“That would be nice,” Katherine murmured, her eyes sweeping the men who were watching them as though they were performers at a fair. “Ye think any of these men would allow somethin’ so indulgent?”
“I daenae think any of these men look cruel,” another girl said, not bothering to introduce herself. She looked at one of the men, a particularly self-important-looking fellow, before returning her attention to Katherine. “Some of them would tell ye nay but wouldnae pay enough attention to ye to ken that ye’re goin’ against their wishes. Ye can always find an ally with his staff to be the courier of yer messages.”
Katherine chucked, her guard still carefully up. “Bein’ a lady does come with certain luxuries,” she murmured, her hand coming to rest on her chin as she unabashedly stared back at the lairds. When her father announced that she’d be auctioned off, she was sure that she’d be entrusted to someone just as unkind. Instead, most of the men were smiling and chatting freely. There was a lightness to them that was unfamiliar to her. “I cannae say for sure, but none of these men look like they would restrict our privacy.”
“Aye. They look like the kind of men that would blanch if ye hinted at bleedin’ and avoid ye for a week,” Annabeth whispered. “They wouldnae even want to hear about ye. That would give ye plenty of time to write to whoever ye please.” She caught Katherine’s eye. “Provided ye’ve made friends with yer maid.”
“I daenae think ye’d even have to be friends with yer maid,” a girl who had been quiet added. “Just tell any man in the castlethat sendin’ a letter will cure ye, and they willnae ask ye a single question.”
Despite herself, a genuine laugh bubbled forth from Katherine’s lips. Covering her mouth, she admitted to herself that there was an unexpected levity to the situation.
At least we are all facing this together.
As the others continued to chatter about the lairds, pointing out which was most handsome and which was most likely to chew with his mouth open, Katherine allowed herself to observe the rest of the crowd. It wasn’t just men attending this event. Several maids stuck by their employers, mostly fading into the background. A few young women were there, accompanying men that she could only assume were their brothers.
One woman caught her eye, though, and by the time Katherine noticed her, the woman was already watching her.
Soft, sharp eyes scrutinized each move she made. Katherine was sure that her gown had been examined minutely, every stray hair on her head noted. When she slipped into her plain, worn gown, she knew she would stand out in the worst way. However, the woman’s gaze didn’t seem judgmental. Instead, the woman, who looked old enough to be her grandmother, was trying to piece together who she was.
The way her gray tresses were elegantly tucked away spoke of a quiet kind of strength. Her energy was so similar to what Katherine imagined her mother’s would be if she were still alive.When the woman took a step back, Katherine couldn’t stop herself from taking one forward.
She looks… important.
As Katherine took another mindless step forward, there was a loud crashing noise—a table of refreshments falling over. Before she could react, a horse standing nearby whinnied loudly. The second she spotted the horse’s hooves leave the ground, Katherine’s body was moving.
She was nearly there when the woman stepped back. Her heel caught on an uneven cobblestone, and she fell backward. Katherine hoisted her gown up, running faster to try to prevent the woman from hitting the hard ground. Even as she jumped over the scattered broken ceramic across the area, she knew it was useless.
Somehow, Katherine managed to grab hold of the woman’s wrists just before she hit the ground. The impact was unavoidable, a solid sound followed by a sharp intake of breath. Katherine’s own balance was thrown by the way she’d instinctively lunged. Tucking her knees, she rolled to the side.
All of the air left her lungs as her shoulder connected with the hard rock covering the courtyard. She kept one hand on the older woman, angling her body between her and the horse that was still making an unhappy fuss. A man with a whip came rushing forward, and Katherine got onto her hands and knees, holding herself above the older woman.
The whip cracked loudly, and the horse whinnied loudly. Hooves clacked against the stones violently before the animal reared again. The handler cursed, and several girls gasped in horror.
Her eyes closed, Katherine braced herself for a blow. When it didn’t come, and the air didn’t split with a crack, she opened her eyes.
The old woman stared back up at her, a look of amusement underlying the obvious discomfort. A large shadow fell over both of them, and she was looking at something behind Katherine. The crowd around them had burst into a cacophony of sound, and when Katherine finally turned around to investigate whatever was blocking the sun, she understood why.
Her eyes were level with strong, muscular thighs clad in a fine green kilt. It felt as if they went on forever before she finally made it to a strong, broad chest. There was so much muscle and flesh that she couldn’t see past the solid wall of man. The only place for her gaze to go was up.
Saints…
Katherine only caught a glimpse of his face before he turned away to soothe the horse, but half a second was enough to know she’d be seeing his face in her dreams. Behind that long, neatly styled red hair was a strong jaw and a prominent nose. He was more handsome than any other man she’d ever seen.
“Careful,” he said, his voice low and authoritative. Palms outstretched, he walked toward the animal. “There’s nae danger. Just someone else trippin’ over these uneven stones.”
The horse responded to the steady, whiskey-smooth rumble of the man’s tone. Just as quickly as the creature had spooked, rearing onto its hind legs, it steadied. Less than a minute after the refreshments had toppled onto the ground, the horse was calm, only showing its displeasure through several exaggerated snorts and a final, single stomp. He gave the animal a firm pat before turning his attention away.
“Why would ye whip a horse for spookin’ when the area’s so crowded? Ye could have gotten someone seriously injured with yer recklessness,” the man, surely a laird, snapped.
The horse’s handler, someone who Katherine thought looked much too young, shuffled backward, raising his hands. “Me apologies,” he said. “This is how I’ve gotten the animal under control previously.”
“Ach, that makes it even worse. I will have to have a word with whoever’s in charge of ye,” the laird said, dismissing the conversation with a wave.
All of a sudden, Katherine was given a view of his face again. Dark, intense eyes bored into her for a beat. Her breath caught, and her palms began to sweat. Then, he surged forward, his gaze shifting to the older woman who was trying and failing to push herself upright.
“Me Lady,” he said, bending down to grab hold of her. When he had a firm grasp on her hip and elbow, he gently helped her to her feet. “I’m takin’ ye to the healer.”
“Nay, ye just need to help me to me feet,” the woman said, wincing as she steadied herself. “I’m quite all right. That could have been much worse if it werenae for this kind woman.”
