“When I was small,” she broke the silence and he took pause to listen. “I used to sit in our backyard that had a pool with trees and plants that surrounded it. I used to pretend all kinds of adventures. My favorite was that the pool was actually a large lake in the woods, and that I was the lady of the glen waiting for my knight. This was a magical place I created in my mind. If I closed my eyes, I could see that man oh so clearly.”
“What did he look like?” He didn’t want her to stop talking, for this was the first time that she had offered a glimpse to her thoughts.
She wore faraway smile on her face as she recalled those long ago memories. “Oh, he was tall, dark and handsome. You know the typical fantasy any young, healthy girl of pre-teen years would have.”
“And would this knight love ye?”
There was a pensive shimmer in the shadow of her eyes. “With all his heart. He would do anything for me, save me if deemed necessary.”
“And ye would care for him in the same manner?” His voice was oddly gentle.
For a moment, she regarded him with a speculative gaze, for she was beginning to wonder what they were truly talking about. In the end, she answered him with all honesty. “I would love him right back.” She turned away then, fearing that she had revealed too much. “Why can’t life be like our dreams?”
He let out a long tired breath. “I do not have the answer.”
She was beginning to feel stiff from sitting so long and she rolled her shoulders back and forth. Her gaze found his once more. “What now? It doesn’t look like my knight in shining armor is going to whisk me home anytime soon.”
He placed a reassuringly strong hand on her forearm. “I will not abandon ye. We will think of something, aye?” Their eyes locked and he could see the frightened little girl beneath the tough exterior. At that moment, he wanted to lean forward and kiss away all her uncertainties. She seemed to sense his purpose and turned away. He sighed regretting that he hadn’t acted on his impulse.
“Besides…” he purposely let the word hang, forcing her to look at him again.
“Besides what?”
“…if a knight in shining armor actually did come to rescue ye,” his voice was laced with humor, “ye would end up knocking him on his arse and taking his horse away from him.”
Try as she might, she couldn’t help but smile at the picture he had conjured up.
“See, things are not so bad.” He easily rose to his feet and offered her his hand. “Come. Neala has welcomed us to share a meal with her. Then we must be on our way before nightfall catches us too far from home.”
Home? But home was not supposed to be a lonely room in an old drafty keep.
She looked at his offering and sighed. It was odd, but as soon as her reaching fingers touched the warmth of his hand, she felt a sense of security.
Chapter 25
Dougray sat at the long table in the Great Hall and listened to each and every tenant’s grievances. They were usually nothing of grave importance, just petty arguments that were easily settled. He noticed that Fiona had entered the room and his eyes roved over her gown that clung to curves he knew all too well. She smiled. Once he would not have been able to resist her charm, but now he had no desire for her.
Fiona saw him look away causing her smile to falter, but she refused to be daunted. She patiently waited her turn so that she might speak. She walked up to the table and curtsied with a slow meaningful bow, exposing the tops of her creamy white breasts. Dougray heard Murrough cough behind his hand, but
he ignored it. “Dia dhuit, milord.”
“Dia dhuit,” he said anxious for her to finish her flamboyant greeting. “Ye have something ye wish to present?”
Fiona was not sure how to take his somewhat removed tone. She had dressed in her most revealing gown, and had brushed her hair until it shone to perfection with wisps of golden tresses shaping her face. She even added a bit of color to her face knowing that it would heighten her cheekbones, but yet Dougray sat there completely unaffected. She cleared her throat. “Milord, I need to draw yer attention to what has transpired, for surely ye must not know of what is going on.”
“Please get to the point, Fiona. I have others whom I must tend to as well.” He nodded toward the line of people that still waited to have an audience with him.
“Very well. I will not sugar coat it. It seems that Rhiannon has been instructed to make garments for the Lady Aislinn.”
“Aye, that is what she is supposed to do.”
“But garments befitting a man? She is sewing together fabrics to make trews and some other trousers that somewhat resembled the outfit she arrived in. Surely this is not what ye had intended.”
On Dougray’s right hand side Murrough shifted uncomfortably. Surely, Rhiannon would not go against her lord’s requests.
Dougray knew that Fiona was fishing for trouble and he was in no way going to give her the satisfaction. “Rhiannon is very capable and I have no doubt that the garments will be of good standing.”
Fiona’s mouth dropped not believing she had heard him correctly. “But….”
“Is that all?”
What more could she say? He obviously was going to let Aislinn do whatever she pleased. Was there no fault that he would ever find with his guest? She refused to believe that and was determined to find something that would shower disfavor on her. “That is all. I was not aware that ye already knew of this. Good day.” This time she did not curtsey but turned on her heels with her hair flying behind her as she stomped out of the room, shoving people aside as she went. Dougray saw Cormac look hesitantly at him before
he hurried after her.
Murrough leaned forward. “Do ye wish for me to have a word with Cormac?”
“Nay. If the lad wishes to be with Fiona, I have no difficulty with it. I actually welcome the idea.”
“Ye have parted with her then?”
“I guess that I have.” Until that moment, he had not been sure.
“And what of Rhiannon? Ye wish for her to continue to make the garments for milady?”
