by Alisa Adams
She smiled at him and he kissed her cheek then was gone as swiftly as he had come. Bettina hugged herself and pressed her fingers to her cheek where his lips had been. It may have been a flying visit, but at least it showed he cared.
Allana was excited by the thought of her new venture and wanted to get started meeting more people at once. There was no-one better than she was at connecting with people and making them feel at ease. She looked forward to becoming acquainted with all with the people who worked for her. "It will take me a few days to prepare everything," she declared.
"And what are you taking with you?" her father asked casually, leaning against his desk.
"You will tell me, of course, Father," Allana replied, looking at him with some doubt. "Will you not?"
"I will," her father replied. "And the first things you will take with you are two sturdy men-at-arms. Patrick McTavish and Ruan McWilliams are two of my most trusted guards. You will take them with you. There are bandits, rapists, and murderers out there. The rugged mountains of Sutherland and Aberdeenshire are easy to get lost in. You will need to camp outdoors sometimes and it will be cold and wet. Are you sure that this is what you want to do, Allie? I know that it was my idea to start with, but that was before I considered what could happen to you."
Allana smiled and put her arms around her father's neck, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. "With those two by my side, I will be fine, Father. Each one of them is built like a carthorse!"
"I think you will do well, daughter," Malcolm said fondly. "But if at any time you feel that you cannot cope, come home and you will be welcome."
"Thank you, Father," she said with a smile. "I need to go to prepare now and do not worry. Everything will be fine."
Malcolm Dundas looked after his daughter with doubt and anxiety in his eyes. He wondered if he should forbid her, even now, but he knew that if he did, Allana was perfectly capable and likely to argue with him or run away alone and who knew what would happen to her then?
Two days later Allana and her two escorts were ready to go. She kissed her family in the castle courtyard, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Look after yourself," Bettina said, tears running down her cheeks.
"And you, my Bettie," Allana replied, "do not go breaking any hearts."
"When will you be back?" her mother asked, holding onto her daughter's hand as if she would never let go.
"As soon as I can," Allana replied, smiling fondly at Edme.
Malcolm stepped forward and pressed a set of rosary beads into her hand. "For protection," he told her, his voice hoarse and his eyes glittering slightly with tears.
"Thank you, Father." Allana mounted her gray mare, Maddy, feeling tears pricking in her own eyes. Then, with a wave, she was gone.
Nevin missed Allana once she was gone, but his busy life would not allow him to dwell on her absence. He was having a rare day off, walking his dog along the path down to Kilmunnock, the local village, and leading his gray stallion, whose wayward temperament often prompted Nevin to nickname him ‘Satan’. His real name was actually ‘Each’ which simply meant 'horse' in Gaelic.
The moniker had been given to him by one of the stablemen when he was only a foal. Nevin had acquired him as a two-year-old and by then he answered to it, so Each he was and since he spoke neither Gaelic nor English it was of no importance anyway. The best horse in creation, Nevin thought.
It was March and the weather was unexpectedly mild. Nevin's long, thick, and fair hair was blowing like a banner behind him, making him look like one of his ancient Norse ancestors. He was unaware of how strikingly handsome he looked as he stood on top of the hill looking down into the valley, but there was one person who was not.
Bettina had been to the village to see a few of the women and children she helped in her charity work. She collected second-hand clothes from her own staff and friends, repaired any that were damaged, then gave them to the villagers who were always grateful. She also arranged that any leftover food was left at the kitchen door for collection by anyone who wanted it.
Allana's new project had inspired her to help those less fortunate and she was getting great satisfaction out of helping people who had none of the advantages she had. Now, however, she looked up to see Nevin standing at the very summit of the hill, shading his eyes as he gazed over the valley. He looked absolutely magnificent with his big gray stallion by his side and Bettina found herself unable to take her eyes off him.
Presently, as she began to climb the hill again, Nevin looked down and saw her. He waved and then he resumed his walk down the path toward her. When they met, they both smiled happily at each other and hugged briefly. Bettina's cheeks were flushed pink from exertion, she was slightly out of breath, and the wind had tossed her fair hair into a tangle which looked endearingly like a halo. She was wearing the dress of an ordinary village woman, a full skirt into which was tucked an undershirt. Over her shoulders and down to her elbows there was a long thick shawl, cinched around her waist with a broad leather belt, which left the ends hanging down to her knees. She was carrying a cloak, although she was not wearing it.
She looks adorable, Nevin thought suddenly and was astonished by the realization that he was immensely attracted to her. "You look tired, Mistress Bettina," he observed. He opened his leather flagon of wine and offered her a drink which she accepted gratefully.
"Tired but happy," she said with a smile. She sat down on the grass beside the path to rest for a while and Nevin did likewise.
"I have been giving out some used garments to the children in Kilmunnock. I collect them from friends, so they are very good quality and I mend them or have them mended, for distribution among the people. Allana has taught me her new method of weaving too, so there are some warm scarves there too which I made myself. I know that I should not sing my own praises, Nevin, but this makes me very happy."
Nevin covered one of her hands with his. "I will sing them for you, Bettina," he declared. "You are an angel and I will follow your example, although regrettably, needlecraft is beyond my skills at the moment!"
