Without a doubt, Keevah knew no good could come from allowing the women to come into her home. She’d rather die than have her less-than stellar reputation rub off on either of the two women. She was also quite certain ’twas nothing more than morbid curiosity that kept them on her doorstep. Deciding ’twas best to appease them, she finally acquiesced. “I suppose we could sit out here a spell,” she said.
Aeschene and Marisse looked quite pleased with her reply. “I will get ye a chair,” she said before closing the door.
Experience told Keevah that the tongues of the MacCullough women would be wagging before the noonin’ hour. If her laird found out, lord help her then! She grabbed two of the small, three legged stools that sat at her table and took them out of doors. Quickly, she raced across the small path to a little clearing under tall pine trees. She hoped that was far enough away from her cottage to keep the taint of her own reputation from spreading to her lady and her lady’s maid.
Once the women were properly seated, Keevah took a few steps back and tried to gain an air of indifference. In truth, she was curious about the two women. Not that she received much in the way of company, she still could occasionally hear the other clanspeople speaking.
“I be Aeschene, yer laird’s new wife. And this is my friend, Marisse. We are both verra glad to make yer acquaintance.”
Keevah twisted her fingers together, nervously waiting. For what, she wasn’t certain.
“So, are ye married?” Marisse asked after a length silence had passed.
“Nay,” Keevah replied reticently.
“Do ye have children?” ’Twas Aeschene who asked that question.
“Nay, m’lady, I have no children.” Admitting that aloud, to a complete stranger, stung at her heart.
Aeschene continued to smile up at her. “As ye have probably been told, I am very nearly completely blind.”
Keevah nodded and said, “No one told me that. But I did hear a few of the women folk talkin’ about it.”
“May I ask how old ye are?”
“Twenty and five m’lady.”
She watched as Aeschene’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “Why on earth do they call ye auld then?”
From her pained expression, Keevah knew she regretted the question as well as her outburst.
“Please, forgive me,” Aeschene said. “I did not mean to sound so—”
“Horrified?” Keevah asked.
“Nay, I was not horrified, Keevah, just surprised.”
Keevah shifted her weight from one foot to the other, nervously scanning their surroundings for any sign of nosy neighbors. Blessedly, she did not see anyone peering out of their cottages or pretending to tend to an urgent task, just to get a look or pick up on a word or two.
“Keevah, why are ye so nervous?” Marisse asked.
Blushing, Keevah wasn’t certain just how she should answer the question. Honesty, she finally decided, was usually the best policy. “I dunnae want ye to get into trouble.”
“Why on earth would we get into trouble by talkin’ to ye?” Aeschene asked.
“Tis rather difficult to explain that, m’lady.”
Aeschene folded her hands in her lap. “Just who would ye get into trouble with?”
“Yer husband, for one.”
Aeschene dismissed her worry immediately. Richard might grouse or complain, but that would be the extent of the ‘trouble’ she might find herself in.
Rory had been following in the distance, keeping a close eye on his mistress and her maid. Normally, he would have balked at the idea of acting as a nurse maid to anyone. However, he would not complain this day or any other as long as he had a chance to be near Marisse.
She was, by far, the bonniest woman he’d ever seen. Nay, not bonny. The woman was beautiful. Whenever he caught even a glimpse of her he felt his very breath being stolen away by some unseen force. And the sound of her voice? He could listen to her talk all the day long. Her voice was like a balm to rough skin.
Hidden in the tall pines, he watched as Aeschene and Marisse approached the last tiny cottage on the path. Good lord, what are they doin’ now?
After a short discussion, he saw Colyne and Raibeart running away as if their arses were on fire.
Certainly they would have told Aeschene and Marisse … no, apparently they didn’t for the auld whore opened the door. Holding his breath, he watched her disappear inside. His relief was short lived when she returned moments later with stools.
Sighing, he hung his head. How on earth was he going to extract his laird’s wife and her maid from this situation?
“M’lady,” Rory said as he approached the three women. He gave a curt nod to the auld whore before turning his attention to Aeschene and Marisse. “I am her to escort ye back to the keep.”
“But I am not ready to leave,” Aeschene told him.
“Neither am I,” Marisse added.
Ignoring him, they turned back to Keevah. “What is it ye do here, Keevah,” Aeschene asked.
“I weave,” she replied in a low voice.
Rory watched as the woman kept looking over her shoulder, undeniably just as nervous as he was.
“Oh, I would verra much like to see yer work,” Marisse said. “’Tis the truth I envy anyone who can weave.”
“Ye do?” Keevah asked, her brow furrowed.
“Aye, I do. Me mum, God rest her soul, tried many times to teach me. I simply could not get the hang of it.”
Before long, the three woman had forgotten Rory was standing off to the side, patiently waiting for his lady and her maid to come to their senses. Lost they were in their conversations about the finer points of weaving.
Soon, he found himself leaning against a tree, his eyes closed, as he listened to the sound of Marisse’s voice. Her laughter, he decided, was sweeter than any honey. Her voice, as warm as a ray of sunshine.
The conversation turned to more mundane things, such as the making of jams - something Marisse admitted to having a talent for. The image of Marisse standing in a kitchen, making jam, was soon replaced with the image of her lying naked in his bed. Lord, she was a stunning woman, but there was far more to her than just her extraordinary beauty. She possessed a fiery spirit he found rather delightful.
His quiet reverie was broken by the sound of Marisse speaking his name. “Have we bored ye to sleep?” she asked playfully.
Slightly embarrassed, he righted himself. “I was just day dreamin’,” he told her with a grin. “About the walk ye will be taken with me later.”
Marisse’s face burned red, but not with embarrassment. She was furious.
“Did ye forget?” He asked her with a raised brow, feigning hurt. Tonight would be their last walk, per their previous arrangement. While the thought saddened him, he knew he would find other ways of spending time with her. Eventually, he’d wear her down and she would agree to marry him.
“Of course nae,” she told him. “And I will thank ye to stop remindin’ me.”
Aeschene giggled at the distress in her friend’s voice. “When will ye be goin’ to Mallaig?”
“Late next week,” he said
Keevah interrupted the conversation by announcing she had work to get back to.