Page 60 of Marry the Highland Villain
Within moments, he was outside the walls of MacKane Castle, the golden light of sunrise just beginning to warm the rough grey stone of the castle walls.
Conall inhaled the crisp, early morning air, then moved away from the wall, his steps quick and purposeful.
Brigid woke up to mid-morning sunlight dancing through her windows. She had slept far later than she had intended, but she was warm and full of contentment she’d never experienced before, and she smiled to herself as she reached out, searching instinctively for Conall.
The bed, however, was empty, and the sheets on Conall’s side were cold, suggesting he’d been gone for some time.
Brigid blinked, her contentment fading as she sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes as she looked around the room for some sign of him.
Conall’s chambers were large and airy, but not so large that she couldn’t see instantly that her husband wasn’t there. The bed was disappointingly empty. The clothes she vaguely remembered him tossing aside impatiently the night before were gone, as were his boots and belt.
Brigid wrapped her arms around herself, feeling suddenly cold.
Conall had dressed and left sometime while she’d been asleep. Why, she didn’t know. He hadn’t even left a note or tried to wake her to explain.
Is it because of something I’ve done? Is he displeased or disappointed with his new wife? Or is it simply that he married me purely to secure peace with Clan Auchter, and now that he’s achieved that, he has nay further use for me?
Brigid shook her head firmly in an attempt to banish the thoughts. She couldn’t believe they were true—she refused to. Last night had been too wonderful for her to believe that Conall could be disappointed in her or see her purely as a bargaining chip. Besides, she’d resolved to trust her husband with her life and her heart, and she was determined to do so. She refused to let her conviction waver so easily.
There would be some reasonable explanation for his absence, she was sure. Like as not, Conall had simply slipped away to attend to some of his duties as Laird of Clan MacKane. Newlywed or not, he had responsibilities as the Laird of his clan, and she couldn’t blame him for attending to them while she slept.
I wonder if he will permit me to share those responsibilities, now that they we’re married.
The idea was somewhat daunting but also pleasing. Smiling slightly, and feeling reassured that she would find out the reasonfor Conall’s absence soon enough, Brigid slipped from the bed and went to collect her dress from where it still lay on the floor, meaning to put it on and then go straight back to her room to change.
I cannae wander around all day in my wedding dress, after all.
She pulled the dress on, smiling slightly at the ache in her gut, which served as a pleasant reminder of the night before. She was just pinning up her hair when a knock sounded at the door, and she opened it to admit all three of her sisters.
Lily was the first to embrace her. “Och, ye look happy,” she said with a knowing smile, which made Brigid blush.
“Here,” she added, handing her a small vial. “Ye’ll want to drink that. ’Twill help with the soreness.”
Valerie and Megan were both sporting wide, wicked smirks, and Brigid’s cheeks burned crimson.
“Och, the three of ye…” She swallowed, pocketed the vial, and hugged each of her sisters. “Come, we should go down for the morning meal,” she said, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.
The four of them made their way to the Great Hall, which was crowded as usual. Servants bustled to and fro, carrying platters of food, the scents from which made Brigid’s mouth water. She half expected to see Conall in his usual seat at the head of thetable, but he was still absent. So were Oliver and Emily, which was another sign that Conall was most likely attending to clan business.
Instead of taking the larger seats at the head of the table, usually reserved for the Laird and his lady wife, Brigid and her sisters gathered around the other end of the High Table for a less formal meal, with Brigid and Lily on one side and Megan and Valerie on the other.
Once they’d all eaten a few bites, Brigid opened the vial her sister had given her earlier and drained it, wincing at the bitter taste. She washed it down with the tea one of the maids poured for her, then voiced the question that had been bouncing around in her mind ever since the night before, when she’d found out about Conall’s offer to accept her sisters into the clan.
“So,” she said, clearing her throat nervously. “What will ye do now, all of ye?”
Valerie sighed. “We’ll have to return to the cottage,” she said, helping herself to more meat. “There are chores to be done, and we all have tasks to take care of. I have two dresses I need to finish, and Lily’s busy restockin’ the still room. And Megan…”
“Hunting and leather work and tannin’ the hides,” Megan supplied helpfully. “Amongst other things.”
Brigid swallowed her tea, trying her best to ignore the heartache that had caught her like a blow to the chest at the thought of them leaving.
“Have ye considered Conall’s offer?” she asked, putting the cup back down. “Have ye thought about comin’ to live here? Joinin’ Clan MacKane?”
She spoke carefully, not wanting to put unfair pressure on her sisters or make them feel guilty if they’d already decided against the idea. All the same, though, hope made her heart beat a little faster as she waited for their reply.
“We have, Brigid.”
Lily put a hand on her sister’s, and Brigid’s heart sank. “’Tis certainly a welcome invitation, but none of us is used to clan life. And we’re nae ignorant of the whispers we’ve heard about the tensions between Clan MacKane and Clan Auchter. We ken the Laird has promised to make us welcome, and we would like to be near ye, Brigid, but kennin’ all that… well, it makes it a difficult decision. ’Tis a matter we need to consider carefully.”
