He wasn’t bothered, though, as much as he hated to admit it to himself. He couldn’t recall the last time that he’d seen Agnes and his grandmother doing something so frivolous. They both looked so effortlessly happy. Katherine was to thank for that, he supposed.
“Then what did ye come for?” Lady Agnes said.
“I was comin’ to check on ye,” Liam said, already turning to leave the room. “It seems that ye’re doin’ well, then. I’ll have yer dinner sent up.”
“Mine too,” his daughter said. “I’d like to take me meal in the tent.”
“Then I suppose I’ll take me meal here as well,” Katherine said, glancing at Lady Agnes as if waiting for approval.
Lady Agnes made a sound of acknowledgment then said, “I trust that ye can alert the kitchen maids, Liam.”
“I can,” he confirmed, casting a look back at them, his hand resting on the doorframe. “Cillian may join ye as well. He sends his well-wishes.”
“There’s still space for ye if ye decide that ye’d like to camp with us,” his grandmother said.
Chapter Eleven
Liam wasn’t surprised that Cillian found him during the first few moments he’d had to himself in the past few weeks. As he turned away from the window, Cillian stood at attention. He’d kept himself just as busy as Liam.
“Ye best nae be bringin’ me any bad news,” Liam warned, not joking in the slightest.
Making the decision to keep Katherine in the castle had been difficult. It wasn’t because she wasn’t doing well but perhaps because she was doing too well. Keeping her in the castle risked her safety, which could spell another tragic loss for his daughter.
“Nay, I wouldnae do that to ye on the eve of yer handfastin’,” Cillian said as he came to a stop. “In fact, I’ve nothin’ but good news on that front. Everythin’ is ready for the bindin’. It’ll be quiet just as ye asked. Only the most important people will be in attendance, and only our neighbors have been alerted to the ceremony.”
“I kent that I was correct to leave plannin’ oversight to ye,” Liam grunted, looking back at the distant hills between the castle and the sea. “I trust there werenae any problems, then.”
“Nay, the forms ye drafted were approved, and I didnae find any issues in arrangin’ the priest’s arrival,” Cillian reported. “The only thing ye will have to worry about tomorrow is arrivin’ at the ceremony.” He paused, a bit of humor leaking into his tone when he spoke next. “Would ye like me to fetch ye tomorrow mornin’?”
“I didnae request commentary,” Liam said shortly.
“I ken ye’re nae fallin’ over yerself with excitement to be wed, but ye daenae have to act as if ye’re walkin’ to yer death.” Cillian stepped beside him, looking out the window as well. He let the silence sit between them for a few beats before speaking again. “Ye could certainly be marryin’ someone much worse. Agnes seems to be gettin’ on quite well with Katherine.”
“It’s nae an issue of whether or nae I could be marryin’ someone worse,” Liam said. Cillian’s insistence on broaching subjects that weren’t logistics was starting to grate on his nerves. Then, not caring to explain himself further, he added, “Once the ceremony is complete, we should prepare to leave. We need to search the lands and ports once more. Secure as many trade routes as possible.”
Cillian was quiet beside him for a long moment. Then, as if the meaning of Liam’s words became apparent all at once, he said, “Do ye mean that ye’d like to prepare to leave right after thebindin’? Ye daenae wish to spend any time with Katherine after ye’re wed?”
“I daenae think that anythin’ I said was unclear,” Liam said, looking at Cillian from the corner of his eye. “If we could leave directly after, that would suit well enough. If nae, we should leave at first light the next day.”
He didn’t expect Cillian to fully understand his reasoning. Though he’d been at Liam’s side when Agnes’s mother died during childbirth, he didn’t understand the pattern of suffering the women around him seemed cursed to endure. It did, however, shock him when Cillian clicked his tongue.
“We willnae miss out on layin’ claims if ye wait more than a day or two after ye’re wed,” Cillian told him. He sounded almost offended on Katherine’s behalf. “Does it nae seem a wee bit disrespectful for yer first act as Katherine’s husband to be leavin’?”
“She has nay illusions about our union.” He turned to face Cillian fully then. “The two of us are nay more than two people bound by obligation. The weddin’ is more for me grandmother’s sake than me own.”
“Ach, of course,” Cillian said, visibly restraining himself from rolling his eyes. He cleared his throat, banishing the frustration with it. “I will begin coordinatin’ with the men, then. I daenae ken if we have enough time to prepare if we’re leavin’ tomorrow evenin’. Ye may have to settle for first light two days from now.”
“We’re mostly prepared as it is,” Liam replied. “I’ve taken care to leave instructions with me council to execute in me absence, and most of our supplies are ready to be transported. Rations should take the longest to gather.”
“Then I shall begin at once, Me Laird.”
Cillian parted with a final nod of his head, his professionalism a cover for his own frustration. It was a tactic that his man-at-arms had been using since he’d come to the castle when he was just a boy, orphaned and in need of care. When he was younger, Liam found it grating. Now, he respected it for the peace it kept, especially when Cillian was deferring to him.
Outside, Katherine and Agnes walked to a soft spot of grass in the sunlight. While she hadn’t said it, Liam could tell that his daughter was more than fascinated by Katherine. He saw it even now as Agnes leaned in closer while Katherine talked.
It’s a shame that me touch may as well be a death sentence.
He turned away, walking down the corridor before he could get too caught up in his thoughts. After Agnes’s birth, he’d vowed to himself that he’d never let himself get close to another woman. When he looked back at all the loss he’d seen, the common denominator was him.
