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But Geordie and Alick needed time to ride to MacDonnell and back with Saidh's answer. If they weren't back before the issue was resolved, she wasn't sure what she'd do. Perhaps trade in her fine dresses for the plain garb of a servant and go in search of a position in another castle under another name. Surely she'd have a better chance at happiness as a housemaid or lady's maid than as a nun?
Edith grimaced at the thought. She wasn't a fool and knew the dangers inherent in such an undertaking, but she had few options available to her.
"Here we are."
Edith lifted her head and glanced around as Niels drew his mount to a halt. They'd entered a small clearing by the loch that she knew well. It was on the edge of the loch, and where she often came with Laddie when she wished to swim in private. Most of the castle used a larger stretch farther down the shore and closer to the castle, but here the land curved sharply inward and then back out, creating a tiny cove that offered privacy.
"Down ye go, Ronson," Niels said, and Edith released the hold she'd kept on the boy's arms as Niels reached back to grab him by the back of his shirt and tartan and swing him down to the ground. Laddie was immediately there to greet the boy, licking his face excitedly.
Edith sat upright then, retrieving her arms from around Niels and shifting her bottom so that she slid forward and began to slide off the mount. The moment that happened, she twisted her upper body and caught at his leg to ease her drop. As her bottom cleared the horse, it followed in the turn and she landed on the ground facing the horse and clasping Niels's leg. Edith was rather proud of herself for disembarking on her own without the need to be lifted down like a child . . . until she noted Niels's odd stillness and the unreadable expression on his face.
Realizing she was still clasping his leg, she released it at once and stepped back, then turned and moved around the horse to where Ronson and Laddie were as Niels started to disembark. Laddie immediately moved toward her and Edith petted him, using the action to keep him from jumping up on her.
"Good boy," she murmured. Running her hands along the dog's side, she glanced back to see what Niels was doing. He'd removed the rolled-up furs from the sling he'd made to hang from his saddle, as well as the sack that had held the cherry pastries and apples and a much larger sack too, and was now moving to the center of the clearing with Ronson trailing him.
"What can I do to help?" Edith asked, following now as well.
"Ye can take this and go bathe in the loch while Ronson and I set up a little picnic," he answered and dug around in his bag before producing a small square of Aleppo soap. Handing it to her he added, "I was hoping to find ye some with lavender oils in it or such, but this smells nice too."
Edith smiled faintly. "Ye'll find no lavender at Drummond."
Niels's eyebrows rose. "I thought women liked lavender?"
"Most do," she admitted with a smile. "And I think 'tis fine, but it was never allowed in the keep at Drummond."
"Why?"
"Father refused to have it," she said simply.
"Did it give him the sneezes or something?" Niels asked with amusement.
"Nay." Edith shook her head. "He had an aversion to it. I remember a visitor coming who smelled o' it once when I was a child and me da got all quiet and glum. When I asked Mother why, she said that lavender reminded him o' his mother and his sisters Ealasaid and Glynis and made him sad and gloomy. They all three favored the scent," she said, and explained, "They died when he was young. From the sweating sickness I think mother said. All three died quickly and 'twas a shock to him." Realizing she was babbling nervously, Edith shut her mouth and took the precious hard bar of laurel soap he held out, but then just stood there uncertainly. She had brought Ronson down to swim on occasion and had no problem stripping down to her shift in front of him, but Niels was not a five-year-old boy.
"Ronson'll make sure I do no' look," he assured her gently, and then smiled at the boy and said, "Will ye no' lad?"
"Aye," Ronson said at once, and then frowned and asked, "But why can ye no' watch Lady Edith swim? I swim with her all the time."
"Lucky you," Niels said under his breath, but didn't explain. Instead, he assured Edith, "I'll be right here setting up. And when I finish I'll sit with me back to the water. Once ye're done ye can dry off and dress." He produced a clean, dry folded strip of linen and a fresh gown from the larger sack he'd brought and held them out to her. Once she'd accepted the offerings, he added, "And then ye can sit and have some lunch while Ronson and I bathe Laddie and ourselves."
