It was dark when I woke. The candles had long since burned away. Feeling my way to the stairs, I climbed up out of my spell room to find the moon high in the sky. Many of the castle’s windows were still lit with candlelight.
What excuse would I give when I entered the castle? Father would be furious, and Alasdair would be worried. Everyone would demand to know where I’d been.
As I rounded the corner, I spotted Mary, her short legs moving so quickly she was barely able to stop herself before smashing against me.
“Morna, ye must get inside. I’ve made excuses for ye as long as I can. Yer father was readying himself to go into the village to retrieve ye.”
“Is that where he thought I was?”
Nodding, Mary grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind her.
“Aye, when ye dinna come to dinner, I told him ye’d left to help Mae.”
“Why is he angry then? I often do go to help her.”
Thank God for Mary. She’d thought of the only excuse he would believe.
“I doona know, lass. Ye’ve not done so since Henry arrived. I believe he thought it rude of ye to leave him. Doona worry. Just doona leave Henry’s side once ye enter the castle. Yer father willna yell at ye in front of him.”
Reaching to adjust my hair, I pulled at Mary’s hand so she would slow down.
“How did ye know where I was?”
“I know what day it is, lass. I suspected ye might have escaped to yer spell room to spend the day alone.”
Hugging me tight, Mary pulled away and pointed toward the castle. “Best get inside. Henry was in the sitting room with Alasdair when I last saw him.”
* * *
Henry wasn’t inside the sitting room when I entered. Neither was Alasdair. Only Father remained.
“Ah. Ye’ve decided to return. Come, lass. I wish to speak to ye.”
“I’m sorry, Father. I wouldna have gone into the village unless I were truly needed.”
Lies came too easily to me when speaking to Father.
He held up a hand to stop me. “’Tis not ye that I worry about. What will Mae do when ye leave here?”
“Leave? What do ye mean?”
Father motioned to the seat across from him. Almost every serious conversation I’d ever had with him had taken place in this room with us sitting opposite each other in just the same way.
“Doona be daft, lass. One way or another, ’tis time for ye to make a decision regarding Henry. He’s shown far more patience with ye than I would have. Six weeks is a long time to make him wait.”
“I doona think he’s in any hurry, Father. He rarely speaks of it.”
Father grunted and crossed his arms.
“As I said, the lad is patient. Ye care for him. I can see that ye do. Can ye think of one reason ye shouldna marry him?”
My only reason was now living centuries ahead of me.
“One day I may wish to marry him. I am not ready to leave here yet. I wish to see wee Eoin grow.”
I said nothing of the new babe. While Elspeth would be forced to tell Alasdair soon, news of the babe was still our secret.
“Morna.” Father’s voice was stern, cold, distant. “Eoin will grow up fine without ye. ’Tis generous of me to allow ye to pick yer husband at all. ’Tis not up to ye to decide how long ye reside in my home.”
