“Nay, Laird, all was well when ye were away. We had no troubles and even your brothers were somewhat behaved…except for the mishap with the tailor’s hut earlier. Still, they being lads, they did not know they’d light it up. I hope ye went easy on them.”
He gave a firm nod and agreed. His brothers needed to be reminded of the dangers of fire before they lit another building aflame. “I spoke with them. They were supposed to be in the longhouse but were not inside. Have ye seen them?”
Aymer fingered his beard and chuckled. “Oh, aye, they went on a mission for Milady and should be back soon.”
Breckin leaned against the fence post of the small corral as he spoke to his guardsman. “What mission?”
“Milady is giving her cart to Old Thom. The lads are taking it to him as we speak and should return soon,” Aymer said.
“Old Thom, the farmer? Why did she send the cart to him?”
Aymer bobbed his head. “She told the lads to have me send the carts to farmers who might be in need. Aye, she gave away all the carts. This be the last one.”
Breckin hadn’t realized that she had given the carts away andhadn’t noticed any missing. “So she emptied them all. I wonder where she put all her belongings. There wasn’t much inside the longhouse and there was little left in the store area.”
“She made a pact with the merchant…Amos. He will sell her possessions and in return, well, he keeps the coins and uses them to buy food for the ailing in the woods. Milady has a kind heart.”
Breckin had forgotten that Amos told him about their arrangement. After Clare had spoken to him about her learning to cook, he’d gone and spoken with the merchant. Astounded, he wanted to broach the subject with her but then he had been called away.
“Och, I guess ye have not heard about Hamish…” Aymer leaned his folded arms on the fence and grinned. “Well, now, the way I heard it was… Gideon’s lad was going to his gran’s and was being chased by a boar. Milady helped him up a tree and then she used the lad’s sling to scare it away. Deena says Milady saved her lad’s life.”
“Eva was fortunate that she was not killed herself. That she put herself in peril…” He groaned at the thought of her being attacked by a boar, but Breckin was glad she was able to save the lad. He should have warned her that there were wild creatures in the woods on the other side of the bridge. Then he was crestfallen because he should have given her a dagger or something to use for her protection when she went on her walks.
“Father Murphy says he hopes ye stop by because he wants to speak with ye about something.” Aymer waved to his brother who held the reins of a horse he was putting in the pen.
“I will speak to the father later. Right now, I want to find my wife. Have ye seen her?”
Aymer chuckled. “She gets around, Laird, och the guards told me that she crossed the bridge earlier. I have been on duty since and have not seen her return.”
Breckin waved to him as he turned and left. When he got to the other side of the bridge, he saw Father Murphy leaving the church. “Good day, Father.”
“Laird, for some ’tis, but earlier I gave last rites to Gareth. I am on my way to get him put in the ground.” The priest blessed himself and raised his face to the sky.
“Gareth died? I am sorry to hear that, Father. My thanks for seeing to him. Have ye not heard back yet from your order? Surely they must know of a cure or what ails them.”
Father Murphy shook his head with dejection. “Not as yet but I am going to write again and urge them to send a response. I should be off.”
“Have ye seen Lady Buchanan?” Breckin trudged forward and peered along the lane in both directions.
“I saw her earlier. She headed that way,” Father Murphy said and pointed toward the area where the torch sat. “I would speak with ye about her if ye have a moment.”
“If it can wait, Father. I have not yet seen my wife since my return and long to greet her. We will meet later, and my thanks for the news.” Breckin marched off, determined to find Eva before the sun set. On his approach to the torch area, he spotted her sitting on the ground at the base of a tree with her eyes closed.Much like Marian when she… Immediate panic tensed his chest and he sprinted forth. When he reached her, he grabbed hold of her shoulders and forcibly shook her.
He shouted, “Eva! Eva…”
She opened her eyes and tried to pull back from his hold, alarmed. “What is the matter? What is it, Breckin?”
Breckin fell to his knees before her. “God Almighty, I thought ye were…dead.”
“I am well, Breckin, I promise. Why would you think I was dead?” Eva grabbed his hand and held it in her attempt to placate him.
Her touch mollified him and he sighed with relief. “I…well, I found Marian here by this tree in the same position. I thought that you… ’Tis absurd and I apologize if I frightened ye.” He shifted to sit nextto her.
“Oh, I did not know that you found her…Marian. I wanted to rest here before I headed back to the longhouse. You returned earlier but I understand that you were busy.”
“I had to gain reports and check in with the men. So ye were busy, aye, whilst I was away. I saw the longhouse. Looks akin to a home now. Where are all your belongings? I would have thought every inch of the house would be filled. I told ye to bring them inside.” Breckin knew where her items went but he wanted her to tell him.
“I only kept a small amount of the items, what I thought was needed.”
