Page 27 of Fire in his Highland Heart

“I would prefer tae be as little trouble as possible.”

“Douglas sent ye here due tae trouble, did he not?”

Arguen cleared her throat. “Aye. An’ as I’ve told ye ‘afore, ‘tis better if ye ken less. Ye ought tae enjoy yer party, Laird Blake. Word has it ye hate these things,” she said, then turned on her heel to find some corner to stand in and observe, but mostly to get away from having to answer any more questions. His steely gaze was enough as it was. He was handsome and intriguing, and she wondered the reason for his coldness. Surely people were not born like that (well, except perhaps Marianne). That uneasy feeling she’d had when they first met was still there, only now, there was a thrilling edge to it. Something about him made her want to know more.

She had settled into a corner by herself, when another man stood up on steps where the laird’s table was—a younger man, perhaps about Blake’s age, with blond hair and a canny smile.

“I think ‘afore we properly begin our festivities, we ought tae have the Laird recite the good words, should we not?” he shouted, and joyous cheers followed him.

The blond man cheered and looked behind him at Blake, who seemed less than pleased about speaking up in front of everyone.

When the noise of the crowd died down, Blake began to speak. Arguen was impressed at how his deep voice carried about the hall. “Friends, good townsfolk, I’m grateful tae host ye here taenight. As we approach Lughnasadh--”

Arguen took a mental moment to process that. Lughnasadh? Was it nearly August already?

“We give thanks for our crops an’ ask the Almighty that this coming year would be an improvement. Now, ye’ll all join me in recitin’ the verse, eh?”

Blake started, but then the crowd’s voice filled the hall and drowned his out as they recited the Lughnasadh verse:

“Then let us toast tae John Barleycorn,

Each man a glass in hand;

And may his great posterity,

Ne’er fail in ol’ Scotland!”

Arguen was delighted to hear the Lughnasadh verse being spoken aloud in this new place. Even though she was far away from her own home, she was at least still in Scotland. She’d nearly forgotten in all her tribulations.

The music then resumed, and people returned to their merrymaking, whether it be dancing or feasting.

“Ye must be Arguen Larimore,” a voice said beside her. Arguen was half startled to see the blond man next to her.

“Aye. How did ye ken?”

“Well, the hair.”

Arguen tutted and looked at the floor. “Och, always the hair,” she muttered.

“Nay, Lady. It looks very fine. And ye look very fine indeed. When they said ye had silver hair, I expected some withered ol’ crone.”

“They?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Aye. Serving girls, cooks, anyone who saw ye this past week. Everyone raved about yer shinin’ silver hair.”

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she reached up to tuck a curl behind her ear, and cleared her throat. “Erm...ye must be close tae his lairdship?” she asked.

The young man nodded. “Aye, Chief of the guard and dear friend. Really, his right hand. I practically run the castle wi’ him, but he’ll never admit it. Och, an’ I’m James, by the way. James Crannach, if yer ever in need of a guard,” he said with a wink.

He was charming indeed and didn’t seem bothered by her appearance at all. She couldn’t help but laugh, which came out as a giggle. That had certainly never happened with another man before.

“Ye’ve an abundance of energy, Master Crannach,” she teased.

“Believe it or no, this is wi’out a drop of whisky.”

She laughed again, and he asked her to dance. Any plans she had on declining dances flew out the window as he led her to the floor and through a merry jig. It was so refreshing. She hadn’t felt such joy in years. After her mother’s death, she’d avoided parties due to her sorrow. Making merriment felt wrong after such a tragedy, and no one disagreed with her. She’d stayed in the shadows for quite some time. Here, amongst jolly partygoers, nobles, and other townsfolk, she felt that light returning. Dim as it was, it was still there, and to feel it, even for a fleeting moment, was a treasure indeed.

After the dance, James took her around the room and introduced her to several different people. She received a few odd looks, as was natural, but for the most part, these people were very polite and treated her as a person, not a potential witch. Arguen even told some people about her work as a healer and where she resided, should they ever need her services. Many people seemed to take it to heart and genuinely thanked her.