“Ye have not answered my question, sir.” Lorna rested a hand on Frances’s and Hesther’s shoulders. “Why are ye here? These are my charges. I have a right to know yer business with them.”
“He was asking about ye, Mistress Lorna,” Frances said around a bulging mouthful of what appeared to be bread and jam. “Wanted to know where ye were from and how we came to know ye.”
Jasper shot a quelling glare at the lad. “Ye dinna have to tell everything ye know, boy.”
“I told yer chieftain all about myself,” Lorna said. She sauntered around the table and squared off in front of him. “So, he sends ye up here to intimidate these two because he thinks me a liar?”
The war chief lifted both hands and backed up a step as though surrendering. “I was not intimidating them.” He looked to Bella for support. “Did I not speak kindly to yer new friends?”
“Jasper isna mean,” Bella assured her, then added, “Unless ye give him a case of the red arse, of course.”
Lorna struggled not to smile at the young miss’s assessment. “Be that as it may, if yer chief wanted to know more about me, he should have asked.” She tipped her chin to a defensive slant. “Since he sent ye to do his asking, I assume he must be a coward?”
“My da is not a coward,” Bella said. She hopped up from her seat, rounded the table, and took a defensive stance between Lorna and the frustrated war chief. “He is cautious, ’tis all. A wise chief always confirms whatever he is told by strangers.” She resettled her footing while stretching to appear taller. “He knows he must be cautious. Let the wrong person in the keep and it’d be like letting a stoat in with the hens.”
The child’s love and loyalty warmed Lorna’s heart. She gave the youngling an apologetic nod. “Ye are quite right. I beg yer pardon for calling yer da a coward.” Then she leveled a hard gaze on Jasper. “Take me to yer chieftain. I would have a word with him.”
The man’s reddish-blond brows ratcheted to a stormy angle, highlighting the leeriness in his eyes. “What sort of word?”
“Well now, if I wished to have it with yerself, I would have already done it, would I not?”
All the children giggled.
Jasper glared at her, his nostrils flaring like a great, red-headed beastie about to charge. His ruddy jaw set to a hard line, he waved her toward the door. “It appears I have no choice in the matter. This way, mistress.”
Before following the irritated man, she turned back to Frances and Hesther. “Are ye both fine?” She hoped they could give her an honest answer. If not, she prayed she could see the truth in their eyes. “Ye are well and feel safe?”
Timid Hesther eased her worries with a genuine smile. It was the first time the young maid had ever appeared happy since they met. “Miss Bella is a kind and generous hostess, mistress.” She aimed a shy glance down at the crumb-filled plate in front of her. “And I have never eaten so much in my entire life.”
“’Tis verra nice here,” Frances added, then shot a fretful look at the open door. “As long as we dinna have to go around the lady, we be fine.”
Lorna had a fair idea whom he meant but found it odd that he didn’t address Lady Murdina asMother. She offered an understanding nod. “We will try to limit those times to as few as possible, aye?” She joined Jasper, then cast a glance back. “I’ll be back up in a bit. My meeting with Chieftain Sinclair shouldna take long.”
They both encouraged her with a nod, but Bella rushed toward her. “Dinna ye be mean to him, aye? My da has not had an easy way of it.”
Lorna crouched to the petite young girl’s level. “I am only mean to those who are mean to me. So far, except for sending a spy”—she shot a withering scowl at Jasper—“yer father has treated me with respect. Therefore, I will return the favor.”
Bella cocked her head to the side, her ebony braids swinging like pendulums. “I think we shall soon be great friends, Mistress Lorna.”
Lorna accepted the child’s comment with relief. She was thankful for any ally, no matter the age. “I hope so, Miss Bella. I would be honored to be yer friend.”
“If ye still wish to go, we should go,” Jasper said from behind her. Lorna almost laughed. The man sounded as growly as a toddler in dire need of a nap.
Bella leaned forward, cupped her hand to Lorna’s ear, and whispered, “Beware the beast. Ye gave him a case of the red arse by scolding him.”
“Aye, well…he will just have to get over it—or die with it.”
With a last nod at the children, Lorna followed the sullen war chief to the stairwell. “Who watches over Bella now?” she asked. As second only to the chieftain, surely he didn’t fear sharing information the way Ebby had.
He clumped down several steps, remaining silent, as if she had never spoken.
Lorna clenched her teeth and stomped harder, making sure her steps were louder than his. The man had no idea how tenacious she could be.
“She is just a wee lass,” she continued. “Seems like that floor of hers would be terribly lonely with just her.” She trailed a hand along the stone wall of the large pillar that made up the core of the stairwell. Wooden steps surprised her. She had expected the old spiral staircases of stone that filled most multi-floor castles. She liked these better. Someone had carefully crafted them to fill the space with broad and solid steps that were much safer than their stone predecessors.
Jasper still didn’t answer her. Well, not actually. It seemed as though the thunk of his boots became louder. The fool was trying to out-stomp her.
“It is verra unmanly to pout,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the racket of their stomping.
