by GG Shalton
Katherine sucked in her breath, growing tired of her sister’s repeated attempts at frightening her. “Stop it! Marriage is not slavery. I will not be sold.”
Deanna moaned, “Oh, my baby sister. You have no idea what marriage awaits you. It’s a form of slavery. A nobleman will buy you and provide Father with a much-needed alliance. You can only hope your new husband leaves you a rich widow soon after your marriage. Have his heir quickly so you don’t end up like me.”
“That is horrible! How do you know this? I think he will be young and handsome!”
“Probably not. You live in a fantasy. Maybe twenty years ago he would have been considered handsome, but most likely now, he is ugly and fat. He will touch you in a way that will make your skin crawl.”
Katherine’s mood changed swiftly, and she whispered, “Perhaps we should not speak of it anymore.”
They rode in silence until they saw the sparks of fire and a group of large men lounging around it. One of the warriors approached Deanna and whispered a few words to her as he assisted her off the horse. He turned to Katherine and helped her off her horse along with her maid. They gathered a few saddlebags and held Deanna’s hand as she led them to the clearing in the woods.
A short round man approached them with food in his beard. Deanna greeted him and turned to Katherine. “Mr. McKenzie, this is my sister Miss Tolland and her maid Claudia.” Deanna held onto her sister’s hand tightly.
The man eyed the women without any expression and grunted, “We leave at dawn. I suggest you lassies share that tent under the tree.”
Deanna guided them toward the tent. “We will need to get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow.”
Chapter 2
The next morning, Katherine gathered her veil and a few of her garments. She tightened her cloak around her shoulders against the chill in the air. After following Deanna down to the stream, she washed up in the freezing water before eating some bread to break her fast. The men were waiting for them when they returned, and Mr. McKenzie helped her onto her horse. Deanna adjusted her saddle and accidentally dropped her saddlebag. Mr. McKenzie had to dismount again to assist her.
Katherine heard annoyed grumbling beside her, “Stupid English.” A young warrior sat on his horse and rolled his eyes watching Mr. McKenzie hand Deanna her saddlebag. Katherine bit her tongue wanting to give the young man a lashing. English, they may be, but stupid they were not.
A blush formed on her sister’s cheeks. “I apologize to you, Mr. McKenzie. My fingers are like butter this morning. I am nervous that my father’s men may follow us.”
Mr. McKenzie sighed wiping the grime from his forehead. “Aye. You and your wee sister must try to keep up. It’s not safe for us to be on this side of the border. We offer our protection, but we must travel hard and long. If the weather holds up, we should be there within the week. Your grandmother was persistent with our laird.”
He kicked the horse into a gallop. The men split up as the women rode behind them. Katherine leaned over and whispered, “He will bring us back after our visit with Grandmother, right?” Deanna seemed to hesitate before nodding without making eye contact.
Over the next few days, the riding was relentless. A strange silence hung in the air as they rode through the dense forest. They did not speak to each other while on horseback saving their discussions until they were alone in the tent. The men took deserted roads and they saw no civilization for miles. Katherine admitted to herself that she enjoyed the tedious riding at times, taking opportunities to look at the landscape and enjoying the raw beauty of the countryside. Always hidden behind castle walls, she had never experienced such freedom to gaze upon the wilderness. Ignoring the pain of the saddle, she put her thoughts on the ride ahead and seeing her grandmother. The men seemed to be unaffected by the strain of travel. She could tell they were seasoned and the elements of the outdoors did not phase them.
The group stopped, and she was grateful to be off her horse, Katherine rubbed her backside not wanting to walk anywhere as her legs were not steady yet. After stretching, she followed Deanna to the tent. “Try to get some sleep tonight. We need to be alert tomorrow.”
Katherine removed her veil after they were securely inside. She whispered to her sister, “Why are the men so angry?”
Deanna shrugged her shoulders, “I am not sure. I only speak to Mr. McKenzie—he seems to be the one in charge. Apparently, the group is to protect us and not carry on any conversations with us. I made that mistake earlier. Only Mr. McKenzie seems to be nice.”
After a couple of more days, the riding began to take a toll on the women. Mr. McKenzie made them ride hard during the daylight hours and the woman kept to their tent in the evenings. Most of the men spoke in their native Gaelic language excluding the women from their conversations.
Katherine pulled her veil off once inside the small tent. “Deanna, my legs are chaffed, and I have leg muscles that I never knew existed before. I can’t go on like this.”
Deanna rolled her eyes at her little sister while stretching her back. “It shan’t be long now. Mr. McKenzie said only a week and it’s been nearly five days.”
The maid helped Katherine remove her boots and hose. “I will go fetch some water and bring it back to the tent for you.” Katherine thanked her and leaned back on her elbows.
“Mrs. Williams?” A Scottish voice came from outside of the tent.
Deanna sat up and walked outside. “Yes, Mr. McKenzie?”
He crossed his arms, “We should reach our lands tomorrow. Hopefully, we will be at our keep by supper.”
