Caitlin smiled. “I’m afraid the secrets of Clan McClain must remain exactly that. Secrets. But ye are welcome to visit again any time.”
Ailis looked at the older woman for a moment before nodding. “I see. I willna ask any more questions.”
“Tis probably for the best,” Caitlin replied kindly. “I would have to keep telling you that I canna tell you anything.”
Ailis giggled. “I suppose I’ve been put me in me place then.”
“Never. I like ye, Ailis, but I love me family. All secrets are not equal. Some of the McClain secrets could mean bad portents coming to our clan. I could never be the cause of that.”
“I understand. I… will you tell me a bit about Lachlan’s childhood?”
Caitlin smiled. “He’s me second son, and he’s always been very close to his father. Even when he was a small boy, he wanted a wooden sword so he could be a great warrior like his father and uncles.”
“And ye have seven sons like the rumors say?”
“Aye, I do. And yes, the youngest will become laird when it is time. Many of the rumors ye’ve heard about us are true, but not all. I promise, the McClains are good people.”
Ailis studied the older woman’s face, deeming her trustworthy. “Thank ye for answering me question, Lady McClain.”
“Please, call me Caitlin.”
A short while later, Caitlin left to check how things were coming in the great hall, Lachlan and Ailis continued working together.
Their conversation flowed effortlessly between shared duties and personal experiences. Ailis recalled her first failed attempt at baking honey bannocks as Lachlan shared a similar story about porridge.
Chuckling together, they bonded over their shared expectations and vulnerabilities. “I can cook now, but not back then. It has become a joke in me family how terrible I was,” Ailisadded. “Now I even make me own tinctures for use when I’m healing others.”
As they worked on the menu, each dish chosen represented the land that shaped them. It didn’t matter to Ailis that they didn’t use McClain recipes as long as they used recipes that represented the Highlands.
Ailis studied the parchment-strewn table, resting her hands momentarily. The air was filled with warmth and the subtle scent of crushed thyme. Despite her fatigue, being with Lachlan kept her spirits high.
She spotted Fiona and Alisdair across the great hall, whispering intimately. Fiona’s eyes met Ailis’s, exchanging a smile of sisterly affection, yet leaving Ailis yearning for a deeper connection like theirs.
Turning to Lachlan, she wondered if perhaps he would be the man who she would connect with. She hoped so.
“Ye seem close to both of yer sisters,” he observed.
“True,” Ailis agreed, her mind wandering, “but I wonder if there will come a day when I’ll find a man who understands me like they understand each other.”
Their conversation halted as Moira burst into the hall announcing the arrival of more McClain visitors. Ailis and Lachlan exchanged silent agreement—this talk could wait.
Lachlan offered his arm. “Come now, we must greet me clansmen ourselves.”
“Lead the way,” Ailis replied. She took his arm, noting the muscles that bulged. He would be a good man for her, and she felt that her father would approve of him.
As the celebration around the newcomers quieted, duty pulled Ailis from Lachlan. She turned to him, eyes filled with shared understanding and a hint of regret for their separation.
“Ailis,” Lachlan began, his tone reflecting mutual respect, “might we reconvene tomorrow to continue our preparations?”
“Aye, Lachlan,” she replied, a tangle of emotions weaving through her as she watched him disappear into the crowd.
Determined, Ailis focused on the tasks that awaited—the backdrop of her sister’s nuptials. Each fold of cloth and carefully placed bloom echoed the depth of Fiona’s love and the strength of the McAfee clan’s unity.
*
Ailis escaped thecelebration preparations and found solace in the solitude of the hills outside the castle. The Highland air whispered against her cheeks as she contemplated her clan’s expectations, with her heart yearning for freedom. Lachlan’s disarming smile and mischievous eyes image lingered in her mind. She wondered if the possibility of affection existed between their duties to their clans.
The Highlands reflected her inner turmoil as a solitary falcon soared above, symbolizing the heights one could reach should destiny permit. As the sun painted the sky gold and crimson, Ailis returned to the keep, contemplating the vast and untamed future before her. Fiona’s wedding would be a testament to unity and peace. And mayhap there would be time to dance with Lachlan. She wanted to feel his arms around her once again. They’d shared many dances, but she’d not been certain of her feelings for him back then. She was now, and the idea of his arms around her gave her something to look forward to.
In the quiet recesses of her heart, Ailis dared to dream of love—fierce and unyielding like the Highlands themselves. With each step, she hoped that tomorrow might bring her and Lachlan together once more.
