Laird Brodie Arrives
She was desperate to see her father now, because despite this little truce, she still felt wary of Alastair. He exhausted her with his constantly shifting moods. She remembered the day when he had showed her the portraits, explained the family history, and made her laugh, and after that he had given her a brief but tender kiss. However, the same man had also given her such a punishing kiss that her lips bled. How could he be such a mass of contradictions?
Alastair knew the answer to that question, but could not voice it. He wanted her so much that he had to keep pushing her away to avoid being hurt again, but as he gazed at her he realized that he was tarring all women with the same brush as Kirstine. He was still angry with her, and probably always would be, but he was no longer in pain.
Looking back over the short time he had spent with Caitlyn, he saw with acute embarrassment that he had been wallowing in self-pity, and he was ashamed. He could not go on living in the past.
When they got back to the castle, Caitlyn dismounted from her horse and threw the reins to the groom, before running into the parlor where, to her surprise and absolute delight, Ava was sitting with her father. John Brodie stood up and grinned broadly as he saw his daughter.
“Caitie!” he cried, holding out his arms. Caitlyn ran into them, and he hugged her tightly, closing his eyes and saying a prayer of thanks. Presently, he put her away a little to look at her. “You look very well, my darling,” he observed, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “They have obviously been feeding you properly!”
Caitlyn hugged him again. “Oh, Papa, it is so good to see you! I was so worried that you might think something awful had happened to us.”
“I did, until Laird Alastair’s guard came with a message for me,” he replied. “He told me about your mother but reassured me that she was not badly injured, and I was so relieved.”
“Would you both like some wine?” Ava asked. “It is from the Bordeaux region of France, and is one of our best.”
“Thank you, Ava,” John replied politely.
“Ava!” Caitlyn cried as she took her wine. “I am so glad to see you down here. It is such a wonderful surprise.”
“Yes, I finally did it.” She was beaming. “When I heard your father was here I decided it would be very rude of me not to greet him. Then all of a sudden it was easy, and I just came down without thinking about it. As soon as I saw the Laird I knew that he was an honorable man, and that I could trust him. Then I found that I could bear the thought of walking around the castle and the courtyard again.”
Caitlyn embraced her friend, her heart full of thankfulness. “I am so happy for you!”
“It may take me a while longer to get outside the castle, but I will be able to do it soon.” Her voice was firm and sure.
Just then Alastair came in. He smelled of fresh air and his hair was windblown, as was Caitlyn’s, but he beamed when he saw Ava, and she was drawn into a bear hug once more.
“I heard that Caitlyn’s father had come and I was not scared anymore,” she told him. “The Brodies must have a magic gift!”
“I wish that were true!” Caitlyn’s father laughed.
“Have you seen Mammy yet?” Caitlyn asked eagerly.
“Not yet,” John replied. “She’s sleeping, but I am told she is much better and can travel soon, and Teresa says she will give her something to calm her for the journey.”
“It is the afternoon, however,” Alastair reminded them. “Leaving tonight is out of the question. Besides, the ladies need to pack, and you know how long that takes!” He winked at John, who laughed and nodded in agreement. “So stay and have dinner with us, then leave in the morning.”
“Thank you, I would appreciate that very much,” John answered warmly. He looked at his daughter. “Your grandparents send their love, Caitie.”
Caitlyn smiled. She had a very loving relationship with all her grandparents, and she had been sorry to miss seeing them. “I will go soon,” she assured him.
Ava decided to give father and daughter a chance to catch up with each others’ news, so she said to Alastair: “Come, take me to see Pinky so I can breathe the fresh air, Brother.”
Alastair laughed and took her hand. He was ecstatic to see Ava well again, but his happiness was tempered by the last hour he had spent with Caitlyn. When they got to the main entrance they were greeted by cheers and smiles from the servants and guards, and Ava felt more joyful than she had for ages.
“Ready?” Alastair asked her, smiling.
“Yes,” she replied, then she took her first step outside in almost four months.
Caitlyn and John spent the next two hours talking about her grandfather, great-aunts, and all the older members of her father’s family whom she had been hoping to visit after she went to see her mother’s.
It seemed that a few of them might not be alive when she was able to visit again, and she felt very sorrowful to think about it, but she was fortunate not to be like Ava and Alastair, with no one else in the world but themselves.
“I wanted to ask you about Alastair,” John said carefully. “He looks like a fine man. Managing an estate is not easy, but at his age it is an amazing achievement. Is he married?”
“No, he is not,” Caitlyn replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
