Mairi cleared her throat, uncertain as to how to respond to Betris.With her free hand, she grasped Betris’s arm.
“Enough about that.What about ye?Have ye your own paramour yet?”
Though the conversation moved onto lighter topics, the dark expression on Betris’s face did not leave Mairi’s mind.
The night drew on long.A few more ribald guests had moved outside with their drink, and several couples danced near the piper and drummer, their feet pounding the stones in time to the music.
Ailith’s cheeks ached.William had escorted her around the hall for more greetings, more cheers with mead or wine, and even a short jig with the dancers.She was sweaty, tired, and wanted only to find her bed.William, on the other hand, looked as chipper as a jaybird at daybreak.
However, as they made their way back to the head table, he noticed her discomfort.
“Aye, a bit much for the night?”he asked in that tender, rumbling tone of his that made her heart flip-flop.
Ailith nodded.
“Let’s say good-eve to the head table, and we’ll retire to our chambers.”
Our chambers.Another flip-flop.
When they returned to the head table, Mairi had already departed, not that Ailith blamed her with the new bairn.Most of the men had made their way to the lower tables to eat and drink.Bernard was still at the head table, speaking with Robb and a smiling Ailbert, and William and Ailith bid them goodnight.
Just as they moved past the head table toward the hallway, Daniel, her brother’s right-hand man, found them.He raised a beefy hand to halt them.
“Ailith!William!I wanted to bid ye good evening.”
“Daniel, where have ye been?We did no’ see ye in the hall?”
A smirk crossed Daniel’s lips.“Och, with all these drunkards?I’ve been in the yard, keeping the peace.”
William and Ailith nodded in unison.“Smart thinking, that,” William commented.
Daniel’s eyebrows rose on his forehead.“Might I steal the lass from ye for just a moment?”
With a flair, William bowed and stepped toward the hall, giving Daniel and Ailith the privacy of the darkened archway.
“Is there a problem?”Ailith asked.Daniel was one of the few people who had ever seen her use her martial arts skills, and while he seemed impressed with her ability to defend herself, she was still in 900 CE, where women typically did not possess that skill set.Was he choosing now to call her out on it?Question it?
He rested his bear-paw of a hand on her shoulder.“I know ye are marrying the warrior, lass, but that does no’ mean ye should stop whatever training ye have been doing to fight as ye do.”
Her heart caught in her chest.Not only did he not question it, he approved of it?Wanted her to continue?Oh, but her speculation about Daniel as an ally and friend was correct.Ailith relaxed her nerve-stiffened back.
“He is a braw man with a rare skill with a sword, and he will fight and kill anything that ‘tis a threat to ye.But he canna be by your side every moment of the day.And though the mad king is gone, those who would follow him are no’.The Highlands are just as dangerous as they ever were, especially for a lass.Do ye ken my meaning?”
Aye, did she understand!It wasn’t too different from the 21st century, only in the Highlands, the knives were bigger, and the guns were swords.And as a college history student, she knew the raw violence that gripped the Middle Ages.
She nodded and patted her hand on his.“Ye dinna have to worry about my training.I will no’ stop, no’ matter what anyone says.”
Daniel nodded once.“Aye.Dinna have a care for what others say about ye.‘Twill always be loose and jealous tongues wagging.Ignore them, focus on ye and your man, and ye will have a bright future.”
Then he kissed her forehead like her father would have, and gave her a gentle shove back toward William.The brawny man filled the archway as he made his way back to the main hall to play security for the feast.
William stood behind her.“That man always did have a soft spot for ye.He was close kin to Father, and saw ye and your brothers as his own.He never had his own children, so ye filled that need.”
Ailith froze and felt horrible.She had never asked or inquired about Daniel, who he was it Ailith and her family, or anything about him!Och, keeping up the guise as Ailith was difficult!Hopefully, after this wedding, some of these aspects would ease.
They thought they had escaped everyone else and were free to head to their chambers when a shout abruptly stopped them.
“William!”
