He took the soft end and eyed her. There was mischief brewing in her eyes and, from the way she pulled the girls behind her, he suspected that she was playing a trick upon him.
Gingerly, he let go of the bit of glass. As soon as it struck the stone, it exploded with a loud crack. He jerked back from instinct, and unsheathed his dirk.
Laren started laughing at him. “Were you trying to kill it?”
He rolled his eyes. “By God, woman, what was that?”
Mairin burst forward. “I want one! Let me try!” Laren gave her a twist of glass and her daughter happily smashed it against the rock, giggling when it exploded in a shower of dust.
“When you drop hot glass into cold water, it makes these sometimes.” She reached into a fold of her cloak and showed him droplets of colored glass. “Like the ones you gave me.”
She’d kept them. He didn’t know why, but knowing it brought a warmth inside of him. While his daughters smashed more of the glass droplets, Laren joined them in laughing. Her face was flushed, and the bright smile on her face caught him like a kick to the lungs. He hadn’t seen her so relaxed in a long time.
When they’d finished smashing the glass, Laren took the girls in each hand, and Alex took Adaira’s other palm. He eyed Laren and together they lifted Adaira up by her palms, swinging her forward until she squealed.
Whentheyreachedthefortress again, he saw that Nairna was lighting the torches.
The aroma of roasting meat filled the air, and his girls sniffed appreciatively, reminding him of how hungry they were. As soon as she saw all the people waiting, the happiness faded from Laren’s face. She held on to the girls’ hands as if they were a shield.
Alex saw the look of fear upon her face, but a moment later, she released the children, murmuring for them to go and sit with Vanora. He saw her approach Nairna, and the woman sent Laren a grateful smile. “I’ll need ten women to help me pass around the food,” she predicted. “Could you gather them and ask for their help?”
Laren nodded and seemed to steel herself for the task. One by one, she went to several women, asking them for help. Before long they had passed out wooden platters containing slices of roasted pork, paired with carrots, turnips and nuts. Two barrels of ale were opened, and the atmosphere transformed into one of celebration.
When Laren joined him again, she didn’t look well. Alex made her sit down and eat something, but she picked at her food. “Are you all right?”
His wife nodded and when she met his gaze, she admitted, “You asked me to try harder. To be the wife you need.”
He understood that she was trying to behave like the Lady of Glen Arrin. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “If you can find a bit more courage, we’re not done yet.” It was time to begin the competition and choose teams.
He led Laren forward, bringing her to the center of the fortress. The clansmen set aside their food, and Alex waited until he had their attention. “We wanted to host this celebration tonight in thanks for all that you’ve given to rebuild Glen Arrin. It’s time to begin framing the keep and I wanted to offer a competition to anyone who wishes to join in.” He pointed toward the new foundation that had been laid in stone.
“A prize of three cows and two sheep will be awarded to the winning team of men who can construct their side the fastest. My brothers and I will form one team, while we need three more teams to complete the remaining sides.” He continued explaining the rules before the men began dividing up into groups.
Several of the women went to wish their husbands luck, and Alex saw Bram pull his wife into a deep kiss. The two of them were so wrapped up in each other, he doubted if they’d notice if the walls came crashing down.
But Laren had already retreated from his side, back to their daughters. He didn’t miss the looks of reproach on the faces of many women. There was a coolness there, and his wife kept her gaze downcast.
He’d never really noticed the way the people treated her like an outsider. Had it always been like this? He tried to remember if she’d had close friends when they were first married and he wasn’t chief of the clan. He didn’t know.
She sat with Adaira on her lap, Mairin snuggled close, but there were no women joining Laren to talk. It bothered him that he’d never been aware of her isolation.
When he gave the signal, Alex worked alongside his brothers, building the framework while the teams on the other sides raced to build up their wall faster. As the hours passed, the lower walls of the castle keep began to take shape.
His arms were aching from holding the beams in place while Dougal climbed a ladder to hammer in the pegs. From behind him, he caught a slight motion. And then one of the beams slipped.
Alex threw himself at Bram, knocking his brother to the side as the wood struck the place where he’d been standing. Thank God, no one was hurt.
But when he got back to his feet, he saw that Laren had rushed forward. “What happened?” Her face was tight with worry, and he pulled her against him, offering her comfort.
“I’m all right,” he told her. “The beam slipped.” Her hands came up to touch his back, but the embrace was tentative, as if she suddenly realized that others were watching them.
When he released her, she let out a shaky breath. “How much more is left to finish?”
“After a few hours, we’ll have the four walls framed. Then, we’ll choose our winning team and end the work for the night.” He took her hands, adding, “You look tired. If you want to take the girls back to Ross’s, you needn’t wait on me.”
She studied him for a long moment. Then she said, “I’ll put the girls to sleep. And then I’ll wait.”
Larenhadmadeithalfway across the fortress when Alex’s mother, Grizel, crossed the space to speak with her. “You should know better than to go near the men when they’re building. You might have been killed just now.”