A smile crept across Deanna’s face, “That is the best news I’ve heard in days. We are anxious to see my grandmother.”
Katherine watched the exchange from a hole in the tent, relieved that this torture was almost over. Suddenly, a yellow bee landed on her arm, and she ran out of the tent, swiping and jerking her hands and arms until she finally landed on the ground near a tree stump.
The men stood in shock at the golden hair princess.
Mr. McKenzie found his words as he went to assist her followed by half of the men from the group. “Lassie, are you all right? That bee is long gone now.” He held out his hand to help pull her up. Deanna’s eye’s widened as she stared at her sister.
Taking in their shocked expressions, she realized she wasn’t wearing her veil. Pushing her hair back away from her face, she noticed that the pins had come out and mounds of golden curly hair cascaded down her back revealing her unique beauty. Her flawless skin, heart-shaped face, and green gold eyes captivated every man there.
Trying to compose herself, she accepted Mr. McKenzie’s hand and allowed him to pull her up off the ground. A few of the warriors came up beside her. One of the biggest men they called Rogoff took her hand. “What do we have here? A hidden gem?” He kissed her hand and roughly pulled her beside him. “You will eat with me tonight.”
Deanna approached her sister. “Forgive us, my lord. My sister is without shoes and we are exhausted. She is a bit under the weather and we had planned to retire early.”
He raised his brow eyeing Katherine up and down. “Nonsense, the lass just made this trip worth it.” He squeezed her arm and began to drag her toward the fire pit.
Chad, one of the other warriors, took Katherine’s other arm. “Who says you get her? I outrank you.”
A few other warriors grunted, “Chad is right. We all get a shot at her.”
Deanna’s face turned red, “This is absurd. My sister is a maiden and not a pawn in your games.” She looked at Mr. McKenzie pleading for help.
He stepped up beside his men. “Mrs. Williams is right. We have orders from our laird and will not falter. You act as though you have never seen a woman before.”
Chad cracked a smile. “I never saw one like that.”
Deanna took Kather
ine’s arm and escorted her back into the tent. The men groaned with complaints but did not stop her. The women forfeited dinner and did not come out until morning. Katherine wore her veil again but could not block the stares she was receiving from the men.
Carefully avoiding their gazes, she kept her head down and was cautious not to engage in conversation. She was warned as a child that men had a tough time controlling their urges toward women and it was up to her not to encourage them.
The journey was rough, but they made it to the keep by the evening. The women were starving choosing not to eat lunch with the men and snacking on a few berries their maid had found. Upon arrival, they were met by the laird and a few warriors. His face was somber as the guards welcomed the riding party back. Before uttering a word, he sized them up. Katherine felt exposed with his intense stare, and the small hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something felt wrong.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, he nodded his scarred face at both girls. There was no mistake that he had seen his share of battles. His red hair looked dirty and his beard was trimmed close to his face. His dark eyes held annoyance as he looked at them. “Your grandmother is in grave condition. But you made it in time. I am the Laird of Clan McEntee. Your grandmother sleeps inside and is with the healer.” The sound of his guttural English was deep, and Katherine had a tough time understanding him.
Deanna was the first to dismount with the help from one of the guards of the castle. “My lord, we are grateful for your escort. I am Mrs. Williams, and this is my sister Miss Tolland.”
Some of the men jumped quickly off their horses trying to get to Katherine’s horse first to help her dismount. She was taken back by their attention as she accepted their help dismounting from her horse. Her sister took her arm pulling her away from the men. A few words in Gaelic were exchanged between the laird and Mr. McKenzie before the women were escorted inside the gates.
The laird called one of the guards over. “Escort the women to Margaret.” The guard nodded, and the women followed. Katherine kept ahold of Deanna’s arm and adjusted her veil. She glanced back surprised to see the laird following. Pulling a little closer to Deanna, she ignored the antsy feeling invading her thoughts.
The bailey was full of activity. Katherine was surprised at how big it was. Many carts of vegetables and caged chickens took up space near the stables. Numerous children ran about with people milling around the grounds. A few watched the women suspiciously, whispering as they were escorted into the keep and up the stairs to their grandmother’s room.
The room was dark with only a few candles lit. Katherine could hear the healer whispering to the woman on the bed. She moved a bit closer and saw her frail grandmother lying motionless. Tears welled up in her eyes at seeing her look so ill and helpless. The healer took a step back as Deanna approached the bed first. Katherine stood behind her as her grandmother’s eyes weakly opened.
The old woman’s voice cracked. “Do my eyes deceive me or is it really you Deanna? Is that Katherine behind you? Tell her to remove her veil. I wish to lay my eyes upon you both.”
Deanna’s voice was shaky. “It is Deanna, Grandmother. And Katherine too.”
A sob came out of her grandmother. “God has answered my prayers. You have made me happy and I am finally at peace.”
The laird walked into the room watching the old woman. He did not smile or offer any greeting. His stare landed on Deanna as he stood in front of the bed. His hard expression seemed to go right through her.
