LOCH MORAR, SCOTLAND
The Past
Gavin stayed out in the main hall with the men for a time and drank a few cups of ale. He did not know what was wrong with him. Since when did he turn a lass down who wanted to bed him, especially when he felt he loved her? It was the strangest thing though, the more time he spent in her company, the less he enjoyed her company and while the other lass, did not speak to him, he couldn’t’ help wonder what she was thinking or doing, which didn’t make a bit of sense, either.
Finally, after he spoke with the men about going out to train in the morning, he decided to have a talk with the lass about what Jillian had said.
None of the men said anything to him, but if he had turned back around, he would have seen them all giving him wary looks.
♦
After Gavin left the room, Callum turned to Muir. “If he harms a hair on her head, I will have ta stop him.”
“Och, Callum. Why would he hurt her?”
“She did tell us he tried to kill her while we were away.”
Muir rolled his eyes. “He had a fever. He did no know what he was doing.”
“Well, if he does, I will.”
“Ye and what army Callum? He is yer laird, whether ye like it or not.”
“He is no acting like my laird.”
Alec set his cup down. “He is getting better. Just a moment ago, I noticed he was not looking sickly.”
“What about the other lass, Jillian. She is no a good person,” Callum added.
They all nodded in agreement to that.
“Jes wait and see. All will work out,” said Graham. “In the meantime, I am going down to look for our guest.”
“Ye said he was gone,” Muir said.
“Aye, but I have a feeling he did no go too far.”
Alec finished off his drink. “I will go with ye.”
“What about the lass?” Callum asked.
“If our laird hurts her, ye have my permission to clout him on the head,” Alec said.
“Mine too,” Graham added.
“What do we do with him after that?” Muir asked looking none too fond of that option.
“Tie him up, and we will deal with him when we return,” Alec said.
“What about the other one,” Callum added making eyes towards the stairs that led to Gavin’s room.
Alec stroked his chin. “If ye have ta clout our laird, then I am guessing ye should keep her in his chamber.”
“How are we supposed ta do that?” Callum whispered and then looked over his shoulder warily towards the stairs once more.
“One of ye guard the door,” Graham said offhandedly.
“Muir, did ye hear? Ye have ta guard the door if it comes ta that.”
Muir shook his head. “Callum, they meant ye have ta guard the chamber, not me.”
“Och, Muir, there ye go making up stories as ye go along. They never said that.” Callum looked back towards where Graham and Alec had been standing but they already went outside.
Muir smirked at Callum.
“Fine,” Callum said. “But if I have ta guard that, that…lass,” he whispered. “Ye will have ta clout our laird and tie him up.”
Muir nodded. “If he hurts the lass, I will be more than happy ta do my part.”
“Then it is settled.” Callum sat back down with his back facing the door.
Muir joined him and while they finished their ale, they watched and listened.
♦
I was about finished with the dishes when I heard someone else come into the room. Figuring it was Callum coming in for second helpings; I wiped my hands on the towel and turned around.
“Oh, it’s you.” My heart started beating faster. “Do you need something?”
“Aye that I do.” Gavin walked to the table and pulled out a chair. “Have a seat, lass. We need ta talk.”
Ignoring his offer, I pulled out another chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down.
Gavin reluctantly sat down as well. “I hear ye have been giving Jillian dirty looks.”
“I have not.”
“Well, that is no what she said.”
“I don’t give a fig what she said. I have not been giving her dirty looks but she has certainly been giving them to me.”
Gavin, placed his hands on the table and clasp them together. “Well, she seems ta think ye have.”
“I guess she is lying then, because I haven’t.”
“I am no here ta argue with ye lass. I only came in here ta ask ye ta stop giving her dirty looks.”
“But I…oh, never minded. You won’t believe me anyway.” The chair legs scraped loudly across the stone floor as I shoved back from the table and stood.
“Why would I no believe ye?”
“That’s rich coming from you.”
“What is that supposed ta mean?”
“It means, you wouldn’t believe the truth if it hit you between the eyes! That’s what I mean.”
Gavin swiped his hands over his face and then dropped them back on the table. Pressing his hands down, he stood up. “Ye are full of spit and vinegar. If I did no know better, I would think ye are jealous.”
“Jealous? Of who? That tart? Not likely.”
“She is no a tart,” he said, even though he wasn’t sure what she meant, but he could tell by her tone it wasn’t anything good.
“Please. She is. You just cannot see it. You are too blinded by your infatuation with her. But you will, soon enough.”
“What is that supposed ta mean?”
“It means that she has you wrapped around her little finger and when she says jump, you don’t ask why, you merely say how high. That’s what I mean.”
Gavin shook his head. “Ye make no sense.”
“I don’t’ make any sense? Please. You are the one that proclaimed your love for me!” I thumped my chest accentuating my point. “And,” I continued, “the moment this other…girl…” I gritted out the word and finished my statement, “arrives, you conveniently forget all about us.”
“I do no remember this great love ye say we shared.”
“I certainly do.”
“What would ye have me do?”
“I don’t know.” I felt suddenly tired.
“She is the one that I love.”
“She is not. She has you under some kind of spell. She must. Because the Gavin I know, or rather, knew, would have remembered what we meant to one another.” As I said this, I was trying hard not to cry.
“Make me remember.”
I did a double take. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“Tell me about this great love we shared. Tell me something that I can remember.”
A little bit of hope glimmered inside me. “Do you remember when I first came here? Or rather, how I got here?”
“Aye.” He shook his head. “We took ye from the mist.”
“That’s right. Do you remember anything else?”
Gavin sat back down and rubbed the crease between his brows. “I remember ye can no cook too well, although, the stew we had this eve was better.”
I pulled back out the chair and sat down too. “Do you remember playing cards with me?”
A winsome smile crested his lips. “Aye, ye like ta cheat.”
“I do not.”
“Sure, ye do.” There was a twinkle in his eyes that had long been absent.
“Maybe, a little,” I agreed, smiling now.
“Och, so ye finally admit it.” He feigned outrage but the twinkle was still in his eyes.
“At least I repay my debts.” I was kidding of course, but forgot Gavin wouldn’t know that.
“I repay my debts as well, lass.” His face was now deadly serious and he stood abruptly.
“I didn’t mean…”
“It makes no never mind ta me what ye think of me, lass, but be rest assured I do no go back on my word.”
“Really?” I asked. “If that is so, why did you go back on your word to me?” I really had no intention of broaching this with him yet, and still, I couldn’t seem to help myself. The sting of his betrayal was still too new, too raw, like an open oozing sore, it continued to fester.
Gavin got a confused look on his face, but it soon went back to indifference as he shut down. “I need ta go tend ta Jillian.” He turned and walked across the room towards the hall.
“Yeah, you do that!” I yelled after him. “I don’t care!” I added, which was another bold-faced lie.
Tugging on the collar of my gown, I tried to take a breath, but I couldn’t. I felt like I was suffocating. Walking across the room, I opened the outside door. Not even thinking about what I was doing, I stepped outside and shut the door.
Only when the door was firmly shut was I able to take a deep breath again.