It was not until Laurel took her leave that Bethoc let her know her decision. She followed her friend outside and took her hands in hers. The wary look Laurel gave her told her she was expecting a no and Bethoc smiled.
“Ye can collect up Magnus and his things tomorrow.”
Surprise was Laurel’s first reaction and then she burst into tears. Bethoc took her into her arms and patted her on the back, not sure what to do. It was several minutes, and a silent dismissal of a glaring Robbie, before Laurel calmed down.
Laurel wiped the tears from her face. “I dinnae ken why I did that. Mayhap because I have been so tense about this business. And, did Robbie come out here? I thought I heard him.”
“Dinnae ken how. The mon walks as if all that is beneath his feet is clouds,” Bethoc grumbled.
Laughing, Laurel nodded. “True. Are ye certain ’tis acceptable to ye?”
“Aye. Magnus hasnae been one of my boys for years as the others have. I think he also needs more than being amongst a crowd vying for attention. I think ye need him too. And from all ye have told me of Yolanda, she would have wanted ye to have him.”
“I will come by on the morrow then.”
Bethoc stood and watched Laurel until she was out of sight. It pinched to let go of Magnus but she knew she was making the right decision. Now it was time to see to her own life. There might be some more changes to come and she needed to be ready for them. She also needed to stop hiding from the urge to take a chance, she decided, and walked back in to join the others.
Callum smiled at her as she sat down next to him. Listened to her quietly tell Magnus he would live with Laurel and was pleased to hear no deep sadness or uncertainty behind her words. What he puzzled over was why she was so insistent that he know he could, and should, come back to visit Colin and Bean anytime he liked. Then he caught the look on Robbie’s face and smiled.
She would be going with him to Whytemont, he was sure of it. Robbie would stay with the older boys and he wished his friend much luck. He was going to need a lot himself if he planned to keep Bethoc at Whytemont.
Chapter Sixteen
Whytemont was more than she had ever expected. It was not a towered castle like at Banuilt but it was not some simple fortified manor house, either. It was a bit of both, she decided, and was quite stunningly beautiful in its indecision. The walls enclosing it were thick and high but the gates were wide open.
Callum could not mean for them to live in such an elegant place, she thought. She glanced down at her gown and winced. Laurel had insisted on giving her one for her entry into Whytemont and it was lovely, a soft gray with white lace at the sleeves, but it was still a very simple gown. The boys looked worse even in their cleanest clothes. She noticed they had gone very quiet as well. They were as suddenly intimidated as she was, she suspected.
The only one undisturbed by such grandeur was Margaret. Bethoc had let the child ride in front of her for the last part of their journey. She stared at Whytemont and smiled at Callum. Bethoc could tell the child could not wait to get down off the horse and thoroughly explore the place.
Once inside the bailey, Callum helped her and Margaret down from her horse, the white mare a gift from Callum he had had to work hard to get her to accept. The boys gathered around her as they waited for their baggage to be unpacked and the horses and cart taken away. Bethoc tried to ignore how everyone stared at her. The stares were not unkind, just curious, but she badly wanted to get away from them for she felt as if everyone was asking what a girl like her was doing with a man like Callum. Then a man and a woman came over, the man speaking kindly to the boys as the woman took her by the arm.
Callum hurried over and put his arm around Bethoc’s shoulders. “Nay, Agnes, these people are with me. We will be needing a few guest rooms made up if ye would be so kind.”
“Oh, m’laird, so sorry. I will see to it right away.” She frowned at the four boys. “Do ye want one for each lad?”
“Nay. Just a bed for each and if ye have to split them up, mayhap it could be in rooms that are near to each other.”
“And the wee lass?” Agnes reached for Margaret.
Margaret wrapped herself in Bethoc’s skirts and growled.
“Margaret, ye must cease growling at people. ’Tis rude.” Bethoc looked up to apologize to the woman, saw the laughter in her eyes and the tight press of her lips, and decided to just mutter, “Sorry.”
It took clearing his throat before Callum could speak without laughing. “I will sort out something.” The moment Agnes and her husband, George, took the boys away, Callum crouched down in front of Margaret. “Ye must nay growl at people, Margaret. Ye are nay a dog. If ye dinnae like or want something just say nay.”
Margaret nodded and moved to stand beside Bethoc and take her hand. Callum stood up and a heartbeat later a little girl with wild red curls raced up to him. She hugged his leg.
“Da?”
Bethoc felt a pain tear through her chest. The child had to be Margaret’s age. She wondered where the mother was and why Callum had never mentioned he had a daughter. Bethoc did not know what hurt most, that he had a child or that he had not told her. Or, even worse, he had brought her to a place where that child’s mother still lived.
“Sorry, Callum,” said Uven as he rushed over and picked up the little girl. “She got away from me.”
“Not to worry.” Callum kissed the girl’s cheek. “Shona? Would ye like to meet another girl? She is your age.”
Callum carefully set the girl in front of Margaret. “Margaret, meet my niece Shona.”
The two little girls just stared at each other until the little redhead pointed to herself. “Shona.”
