“I knew he wouldna do it. He told me he would tell ye, but he’s said nothing of what he’s done, has he?”
“Father? No, I spoke little to him while ye were away. ’Tis usually best for me to keep my distance.”
“He’s sent for suitors, Morna. He expects ye to be wed by year’s end. While I’ve no objection to ye marrying if ye wish to, and blessings to Mother for what she made him promise before her death, I doona believe men of Father’s choosing should be pushed on ye.”
Alasdair continued to stomp around in the field before me, speaking so quickly I had no chance to interject on any point.
“Ye are different than other women, Morna. Ye are special. Father will choose fools. There is little I can do to stop him from forcing yer hand in the direction he wishes it to go. If I was laird, I would protect ye. Ye’d be free to practice yer magic as ye wish it, and if ye never wished to marry, ye would have a home in my castle.
“I sent men in search of Grier in the hopes that she could return, and I could hide her away so that she could teach ye. That way, when ye are married, ye would at least have the aid of yer magic to ensure that ye lived yer life as ye wished it.”
I thought back to that last day with Grier as Alasdair spoke. Though I spent little time thinking of marriage, I seemed far less frightened of it for myself than those around me.
When Alasdair finally exhausted himself from talking, I spoke.
“Is marriage so terrible? That day in the field—the last day we saw her—Grier warned me of the same thing.”
With a reddened face and trembling hands, Alasdair joined me on the ground. Anger didn’t suit him. My brother was good through and through.
“With the right partner, marriage can be a joy, but Morna, ye’ve been more sheltered than ye know by the life we’ve lived. Oftentimes marriage is a prison where women are abused and used and treated like property. And this is true for the plainest of women. For a lass like ye, for one with yer powers, the wrong sort of man would take advantage of yer abilities. If ye doona know how to control them, ye will be powerless to protect yerself from it. I suspect Grier knew that firsthand. What did she tell ye that day? And what was the spell Father interrupted? I’ve always wondered, though I think some part of me was too afraid to ask. While I know the goodness of Grier’s soul, I always sensed a hint of darkness in her, hidden just beneath the surface of her smile.”
I knew just what my brother meant. Even though I’d adored her growing up, even though I’d graciously accepted any knowledge she was willing to bestow upon me, there was a complexity of soul about her that always made me more nervous than I was willing to admit. Something about her frightened me deeply.
“I can scarcely remember, though I believe ’twas a love spell.”
Alasdair’s voice was incredulous.
“A love spell? At twelve?”
“No. She dinna mean for it to take place then. She was worried about who Da would choose for me later, just as ye are. I doona know what she meant to do. I canna remember her words, only a verra vague image of a man. ’Tis evident though that Father’s interruption kept it from working. I’ve never seen the man in real life, and it seems ’tis too late if Father is inviting men of his choosing to the castle as we speak.”
Alasdair nodded.
“I expect the first suitor will be there when we return. Doona allow Father to push ye toward any man ye doona love. While I can do nothing to keep him from seeing ye married, he promised Mother long ago that the choice of whom ye marry would be yers. So wait until ye find a man worthy of holding yer heart—a man who will never misuse yer powers. Da may be many things, but he does keep his word.”
I didn’t wish to think or talk about suitors. I knew nothing of love. How would I know when a man was worthy of holding my heart? My sheltered life had left me ignorant of so many things. While my discernment for the attractions in others’ hearts seemed engrained in my nature, I had no faith in my ability regarding my own love life. I had so much to learn.
“Alasdair, will ye continue looking for Grier now that ye know she is not dead? I would give anything to speak to her now—to have her help in learning from her journals.”
My heart sank as he shook his head.
“I willna leave ye alone with Father once the suitors arrive. For now, ye must use the books and the books alone to learn.”
“Where did ye put the books before we left?”
It surprised me that I’d not spent every waking moment worrying over them until now.
“I’ve a surprise for ye when we return. There’s no more need for ye to spend yer nights toiling over Grier’s spell books in yer bedchamber. I’ve readied a place—a safe place—where ye can learn as much as ye wish. I’ll make certain that Father never learns of its existence.”
I threw my arms around him in gratitude. I never wanted to live in a world without Alasdair.
If one of Father’s suitors could love me half as much as he did, I would consider myself lucky.
Chapter 7
Note from M.C.:
* * *
