“We will make them all see ye are a fine woman,” Marisse said as she draped a silver belt around Aeschene’s waist. “Ye are going to prove to them ye are not a coward. Ye are going to prove to them ye are nothin’ at all like yer da.”
Aeschene listened while Marisse riffled through the trunk that held all of Aeschene’s worldly possessions. “Here it be,” she exclaimed happily.
Moments later, she was draping the pretty silver necklace around Aeschene’s neck.
“There,” Marisse said confidently. “Ye be as pretty as a princess.”
Aeschene caressed the silver necklace and an idea began to form. One she hoped would truly make up for the events of the afternoon. “Marisse, I need ye to find Lachlan and Rory for me.”
“Why?” Marisse asked, curious with her friend’s request.
Aeschene carefully undid the clasp and held the necklace in her hand. “I am goin’ to sell this,” she said.
Appalled with the idea, Marisse began to argue against it. “But it be the only piece of jewelry ye own. Yer grandminny would turn over in her grave if she knew—”
“My grandminny would understand,” Aeschene interjected. “She would be appalled if I held on to something of value whilst others went hungry.”
Marisse wasn’t convinced. “But ye were to give this to yer own daughter someday,” she politely reminded her.
“If I ever have a daughter, I will give her something far more valuable than this,” Aeschene argued. Sentimentally, the necklace was priceless. However, she knew the stones were made of glass and the silver more likely than not an inexpensive grade. But if she could sell it and make a sillar or two in order to help the clan, she would.
She stuffed the necklace into the soft leather pouch she wore around her waist. “Now please, find Lachlan and Rory.”
Gaining Lachlan’s promise of secrecy had been easy. All he wanted was Aeschene’s promise to never step foot on the balcony again, without escort. He was referring to that day weeks ago when she had unwittingly stepped out onto the plank. “Ye could have been killed,” he told her. “I nearly died that day as well.”
Aeschene had no earthly idea what he meant and told him so. “If anythin’ had happened to ye, Richard would have killed me.”
Of course, she thought he was exaggerating. Being so blind, she was unable to see the immense sincerity in his eyes. Still, she made the promise, just to appease him. Removing the necklace from her pouch, she held it out for one of the men to take.
“’Tis a right pretty necklace,” Lachlan said as he took it and studied it closely. “Be this real silver?”
“Aye,” Aeschene replied with a smile. “Or at least me grandminny said it was.”
“Are ye certain ye wish to sell it?”
Aeschene nodded her head. “Aye, I be certain,” she told him. “Now the jewels be not real, they are naught but pretty colored glass.”
Lachlan studied the necklace closely, but he could not see any glass jewels. Seeing his confusion, Marisse stepped forward. “’Tis a trick, ye see,” she said as she took the necklace from him.
At first glance, the necklace was naught more than intricate swirls and scrollwork. However, some of the swooping silver circles held a secret. Carefully, she inserted her thumbnail into one and opened it, revealing a jewel affixed to the center. Gently, she pushed the flat piece back and it clicked into place. “See? Each of the circles is really a locket. And each locket contains a jewel.”
Aeschene was smiling proudly. “Aye, but Grandminny told me they were not real, just colored glass.”
Lachlan wasn’t as certain as they were. To him, they looked very real. But then, he was not an expert and decided to take them at their word.
“We go into Mallaig once a month,” he told Aeschene. “’Twill be a week or two before we go again.”
“Thank ye, kindly,” Aeschene told him. “I doubt it will fetch much, but if ye could get enough for a sack of flour and some salt, it will be well worth sellin’ it.”
“As long as ye are certain,” Lachlan said. He felt rather guilty for taking it, but his cousin’s wife was determined to help their clan in any way she could. “And I will not say a word too Richard.”
Rory’s acceptance was not nearly as easy to gain.
“I will not say anything,” he told the women.
Aeschene felt a very large if coming her way and reached for Marisse’s hand.
“If Marisse agrees to walk with me each night after our evenin’ meal.”
Marisse very nearly screeched her response. “For how long?”
Rory thought on it for a moment, twisting his lip and cocking his head to one side. “For a week.”
Aeschene felt Marisse cringe. “One. I will take one walk with ye.”
Rory shook his head. “Seven.”
“One,” she said, stepping closer. She had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye.
“Seven, or I go to Richard right now and tell him what the two of ye are plannin’.”
“It isn’t my plan,” Marisse told him. “It is Aeschene’s. Mayhap ye’d like to walk with her?”
Rory wouldn’t budge.
“Verra well, ye big, ugly lout!” Marisse said. The exasperation in her voice was undeniable. “But we will only be walkin’. There will be no hand holdin’ or kissin’.”
Rory smiled arrogantly. “Lass, all I asked for was a walk. Are ye thinkin’ of tryin’ to hold my hand or kiss me?”
Aeschene bit her lip to keep from laughing. Marisse gasped at his accusation. “Of course nae!”
“Then why did ye mention it?”
“Because holdin’ hands and kissin’ is all ye men think about.”
Rory threw his head back and laughed. “If ye believe that is all men think about, lass, ye haven’t been around real men.”
To save her friend from more embarrassment and to stop anyone from hearing the argument, Aeschene stepped forward. “Then we have yer word, Rory? Ye will do this for me?”
“Aye, m’lady, I will do this for ye.”
Pleased and more than just a bit relieved, Aeschene thanked him and Lachlan. “Remember, get the best price. And not a word to Richard.”
“We will not lie if he asks, m’lady,” Lachlan told her.
“I would never ask ye to lie to yer laird, Lachlan,” she replied. “But I do ask ye keep this secret betwixt us for as long as possible.”
With the men’s promises, Aeschene’s spirits were lifted immeasurably. After thanking them again, she and Marisse headed out of the bedchamber. “I swear to ye, Aeschene, if he lays one finger on me, I will not think twice about breakin’ his arm.”
Thankfully, there was no need for Marisse to break Rory’s arm. He had behaved nothing short of the perfect gentleman during their first walk that night after the evening meal. Only once did he touch her, and that was a gentle hand on her elbow to guide her around a rather large puddle.
They kept to the path that led out of the courtyard and to the loch. Nary a cloud could be seen in any direction, allowing the stars to shine and twinkle like diamonds against the midnight blue sky.