Was Irvine still there? Surely he was now that he had failed his quest. As much as Kenneth would like to see his nephew come home defeated, he doubted that the Scot would do so.
Perhaps he would put him out of his misery.
A grin crossed his face as he exited his room and moved through the castle, his mind already turning on what he would do once the announcement was made. The castle would need to be emptied, of course, unless his other relatives were willing to make their allegiances to him and him alone.
He would also need to get his counselors as advisors and replace his warrior trainer with someone who had his best interests. Then he would look at raising the ridiculously small amount of taxes that his sister had garnered from her clan so that strategically he could gain an ally with those that she refused to entertain.
And no one would be able to stop him.
Whistling, he walked into the great hall, seeing that breakfast was just being laid out. A young wife would also be something he would start to entertain, ensuring that his heir was the successor and not this unfortunate situation happening again.
Kenneth walked outside and breathed in the cold air, deciding that this morning would be his memory for the rest of his lifetime. He was on the cusp of having everything that he not only wished to have but what he was destined to have. It was his birthright, and now it was finally coming to fruition.
It was a shame he had to put Irvine in the midst of it all.
12
Bridget hummed to herself as she stirred the soup by the fire, the fragrant smells wafting into the air. Her father was due at any moment from the fields, and so was Bruce, so she wanted everything to be perfect.
Just the thought of the handsome Scot brought another smile to her face, one that had been very frequent since their time at the loch two days ago. She had experienced her first kiss and quite possibly her first love.
Bridget hadn’t experienced love before, but the fluttering in her stomach or the way that she felt whenever Bruce was around truly had to be something special. After all, she had never felt it before with anyone else.
The only thing was that she wished that he weren’t a drifter. What if he didn’t want to stay at the farm, even if her father named him his successor?
What if she was setting herself up for hurt?
Well, that was likely going to already be the case. Even if her father didn’t think that Bruce should be the next leader, he would be leaving.
The thought hurt Bridget’s heart, but it wasn’t the only thing they could do to ensure they remained together.
She could leave. The thought had crossed her mind that once Bruce moved on, that he might ask her to come along, and Bridget wasn’t so certain she knew her answer. She loved the farm. She loved her father and the tenants that had become her family.
But was it her future? It was her family who had started this farm and grown it into a safe haven for all who were willing to work, but Bridget didn’t know if she wished to continue it. Before Bruce, she wouldn’t have questioned her future, but now...
Did she genuinely want something more?
The door opened; Bridget rose as her father walked through, followed by Bruce.
“Good evening, Daughter,” Leathen replied as he shed his coat. “’Tis smelling right fine in here.”
“Bruce,” she murmured as he turned his lovely smile on her.
“Bridget,” he replied as he removed his coat as well. “Thank ye for inviting me tae supper.”
“Well, I am just sorry that yer cousin couldnae come,” Leathen replied as he reached for the barrel of ale that he kept near the table. “Ale?”
“Aye, that would be fine,” Bruce said.
“Please take a seat,” Bridget offered, gesturing toward the chairs. Suddenly the hut seemed smaller with Bruce in it, and she didn’t know what to do with her hands or what to say to him. “Supper is almost ready.”
Leathen sat in his chair, and Bruce lowered himself into the other one, stretching out his booted legs before him. “It looks like snow is in the air,” he remarked as the leader poured them both a mug of ale. “Wot do ye do when it snows?”
“We tend tae the animals,” Leathen supplied, settling back in his chair. “We gather with the other tenants, share our stores so that nary a person goes tae bed without a full belly.”
“We dinnae have a place large enough tae gather everyone at once,” Bridget added as she settled into the remaining chair near the fire. “But we do try tae use the barn whenever needed.”
“Winters are harsh,” Leathen sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, “which is why we try so bloody hard tae make certain we are prepared.”
