| |
After the women completed their task, Lachlan and Kieran escorted Amelia back to the Keep while Yesenda remained behind with Tyra. It was late afternoon, and they were preparing vegetables for supper when Fia, Bram’s mother, and Willa, Bram’s sister, appeared at the door. They looked livid.
“I need a dram of your whiskey,” Fia said as she strode straight towards the table.
“So do I,” Willa said as she followed behind.
“What is it? What has happened?” Tyra asked. She stood, grabbed the whiskey bottle off the mantle, and filled two cups for Fia and Willa to drink.
Fia plonked herself on one of the chairs, and when the cup was placed in front of her, she drank the whole lot in one go. Slammed it on the table and said, “Another, please.”
Tyra obliged.
Fia threw back that cup as well. “Keep them coming, Tyra. I dinnae ken why you keep such dainty wee cups. Do you not have bigger ones?” she asked as she looked around the room.
“Would you prefer a bucket, Aunty?” Tyra smirked.
“If you have one handy, I’ll not refuse.”
“All right, what is it, Aunt Fia? Is it the bairns? Bram? Niall?”
Willa emptied her cup and said, “Tis far worse.”
“Tell me.”
“Tis your brother Iain and that wretched woman, Liosa!”
“What has happened now?” Tyra took a seat.
“We were at the markets today, and Liosa came marching into the village, flouncing about like she is the queen of Alba,” Fia snorted in disgust.”
“Then she flirted with every vendor and village male while showing off Iain’s ring on her finger like she’s spoken for,” Willa said.
Tyra just shook her head. “Iain has nothing but air between his ears when it comes to her. She is currently using your old cottage, Willa.”
Willa slammed the cup on the table. “I should hope not!”
“Tis true. I wanted Yesenda to stay there, but Iain said tis occupied.”
Yesenda sat quietly, shelling beans for the pottage when she asked, “Who is she?”
“Trouble and woe. That’s who,” Fia remarked.
Tyra said, “We all grew up together. Liosa’s family worked the croft not far from Da’s holding. Iain was smitten the moment he first clapped eyes on her, but Liosa set her cap on Bram early on.”
“Aye, that she did, and I threatened to kill her in her sleep if she tried anything with my brother,” Willa said.
“When she could not get her claws into Bram, she latched onto Iain encouraging him to challenge Cruim for the lairdship, and of course, he did what she suggested,” Tyra said. She picked up a large knife and started cutting some cabbage.
“So, what happened?” Yesenda asked.
“Iain was half beaten to death for the slight. Bram saved his life, and Tyra and Ma had to nurse him back to health,” Willa replied.
“And what of Liosa?”
“That trollop did not even stick around to see if he survived. She berated him for losing the challenge then hied off to who kens where,” Willa said.
“Why is she here now?” Yesenda asked.
“Liosa comes and goes as she pleases. They are together, then she causes trouble, and they part ways. She returns if she hears word that Iain might be losing interest,” Tyra replied.
Willa just nodded and poured herself another cup of whiskey.
“Like the time Iain courted a bonnie lass from Glasgow. Liosa got wind of it and reappeared long enough to assert her claim, then she was gone again. Tis the same pattern over and over,” Fia said as she shelled peas.
“We dinnae like her for Iain. He deserves far better,” Willa grumbled.
“Where does she go after they part ways?” Yesenda asked.
“That’s the troubling thing. We dinnae ken, but we believe there is a wealthy merchant somewhere. One does not wear her fine garments without a steady supply of coin. Iain has begged for her hand in marriage many times, but she refuses,” Tyra said.
“And yet she will not let him go. She does not want him, but she cannot bear for him to find someone else,” Yesenda said.
“Aye. It will take a miracle before Iain realizes she is not worth it,” Willa said.
“People change sometimes. Mayhap one day, she will accept his proposal,” Yesenda said.
“Bite your tongue, Yesenda MacDonald! That will be the day they imprison me for her murder,” Fia said, scowling at her.