Edith stared down at the dress he'd pulled from the sack. It was one of hers, and he'd rolled it to help keep it from wrinkling, but of course it hadn't completely prevented them. "Where did ye--?"
"Moibeal fetched it fer me," he admitted with a wry smile. "I originally intended to fetch it meself, but then it occurred to me ye might keep things in yer chest ye'd no' like me seeing, so I hunted her down and she helped."
"Oh." Edith nodded slowly. Moibeal had chosen her finest gown, one Edith had never even worn yet except during fittings. A deep forest green, it was Moibeal's favorite. The maid swore it brought Edith's eyes and hair to life, showing her off to perfection and would make any man fall in love with her. Her choosing the gown for Niels told Edith the maid saw him as a prospective husband for Edith, and approved. That was not something that she'd even considered before this.
"Go on. I promise we'll no' look," Niels said gently.
Swallowing, Edith nodded and turned to move to one of the trees at the edge of the clearing. Half of its branches stretched out over the water, but half were over dry land. Edith hung the gown and strip of linen from one over land that was low enough to reach, but high enough that the clean gown did not reach the ground. Then she turned to glance back to the boys, finding both Niels and Ronson chattering quietly as they unrolled and laid out the furs.
Turning her back to them, she set down the bar of soap and quickly undid and stripped off her gown, then snatched up the soap again and hurried into the water in just her shift. The water was cold at first, and she had to bite her lip to keep from squealing as she hurried out until it was waist deep. Edith then dove under the water and swam for a bit until her body adjusted to the temperature.
The setting was beautiful and Edith usually took her time and enjoyed the peace of the cove and the cool water when she came here. Today she did not. Edith was quick and businesslike as she washed herself and her hair, but the whole time her mind was poking and prodding around the idea of Niels as a husband.
Now that she was thinking about it, the idea was an interesting one. It would certainly solve her worry of ending up in the Abbey. As for Niels himself . . . well, she quite liked him. He was handsome, and seemed clever, and competent. More importantly to her, he was also extremely good with Ronson, showing both kindness and patience. Edith felt sure he would make a good father.
From Saidh's letters, she knew that Niels had taken over as his older brother Aulay's first at Buchanan when Dougall had left with Murine. Which made her curious about how he was able to be away so long. But she supposed with so many brothers, another was filling in for him at Buchanan while he was here. At any rate, she knew that Niels would never have a keep of his own, but that didn't matter to her. She would be quite content to live in a little cottage in the village, bearing and rearing bairns.
That last thought made her glance toward Niels again as she considered the p
racticalities of getting those bairns. Edith's mother had been a skilled healer and had taught her a good deal. She'd also taken her along to help as she'd sewn up wounds and helped birth babies. Edith knew the basics of how those babies got into the woman, and now considered having to do that with Niels.
It was hard to imagine what led to the man planting his seed, and how unpleasant it might be. Her mother had told her it was painful the first time, but her friend Jo had shared a bit of her own experience with them and assured them there was a lot of pleasure to be had too. Edith found that hard to believe. Really, it sounded like such an odd act.
Her hand slid under the water and between her legs, finding the spot where the man "plowed the field with his fiddle" as Jo had called it. She poked around curiously, but then shook her head. Nope, she couldn't imagine wanting a man to do that to her, even Niels, handsome as he was. Still, if it was necessary to get bairns . . .
Realizing that in her mind she already had the two of them marrying and making babies, Edith gave her head a shake. Niels might not be the least interested in her in such a way. She might have to resign herself to marrying some nasty old baron with bad breath or something.
Sighing, Edith ducked under the water to rinse the soap from her hair and body and then straightened and glanced toward the boys. Niels sat facing away from the water, leaning back on his arms with his legs out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. Ronson was sitting the exact same way, obviously copying him. The sight made her smile as she hurried out and snatched the linen from the tree to quickly dry herself.
It was only then that she realized that while Moibeal had given Niels a fresh gown, she hadn't thought to send a new, dry shift too. Which meant she either had to pull her gown on over the now soaking shift, or go without. The decision was an easy one. She was not sitting around in a soaking wet shift and gown.