She laughed, her eyes sparkling with fun. Nevin had to remind himself sternly that his loyalty ought to be wherever Allana was, even though they were still only in a hazy no man's land between an 'understanding' and a betrothal. But Bettina was beginning to attract him more and more with every passing moment they spent together.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment and then Bettina asked, "Why are you going into the village?"
"I have some free time today and I wanted to be as far away from the castle as possible!" He sighed and then smiled at her. "Sometimes I envy women."
"Why?" Bettina asked, frowning.
"Because you cannot be lairds." He looked at her keenly. "You have no responsibilities."
"But we do not enjoy so many rights," Bettina pointed out. "You may choose who you marry, you can inherit property, and your reputation will never be as fragile as a woman’s. So, you see, we both have our crosses to bear.” She looked sad all of a sudden and he felt ashamed.
Nevin stared at her and then put an arm around her shoulders. "I am sorry, Bettina," he said, "I hope I did not upset you."
Bettina shook her head and laughed in a self-deprecating fashion. "Listen to me. I have so much to be grateful for and I am still complaining!"
"We all do." He smiled at her. "If you are going back to the castle you must ride Each otherwise you will have to toil up the rest of this hill on foot."
She shrugged. "I have done it before. And when are you going to give that horse a proper name?"
Nevin laughed heartily at that. "He answers to it," he pointed out. "He has no idea it is not a real name and it describes him well. I promise you he is quite happy with it and so am I."
Bettina was busy stroking Each. "Would you like to carry me up the hill? Please?" She kissed his nose and he whickered, tossing his head up and down as if nodding. "Does that mean 'yes’?” She laughed and hugged Each's neck th
en mounted him while Nevin held the reins. "Are you sure you want to go back? You still have a few hours longer to be on your own."
"We can go back slowly," he suggested. "And you can tell me about your charity and how I can become part of it."
Bettina nodded, then looked down into his blue-gray eyes and felt herself toppling headlong into love. Oh God, she thought, how am I going to live when he marries Allana?
They set off to wend their way up the hill. When they got to the top, Bettina started to dismount from Each, but Nevin stopped her. "I still have a few hours of free time and there are at least a few more hours of daylight," he pointed out. "So, you can either go home now or you can accompany me to a delicious, mouth-watering dinner at my house, after which I will personally escort you home. So, which is it to be?" He folded his arms and looked at her sternly as though giving her some fearsome ultimatum.
She laughed. "You look so fierce!" She cocked her head on one side, as if considering her options, then, eyes twinkling, she nodded. "You have made it sound so tempting that I cannot resist the offer. Dinner it is."
"Excellent!" His smile was wide and genuine, his eyes crinkling endearingly at the corners. He looked so attractive that Bettina had to stop herself from jumping into his arms at that moment.
Nevin felt as if he was seeing Bettina for the first time and as a woman, not a girl. He had so far steadfastly committed himself to Allana that he had not considered the other Dundas lass before, but now his resolve was slipping. Allana was gone, but Bettina was here. Bettina was pretty, intelligent, and much less troublesome than her sister, although not without a fiery spark of her own now and again. He could do a lot worse than marry her, but he needed more time to think. He knew what everyone expected him to do, but did he have to do it? He thought of the promise he had made to his father and felt a twinge of disquiet.
He shook the thoughts out of his head as they proceeded to make their way up the hill towards Kilmunnock Castle. She talked to him about mundane things that took his mind off his responsibilities for a while. The village characters, the goings-on in the servant’s quarters, and the personalities of the horses—they all got the Bettina treatment. She regaled him with stories all the way to the castle gate and when he helped her to dismount and took her empty basket away from her, they were both laughing heartily.
“I love watching people,” she told him, smiling.
I wonder what you say about me? he thought, smiling back.
Unbeknownst to them, Gwenda was watching their interaction from her window, her mind full of satisfaction. She had done nothing more than arrange the seats at the table, but ever since then, fate itself seemed to have been conspiring with her. Allana had suddenly gone traveling and Nevin had met Bettina in the village. Things could not have gone better if she had planned it herself. She watched them as they walked into the stables, still laughing, then she went to order her cook to prepared the choicest meat, fruit, and sweets so that Bettina would want to come back again and again. She was not so naïve as to think that the girl would come for tasty food, but Gwenda wanted the house to be irresistible in every way possible. She smiled to herself. If only Allana would stay away for a long enough time then things might just fall into place.
12
A Fateful Meeting
Kendrick had been unable to stop thinking about Allana. He was sure he could have made her his had that clumsy bunch of merrymakers not frightened her off. However, there was still time. She was attracted to him, that was obvious, and he had always been able to take advantage of that. He was a personable, handsome man, he knew and women could usually not resist him. He stayed at inn after inn along his journey and he did not go short of female comfort from landladies, bar wenches, and cooks. Kendrick had done the same journey countless times. He thoroughly enjoyed his work, but now, all he wanted to do was get back to Castle Dundas.
He stopped one night at An Gearasdan, later to be known as Fort William and went to order a pint of ale in the public house. He had just sat down and had taken his first satisfying mouthful when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a deep, laughing voice saying his name.
