Page 69 of Tales of Highland Loyalty

"Nay, I am sorry," said Lissie with a smile. She came over to Trenton. "Sorry for being such a crabbit. Thank ye for trying, but 'tis nay use."

Trenton cast his sandy eyebrow upward.

"Well, if it's any comfort, Will is every bit as melancholy as you. To see his face, you'd think it's not his wedding he was planning but his funeral!"

* * *

"Will! The banquet is waiting. The cook has dressed the peacock, the peacock has dressed Lettice, and Mother is flapping more than all of them put together. If you're not there soon, it'll be your head on a plate."

From the dark recesses of the Lattice, Will propped his head up and squinted at Trenton.

"Oh," was all he could say as the barmaid poured another dram out in front of him.

Fighting through the darkness, Trenton managed cagily to navigate the subtleties of the Lattice.

As he looked about, the irony of its name was not lost on him.

"May I join you?" asked Trenton in uncharacteristic courtesy.

Looking up from the melee, Will glanced around.

"Who's that asking?" he said, making a show of looking around. Trenton watched him, uncertain. This was not the behavior he expected from staid, dependable Will.

Trenton glanced at him edgily. Then, Will laughed.

"Yes. I am the tiniest bit puggled," he said, his eyes opening momentarily. When Trenton looked confused, Will laughed some more.

"'Tis a wee Scottish word for pigeon-eyed, rat-arsed, sluiced, three sheets to the wind, in my cups, sozzled."

Will glanced blearily to Trenton.

"Scottish?" said Trenton, sitting down beside Will on the bench. As he did, he gave Will a long, hard look. "Well, there's an answer to that one."

Will turned to him, genuinely amused. "Is there?" Dragging at his cup, Will drown the remaining liquor and sat back. "Because I am damned if I can find one?"

Will drank some more as confusion drowned out his angst. He fixed Trenton with a look. He seemed oddly subdued for once.

Behind them, a pair of comely wenches watched, giggling as they drank. Normally, Trenton would be the first one over there to flirt and chat. But tonight, his eyes were only with his brother.

"Will," he said, looking at Will directly. For the first time, Trenton did not seem interested in the debauched laughter around him. Not even that the tavern was filling up with townsfolk, ready for the evening's revelries. "What are you doing here? This place is not for you."

Will glanced around and nodded. Then he drained the remainder of the wooden cup and called strongly for another one.

"Ah, nothing. Just needed a little fortification before going back into the lion's den," said Will, tapping the cup on the table with impatience. "Filling the hole left by Jack Clott. Now he's in jail, haha!"

"Ah, mistress," he called, trying to attract the girl's attention. But the flaxen-haired serving wench just walked on past. Aggrieved, Will looked at Trenton.

"So, are you having second thoughts, then?" asked Trenton timorously. It was clear he had never seen Will like this. His earnest face peered cautiously at him as if he thought he might bite.

Will raised his head. "Second, third, fourth, and fifth," he said somberly. But then brushed the hair from his head.

It was hot, suddenly. He wanted air.

"Are you well?" asked Trenton, watchful. He followed Will's shaky movements closely. Will shook his head and then poured himself a double dram, which had appeared from somewhere in a bottle.

"Never better," he said, slightly slurred. "But I just need a quick dram of the auld aqua vitae!"

Straight to the point, Trenton looked at him. "Are you going to marry her or not?"