“Sorry, Fia, I didnae mean any harm by it.”
“Well, we can only hope that her stay this time is short,” Tyra said.
“If not, I am prepared to kick her bahookie out of my cottage and hurl her off a cliff,” Willa said.
Yesenda grinned.
“Cousin, such violence. Living in the woods has turned you into a slaugh.”
Willa chuckled at Tyra’s comment.
“I fear Willa has turned into a baobhan sith. She resembled a feral vampire when she emerged from the woods,” Fia said with a smirk.
The women started laughing. Soon they were all preparing vegetables and partaking of the whiskey.
Willa asked, “And what of you, Tyra? How are things with Lachlan?”
Tyra blushed. “There is nothing between Lachlan and me, nothing at all. Why? Have you heard something?”
“Calm down. I meant, how go the wedding plans? Sorcha told me she has charged you with making arrangements.”
“Oh... that. Lachlan told me he does not care. He is happy to do whatever his bride wants.”
“Aye, most men only care about wine and rutting through the wedding night,” Fia said.
“Ma! Dinnae be vulgar. We have a visitor,” Willa said.
“Och, she’s a MacDonald. I’m sure she has heard what men are like,” Fia said.
“But she is practically a nun,” Willa whispered to her mother.
Yesenda burst out laughing. “Tis all right Willa, I am not offended. I may have been raised in an abbey, but I can assure you, I am not a nun.”
***
LACHLAN ENTERED THE Village Inn. His hair was partially wet, having bathed in the river earlier. He wore a new change of garments favoring his white leine, and he was ready to join Kieran and drink himself into oblivion. It had been a taxing day; spending several hours sitting beside Tyra was torture. Her alluring scent permeated his senses, and he had to clench his fists several times to stop from reaching out and tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. Lachlan could not ignore those dimples and those eyes when she turned to ask him questions about his blasted wedding. They pierced his soul. She was breaking down his resistance, and she did not even know it.
Lachlan made his way to the trestle tables down the back of the inn, where Kieran sat near other warriors. Food and ale were already being served.
“So, who are you trying to impress?” Kieran asked.
“No one,” Lachlan said as he took a seat on the bench.
“But you smell nice, and you’re wearing your fine garments. Has a wench taken your fancy?”
“I dinnae care about wenches. I just want to fill my belly and drink some ale.”
“Hmm, spoken like a man with woman problems,” Kieran said as he chewed on roasted venison.
“Haud yer wheesht, Kieran. Eat your food,” Lachlan grumbled.
A comely serving woman approached their table. She gave Lachlan a come-hither look and said, “You’re a braw one. We dinnae see the likes of you around here oft. Is there anything I can get you? Food? Ale? A companion for the night?”
“Food and ale will do,” Lachlan said, making it clear he wanted nothing more.
The woman sighed, “Verra, well, the braw ones are always taken.”
Twenty minutes later, they had finished their meal and were onto their third jug of ale. Lachlan felt that pleasant tingling feeling of being slightly tipsy but not too drunk when loud, raucous laughter could be heard from the opposite table. One voice in particular grated on Lachlan’s nerves. It was Dermid, the warrior he had seen Tyra with earlier. Lachlan watched him and clenched his jaw. He had to admit, Dermid was a handsome man, and he could see why the women in the Keep blushed whenever he winked at them.
Lachlan took another large swig of his ale and listened in to their conversation.
“I’m telling you, lads, she’s mine. She finds me funny, and she has really taken a shine to me. Which means I have a chance.”
“Och-ho, you wish, Dermid. She is most likely laughing at you and not your jokes!” A guardsman Connor piped in. That had all the men chuckling.
“Who are they talking about?” Lachlan asked Kieran.
“I dinnae ken, they’re just fools blathering on about how big their cocks are,” Kieran said.
Lachlan listened some more.
“Mark my words, within the sennight, I’ll have her eating out the palm of my hands,” Dermid said.
