Lockie gave a small grimace. Alex watched Lockie carefully to see if his face would give anything else away, but he looked just as puzzled as Alex about the attack.
Lockie sighed, tossed back his whisky, then frowned. “Speaking about forgiveness, I had no right to be indignant considering my dishonesty about your livestock. I will make recompense to you.”
“Thank you, but the forgiveness was Robina’s doing.” Alex’s voice was grim. “She has much more love for humanity than I do. However, it was for the best. Now, do you mind if we eat?”
15
Spilled Wine
Robina and Lorna, while apparently liking each other at first sight, were secretly wary. Their husbands had been at daggers drawn, and it was impossible, if you were a loyal wife, not to take sides. Presently, Alex came up to kiss Robina, then re-introduced himself to Lorna.
Robina smiled inwardly. There were stars in Lorna’s eyes as Alex kissed her hand and smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling, but then Robina was used to seeing that look, and had no jealousy. She knew her husband’s heart was with her.
“Milady Campbell, a pleasure to see you again.” His deep voice always sounded even deeper when he was introducing himself to a lady, and the sparkling blue eyes usually melted them completely.
“The pleasure is mine, M'laird,” Lorna replied with a curtsy.
Lockie had disappeared for a few minutes. When he came back, he was carrying a tray of wine. Serving guests was not the sort of thing a laird would normally do, but tonight he needed to make a good impression, so he was willing, just this once, to do a servant’s job.
Lockie handed them each a glass, but Robina thought that it was rather a strange thing to do when they could have helped themselves.
“Sláinte mhath!” Lockie said grandly. “To the first of many young Lindsays!” He was putting on an act, but so far it seemed to be working. He drank some wine. Robina and Alex looked relaxed and happy.
They were about to drink too, but as they raised their glasses to their lips, several things happened at once. Lorna gave a little squeal and pointed at something on the floor, jumped sideways, and collided with Robina, who spilled her entire glass of wine down her new silk dress. She was only saved from falling on the wine-slick floor by the swift intervention of Alex, who grabbed her under her armpits as her feet slid from under her.
He turned her into his arms, where she stood, trembling for a moment, soaking Alex’s pristine white shirt with a spreading purple wine stain. Then she straightened up and turned to Lockie and Lorna, who had immediately called a serving woman to help clean up the mess.
“Milady Robina, I am so sorry,” Lorna wailed. “It was an accident. There was...a rat on the floor and I felt it running over my feet—it startled me. I was not aware of what I was doing!” Then she burst into tears.
Robina took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment as she felt Alex’s protective arm going around her shoulders, then she looked down at the ruin of her beautiful dress. Suddenly she was furious, and her eyes blazed as she looked up at Lockie’s wife.
She had excused Lockie’s marriage, despite the embarrassment it caused to her parents. Alex had forgiven him for the sheep theft with her encouragement. Spilling wine on a dress was not a serious matter in itself, but it was the last indignity on top of a heap of others. It was clear that she had done that on purpose.
Robina drew her arm back and slapped Lorna Campbell’s face. Lorna landed on the floor, looking dazed. By this time every single guest in the Great Hall was looking at them, many of them sniggering behind their hands.
“Never, never speak to me again!” she hissed. “And do not come near me or my husband!” She turned around as fast as her bulky body would allow and began to walk out with Alex behind her. He was looking backwards and clutching the handle of his dagger, preparing to protect his wife.
Lockie begin to summon the guards, but Lorna shook her head and stopped him by clutching his arm.
“No, Alex,” she warned him, holding her hand to her face. “How would it look if you arrested a lady who was with child? Pregnant ladies do strange things for some reason, and anyway, it is a trifling matter. Let it go. Her dress is ruined and it was my fault. I think it is understandable that she is upset.”
Lockie still looked as though he would burst into flames at any moment, then his shoulders slumped and he nodded.
“Perhaps you are right, pet. I wish we could all live together in peace, though.” Lockie watched as the Lindsays disappeared from sight, then cursed under his breath. His plan had backfired, and all due to the stupidity of his wife, who was even too idiotic to see that her life was in danger.
When they reached Glengour, Alex lifted Robina out of the carriage and carried her upstairs. He took off the stained dress and put on her nightgown, then placed her tenderly in the bed.
“I am sure she did it on purpose, Alex,” she murmured.
He nodded. “I agree with you,” he said gently, kissing her. “Go to sleep, sweetheart. I will be back shortly.”
Robina lay in the darkness thinking for a while before drifting into sleep. The dress had been precious to her, but there were other dresses. She wavered for a moment, then she hardened her resolve.
This far and no further,she thought.It is not only one glass of wine, but our pride is at stake.
She reasoned that the only way to keep the peace was for the two Lairds to avoid each other completely, a difficult and drastic thing to do, but the only one that would work. She sighed and closed her eyes, but even when Alex’s arms closed around her a little while later, she still could not sleep. The baby began to kick vigorously in the early hours of the morning, and she gave up trying.
The next morning a very strange thing happened. Alex was riding out to see one of his tenants when he encountered a dainty gray horse on the way into his castle, and its rider was none other than Lorna Campbell.