"Kendrick Muir! Of all the people to bump into in a place like this!"
Kendrick turned and grinned delightedly at the last person he had ever expected to see. "Gavin Ingram, as I live and breathe!" he cried, hugging his friend and patting his back. "How long has it been?"
"Too long, Ken," Gavin replied. "And much water has passed under the bridge since then." He looked around with distaste at the crowded, rather seedy establishment in which they found themselves. There were many drunkards there, some already passed out on the floor or the tables, and many ladies of the night plying their trade. On the dirty, straw-covered floor, a number of dogs were sitting or lying by their master’s feet. A loud chorus of snoring was coming from what resembled a heap of rags under a table but was, in fact, a very dirty tramp.
The smell was indescribably disgusting, a mixture of rotting straw, beer, wet dog, and sweat. Gavin had seen places like this before, though. He carried a dagger and always made sure to keep his money pouch inside his tunic. It was not the kind of place in which he would usually have chosen to drink, but it was the last market day before Lent, the season of fasting, and the village was packed to capacity with people stocking up since markets were forbidden during Lent. "Are you stopping here?"
Ken sighed and nodded. "Sadly, this was the last place left. And you?"
Gavin shook his head and laughed. "A stable for me, I'm afraid, but I have spent the night in worse places! Horses are quiet at least."
"You will not share a bed with a horse as long as I am here!" Ken said with high indignation. "Share my room with me. Even if you have to sleep on the floor it is better than being covered with dung in the morning!"
Gavin laughed. "I am very thankful for the offer. You are a true friend and I will quickly accept before you ask someone else!" He looked around at all the easily available female flesh on display.
The two friends laughed and pushed through the throng at the bar where Gavin bought them a jug of ale. There were no tables at which either of them cared to sit and it was too crowded to stand comfortably, so they went outside to stand under the eaves of the thatched roof. The noise of the rowdy patrons could still be heard but more faintly and they sat on the ground with their backs to the wall for a few moments, intending to chat for a while. It was not to be.
Presently, a fight broke out and one of the combatants shot backward out of the door. The man, a huge, meaty lump of a creature had the bright red nose of the habitual drinker and it was now bleeding profusely. The beefy man's opponent, a short, wiry man with the build and aggressive attitude of a terrier dog, came out behind his adversary and threw himself on him, raining blows on his enemy as if determined to pound him into the ground. Then a great hairy black-and-white hound ran out, growling and barking, joining in the cheering, drunken crowd who were egging on the fighters, Geordie and Lachie. The fat man got a few feeble punches in, but he was already on the ground and at the mercy of the terrier man, so he eventually gave in.
"Geordie, Geordie," he groaned, "I submit. Ye beat me fair an' square."
Geordie was still squatting on the ground, grimacing, with one hand holding Lachie down, the other poised to strike his enemy's still-bleeding nose.
"Dinnae try that again, Lachie!" The smaller man stood up and put his foot on Lachie's chest. "Morag is my wummin an' if I see ye gein' her the glad eye ance mair ye will no' be seein' onything ever again!"
He removed his foot from the big man's chest and dusted off his hands, then, with one last malevolent glance, he went inside again with a throng of his rowdy, drunken friends. Then they heard an almighty cheer going up.
Helped by two of the inn staff, Lachie struggled to his feet and promptly vomited. Gavin and Kendrick grimaced in distaste and then decided to seek refuge in their own room. No doubt they would still hear much of the noise but at least it was private.
&n
bsp; Ken ordered some food for them as well as a straw mattress and blankets for Gavin. As soon as they were alone, he threw back his head and began to laugh uproariously. Gavin looked at him with a smiling frown on his face.
"What is so funny, Ken?" he asked, puzzled.
Kendrick shook his head and calmed down. "Gavin, I cannot believe you. Why are you so serious? It is only two drunkards fighting over a loose woman."
Gavin paused, thinking for a moment, and then he looked Ken straight in the eye. "Those two men were fighting over the affections of a woman. Granted, she is no doubt a whore." He said the last word with difficulty. "But she is a human being, not a commodity to be traded. And that small man would have beaten the fat one to death in order to have her. As it is, the big one will be bruised black for weeks and he has suffered a broken nose into the bargain. And you find this funny? Neither of them even gave the lady a say in the matter." He looked at his friend in utter disbelief.
"Why does she need a say in the matter?" Kendrick spread his hands and looked at his friend in amazement. "She is certainly not a lady and she is well paid for what she does. It is the oldest profession in the world."
"And do you think she enjoys it?" Gavin asked, tilting his head to one side. "Do you think it gives her pleasure to be bedded by a different man every night?"
Kendrick thought for a moment. "I think it must," he replied, "after all, it gives enjoyment to men."
Gavin tossed down his ale in one draught. "These women do what they must to feed their families," he growled. "I have rescued two from the taverns. They take no pleasure in it, especially when men treat them roughly and even beat them. Tell me, Ken, would you like your sister to be doing it?"
"NO!" Kendrick shouted. "Of course not! Such a thing is beneath her."
"But you have used their services, have you not?" Gavin asked silkily.