“Murrough, I want Aislinn to feel at home here. If the comforts of trews makes this so, then I have no uncertainties with it, but…” He paused for a moment and rubbed his chin that was in a need of a good shave. “…make sure that Rhiannon is aware that I wish the gowns I requested to be made also.”
“Aye, milord, consider it done.”
Dougray waved the next person forward, who happened to be the cook and he was dragging young Edmond behind him. “What seems to be yer complaint, Roth?” Dougray asked, as he glanced at the young lad curiously. “It is milady.” Roth’s bug-like eyes widened making him look like a toad.
“She has entered the kitchen in a whirl of activity.”
He had expected a complaint against the child not of Aislinn. “Milady?” “Aye, she is shouting orders to my assistants and to me.” He tapped his chest. “Me, the head cook!” “What is this about?”
“Milord, I expected ye to explain it. She says that ye gave her permission to have a feast put together. She is ordering meat, fish and vegetables to be prepared. Right now she has my assistants cleaning every pot and pan for she said that they were an utter disgrace. Disgrace!” he shouted not at all hiding the fact that he had been offended.
Dougray was at a loss to what she had planned. He sat back in his chair and looked to the boy who was purposely avoiding his gaze. “What of ye, Edmond? Do ye know why milady is doing this?”
Roth jerked the boy in front of him. “Tell him. Tell him what ye told me.” Edmond was trembling from head to toe and was afraid to meet the piercing silvery gray of Dougray’s gaze. “She is planning a feast for all that tend to the needs of the keep.”
The silence that radiated from Dougray made Edmond glance up, wondering if he was about to be thrashed for being so bold.
“Tell him the rest.” Roth pushed at him.
He cleared his throat. “Ye gave her permission, milord.” “I what?”
“Ye said that she could do as she wished. Ye remember the morning that ye broke fast and she handed me the loaf of warm bread?”
Dougray remembered the morning and the heated words he threw at her. He shook his head at her ingenious display. She had heard the granted reign he bestowed to her, though she knew perfectly well that he had said it in anger, not as something he intended for her to follow through with. He looked to Roth. “How are our storerooms stocked?” “Well prepared, milord.”
“Then I see no reason not to have a feast granted to those that tend to my needs. Ye will follow Lady Aislinn’s instructions.”
“But milord, she is so demanding. And begging your pardon, but interfering as well.”
“I will explain to her that she is to come to ye with the orders to be carried out. Will this be agreeable?”
“Aye,” he grumbled knowing that there was going to be no other way around it.
“Good.” Then he addressed Edmond. “Go fetch milady for I wish to have a word with her.” The boy was about to leave, but he called him back with his words. “And Edmond?”
“Aye, milord.”
“Do not let her convince ye that she has no need to seek me out. If I do not see her here, then I will be coming to see ye personally. Tell her this if ye must.”
The boy nodded with a gulp and tore out of the hall, like it was ablazed with fire. Dougray chuckled.
“Ye are amused?” Murrough failed to see the humor here.
“Oh, I would love to see the look on her face when she is told that she must come to me.”
“What makes ye so sure that she will comply?”
“Oh, she will because she likes Edmond. She will fear that I will take her disobedience out on the lad.”
“I see the cleverness of yer actions, but are ye sure that she cares that much?”
Dougray looked at his redheaded friend wondering where he had been hiding these past weeks that he did not notice the woman’s caring notions. “Did she not take on Hamish?” he pointed out. “Regan and the other children? Her motherly instincts are working full force.”
“If she is so motherly as ye say, why is she not wed with babes suckling from her breast?” He shook his head, wondering why Dougray wished to defend the unmanageable woman.
“That is a good question, Murrough. I believe there has not been a man able to capture her long enough to tempt her with marriage.” His chuckle was full of admiration that irked Murrough to no end. It was like he condoned Aislinn’s unseemly behavior.
“She is a woman!” He tried to make him see reason. “She should have been wed long before now with a man to put her in her place. She has to be
at least ten years passed the marrying age. Her insides will be dry and not be able to carry a man’s seed.”
Before Dougray could make a comment, Aislinn made her entry like a white squall ready to crush every living thing that dared to get in her way. She marched right past the awestruck tenants who had been waiting hours to speak to him, her dark eyes accusing him of the injustice she thought him to have done. Reaching the table, she leaned forward with her hands bracing her. “You dare threaten a child?” He was rather impressed that she was able to control her voice, so that her grievance with him was not made public. But even so, there was no mistaking the anger in each and every word that passed her lips. “What is wrong with you?”
Murrough was surprised at Dougray’s calm acceptance of this hellion’s temper. No one spoke to the Fitzpatrick in such a manner and expected to walk out of the hall on his own two feet. But there he sat, with a smile threatening to spread across his face. “Dia dhuit to ye, also,” he greeted her, completely throwing her aback. She eyed him suspiciously, her dark eyes narrowing.
“What are you up to?”
