The scowling matron stormed forward, her heavy black skirts sweeping aside the dried rushes scattered across the floor. She waved a meaty hand toward a narrow archway to the left of the hall. “Not another word from ye. Hie to yer room. Now.”
A range of emotions flashed across Fearghal’s face, twisting his sneer into several variations before he finally turned and staggered from the room. He paused when he reached the doorway, turned, and opened his mouth.
“I said not another word!” Aileas fisted both hands and lunged a few steps toward him as though coming after him.
Fearghal’s eyes flared wide. His mouth snapped shut, and he staggered out of sight.
Aileas turned and settled her scowl on Trulie. “So, yer sight’s returned to ye.” Aileas didn’t say it like a question. She said it with the irritation of a child who had just received a lump of coal from Santa.
Trulie stepped forward. If Aileas wanted a fight, so be it. “Yes. My eyes are fully healed, thank you. Now, I am able to enjoy all the beauty of MacKenna keep.” She swept a meaningful glance up and down Aileas, then glanced toward the hallway where Fearghal had disappeared. “And the not so beautiful,” she added. Might as well lay out the ground rules now. She refused to take any abuse from Aileas.
Gray’s soft chuckle from close behind her sent a warm ripple through her. Good. It pleased her to know he agreed.
Aileas clenched her hands in front of her thick waist. She jutted her chin and took a step forward. Her narrow-eyed glare shifted to Gray, then returned to Trulie. “Ye will find a great deal of unpleasantness in this hall. Ye would do well to make yer visit brief.”
Gray stepped around Trulie and stood in front of her like a shield. “Dare ye threaten my guest?”
The matron’s mouth tightened as though straining to keep from spouting the wrong words. After a tense moment, she jerked her head from side to side. “Nay, my chieftain. No threat. Just a warning. Ye ken yerself the unknown evil in this place.”
Trulie rested a hand on Gray’s tensed forearm, eased out from behind him, and stood at his side. “Thank you for the warning, Lady Aileas.” She patted Gray’s arm and fixed the arrogant woman with a glaring look she would have no danger of misinterpreting. “Your warning is noted.” Then she turned her warmest smile on Gray. “I’m hungry. Did you not promise me a treat of bread and cheese in the solar?”
“Aye. That I did.” Without another word to Aileas, Gray hugged Trulie closer to his side and turned them toward the stair.
“Ye vile bastard. I shall have ye skinned!”
Trulie turned just in time to catch Karma lowering his leg and calmly trotting away from Lady Aileas. The dark streak of wetness splattering her wool skirts attested to the precision of his aim. Trulie struggled not to smile as she snapped her fingers and called him to her side. “Karma! Shame on you.”
“Leave the lad alone, lass,” Gray whispered against her cheek. Then he raised his voice and shouted to the boy bearing a platter of food from the kitchen. “Hie back to the kitchen, Rabbie. Master Karma warrants Cook’s best meats along with his bone.”
Aileas exploded with an enraged roar and stormed from the room.
Gray gave her a look that warmed her heart as he tucked her arm back into his. “’Tis a verra fine dog, indeed. Now, mistress. On to the meal I promised ye.”
Trulie held tight to him as they wound their way up the spiraling stairs. The stone steps were steep and narrow. One misplaced step and a nasty fall would follow. She breathed easier when they reached the much wider landing. “I guess it was rude of me to poke the bear. I hope I didn’t cause you any problems.”
Gray pushed open the wide oak door and waited for her to enter the room. “Poke the bear?”
She almost groaned aloud, scolding herself for using slang from her time.“I should not have been rude to Aileas,” she said. “I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sorry, but she didn’t want to make matters worse for Gray.
Rabbie and Karma trotted around them, hurrying deeper into the room. The young boy balanced the edge of the tray on the small round table in front of the hearth. He transferred plates of cheeses, meats, and breads onto the table, and plunked a heavy pitcher into the midst of the food. “Here, lad.” He pulled two huge, meaty bones from the woven sack hung across his chest and set them on the floor in front of Karma. Karma wasted no time in settling down to gnawing the meat from the bones.
Gray led Trulie to one of the chairs at the table and held it for her as she sat. “I did not notice any rudeness directed at Aileas. I am sure ye are quite mistaken.” He filled a metal goblet with a ruby liquid and offered it with a knowing smile.
“Thank you.” Trulie took the glass, her fingers gently touching his for a long, breathless moment. Was the room spinning or was it her imagination?
“Ye are most welcome, mistress.” He gave her a polite nod, then took his seat.
She gladly sipped the cool wine. The comfortable room furnished with cushioned benches scattered throughout the sprawling space was overly warm and it had nothing to do with the fire in the hearth. She drained the glass.
Gray quickly refilled it.
Cracking bones and a contented grumbling broke the silence. Gray chuckled as he turned and nodded at the dog. “Set well into the bones, lad. Ye earned them.”
“I can’t believe he peed on her.” Trulie pinched off a crumbling nugget of cheese and popped it into her mouth. Creamy and tart. Perfect with the wine and hopefully it would help her control the effects of the alcohol. “I promise he has never done that before.” She treated herself to another deep drink of the fruity liquid, then eyed the ruby tastiness. Surely it couldn’t be that strong. She should be okay.
Gray topped off her glass again. “The lad only did what the rest of us have wanted to do for ages.”
She giggled and struggled to keep from snorting out loud with laughter. The mental image of Gray and Colum peeing on Aileas was almost more than she could bear. “Well, I’m sure Karma doesn’t mind you living vicariously through him.” She returned her empty cup to the table.
