“And she is. Do ye resent that she was safe in the keep while ye and Jamie fought?”
Thor gritted his teeth from unleashing the full truth. He made himself wait a few more seconds to regain control of his temper before he answered. “Nay. I dinna resent that she was safe. She shouldnae have been anywhere near that battle.” That was true in more than one way. “But it doesnae change the fact that what she told us led us into a trap.”
“And ye blame her for that. Mayhap ye and Jamie werenae as ready as ye thought.” The moment the words left Rose’s mouth, she wished to suck them back in. “I didna mean ye werenae ready to protect each other. I meant…” She didn’t know what she meant anymore. She’d liked Jamie, and they’d been friends too. She’d grieved alongside Thor, but not to the same depth as her brother. “Thor, I’ve been ashamed each time I’ve felt relieved it hadnae been ye who died. I blamed Grandda and Da for taking ye and letting ye ride out if ye werenae ready. I blamed them for Jamie dying and losing a friend, and for making me watch ye suffer. Do ye blame Greer for the same things I blamed them for?”
“Aye. At least part of that.”
“But it wasna her fault.”
Thor refused to respond to that. He knew things Rose didn’t. Things that he wouldn’t reveal unless he resolved the issues with Greer. That meant he likely would never tell Rose.
“Vera well. If ye canna be civil, then ye should leave.”
Thor nodded. He knew she couldn’t issue the same ultimatum to Greer. She couldn’t go back to her clan like Thor could return to his.
“I will truly try harder. I dinna want to jeopardize yer position with yer new clan. And I dinna wish for ye to regret me being here. I ken Greer is better off here, and I dinna want her to go back to that place.” He couldn’t say Gunn Castle aloud. He hated even thinking the two words.
“Will ye come riding with Blaine, Greer, and me? Blaine and I can stay between ye.”
Thor’s lips thinned, but he nodded. He didn’t look forward to an outing with only two people to separate him from Greer. They would take guards, but they wouldn’t be part of the conversation. He hoped he could take part without snapping at Greer or growing sullener.
“Aye.Gaisgeachneeds to stretch his legs. He’ll grow fat from all that hay he’s been guzzling without running.” Warrior. He’d trained the horse since it was a colt, and that fateful battle had been the steed’s first foray into fighting. He’d been perfect beneath Thor, and he’d deserved his name ever since.
“Yer horse has as much fat on his bones as ye do.” Rose pinched Thor’s ribs, knowing there was little to grab.
“I shall toss that hideous kertch in the fire, so I can tug yer hair. It’s nay fair that ye can still get to ma ribs. Ye have a grip like a chicken’s beak.”
Rose laughed, and Thor wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She shoved him away, knowing he’d done that on purpose. “Disgusting. Ye did that on purpose. Bathe before Gaisgeach isnae the only one attracting flies.”
“When do ye wish to go?”
“As soon as ye and Blaine are refreshed. I’ll order the horses saddled and get Greer.”
Thor headed toward the postern gate while Rose hurried to the stables. Once she talked to the lads there, she made her way to the gardens.
“Will ye still come riding with us?”
“Ye make it sound like it’s more than just ye and Blaine.”
“I asked Thor to come.”
Greer stood and shook out her skirts. She kept herself from rolling her eyes. “Stop trying to get me to talk to yer brother.”
“I’m nae. I want a nice day out with ma twin, ma husband, and ma best friend. I need to escape for a little while with people I dinna feel like I have to be perfect in front of. I love ma new home, and I’m getting used to being a chatelaine. But I’m scared people are judging me. Everyone speaks of Blaine’s mother like she was a saint. She may well have been, but that only makes me feel like I’m doomed to never meet anyone’s expectations. It’s exhausting.”
Greer stepped closer to Rose and kept her voice low. “Has someone said something? Are there rumors aboot ye? I havenae heard aught, but then again, nay one would speak them in front of me.”
“Nay. Naught like that. But I just wish to laugh and ride without seeming improper. And I want to take this ruddy kertch off ma head. I like having it because it reminds me I’m married to Blaine, and I admit I’m proud he picked me. But I hate the feel on ma head. I’m nae used to it yet, and it’s annoying.”
Greer laughed and nodded. She doubted she’d ever know what one felt like, but she could understand Rose’s dislike. Her friend often wore a St. Birgitta’s cap if she was doing work that might dirty her hair. But Rose told her she preferred it because it was lighter. Greer thought Rose would prefer the kertch since it was looser and didn’t force Rose to pile all of her hair beneath it. She reminded herself that Rose now wore it anytime she wasn’t in her chamber, whereas, she’d only worn the coif for certain tasks. She supposed it would take some getting used to if ever she wore one.
Greer walked to the stables with Rose, and they waited for the men to join them. Her clan council refused to allow her to take her horse when she left. They claimed it wasn’t hers but the clan’s. It forced her to ride with one of Rose’s cousins when they came to Ackergill. Blaine hadn’t hesitated to assign her a mare from his stables. She yelped when strong hands wrapped around her waist and practically flung her into the saddle. She scrambled to get herself situated astride. Thor was already mounted by the time she looked back. He paid her no attention as he spurred his warhorse forward.
The party passed beneath the portcullis, three Keith guards and two Sinclair guards joining them. The guards fanned out to make a horseshoe around the noble riders. Greer and Thor rode on the outside, while Rose and Blaine rode beside each other. When they were clear of the village, Rose leaned forward and whistled. She spurred her horse and laid low over her horse’s withers. Thor responded, squeezing his powerful thighs against his horse’s flanks. The twins bolted ahead of the rest of the group, racing one another as they had since they were children. Except they didn’t have their mother telling them to stop being reckless, nor their father silently cheering them on. They’d both known their entire lives Siùsan was far more of a daredevil on horseback than Callum, but she’d insisted her children be far tamer than her. Only Shona continued to push Siùsan to her limits.
Rose rode a gelding that was almost as powerful as Thor’s destrier. He’d been more focused and easier to train as a colt, so for several years, he’d easily outrun Thor’s horse. Now they were neck and neck, the mounts as competitive as their riders. There were few animals that could keep up with the ones the Sinclairs, Sutherlands, and Mackays bred. They’d blended the bloodlines over the past two-and-a-half decades, making them among the best in the Highlands.
The two Sinclair guards kept up, but the three Keith guards fell behind. They opted to remain around their clan’s tánaiste and Greer, while the Sinclair guards chased their laird’s grandchildren. Both men were used to Rose and Thor’s mad gallops, and it relieved both of them to be assigned to the twins rather than Shona. They took their lives in their hands, riding with that hellion. They guided their horses across hill and dale, taking jumps the Keiths and Greer skirted. The twins finally reined in as a tie when they knew they shouldn’t push their horses any further.