“If she kenned where your hands have been, she’d keep her mouth away,” Connor said. That had the decibels rising as the other men roared with laughter.
Dermid stood and issued a challenge, “Are you willing to wager on it? I bet you a day’s coin that within the next two days, I’ll have her bedded, and in a fortnight, she’ll be wed to me.”
Connor stopped laughing, and he said, “Careful lad. Dinnae speak out of turn. She’s still the laird’s cousin.”
Lachlan’s head whipped to the side when he realized they were talking about Tyra. He glared at Dermid and saw red.
And that’s when all hell broke loose.
“Lach, no!” Kieran yelled, but it was too late.
Lachlan was over the table and on the other side of the room, one hand clutching Dermid’s collar while his other hand was curled into a fist as he repeatedly punched Dermid in the face.
Dermid swiped Lachlan’s legs, and they hit the floor, still punching, kicking, and rolling on the ground.
Connor and Kieran were in there trying to separate them, but Lachlan would not stop.
“You’re a scunner! I bet you a day’s wages she’ll be mine before you can even get your filthy paws on her!” Lachlan shouted at Dermid.
“You better have the sceats because I already ken you will lose,” Dermid said before they were finally on their feet and separated. Connor held onto Dermid, and Kieran had Lachlan.
***
THE FOLLOWING DAY LACHLAN woke to someone kicking his foot. He opened his eyes and groaned when he saw Kieran glaring down at him.
“You, daft prick,” Kieran said.
Lachlan squinted to block out the sunlight. “What do you want?” he grumbled. Every bone in his body ached from the night before, and his head pounded from too much ale. “And what are you doing in my room? Dinnae, tell me Yesenda is here as well.”
“Why would Yesenda be in your room?”
Lachlan quickly sobered and shook his head. It was fuzzy, and he needed to shut his mouth.
“Nothing, what do you want, Kieran?”
“You drunken lout. You dinnae ken what you did last night, do you?”
Lachlan sat up, the room spun slightly, but he rubbed his face, his hair was disheveled, and he was shirtless.
“What about last night?”
“You set a wager with that stupid pup Dermid that you could bed Tyra first.”
“I did no such thing! I was defending her honor.”
“Be that as it may. It appears the wager is in play, and guess where Dermid is headed right now?”
Lachlan frowned and said, “Where?”
“To the longhouse to get his cuts attended to by your woman.”
Lachlan was off the bed in an instant. His head spun, and he stumbled slightly, then righted himself. “That whoreson bastard. He needs to stay away from her. Someone needs to warn Tyra about him.”
Lachlan was trying to put a shirt on and reach for his sword when Kieran said, “Lach, you look like shite, and you reek of stale ale and horse piss. If you wanna woo your woman, I suggest you take a bath first.”
Lachlan paused, looked down at the state of himself. He sniffed his armpit and said, “Aye, you’re right.”
Kieran just shook his head as Lachlan half rushed, mostly stumbled about the room in a panic.
With a single-minded purpose to win Tyra, Lachlan grabbed his things and made his way to the river for a thorough washing. He was determined to win at all costs. Gone was the anger he held against Tyra, all of it gone. He saw everything with vivid clarity. The thought of her with anyone else was something he could not bear.
He was just about out of the Keep when he heard Sorcha calling him. She seemed concerned about something.
He paused, “Are you all right, Sorcha? Is it the bairn? Are you hale?” he asked impatiently.
“I’m fine, but it’s about your bride from the village,” she said.
“There’s no need Sorcha. I dinnae want a bride from the village. I have to go.” Lachlan tried to shuffle past her, but she blocked his way.
“No, I really need to tell you something about her Lach—”
“I dinnae have the time Sorcha, can you tell me about it later? I have something of great importance to attend to.” He moved around her.
“But she’s—”
“Whatever it is, I’ll see to it later,” he yelled over his shoulder as he started running.
***