“I’ll have them make ye a cloak in MacSween colors as well,” Leo told Bea. “When ye wear it, ye wear the history of the clan.”
Her father grumbled something under his breath.
Beatrice did her best to ignore him, but as she and her mother waited in the entrance hall for the carriage to be brought around, he came right up to her and spat a handful of hateful words right into her face.
“Ye’re a lovesick fool,” he snarled, poking a finger into her chest. “It started with ye being selfish, and now ye’re just swooning over the Laird like a silly strumpet.”
“Are ye drunk, Father?” Beatrice asked, shocked by his outburst.
At least that would give him an excuse.It would give him a reason for actin’ this way.
“I daenae need to be drunk to see what’s happenin’ here,” her father spat.
“What do ye think is happenin’ here?” She frowned.
He pointed to nothing in particular, as if Leo should materialize at that moment. “Ye’re supposed to be clearin’ our debts and protectin’ our family, but the way ye look at him… If this man decided he didnae want to help us at all, ye’d bat yer eyelashes and giggle as ye watched yer family suffer.”
“Ye’re a crazy old man,” her mother muttered.
“And she’s leavin’ our family out to dry?—”
“Patrick,” her mother hissed, “what are ye doing?”
“Beatrice and I were just discussin’ her future,” her father choked out, before stomping away.
Her mother took both her hands and pressed them together tightly. “He’s been drinkin’ more lately.”
A set of footsteps approached as Leo emerged from his wing of the castle. He ran his sharp gaze over the scene in front of him but said nothing.
Will he notice that something is wrong?
“Laird MacSween,” her mother said, releasing her hands and turning to him. “We are ready to visit the seamstress.”
“Very good. This way.”
Leo directed them out towards the stables, her mother going first and Beatrice a few steps behind. When her mother was out the door, Leo put his arm in front of Beatrice, drawing her to a halt.
“Ye look pale,” he remarked. “Are ye feelin’ ill?”
Ye McSweens think I’m just falling apart with sickness.
“I’m just excited to visit the seamstress and see what she’s going to make for me,” she lied.
Leo grunted and gave her another once-over. “I can feel ye tremblin’, though. I havenae felt ye tremble like that since…” he trailed off.
Beatrice couldn’t even bring herself to look him in the eye.
Since that night. Which I think of lying in bed every night.
“We should catch up to me mother,” she said.
She brushed past his arm, trembling again, but this time for an entirely different reason.
The trio walked together through the narrow streets of the village, villagers flocking along the walkways and crowded houses to watch them.
“Is it always like this?” Beatrice asked Leo as the villagers pointed at them and whispered to each other.
“Aye, so ye had better get used to it.”
