“Or I could do better.” She pinned Teague with a bold stare.
“Ye could at that.” Teague grabbed hold of Calder’s shoulder and pulled him forward. “But ye understand Calder here travels as much as I do, so he wouldna be home a good deal of the time.” He shrugged. “Of course, yer house would stay cleaner.” He shook the scowling man. “This one never has been known to wipe his feet.”
“Ye know good and well what I am speaking about, Teague MacDonald!” She stamped her foot so hard that her curls bounced.
“And ye know good and well we already talked about this, and I have not changed my mind.” He had tried to be kind, but the stubborn woman refused to listen. “Ye would do well to choose another, ye ken?” He pointed at her and then pointed at himself. “You and I will never wed, lass. Never.”
She turned and flounced away, a fuming growl echoing in her wake.
“Ye realize her father is strong as an ox?” Calder’s gaze followed the girl as she disappeared around the corner of the keep.
“I spoke with her father and made my druthers known. He respects my stance, since I never misled her or treated her coarsely.” That had been his saving grace. Whenever Teague felt the need for female company, an entertaining evening with one of Vivyanne’s girls cured that itch. He always made it a rule never to dally with any women of the clan. Not when Highland winters could be long and filled with enough snow to trap a man at home for weeks. Nay, he would not be snared into marriage until he found the woman who made such an entrapment irresistible.
Calder tipped his head. “I still say ye best watch yer back with that one. Ever seen her throw a blade?”
Teague had indeed, and preferred not to dwell on it. “Master Robbie!”
The lad paused in brushing the horse and looked his way. “Aye?”
“Ye have done well enough for now. Come. Yer mother worries after ye. ’Tis time to ease her mind by showing her yer grubby face.” Teague grinned. If Mila was like most mothers, the poor boy would be scrubbed within an inch of his life before nightfall. He didn’t miss Robbie’s sullen eye roll but managed not to laugh.
“She knows I am well. I saw her spying down from that window up there.”
“Dinna argue with yer chief, boy,” Calder said, but softened the scolding with a smile. “When the man says go, ye go. Understand?”
The lad’s mouth tightened, but he didn’t argue further. Instead, he hopped down off his stool, gave the horse one last wistful rub, then plodded over and joined them. “Let’s get this done with, then,” he said, sounding defeated.
Teague took hold of the boy’s shoulder and steered him toward the library’s double doors. “Chin up. Her maid helped her with a bath, so maybe she willna be too fretful with ye.”
“Mi does like a good, long soak in a hot bath. ’Tis one of her favorite things.” Robbie perked up as they stepped across the threshold. “So many books.” He hurried to the shelves, leaning his head to one side as he scanned the spines.
“I told yer mother ye could read them all if ye wish. Come in here anytime ye like.” Perhaps tarrying in the library would get the lad talking. Teague sauntered over to his desk, leaned back against it, and crossed his feet at the ankles. “By the way, do ye always call her Mi?” ’Twas an odd name for a bairn to call their mother.
“Aye,” Robbie said in a faraway voice. He sidled along, studying the titles, transfixed by the offerings. “Ever since I started talking. Leastwise, that’s what Mama always said.”
Interesting. The boy spoke as if Mila and his mother were two different people. Teague didn’t point it out, fearing if he did, the lad might go quiet on him. “I keep my favorite books in my solar. Ye are welcome to those as well. But ye must take care with them, aye?” As the youngling moved to another shelf, he added, “Of course, I dinna ken how long ye will have to enjoy them. Ye might not have the time to read them all.”
Robbie selected a book and plopped down on the floor, sitting right where he’d stood. With careful reverence, he opened it and slowly turned the pages. After a moment, he paused and looked up with a frown. “What do ye mean, ye dinna ken how long I will have to read them? Must ye return them to another library soon?”
The boy thought the books were borrowed. Teague shook his head. “Nay. Every book in this keep is mine, but yer mother says ye willna stay here long. ’Tis my understanding the two of ye will be continuing yer journey we interrupted.”
“Oh.” Robbie jerked his attention back down to the book in his lap.
“Are there family or friends expecting ye?” Teague gently wheedled. “We could send word that ye are well. Then ye could stay longer and read all the books ye like.”
The lad twitched a nervous shrug without looking up from the pages. “No one expects us. It’s only Mi and me in this world.”
“Then where were ye headed, boy?”
Robbie closed the book, returned it to the shelf, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “I can read later. Best get to Mi now before she comes looking for me.”
“As ye wish. Follow me.” Teague had pressed the lad too hard, but at least now he knew a wee bit more than before. No one expected them. That meant they were on the run. “We are headed to the third floor,” he said. “Once ye’ve scrubbed some, yer mother and yerself can join us in the hall. ’Tis nearly time to sup.”
Robbie paused before entering the stairwell. “I prefer to be the one to tell Mi about what I told ye in the library, ye ken?”
Teague studied the lad, realizing Calder was right: this one had endured much. “I will never repeat anything ye ask me not to repeat,” he said. Then he caught the boy’s shoulder and stopped him from climbing the stairs. “Unless it endangers yerself or yer mother. Then I would have to share it. Understand?”
The youngling grinned. “Aye. Mi’s the same. I know I can trust her to keep a secret unless I’m about to do something stupid.”
