Page 5

Maura pondered the words and chewed the inside of her lips. “I suppose ye are right,” she admitted, even though it was impossible to stop the nerves from churning inside her. “I just want tae be happy.”

“And ye will be, lass, ye will be. I promise ye that,” Moira said with a sweet smile.

“How is Ruairi now? He was angry the last time I saw him, because of this thing with the bandits,” Maura said, attempting to change the subject.

“Oh, aye, he’s calmed down, I think, but he’s still ready tae get out on the warpath. It’s a terrible thing tae think that bandits are swarming over our lands again. Like locusts, they are. The best thing tae be done is tae wipe them out before they can dae tae much damage.”

Maura was surprised to hear such spiteful words coming out of her mother’s mouth, but she remembered other stories she had been told; stories about how her grandfather had been killed because of a plot that involved bandits. There were some wounds that ran deep, and despite all the years that had passed, enmity towards bandits still burned brightly inside her mother.

“They wilnae trouble us for long; yer da will see tae that,” Moira said. “I’ll leave ye tae yer bath, and I’ll see ye at dinner,” Moira said, leaving Maura with thoughts about the future and the man that would be waiting for her. In her mind, she didn’t have an idea of a dream man, just some vague idea about who she might like to fall in love with. She supposed that she would like someone who was kind and generous, who was compassionate and sensitive. She wouldn’t like someone who was quick to anger or eager to fling himself into war like Ruairi was. No, she wanted someone a little more refined, someone who would enjoy taking strolls with her through nature and who would be happy settling by a lake and watching the world go by while they talked about various things. But whether that was actually possible, Maura did not know. She just had to hope that her parents chose a suitable match for her, one who would be as good for her as he would be to the clan.

After bathing, Maura dried herself and then pulled on a dress that was made of thick material and kept her warm through the evenings. Throughout the castle, hearths were lit, and crackling warmth spread out. The castle was alive with the chatter of servants as they began to relax after a hard day’s work, and with the smell of roasting meat.

When she reached the table, Ruairi was already carving off a thick slice of meat and helping himself to generous portions of food. Maura joined and welcomed a thick slice of meat on her plate, which was dripping with thick gravy. A day of riding worked up a good appetite, and only when she began eating did she realize how ravenous she actually was. Niall was absent from dinner; apparently, he was still in discussions with the man who had come to tell him about the bandits. Maura expected the conversation at dinner to be dominated by the talk of the bandits, but surprisingly, Ruairi didn’t mention them at all. The anger that had been so present in him when she had last seen him had vanished.

“How is the search gaeing for Maura’s husband? Hae ye found anyone willing tae take her yet? I wouldn’t be surprised if ye hae tae pay someone,” Ruairi said, chortling at his own joke. Maura scowled, while Moira gave him an admonishing look.

“Ruairi, please, I hae told ye before about being kind tae yer sister. There will come a time when ye will only hae each other in the world, and ye are gaeing tae need tae look out for each other,” she said. “And yer sister is an appealing wife tae any man. Anyone would be lucky tae call her his wife. Ye should be more concerned about the woman we’re gaeing tae find tae be yer wife,” Moira added with a playful look in her eyes. Ruairi stopped mid-bite, and the food almost fell out of his mouth. Maura laughed so hard, she almost choked on her food.

“That’s right, Ruairi. I am nae the only one getting married!” Maura cried. Of course, for Ruairi, it was different since he wouldn’t have to leave their home. As the male heir, this place was his birthright, and one day he would take his place as laird from Niall. Maura had never understood why it had to be the male child. The only explanation she had been given was “that’s the way it’s done,” which she found wholly unsatisfactory, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“I’m nae getting married. There’s no need!” Ruairi said.

“Aye, there is a need if ye hope tae carry on the clan. I will nae hae the Calbraith die with ye two,” Moira said. Despite marrying into the clan rather than being a Calbraith by blood, Moira still showed a lot of passion for her family. “One day, ye are gaeing tae hae children and ye are gaeing tae be a laird. Ye need tae learn from yer da and understand what it means tae be a leader,” Moira said.

“All I want tae dae is fight,” Ruairi muttered.

“If all else fails, I shall be laird. I’ll be happy tae dae it,” Maura said proudly, teasing Ruairi.

“Stranger things hae happened,” Moira said, which was encouraging, although Maura believed that Moira only said this to humor her. She was glad that Ruairi had been taken down a peg or two, though, and the rest of dinner was a pleasant experience. Moira had just received a letter from her brother, and she told Maura and Ruairi the latest family news. Max, the old dog, had just had a litter of puppies with a mate, which was quite a miracle at his age; the mutt just didn’t seem to want to die. Maura knew that if she was old, she would cling to life with all her might as well.

