“It was a wonderful time spent with you,” Jane said to them, and then stood up and followed Catrina out the door. However, Garia called Jane back, and Catrina followed her back inside.
“This changes nothing,” the older woman said. “The English and Scottish are still enemies and may very well be till the end of time.”
The woman’s walls, which Jane thought had been pulled down during their conversation, were back up. Jane’s heart sank, but she would not show her despair. “True,” she responded. “But Jane and Garia need not be.” With that, she walked out of the door. Catrina followed.
“Jane, ye must be patient with me maither,” she said. “Me faither was killed by the English several years ago. She has healed, but nae completely.”
“I do not hold it against her,” Jane said. “But I too have reasons to hate the Scottish.”
“Yer capture?” Catrina asked.
“No,” Jane said. “My…” She weighed the wisdom of mentioning her Uncle Howard’s murder but decided against it. It would open a wound, a wound she would need to keep sealed if she must relate with these people politely. “It does not matter,” Jane said.
“Oh, but it does,” Catrina said. “I should like tae ken why ye may hate me.”
“Not you,” Jane sighed. Yes. My capture.”
Catrina meant to say something, but they were in the main hall and she spotted Tasgall brandishing a bow and arrow. She shouted at him to take that outside, and they walked in silence the rest of the way. Jane received curious stares, but she pretended that she did not see them. Finally, they arrived at the hearing hall, which was in the west wing of the castle. There were about a hundred people here, dressed mostly in commoners’ clothing. Catrina led Jane to seats at the back, and they both sat down. There was an elevated seat in front, and Jane knew that it must be Alistair’s. “Wonder why the laird’s late today?” the woman directly in front of Jane asked her companion, a man a little younger than she.
“Must be something important came up because he’s never late,” came the response.
“True,” the woman continued. “A responsible leader is our laird. The very best of men. But too serious, me thinks.”
Jane thought of Alistair and his pranks in the bathtub only yesterday, and she almost chuckled.Too serious?
“Of course, his seriousness has an appeal tae it,” the woman whispered. “A very, very, very strong appeal.”
“He would nae bed ye if ye were the last woman alive, cousin, so best breathe and be calm.”
Jane saw the woman pout and turn away. She felt a little peculiar about the last bit. Alistair had a type, then? Was it based on physical attributes? The woman appeared to be no great beauty, but from the little of her face that Jane had seen, she appeared presentable. Or was it a status thing? He would not bed his subjects, and so sought women who were higher in station?
“The laird approaches,” a man in front announced, putting an end to her musing. Alistair emerged from an inner room, his strides sharp and confident, his blond hair grazing his shoulders. He sat down, and Jane could see that he was tired. Still, his back was straight, and his eyes were as alert as ever. “I apologize fer me tardiness. I was tending tae a matter that affects all of our safety. Let us begin.”
The first matter was called by the man who announced Alistair’s entrance, and two women came forward from the crowd. One looked to be in her late teens and the other in her forties. From the testimony of both parties, it appeared that the elder woman had a marriage match in mind for her daughter, but the girl wanted to marry a man from a different clan. When asked what clan it was, the woman said it was Clan Donohue.
“A clan friendly to ours,” Alistair asked. “Does the man in question have any deficiencies?”
The mother did not think so. “But he is nae from this clan, me laird!” she exclaimed. “Me husband died three years ago leaving me with Mairin and four boys. If she goes tae Clan Donohue, who will tend tae me when I am old? Everyone kens that only women remember their parents in old age!”
There was a murmur in the crowd, and Jane could see many nodding in agreement.
“Idinnae ken that,” Alistair said calmly, and the murmuring ceased. “Every good child, raised well, remembers their parents in adulthood. If yer sons dinnae dae as tradition dictates, there will always be a laird in Clan Fletcher to compel them tae dae so. If the lad yer daughter desires is respectable and hardworking, and he fulfils all the conditions fer marriage in cases such as these, there is nothing preventing a marriage. Yer daughter’s choice of life partner cannae be predicated on yer comfort.”
“Yes, me laird,” both women said at the same time. “Thank ye, me laird!” the younger woman added, her joy almost palpable. They then walked back to their seats.
Janee would never have thought that Alistair would give such a judgment. She supposed that she had not read him sufficiently to know the type of person that he was, but this ranked highly in her books. Judging from the reaction of the audience, inter-clan marriages were not so popular. And yet Alistair’s judgment had been a considered one.
The next few cases went by quickly. The last case was a land dispute between two neighbors. Each claimed a right to it by inheritance. Each had witnesses that attested to the title.
“A conundrum,” Alistair said. “And neither of ye will give up rights tae the other?”
“I would rather it burn, me laird,” one of the litigants said.
“You will address the laird with decorum!” the announcer declared.
“Apologies, me laird,” the man said.
“Nay, me laird,” the other man said, “I will never give up me rights tae him.
