“Aye,” he said. “One can never have enough warriors.”
“My father would agree.”
“Do ye?”
She thought about it for a long moment. “Do ye plan on waging war on someone?”
“Nay.”
“Expanding yer holdings?”
Jamie chuckled softly. “What laird wouldna if he could? Unless my cousin plans on marrying me off to a lady with lands attached to her dowry, there is little property to be had in the northern Highlands.”
“Another observation my sire would agree with. I have always encouraged my father to spend some of his wealth more wisely.”
“On what?”
“Education.”
“Education?” Jamie repeated. “For who?”
“His men and servants, of course.”
A pretty dream from a very lovely woman. Jamie’s respect for Helen grew even more, for she had a charitable heart, too. “What need do servants or warriors have to read and write?”
Helen’s eyes were keenly focused on his face. “How many of yer men are literate, Master Jamie?”
He rubbed his chin. The members of the council. And the cook. Keely and her maids were well educated. “Ten, maybe eleven.”
“And if ye were not around to oversee their needs…”
“Laird MacKay is a lucky man. Petro is a capable secretary and acts on behalf of Alex in his absence.”
“Aye,” she agreed. “But if ye, or Laird MacKay and Petro were indisposed, who would preside over the needs of yer men, of yer household?”
“We keep an elected council that aids our laird in such matters. Even if I agreed with yer thinking, Lady Helen, no clan could spare capable hands for learning. There’s too much to be done.”
Helen looked about. “Tis the dead of winter, Master Jamie. The women and children spend most of their time inside keeping warm. Yer soldiers train every morn, that I understand. But what is done with the rest of the day? In the evening hours?”
“Ye canna expect a grown man to sit at a table after a hard day’s work and practice letters.”
Helen crossed her arms over her chest. “Is there anything more important?”
“Tis a dangerous question to ask,” Jamie said. “And even more treacherous for me to answer.”
“And why…” Confused at first, as the answer dawned on her, her expression changed. “Relations outside of wedlock…”
Jamie held up his hand. “I dinna say anything about that.”
Helen’s cheeks reddened instantly. “Ye hinted at it, sir.”
“Nay, I dinna.”
“But ye did.”
Obviously embarrassed, Helen signaled for her maid to follow her further down the pathway that led to the loch. Jamie couldna control his laughter, and the sound echoed all around them. Helen stopped abruptly, frowned back at him, then continued walking to get away from him. He let her go, giving her room to recover her dignity.
So, the lady knew what a man and woman did together at night. Her maidenly reaction pleased him immensely. Had she ever been kissed? Caressed? Held? Nay, she was too pure to let a man touch her. And her father would no doubt never allow her to go anywhere alone.
