Dead silence settled over them. Alex rubbed his chin, then whispered. “The point is this…I have come to accept this truth. Maddie has forced me to accept that I must let you go, much as I wish to keep you here.”
Jennie was surprised to feel her eyes mist at Alex’s declaration.
“So my apologies if I have waited too long, but I have arranged for two of the lads who expressed an interest in you earlier to come to our keep to meet you. There is to be no pressure on you. Do not let them insist on any time frame. If you are interested in either, so be it. If not, so be it. This matter is entirely up to you. I have looked into their backgrounds, and unless I see entirely different men here at the keep, I expect they will be acceptable to me. But they must be acceptable to you. I promised our mother.”
Jennie could see how difficult this was for him. She strode over to her brother and wrapped her arms around him, though they didn’t begin to go around his large frame. “My thanks, Alex, for loving me so. But I don’t know if I am ready either.”
He kissed her brow and said, “You let me know after you meet the two lads. They will be here for less than a sennight, but please keep me advised.”
“I will. My thanks. Shall we go now?”
Alex wrapped his arm around her and escorted her toward the door. Before he opened it, he stopped and turned toward her. “Aedan Cameron. Did I detect something between the two of you? Or did I imagine it?”
Jennie coughed. “Aye, well…I am interested in him. He said he would come after the skirmishes were ended, but I am not sure it has progressed to thoughts of marriage. I don’t know if he would offer for me, but…”
“Say no more. Your expression tells me all I need to know. But there is naught wrong with checking to see if you areinterested in others. I fear I have been lacking in this duty to you. Please be tolerant, for me?”
Two suitors arrive, but one is sent away quickly by Alex and Jennie both…
The fool made the mistake of disliking Alex’s bairns…
Alex sat between her and Maddie at the table, while Coll sat to her left, and Donnal Boyd sat across from her. The others were spread out around them, except for Celestina, who did not feel well and was not at the meal. Brodie had left to check on her.
Loki sat a distance away with the other weans at a small table. The young group was a bit boisterous, but Jennie loved to listen to their chatter. She smiled at them, wishing she could join their table and escape her duty.
Donnal dominated the conversation. “Lady Jennie, I hear you have great skills as a healer.”
“Aye, I have worked…”
“Do not fret, lass. You will not be required to do work of any kind at my keep. We have two wonderful healers. You can just direct the servants, relax, and of course, tend to my needs.” He flashed a wicked grin at her. Jennie glanced out of the corner of her eye to see if Alex had heard his comment.
Judging from the scowl on Alex’s face, hehadheard.
Coll spoke up. “We would be very grateful for your skills, though we also have two healers on our lands. I hear you have a fresh outlook on healing that differs from the ways of the old wizened healers. Is that true, my lady?”
Jennie was pleased to answer this question. “Aye, my mother taught me…”
Donnal interrupted. “If it pleases you, Laird Grant, I would like to insist on a wedding before the next moon, as we are inneed of some organization at our castle. Seems our staff have become quite slovenly and lazy. We need someone who can crack the whip, shall I say?” His smug expression did not speak well for him.
A small commotion took place over in the bairn’s area, so Maddie promptly got up to tend to them.
“Truly, Laird,” Donnal said, glancing over his shoulder at the unruly group. “Is there a reason you have the weans nearby? Are they not too young to act appropriately around guests?”
“Aye, there is a reason,” Alex said gruffly. “They’re my weans and I want them here. They’ll learn to act appropriately in time.”
Jennie stifled a giggle, wishing she could hug her brother over his declaration. He was a good sire and a good leader.
“Mama!” Braden screamed. Maddie whispered something soft in his ear, then sent Loki away with him.
“You see. They are too young.” He nodded his head, apparently in affirmation of his previous statement, but no one volunteered to agree with him.
“That wean is my brother’s first born lad, and I prefer to have him here. Please do not concern yourself, Boyd.”
Donnal let out a loud belch and excused himself. “Must find the garderobe.”
Coll reached for her hand under the table. “My apologies for his rudeness. ‘Tis unforgiveable. I love weans and hope to have many.”
Jennie turned to look into his kind eyes—he was such a better lad than the other suitor—but she still pulled her hand back. She noticed Donnal was headed in the same direction as Loki. Her intuition told her to follow them so she excused herself and did just that, trailing him toward the passageway that led to the tower rooms where Brodie and Celestina lived.