After dinner, Maura retired to her chambers with a full belly and a relaxed state of mind. She took up some thread and fabric and worked on her sewing as she gazed out of the window. Above her bed hung a wreath, said to protect her from spirits entering the room while she slept. Outside, the moon was a crescent, and the stars were hidden by wispy clouds. The forest was dark and mysterious, and as the wind whirled outside, she tried to listen to see if there was a question. The whole notion of spirits struck her as bizarre, but enough people believed in them that she couldn’t dismiss the possibility completely. As she sat by the window, her gaze moved from the forest to the deeper horizon, and she wondered where her future was going to lie. What part of the land would she travel to? What view would she have out of her new window? There were so many unknowns in life, and she actually found herself asking the spirits to guide her and protect her. She didn’t know if it would work or not, but she thought she might as well try.

What was the harm?

As the hours of the night drew on, Maura yawned and went to sleep, pulling the wolf pelt blanket tightly around her. However, although she was tired, she found that she was restless; there was something that her mother had said that kept rattling around her mind. One day, all of this was going to change, and the only certainty she had to hold on to was her relationship with Ruairi. When they were younger, they had shared a bedroom, and even though most of the time Maura liked her privacy, there were moments when she wished that he was in the room with her so they could have one of their late-night conversations. Those always used to help put her to sleep. Since she knew that a marriage would happen sooner rather than later, she also knew that the chance for them to enjoy a hidden conversation in the night would soon disappear, so she snuck out of her room and went to Ruairi’s chamber to speak with him. Her nightgown billowed out around her, and she knocked lightly on the door. When Ruairi didn’t respond, she pushed it open, figuring that he had already fallen asleep. There were few things that could disturb him from slumber; she had known him to sleep through thunderstorms.

“Ruairi,” she hissed, moving into his chambers. “Wake up.” She reached out to shake him awake, only to find that he wasn’t there. Her hand felt an empty bed, and her brow furrowed. Withdrawing from the room, she was suddenly seized by the mystery, and thought that perhaps he was enjoying a late night with some of the other men. Usually, they were outside around the stables, tending a fire and sharing stories about war and battle and all the things that men liked. But this night, it was all quiet near the stables, and suddenly she worried that something was terribly amiss. She told herself that she was likely worrying over nothing and that Ruairi was probably off somewhere trying to charm some lass—or, more likely, test his strength against one of the guards. Still, it showed how prone things were to change, and she thought that perhaps things had already changed without her knowing.

3

Dawn rose, and Maura awoke with a yawn. She stretched her arms over her head, and the wolf pelt blanket fell away. The sun streamed in; it looked like another beautiful day. She changed into her morning clothes and thought that she might ask her mother to go riding with her, and perhaps they could talk more about married life and what Maura should expect from living with a husband. She decided that she should be more like the man in the story and seek out answers rather than hide from them, as she would only ever be clouded in fear and uncertainty that way. When she moved through the castle, she passed Ruairi’s chambers and heard some commotion inside. Curious, she moved to investigate, and as she stood in the doorway, she saw a sight that made the color drain from her face. Ruairi pulled off a bloodstained tunic, and in the sunlight that streamed through the room, she could see the bruises and wounds from a fresh battle.

“Ruairi, what hae ye been up tae?” she gasped. Ruairi had been too preoccupied to notice her until she spoke. When he realized that she was standing there, he glared at her and stormed towards her, pulling her into the room. He was so strong, and she was so surprised she could not resist. He smelled stale, and sweat soaked his broad body. There was a bruise on the side of his face, but he wore a dazed smile.

“Be quiet. I dinnae want anyone tae know that I’m back until I’m ready tae tell them.”

“Back? Where hae ye been? What hae ye been daeing? Where did ye get all these wounds? And what is that?” She looked in horror at the crimson shirt that had been tossed to the floor.

“Oh, dinnae worry,” Ruairi said casually. “That’s nae my blood.”

Maura’s eyes were wide, and she was so stunned she was almost speechless. How could he expect her not to worry when he had come back to present himself like this?

“Then whose blood is it?” she asked in a low voice, almost afraid of the answer.

Ruairi wore a smug smile. There was a proud gleam in his eye. He placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. “One of the bandits,” he said.

“The bandits? Oh, Ruairi…ye didnae…” she said despondently. Ruairi’s expression fell, and he scowled. He had evidently expected her to be more impressed.