his arms and raised his head to look at her.
Cat sat up straighter. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, smiling grimly.
5
“It’s gone?” Gillis asked Cat. “The nausea? The stomach pain?”
“Aye,” whispered Cat with relief.
Gillis quickly made some notes in her book and then looked at Cat to ask her more questions.
Cat held a trembling hand up. “I dinnae want to talk about it right now.” She smiled in apology at Gillis. “Tell me yer plan. Please?”
Gillis made a quick note with her pencil and looked at Cat. She put her book away and stuck the pencil back in her hair. “Rhona needs household help. Aunt Agnes thought it would be interesting to get herself into the house as help. Evidently she and Aunt Hexy talked and now Aunt Hexy has obviously decided she should come help as well. I think that is good, however. Aunt Agnes may need her help.” She lowered her voice. “As do we.”
“Is it Aunt Agnes’s idea to frighten me into getting well?” Cat said in exhaustion with a weak laugh.
“Nay, Cat,” Kaithria said as she sat back down on the bed beside her friend. “The help hears everything going on in the house.” She put her arm back around Cat and pulled Cat’s head onto her shoulder. “Ye must rest. Please let us help ye.” She hugged her friend gently. “If ye see the aunts, ye must not give away that Aunt Agnes and Aunt Hextilda are yer aunties.”
“So ye truly think there is something amiss? Rhona has been so good taking care of me while I have been so very sick. I cannae believe ill of her.”
“I do not think you are sick, Cat,” Gillis said cautiously. “I know my training is for animals—sheep, horses, and the like. But animal doctor or not, something is wrong with this.”
Cat stared up at Gillis, her eyes wide. Tears spilled over and trickled softly down her face. “I am sorry, Gillis. I was rude to ye and it was cruel. I shall trust ye and I pray ye are correct. I want to be well again. To live, and have more adventures,” she said fervently. She took a deep breath of air. “I cannae believe that Aunt Agnes is here. Or Aunt Hextilda. It doesnae make me feel better! It makes me feel worse. If they get sick it will be my fault. Mine!” she said as she swiped at a damp curl that clung to her pale cheeks. Her hand was shaking violently. “I cannae believe Aunt Agnes would do this for me. I thought she didn't like me?” she said in a confused voice. She took another deep breath. “Can she even cook?”
“If she can take that pipe out of her mouth long enough I should think Aunt Agnes can cook well,” Gillis said. “At least she says she can. She just needs to convince Rhona that she needs both herself and Aunt Hextilda.”
“Didnae Lady Swan say that the housekeeper let all of the household staff go?” Caden asked in a low voice as he kept an eye on the pale, exhausted girl in the bed. The pain that had just taken over her body terrified him like nothing he had felt before. She was so slender. It had wracked through her whole body. He had felt it in his own body where he had held her close.
“Aye,” Kaithria answered. “Rhona said she had to let them all go because of the sickness in the house. She had kept the cook but when the cook found out that the others were let go due to Lady Catriona’s sickness, the cook left immediately, like the others.”
“Ebie, the young chambermaid is still here,” Cat said. “She sees to me sometimes. She is a sweet, young girl that comes up from the village.”
Caden growled low in his throat. “She let the girl named Ebie go today as well. It seems the girl told the housekeeper you needed more attention,” Caden said as his voice dropped lower with anger. “Your housekeeper did not like that. Although she has realized she can not run this large house without real help. She needs both of the aunts.” His jaw tensed. “I heard them on the way up the stairs. It sounded like they had convinced her. The stables and storage barns were empty of help as well. There was no one about to take the horses, so I put them up to rest myself and looked around,” Caden said in a deep, throaty voice as he looked towards the windows. “The barns are very fine construction. The foundations are very old.” He looked at Catriona. “There is a threshing/storage barn with a bottle kiln for drying grains on the gable end. ’Tis a three-story bottle kiln,” he said thoughtfully. “I have never seen one like that. I presume the villagers are taking care of the harvest and setting the grains to dry?”
“Aye,” Cat said proudly in a weak voice. “The harvests here are better than most. The kiln is most unusual. It should be full by now.” Cat raised her head off of Kaithria’s shoulder and looked at her. “Did ye bring Dummy?” she said as strength started to return to her voice.
Kaithria smiled at her as she took her arm from around her. It hurt her heart to see her friend like this. “Och, of course. I couldnae ride any horse but Dummernech. He would have kicked his stall door down if I chose anyone but him.”
Cat smiled. She loved the old warhorses they had rescued from the destruction of Brough Castle. They were big, muscular, black Frisian warhorses. Scarred from arrows, bullets, even terrible burns from cannon fire. They were old, retired battle horses. Their riders were women now, instead of the huge warriors who had died in battle that used to ride them. The horses were heroes to Cat and Kaithria as well as their friends, Swan and Neely. The ladies were still learning the talents of these old warhorses.
Neely’s horse Mentieth, nicknamed Teeth, had a talent for biting the opposition. Kaithria’s horse was very good at rearing. He could walk a few steps on his hind feet and slash with his front hooves, striking any adversary.
