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Keir, though, did not pause, did not give her another moment to reconsider. He grasped her hand and pulled her along, then knocked upon Kate’s door.
“Thank you for seeing to the girls today,” Sarah murmured, leaning into him. “They had a wonderful time, and I think it was good for Kate to—”
“Enter!”
Keir smiled at her, then quickly dipped his head and placed a kiss upon her forehead. “’Twas my pleasure,” he whispered before opening the door and tugging her inside.
“I’m not quite certain what to wear,” Kate exclaimed the moment they stepped across the threshold. Her gaze went back and forth between Keir and Sarah before she looked down at her simple blue linen dress. “I’m afraid I have little else.”
Sarah had found herself in the same situation. All the dresses she had brought with her to Scotland were more of a practical nature, perfect for everyday use, but not quite so fitting for a societal event. At the same time, Sarah had no experience in what would be appropriate for a gathering at a Scottish castle. How did people dress?
Keir smiled at her sister. “Ye look lovely, Katherine. Dunna worry.” His gaze darted to Sarah. “Ye’re safe here. The both of ye are.” His smile widened into a grin as he looked at the girls. “All five of ye are.”
After having slept all afternoon, clearly exhausted after the excursion to the beach, Dorothea and Augusta were once again bouncing with energy, their little feet carrying them around the chamber, twirling them in circles, as their hands fluttered about, tugging at their dresses here and there and rearranging their curls. “Is this a ball?” Augusta inquired with shining eyes. “I’ve never been to a ball. Do people dance?”
Sarah felt quite at a loss, as did Kate, judging from the look on her face. Keir, though, simply smiled at the girls, leaning down to look into their eyes. “No, ’tis not a ball. Yet I believe there will be dancing.” He straightened and looked from Sarah to Kate. “There’ll be music and dancing and good food in the company of wonderful people.” He stepped toward the door. “Shall we?”
Sarah saw her own nerves reflected back at her in her sister’s eyes. Yet there was no choice. And so, she accepted Keir’s arm, grateful when he offered his other to Kate, and together, they stepped out into the corridor. The girls quickly dashed ahead, every once in a while stopping to inquire where they were headed. Yet their feet would not keep still. Sarah knew it was a great relief to Kate to see them so happy and carefree. Clearly, the dark cloud of the weeks and months before had disappeared, and they once again felt sunshine upon their faces.
As they moved down the corridor and then ventured downstairs toward the great hall, voices and music echoed to their ears. The sounds were equally familiar and strange, the music beautiful and yet not quite what Sarah had expected. Voices spoke in English and Gaelic alike, laughing and chatting, and despite the differences, Sarah felt reminded of so many balls she had attended, never quite fitting in. Then Sarah breathed in the scents of the hall, one scent overpowering the others: roast pig and apples.
“It smells good,” Dorothea exclaimed, craning her neck to look back at Keir. “What is that?”
“Mrs. Murray’s pastries,” Augusta replied, her face lighting up as she quickened her steps.
Dorothea, though, shook her head. “No, not that.” She wrinkled her nose, sniffing loudly. “It’s meat, isn’t it?”
Keir grinned. “Roasting on a spit,” he confirmed, chuckling, then led them toward the wide arch that led into the great hall.
Sarah’s eyes widened as she beheld the crowd gathered before her. Her muscles involuntarily tensed, her hands clamping down upon Keir’s arm. Her gaze moved from face to face, all unknown, and for a moment, a short moment, Sarah wished she had never left England. At least, back home, faces looked familiar. It was only a small mercy, and yet Sarah wanted it. She had so hoped to enjoy tonight, to look toward the future with hopeful eyes. Yet it would seem the past was not quite yet forgotten.
Rows upon rows of wooden tables lined the great hall while off to the side musicians had gathered and there was room for dancing. Couples twirled past, dressed in colorful plaids and tartan-patterned dresses. The women’s hair, adorned with beads, swayed to and fro, their movements matching the music. Men beat drums and rattled wooden pipes, their chants entrancing listeners. The song they played was lively, its tune quickening with a sudden burst of energy. The walls of the great hall were covered in tapestries of bright and vibrant scenes of battle, hunting, and feasts.
Down the rows of tables, Sarah spotted Keir’s family seated together. Duncan spoke in his booming voice, and then the others laughed in reply, their faces aglow and full of joy. Others—people Sarah had never seen before—looked the same, their joy contagious, beginning to buzz beneath Sarah’s skin. She saw young couples gazing adoringly at one another, and children weaving through the crowd and vanishing under the table laden with food. For a moment, Sarah’s gaze lingered on a tall, red-haired man, his eyes directed at her when he suddenly broke away from the crowd, a dark-haired woman and a red-haired little girl by his side, and he moved toward her.
“Bonnie!”
At Augusta’s joyful exclamation, Sarah blinked. Her gaze focused upon the little red-haired girl, who was now darting toward them. Clearly, Augusta and Dorothea knew her, for their joy at seeing one another reminded Sarah of long-lost friends meeting again after years of absence.
Feeling herself smile, Sarah lifted her gaze to the red-haired man standing behind the little girl, a welcoming smile upon his face as he looked from Keir to the rest of them. The dark-haired woman by his side, though, looked far from pleased, her brown eyes slightly narrowed.
“Ladies, allow me to introduce,” Keir began, the sound of his voice calm and soothing, “my oldest friend Eoghan MacKinnear as well as his sister Kenna and his daughter Bonnie.”
The red-haired man—Eoghan—smiled broadly, and Sarah thought to see a glimmer of amusement in his gaze as he looked at Keir. “Welcome,” he greeted them all before his gaze moved to her and then on to Kate, “to our little corner of the world. I assure ye, the people here are not as ill-mannered as they might seem sometimes.” His brows rose teasingly, and the two friends shared a laugh, one that echoed with shared memories.
Sarah looked up at Keir and then over at his friend. “Thank you,” she replied, uncertain what else to say. “We are very grateful to be here.”
“Come!” Bonnie exclaimed, gesturing toward Augusta and Dorothea before any more words of greeting or gratitude could be exchanged. “Let’s go see what pastries Mrs. Murray has put out today.” She turned to dash away toward a large table laden with food, and Augusta and Dorothea made to follow.
The expression upon Kate’s face instantly turned to one of alarm, and she stepped forward, one hand lifted and an objection upon her lips. “Oh, perhaps it would be better for you to remain near us,” she said to her two oldest daughters, her green gaze flitting from the girls to Keir’s old friend and then to Sarah, uncertainty there. “It is rather crowded here, and you are unfamiliar with…” Her voice trailed off, and Sarah could see that Kate felt torn.
Clearly, she did not want to be the kind of mother who stole such joy from her children, especially considering that she, herself, had been an equally adventurous child long ago. Yet at the same time, life had made her cautious, and these days, it was far from easy for her to part with her children.
Even if only for a moment.
Or across a crowded hall.
Eoghan stepped forward then, one look in his green eyes halting Bonnie’s steps. The girl sighed rather dramatically as she crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. Yet she stayed, waiting, as her father turned to look at Kate. “I understand yer concern,” he said kindly, like a parent speaking to another. “Sometimes ’tis difficult to let them go, considering all that could happen.” He looked down at Bonnie, a meaningful look in his eyes and an amused curl to his lips. “Considering all the mischief they do like to get themselves into.”
