Page 35 of Saved By the Highland Beast
Dean sighed heavily and rubbed his temples as he shut his eyes. The incessant noise was only proving to make the dull ache in his head even worse. Amalthea’s screeching wasn’t helping either as she continued to make a scene, lifting her skirts and kicking at the small dog as it attempted to fight back.
Duncan snickered as he watched the scene with increasing joy. “Good dog that Jove.” He laughed quietly to himself and picked up another piece of chicken, taking a bite with a massive grin.
Sophia finally caught the dog and held him as Amalthea made her escape, walking to the table with haste. She was flustered and out of breath by the time she pulled out her chair and sat down. “Dean,” she said tearfully as she sniffled and looked at him, “did ye see what that horrid governess has brought this time?” She shot a nasty glare at Sophia and the dog. “You must make her get rid of the animal. He attacked me! A creature like that doesnae belong in a castle.”
“Faither, ye cannae send John away!” Cillian suddenly rushed forward and gripped his father’s arm. “Please, Faither, he’s only just gotten here. He will freeze to death if ye leave him out in the cold!” He pouted, and his bottom lip trembled. He reminded Dean of the way his grandmother pouted whenever she wanted anything from him.
“Stop that now, Cillian,” Amalthea said sternly, suddenly losing the victimized tone. “That dog has nae place here. Sophia should have never brought him in. Dean?” She turned to the laird, awaiting his response. “The dog is clearly disruptin’ Cillian’s routine. Make Sophia take him back to wherever she got him from in the first place.” She waved her hand in the air as if she could make the animal disappear.
Dean let out a heavy sigh as Cillian began to fuss again. “The dog willnae be going anywhere. I brought him here, it was nae Sophia,” he explained as he stifled a yawn with the back of his hand.
Cillian trundled back over to Sophia with a triumphant look on his little face as his grandmother sat stunned at the table. Dean knew that he was about to get an earful, but he didn’t quite feel up to the task.
“Oh!” Amalthea’s face wrinkled into a sour expression as if she had eaten a lemon. “I can see that me advice is no longer needed here. That is to be expected when one gets as old as I am,” she said with a hurt tone in her voice. “What do I ken about discipline an’ raisin’ a bairn?” she muttered loud enough for Dean to hear. “But mark me words, Cillian has never once gone against anythin’ that I have said. This is the start of a very slippery slope that will ultimately lead to anarchy.”
“I respect yer opinion, Amalthea,” Dean began as calmly as he could. “But Sophia is in charge of the dog, an’ he will nae be going anywhere. She will see to it that Cillian is nae distracted from his studies, or that he disrespects ye in any way.”
“Sophia?” Amalthea looked even more taken aback by his use of Miss Harrison’s first name than she had done about the dog. Dean half expected her to jump up and start screaming again. “Are we on a first-name basis now?”
“Aye, an’ I have asked Sophia to address me as Dean,” he said before taking a sip of his ale. “We have kent each other for a while now, an’ everyone in the castle calls her by her given name. She’s practically part of the family.”
Dean thought for a second that the old woman was about to faint as she stared at him and then glared at Sophia, who quickly looked down and continued to play with the dog.
“I see,” Amalthea said to Dean’s great surprise. “At least see to it that the beast receives a bath. I could smell the stench from outside the hall already.” She returned to her usual haughty demeanor as she reached across the table and poured herself a glass of wine.
“Dinnae talk about yerself like that, Amalthea,” Duncan, who seemed to have a selective hearing only reserved for Amalthea, quickly said. “We’ll have a bath sent up to yer room, an’ ye will be smellin’ right as rain in no time. It’s probably just from the journey down here,” he uttered, adding insult to injury. “An’ yer age.” He looked at her as he chewed and waited for her response.
‘What? I never!” Amalthea gasped as she glared at him.
“It is very clear that ye have never, my good lady.” Duncan raised his eyebrows as he took a sip from his mug and shot her a nearly toothless grin.
“How dare ye talk to me like that!” she sneered and turned to Dean again. “I’m sorry to say that I am utterly disappointed to find the castle in such a state upon my return. Everythin’ was perfectly fine last time I was here, and now utter chaos has ensued,” she said accusingly as she glared at him. “What do you propose to do about these problems?” she demanded angrily.
“Sendin’ ye back to the hole from which ye crawled out would be step number one.” Duncan cackled.
“I thought ye were deaf, ye daft old bampot,” Amalthea retorted, turning red in the face. “How is it that you seem to have perfect hearin’ when ye can’t even hear a drum beside yer head at other times?”
“I could be as deaf as a doornail and still hear every single word that comes from that shrill mouth of yers.” Duncan closed one eye and squinted at her. “Ye can lead the men into battle with a voice like that, an’ the enemies would run for the hills. It’s just a pity that I am nae blind, because I still have to look at ye.”
Amalthea glared at him from across the table as she clutched a fork in one hand and dug the back into the wooden surface of the table. She looked as if she would have eaten him alive if she were permitted.
Dean took another sip of his ale and tried his best not to laugh as he glimpsed the look on Sophia’s face as she watched the interaction. She too was trying to hide her mirth but failing miserably, as a giggle escaped her throat.
“I’m sure Sophia will be able to bathe the beast?” He turned to her with one eyebrow raised in an attempt to end the argument.
“Of course,” Sophia said quickly as she scooped the dog up in her arms and straightened. “I have already asked for a bath to be taken to my room this evening. I will ask for a smaller tub to be filled as well and bathe little John first,” she added obediently.
“There,” Dean said, still trying to hide his smile. “The dog will be bathed, an’ we can all live as one big great-smellin’ family.”
Amalthea let out a grunt as Duncan laughed, and Sophia bit her bottom lip.
Their conversations were interrupted when Hamish and Anthony came walking into the hall, laughing and joking as they usually did.
“An’ who is that wee bastard?” Hamish was first to speak as he bent down and held out his hands.
The dog suddenly leapt from Sophia’s hands and ran full speed into the man’s open arms. Hamish scooped him up and held him close to his chest. “I had a dog just like ye when I was growin’ up.” He laughed and allowed John to lick his face.
“All the best men did,” Duncan agreed and nodded his head. “It will serve Cillian well to have a dog like that.”