“What horse did ye ride here, Gillis?” Cat asked with interest. Hearing about the horses was a wonderful way to take her mind off her body
“Swan sent her old horsemaster’s warhorse,” Gillis said. “Beak is far too old to ride the horse now and Swan thought the battle horses would be happy back together in their old age. The poor, ancient thing.”
Cat frowned and looked at Kaithria. “Poor old thing? Horsemaster Beak? Or the horse?”
“Both I should think,” Gillis said with a small, downturned lip. “But the horse definitely. I was afraid to ride the ancient thing. I know his coat should be black but he has so many burn scars on him that you cannae tell if he is black or a sooty grey. He didnae have any care on the battlefield! And his poor tale hangs and drags on the ground but most is missing. Just like his tattered mane which is long in some places and missing in others.” Gillis tsked and shook her head. “Ye cannae count someone’s taste.”
Kaithria looked at he
r oddly. “Do ye mean ‘there is no accounting for someone’s taste’?”
“Nay, Kaithria,” Gillis said with a wave of her hand. “I was talking about the horse Eckle.”
“She is talking about Echlefechan, Cat,” Kaithria explained with a big grin. “Ye may not know him either. He is called Eckle. He is not the oldest of the four black warhorses, just the one that has probably seen and taken the worst of them all. He pulled the cannons into battle and had to stand there as they went off. ’Tis why he has so many burns. He had to stand still near the cannons no matter what was happening around him. He stood there for his rider no matter the arrows, or the sword hits. He is a fine old battle horse.”
Gillis made a tsking sound.
Cat said quietly, “He got ye here with nae a problem, Gillis?”
“Och, aye. With no problem, though he insists on holding the reins in his teeth and willnae let go of them. I gave up and let him keep them. If you try to lead him on the ground with his halter and lead rope, ’tis the same. He grabs the rope as if he is leading me.” Gillis smiled and shrugged. “But he is a terribly ugly-looking thing. One ear is near torn off and hangs at an odd angle and his face is so scarred he looks frightening. Even part of one nostril is ripped sideways. It seems he never had medical care. And I think he cannae hear.”
Caden grunted, “He is a fighter, Lady Gillis. You are riding a true warrior there. You want to heal animals, you will be seeing horses just like him. But you will be able to help them, unlike poor Eckle.”
“Eckle is deaf, Gillis. From standing near the booming cannons,” Kaithria added softly.
“Och, the poor, poor horse!” Gillis said angrily. “Whenever it seems the world is cruel to you, you have only to think of the animals and all they go through for us, without question.” She made a tsking sound again. “I hope Eckle was happy to see Inchturfin again.”
“Aye, they nickered to each other and sniffed noses,” Caden said. “All is well. He is fine.”
Kaithria smiled at Cat. “Ask Caden what he rode to Sanside.”
“What he rode? Or who?” Cat asked curiously as she rested her head against the headboard.
Caden made a sour face. “I would say what.” He clenched his jaw. “I was given Aunt Aggie’s giant draft mule,” he said with a scowl.
Cat’s mouth dropped open. “Nae a horse? Och! That must have been so hard for ye,” Cat grinned teasingly at Caden. Her Uncle Keir had felt the same way, that a mule could never be as good as a horse. Then Cat looked at them all. “How did Aunt Agnes get here?” Cat asked.
Gillis laughed. “She could not show up seeking employment riding that huge mule. It was more appropriate for her to arrive in a cart.” Gillis laughed softly again.
“A cart?” Cat said in consternation. “What cart can carry Aunt Agnes? She is a giant. She is as tall and large as Caden!”
“Och, we found a cart for her, and the animal to pull it,” Kaithria said softly. “We had no choice actually.”
“Tell me,” Cat breathed out with curiosity.
Kaithria leaned forward. “Aunt Agnes has not one mule, but two! One is trained to drive. That one pulled her cart.”
Cat’s mouth dropped open. “Och, oh my…two of those mammoth creatures?” She looked over at Caden. “How was he to ride? I must admit I am very curious.”
Caden’s jaw tensed as he raised an eyebrow and grinned slightly. “The mule is not a he. It is a she. Both of them are in fact. They are sisters,” he said in some disgust. “I am surrounded by females,” he growled.
“Oh!” Cat said with pleasure. “Sisters?” She clapped her hands happily. “That makes me oddly happy, I must say. What are their names?”
Caden pursed his lips.
“Come, ye must tell her,” Kaithria chided him.
Caden looked from Kaithria to Cat. He crossed his big arms across his broad chest and looked down at her. “If it makes you happy then, they are Iris and Ivy,” he bit out.
“Why dinnae ye like their names?” Cat sounded hurt. “’Tis a lovely pair of names for a pair of mules that are sisters.”
Caden just tensed his jaw further. “Unlike a horse, that mule talks too much. I had no idea mules make the sounds they do.” He looked over at Gillis. “I’ll trade you your warrior horse for that impossible female mule,” he growled.
