“I’m most happy to hear ye say that, lass,” a deep voice said behind her, “because I have an awful lot o’ questions of me own! Perhaps we can help one another out in that regard?”
She did not have to turn to know it was Caillen Maclachlan standing grinning behind her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“If ye’re expectin’ me to exclaim yer name in shock, me Laird, prepare yerself for disappointment,” Emer said, the wide smile on her face took the sting out of her words, “it were more likely to shock me if ye didnae come after me!”
Ernest, after hearing how Emer addressed the carelessly dressed man standing in front of him, made a low bow.
Emer pulled Ernest up and introduced him to Caillen, “This is Ernest, me Laird, he’s the sexton for Nethy, and he has done a fine job of erecting me parents’ memorial stones.”
Caillen nodded his head in acknowledgement of the astonished youth and commented, “It must have been hard for ye to do that for so many of yer friends an’ neighbors, Ernest. Ye have me admiration.”
Ernest open and closed his mouth a few times, looking a bit like a goldfish, but then managed to get the words out, “Thank ye, yer Lairdship!”
Caillen turned his attention back to Emer, “If ye stand here looking to hire a bedchamber for the night, ye’re too late – the innkeeper just gave me his last suite of rooms.”
Emer, uttering words of frustration, suggested Caillen came to Nethy with the sole intention of scuppering her comfort, but he stopped her talking by placing his finger on her lips.
“Hush, lass, Gilby can sleep on the truckle bed in me bedchamber, and ye can have the one I got for him. Sounds fair, nae?”
Emer, aware she still stood in Caillen’s debt for the beautiful undergarments he had bought her, acquiesced to this arrangement with good grace, only saying, “Please be so good as to tell me how much I owe ye for the room, me Laird, I already stand indebted to ye for yer many other kindnesses.”
Caillen said in a grand manner, “I shall be sure to deduct that vast amount off yer salary,” but then he ruined the effect by winking at Ernest while he said it.
Ernest, seeing he was in the way of what seemed to him to be much more than a chance meeting between master and maid, said, “I must go back to the building works, Emer. The mason will want to ken if the lead gutters he ordered for the roof have arrived.”
The young man tipped his hat at Caillen and left.
Caillen and Emer stood looking at each other for the first time since they had parted at the castle keep great hall entrance. The middle of Emer’s left palm prickled at the memory of where his lips had pressed a kiss.
Caillen spoke first, “Menzies got me here in half the time it must have taken ye, lass. I ken Bessie’s paces from that time ye tried to follow me, albeit she’s a willing wee pony, she can only trot. Where did ye spend last night on the road? The hostelry at the crossroads?”
Emer looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes. He was not asking her probing questions--he just wanted his certainty confirmed.
“Aye,” she said.
He sighed, “It’s nae the ideal place for a maiden such as yerself to be housed, but seeing as ye’re nae worse for it, I’ll let it slide.”
“But that’s where I spent the night when I was traveling down to Maclachlan keep after the fire!” Emer countered her argument, “as ye can see, I arrived there just fine.”
Caillen said nothing, “Come,” he proffered her his arm, “let’s go up to the parlor in me suite and have some supper. I’ll bet ye missed dinner in yer haste to arrive here.”
“I had some sugar cakes...,” Emer was about to say ‘at the pastor’s manse,’ but decided against it. She did not feel it was her place to tell the auld Laird’s story. He was, after all, Caillen’s father and would explain his complicated history with Donal Sutherland when he was good and ready. She placed one hand on his arm, and they went upstairs, continuing smoothly, “at one o’ the villager’s homes. But a small supper would be nice.”
Gilby was waiting for them at the top of the landing. He seemed overjoyed to see Emer but did not give a reason for it.
“Miss Emer! Ye gave us quite a scare when ye disappeared, but all’s well that ends well.”
He beamed at his master, “I’ll head down to the kitchens and tell them what ye would like for supper, shall I?” and without waiting for an answer, he left.
Caillen stepped aside and waited for Emer to enter the parlor before following in behind her.
“Poor Gilby,” Caillen said, as he shut the door, “that note of yers caused him to suffer severe pangs of misery. For one moment, he thought he had offended ye in some way – him being a man used to having things run according to plan, and then he never expected ye to upset them like that.”
Emer was walking around the parlor, inspecting the furnishings, and was running one of the curtain tassels through her hand while Caillen was saying this.
“Gilby seems to have taken me departure unduly to heart, it seems,” she said, “I did take care to explain to him I must start thinking about selling our land – I have hope the money from the sale can go toward a dowry for Davinia. It will prove more tempting to any swain to ken he dinnae have to pay a bride price.”