“Me? And I thought we were to discuss yer actions. I hear it on good word that ye have decided to take over the ways of what have originally been for the lady of the keep.” He leaned forward. His face just inches from hers. He had the urge to rile her further and kiss those oh so tempting lips that were forever determined to frown at him. He managed to restrain himself, and only because he feared that he might be clawed to death for the effort. “But as far as I can remember, ye are not wed to me.”
“And thank my lucky stars for that. And for your information, you gave me permission to do as I wished and that is what I am doing. Instead of scaring little children to death, you should be showering me with praises that I decided to step in. The kitchen was a disaster. Definitely not a five-star establishment, with all its bacteria and infectious possibilities lurking within the partially cleaned pots and tables that have not been wiped off since they were put in the place. I just want to gag knowing that I have been eating meals served under those conditions.”
“Ye never complained before now.”
“I didn’t know. And I will tell you, now that I do, it is going to change whether I am the lady of this keep or not.” She stood and crossed her arms across her chest and straightened to her full height, quite bravely daring him to tell her otherwise.
Dougray purposely sat there for a long moment, as though he was mulling over her ultimatum, when in fact, he had already made up his mind long before she came to see him. “I agree,” he finally spoke.
“What?” Her arms came uncrossed as her eyes narrowed with suspicion. She was so utterly thrown off track that he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I agree. Ye will make sure that the keep is in order. A job perhaps ye will take pride in?”
She couldn’t detect any trickery in his offer. “I will not relent until it is up to snuff.”
“Good. Now that this matter is settled, there is one more thing that we must lay down on the table.” He ignored the roll of her eyes and continued. “Roth is the head cook in the kitchen, and a fine one, I might add. Ye may not wish to make an enemy of him.”
“That was not my intention.” Realizing she may have been rash, she added, “I will speak to him directly and smooth matters over.”
“And about this feast…” He paused waiting to see if she would blast him with more retaliations but she kept her mouth firmly closed. “…I would like to be in attendance at this gathering. I am most anxious to see your expertise.” Again he surprised her. “You will not be disappointed.” She nodded her head before she left the hall, in nearly the same fashion that she had arrived, large long strides befitting a man, but Dougray did not miss the ever so slight sway of her slender hips. He smiled.
“Why do ye give her so much reign?” Murrough for the life of him couldn’t understand.
“I give her something to occupy her time, so that she will not get into any trouble.” He looked at him. “The lass has energy, not at all like someone passed their prime, aye?” He couldn’t help but tease him for his earlier observation of Aislinn being a dried-up old spinster.
“Nay, that much is true, but the fact remains that she will not attract a mate with that tongue about her. Do ye not agree?”
Dougray just looked away not giving him an answer.
Aislinn marched back to the kitchen to be greeted by Roth, a knife in his hand and a scowl upon his face.
“Well Roth, it seems we got off to a bad start. I would like to rectify that now.”
The older man with the round thick middle eyed her suspiciously as he watched her roll up her sleeves. “What do ye think ye are doing?”
“Direct me to the buckets and a good rag and I’ll start another part of the kitchen, while you ready the others to prepare the feast.”
Roth nervously glanced at his assistants. It was one thing to have a lady try to take over his domain, but to have her on her hands and knees, scrubbing like she was the scullery maid, well that simply was not done. Edmond came forward. “Milady, ye cannot dirty yer hands.”
Aislinn chuckled. “Of course I can and I intend to. I don’t expect any of you to do something that I would not. Now please we are wasting time.”
Edmond looked to Roth for
permission and the older man nodded. In his eyes, Aislinn had gone up a few notches. “Ye heard her, lad. She intends to help.”
“Thank you, Roth. I cannot wait to taste the wonderful dishes you are so well known for.”
The old cook nearly beamed with pride from the compliment.
For two days, they prepared. Roth began to admire Aislinn and was sorely pressed that he had misjudged her. Once he had thought her an interfering female, but now he found that he actually looked forward to her opinions.
Not only had she supervised the cleansing of the kitchen, she also saw to the castle. Every corner was swept, scrubbed and cleaned to perfection and the dogs that once ruled the bottom floor were relocated to the stables. No one had seen the castle look so grand. It was nearly fit for a king.
Aislinn wanted everything set in a special way for this banquet, allowing for all its elegance to shine through. Roth shook his head, thinking she was going to too much trouble, for they were only entertaining the servants, but he became so wrapped up in her enthusiasm that he did not discourage her. She was bubbling over with excitement and everyone who was invited to attend could barely stop talking about it.
“Is she not as I told ye?” Edmond had cleaned his hands and wiped them on the towel. He then started placing the freshly baked bread in the baskets. “She is that and more,” Roth agreed. “A cunning lass that one is and not a bit too high and mighty that she won’t dirty her hands with the likes of us lowly kitchen help.”
“Would she not make a splendid lady for milord?”
Roth’s knife paused in midair over the vegetable that he was about to slice and looked at Edmond with definite concern. “Now don’t ye go spreading a thing like that. Ye have no right deciding whom milord should take to wed.” His attention was drawn away when he noticed that the sun that usually shone through the door had diminished. His gaze took in the tall, broad-shouldered man and the unmistakable blue-gray eyes that were gazing at them questionably.
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