Page 28 of Married for a Highland Debt
The women laughed, then Moira said: “Of course, it could be somethin’ else altogether. Maybe our wee girl is, ye know, scared.” She blushed.
“They call it ‘frigid’ in a woman,” Lizzie informed her. “There is a big long word they use for men, but I dinnae know what it is.”
“Aye, well, we know what it means!” Ina laughed, before they sat down to drink their ale.
“Aye, we dae,” Moira sighed. Then she perked up. “Oh, I nearly forgot! Did ye hear there’s talk about the other one? That Margaret—her wi’ a’ the airs an’ graces?”
“What talk?” Lizzie asked as she sipped her ale.
“She is wi’ child,” Moira informed them.
Lizzie coughed and spat her beer out in shock while Ina patted her back. “Wi’ child?” she spluttered.
Moira nodded. “But it is just gossip.” She shrugged. “It is likely a pack o’ lies.”
They all agreed since it was true that something could start as a whisper one day and become a shout the next and go from being a lie to the gospel truth in less than a week. Still, it was worth thinking about since Laird Ogilvy was undoubtedly the most disliked laird in the entire Inchgarvie area.
“I wish Bettie would come back,” Ina said gloomily. “I miss her pretty wee face.”
“She will no’ be back as long ashe’sin charge!” Lizzie put in. “Come on, ladies. Back tae work.”
Ninian felt wretched. He stood at his study looking out and thinking about Bettina, wishing for the hundredth time that he had not sent her away. Why had he done it? She was beautiful, she had a strong character, she had vowed to stand by him, and she had. He had thought at first that she had doubted him, but he realized that he had once more fallen into one more of Margaret’s traps. Bettina had been his wife for less than a month, she had heard nothing but bad reports of him, and Margaret had come and poured poison into her ear before the ink was dry on their marriage certificate.
He tossed down his third glass of whiskey that day, realizing that he was drinking too much of it. “What should I do next?” he asked aloud, just as his Aunt Alison came into his study.
“Bring her back,” she answered. “And tell her how much you love her.”
“How did you know what I was thinking about?” he asked, mystified.
“Because I know you,” she replied. “I know your gestures, your moods, and every expression on your face, Ninian. I know that you and that young woman belong together.”
“I wish I could believe that,” he sighed. “I wish I could convince myself that I am good enough for her because she is certainly too good for me.”
“Rubbish.” Alison moved over to him and wrapped her arms around him. “You have barely had a father to teach you how to be a good man, and although your mother loved you very much, she also lived a very short life. Who has taught you about life?”
“You have,” he replied, kissing the top of her head. “You have been my mother.”
She cupped his face in her hands and looked into his sky-blue eyes. “But I am not your mother,” she pointed out. “And I am not your wife. Bettie has such a lot of love to give, Ninian, and you need that love in your life. You let the world see only one side of you—the big, tough, mean side. No one knows about the good and gentle person inside, the person I know. Go and get Bettie, Ninian. You two are made for each other.”
“How do you know?” He frowned. “You might be quite wrong, Auntie.”
“But I am not,” Alison replied, shaking her head firmly. “Truly, Ninian, I am not. Go to see her, and I will wager a king’s ransom that she will come running to you.”
Ninian paced over to the window again. The sky was full of ominous dark clouds that forecast imminent rain, but suddenly the sun peeped out from behind a cloud and momentarily dazzled him with its brightness.
“Ow!” he cried as he turned away and put his hands over his eyes.
“A sign,” Alison said wisely.
“What did you want to see me about?” Ninian asked.
Alison thought for a moment. “Do you know...I cannot remember,” she replied, then left.
When he looked up, the sun was still shining. It was time to go.
“Ninian!” When she saw the enormous pair of feet in front of her as she was scrubbing the extremely dirty kitchen floor, Bettina jumped to her feet and stared at him as he stood in the kitchen doorway, blocking most of the daylight. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” he replied.