Gillis smiled at him. She pretended to think hard. Then she looked at him with a grin. “Nay, I think not. I rather like Eckle now that I know his poor history.” She shrugged and added, “Enjoy Iris. After all, life is full of spicy variety.”
Kaithria looked at her brother’s confused face. She smiled at Gillis. “I think the saying goes, ‘variety is the spice of life,’ Gillis.”
Gillis thought for a moment. “Nay, ’tis ‘life is full of spicy variety.’”
Kaithria shrugged and looked over to see Cat smiling at Caden.
“Yer mule talks?” Cat asked him quietly with her brows raised. “I hope I get a chance to hear that.”
Kaithria studied them, grinning softly.
Before Caden could answer her there came a sound out in the hall.
The door to the bedchamber opened.
Rhona stepped inside and stopped abruptly. Her eyes were sharp above the mask she wore covering her mouth and nose.
She was staring angrily at the people surrounding the bed.
6
Rhona yanked the mask down off her face. It hung limply at her chin.
“How did all of ye get in here? I told ye, no visitors!” she said curtly in a sharp, high voice. Her eyes went to Caden. “These two were in me drawing room, but ye? I never even let ye in the house! A mon cannae be in a lady’s room! Who are ye?”
Caden took several slow steps towards Rhona. His eyes were narrowed as he studied the housekeeper’s eyes. As a trained warrior he knew that to watch your opponent’s eyes could tell you quite a lot about their intent. The housekeeper’s eyes were darting around the room nervously.
“I can be in her room because I am Catriona’s betrothed,” he said in a deep voice that was just on the verge of being threatening. “Who are you?” he asked as he let his eyes meaningfully scan the gown she wore. He knew it was Catriona’s. He ignored the gasp that came at his words from Catriona. Surely she has to see the need for the ploy? he thought.
Kaithria hurried to his side. “This is Caden Zahrah Keith. My brother. Cat is my dearest friend, and they are indeed betrothed, just as he told ye,” she said firmly, daring the housekeeper to question her.
Caden stood there, towering over everyone in the room. His hands were fisted at his sides as he stared down the impertinent housekeeper.
“Lady Catriona?” Rhona asked as she peered around the tall, angry Highlander. “Is this true?” she demanded.
“Aye, Rhona,” Cat said weakly. “Dinnae I tell you about him? I suppose I might not have told you as I have been so sick, and thought it not wise to marry in my condition,” she said firmly, catching Caden’s eyes.
Rhona straightened and looked back at Caden. “Ye heard her, milord. She cannae marry in her condition.”
Caden’s jaw tensed and his eyes narrowed in fury. “You dare to speak to me in this manner, and of this matter?” he growled in a near roar. “She will get well. I vow my own life on this,” he snarled at her.
Rhona smiled grimly and bowed her head. “Vera well, milord.” Her smile turned smug as she peered at him from under her lashes. She turned to the door to the bedchamber and opened it further, and motioned for someone to enter.
“I have a new cook and maid.” Rhona scowled. “The maid is here. She has brought dinner to Lady Catriona prepared by our new cook, Agnes,” she said archly as she motioned again, more assertively this time.
Finally a very small, older woman with grey frizzled hair that was in a knot hanging sideways over her ear appeared in the doorway. She shuffled slowly into the room holding a tray with a small bowl of food.
Cat bit her lip as she watched her Aunt Hexy.
“Thank you...” Cat said, trying to control her smile at seeing her Aunt Hexy. “Um, what should we call you?”
Aunt Hexy stopped and raised her head. She looked momentarily startled but Gillis quickly stepped towards her, blocking her from Rhona, who was watching her with a critical eye.
“What is your name, or what do you like to be called?” Gillis said gently.
Aunt Hexy relaxed, her mouth forming an O as she looked at her niece, Gillis. “My name is Hextilda. Though some call me Hexy.”
“Very well. Thank you, Hextilda,” Gillis said as she smiled in approval at her aunt and stepped aside as her aunt started shuffling forward again.
Cat studied Hextilda. She was a distant aunt from the Ross side of the family. But she was Gillis’s direct aunt as Gillis was a Ross and cousin to the Ross sisters.
It had been Ina Ross that had taught Cat and Kaithria how to ride the old warhorses, and what they could do if the women were attacked. It had come in particularly handy as Kaithria’s horse had saved them at the Devil's Pool at Kinbrace when he reared up and struck out at the man attacking them.
As Cat studied Aunt Hexy, she noted the bulge in the front of her shawl. It was more than just the bulge of her aging, drooping breasts. Cat had a feeling that Duke, Aunt Hexy’s tiny little dog was nestled within her shawl where she typically liked to carry him. Her breasts looked far too enormous and Cat realized that she had to have sneaked her little dog into the house there under her shawl, with Rhona none the wiser. Aunt Hexy did not go anywhere without the tiny thing.
Aunt Hexy finally made it to Cat’s bedside. As she lowered the tray onto Cat’s lap, it shook loudly. Cat reached forward and steadied the tray as Aunt Hexy put it in her lap.