He broke his stare and turned his head to their grandmother. “Margaret, I have fulfilled my promise to you and my uncle Gabriel. May God rest his soul.” The laird looked back at the girls. “I will see your grandchildren settled and get them something to eat.”
“I am in your debt, Herbert.” Her wrinkled hand fell on top of his as her eyes dropped, and she fell into a deep sleep breathing steadily.
The laird turned to a young maid and nodded his head ignoring both Deanna and Katherine. The girls were led out of the room and entered a chamber on the same floor that was designated their sleeping area. The maid curtsied to both. “We will send up a tub for a bath and we have placed fresh straw stuffed into the mattress for your comfort. The laird told me you both would probably like to rest. There is a tray on the table with bread and cheese.” She turned and left the girls alone.
Katherine looked around the room as she sat on the bed. “Did you see how old she looked? It scares me that she is so frail.”
Deanna sat beside her. “What did you expect? She has been ill, Katherine.” Deanna rubbed her arms and laid her head down on a pillow. “The laird gives me a bad feeling. Did you see the way he was looking at us? I don’t like it.”
Katherine ran her fingers through her hair. She frowned in concern. “I noticed.” She leaned back and grabbed another pillow propping her head up to look at Deanna. “What do you think he is about?”
Deanna shrugged her shoulders. “I am not sure yet. Just be careful around him. Do not find yourself alone—he can probably tell we are vulnerable. The warriors who took us here are loyal to him. We have no other protection.”
Katherine nodded her head as she thought about what Deanna had said. Surely, her grandmother would not send for them if there was danger in the clan?
A knock at the door interrupted her woolgathering. Deanna sat up and scooted off the bed. She opened the door to a few young stable boys who carried a tub and buckets of steaming water. The girls thanked them and took the opportunity to bathe. Their maid joined them shortly and helped them into their nightclothes.
Chapter 3
The next morning the girls dressed and decided to visit their grandmother before they went down to breakfast. Despite looking everywhere, Katherine and her maid could not find her veil.
Deanna shook her head, “You mustn’t be without it, Katherine. Especially here. The men are already up in arms about you.”
Katherine shrugged her shoulders. “I took it off last night and put it on the table. This morning it was gone. My extra one was left at our campsite.”
Deanna’s nostrils flared angrily. “Very well. Then you must stay in the room until we can get you a new one.”
Katherine placed her hands on her hips defiantly. “You will not put me in another prison. You are not my guardian. I am a grown woman of sixteen and if I am old enough to marry, then I am old enough to make my own decisions.”
Deanna let out a groan of frustration and walked out the door. Katherine smiled to herself as she looked back into the fireplace. Her veil would never be found after she burned it last night. She was tired of hiding.
Their grandmother was sleeping peacefully but slowly opened her eyes as the girls walked farther into the room. Her voice cracked as she spoke softly, “You both brought me sunshine.”
Katherine smiled and sat next to her on the bed taking her hand. “I have missed you so much.” Margaret started coughing and Deanna poured her a glass of ale. She took a few drinks and turned her mouth away from the cup. Katherine smirked as her grandmother grimaced at the strong drink. “Deanna, that tastes awful. Are you trying to kill me before my time?”
Deanna started giggling and then Katherine did too. Their grandmother joined in and all three hugged. “You precious girls bring life to this old body. Thank you for coming. I was afraid your father would deny my last request.”
Katherine’s smile faded, and Deanna shot her a warning look. Deanna cleared her throat. “Father was disagreeable as always. But we worked around it. You are important to us—we want to spend more time with you, and we pray for you to recover, Grandmother.”
Margaret closed her eyes and the girls thought she had fallen asleep. They learned to take a closer look, and she opened her eyes again. “Forgive me, the medicine the healer gives me keeps me asleep most of the time.”
Katherine g
iggled, “Grandmother, do you wish for anything? Perhaps some sweet meat?”
“No, child. Just sitting here with both of you is all I need.”
The girls sat with her until she fell asleep. They tiptoed out of the room as the healer met them in the corridor. Deanna whispered, “She sleeps.”
The healer nodded. “It is good for her to rest.”
The great hall was full of tables of men eating their breakfast. Silence draped over the room as the girls entered. Smells of cooked cabbage and burnt bread invaded their nostrils. Deanna covered her nose huddling close to Katherine trying to shield her from prying eyes. Thoughts of announcing that they were both betrothed to Englishmen back home danced through her head. But she wasn’t sure if she could pull off such a tale without proper names of their soon-to-be husbands. To make matters worse, making that kind of announcement could encourage the Scots to pursue them as a challenge to their hatred of English soldiers. No, she was better off keeping Katherine safe herself.
They took a seat at an empty table and a serving wench came by to give them a plate of fruit and a bowl of gruel. She made no polite conversation and walked away quickly. The gruel was cold, but they did not complain. It was nice to put some food in their stomachs.
Leaning across the table to avoid being overheard, Katherine whispered, “The Scots look different than I imagined.” She took a bite of an apple as she looked at Deanna.
