Page 78 of A Fearless Rebel

“Ava?” Flora peered around the door. “I knocked, but ye didn’t answer. May I come in?”

“Of course, please do.” Ava hurried to pull a chair over for the woman. “I am glad to see ye.”

Flora sat and smiled. “I needed to get away for a few moments and haven’t seen ye much as of late.”

“It is obvious Esme would prefer I not be around, so I’m keeping my distance.” Ava sighed. “Unfortunately, it means I’m in here most of the day.”

“Ye should speak to her.”

“Do ye know her well?” Ava asked.

Flora shook her head. “No.”

*

At last meal, Ava kept her attention on the room and away from Lady Fraser and Esme, who discussed plans for the upcoming Yule celebration.

A maid came up and placed food between her and Keithen, who paid her no heed as he spoke to his father about a situation with two farmers.

The room buzzed with conversation, people laughed at whatever others said. At one table, a group of men began singing, and at another, women gathered, watching them.

In the center of it all, Ava felt adrift and lonely. Since all the guardsmen now ate inside, Catriona took her meals in her bedchamber, which meant Flora did as well.

“Taste the meat, it is very good,” Keithen said, nudging her arm.

Thankful to be brought from her musings, Ava did as he asked and smiled at him. “It is quite delicious.”

“I must speak to the patrol guards once the meal is over. I will come to our bedchamber once I am done,” Keithen informed her as they finished the meal.

Ava was thankful to get away. As much as she hated spending so much time alone, it was preferable to being around people who would rather have nothing to do with her.

Deciding to go to the kitchen to fetch some warm cider, she walked there and fetched a large cup and filled it from the liquid that was kept warm in a kettle that hung beside the fire.

Because she wasn’t looking forward to returning upstairs, Ava hesitated when Eileen, the cook, walked in. “I could have served ye. All ye had to do was ask,” the woman said, seeming off-put.

“Do not concern yerself with it. I did not mind.” Ava went to pass the woman, but Eileen spoke and stopped her.

“May I ask ye something?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Once, a long time ago, I tasted a delicious fig pudding.” The woman lowered her voice. “It was a Mackenzie recipe. Would ye happen to know it?”

Ava nodded. “I believe so.” She frowned. “Would it be horrible of me to share it?”

Eileen shook her head. “Tis not like they would find out about it.”

“True,” Ava said, enjoying prolonging the conversation. “I will think of it and try to remember what was in it and share it with ye.”

“Thank ye.” Eileen’s chubby face beamed. “Enjoy the cider. I put honey in it.”

Feeling better at making headway with the cook, Ava made her way to the stairwell. At the bottom of the stairs, she heard Keithen’s voice followed by a woman’s.

A tightness in her chest was followed by her stomach clenching. Why was her husband with a woman after telling her he was to meet with guards?

When she looked to the great room, there were a group of guards gathered at a table, speaking. None of them paid her any heed. Laird and Lady Fraser were gone, so were most of the other guests. Just one woman lingered at a table with a slumbering child in her arms.

It was best to find out what was going on. Ava was not about to continue to her bedchamber until she knew what her husband was doing.