Page 125 of Sighs of the Highland Wind
As Tommy had predicted, they were met by two of the McMillan guards who were patrolling the outskirts of the estate shortly after they entered it. They were heavily armed, carrying muskets, swords and daggers, and they looked anything but friendly.
“State your business!” the bigger of the two men demanded.
“My name is Tommy McAllister,” Tommy said calmly. “We are here to see Iain Murray.”
“Captain o’ the Guard?” The man regarded him with deep suspicion and exchanged glances with his colleague. “Does he know ye are comin’ to see him?”
“No, but we are good friends,” Tommy replied. “We are happy to surrender our weapons to ye if you let us see him.”
Again, the two guards glanced at each other. “That will be acceptable to us,” the first man, who seemed to be the senior of the two, said.
Tommy nodded as he looked round the little band of rebels. “We have a’ had enough o’ runnin’ away fae Sassenachs, an’ we are quite willin’ to serve the Laird in whatever way he needs us to.”
“On one condition. Ye must swear fealty to Laird McMillan.”
“That will be fine wi’ us too,” Tommy said as he held up his hand. “I swear fealty to Laird McMillan.”
They all held up their hands and one by one swore allegiance to the McMillans. When Norah took her turn one of the guards smiled at her. He was young, perhaps the same age as Tearlach himself, and quite handsome, with dark hair, light brown eyes, and regular features. When she smiled back, Tearlach scowled at him, feeling a frisson of jealousy shiver over his skin.
He knew he should not be so possessive over Norah, for he had absolutely nothing in the world to offer her after all, but he simply could not help it. He was so desperately in love with her that having another man even glancing her way made him feel like striking him.
They rode onwards. It took them half a day to reach the castle, a grey granite construction that sprawled all over the summit of a low hill. It looked functional rather than elegant. In fact, it was a distinctly ugly building, but all of them were full of relief to see it, since they had been traveling for a very long time and were weary to the bone.
As soon as they rode into the courtyard a tall man in his middle years with bright blue eyes and a wide smile came to greet them.“Tommy!” he called, extending a hand to his friend. “Where did you come fae?”
“It is a very long story, my friend,” Tommy replied. “Best told over a big plate o’ food an’ about a gallon each of ale!” He introduced each one of them and they proceeded to the kitchen where they sat while eating the best meal they had had for weeks.
They each took turns in telling parts of the story while Norah ate, drank, and listened. She could hardly keep her eyes open, and her head began to nod after she had finished her meal.
Tearlach glanced over at her. “Can you give us some lodgings?” he asked. “We are happy to sleep on the ground but this wee lady has had enough.”
“Aye, she deserves better,” Tommy agreed. “She is one o’ the best lassies I have ever met.”
Consequently, Norah was moved to the women’s staff quarters in the castle, and the men slept with the guards in the keep.
As Tearlach fell asleep that night, he dreamed again that Norah was in his arms. He decided that he had to tell her how he felt, but how could he when he had not a penny to his name?
\*
Norah had been helping in the kitchen in a casual capacity, mainly because she wanted to make herself useful, but since she had no official job she was free to do as she pleased. She spent much of her time exploring the outside of the castle, andmade friends with some of the housemaids who seemed to be fascinated by her story.
“Ye should write a book,” one of them suggested.
Norah laughed heartily at that. “And who would read it?” she asked.
“I would,” said a deep voice from the kitchen door. The maids looked up from their work and their eyes widened in amazement as they saw Tearlach enter the kitchen. He grinned at all of them and they responded in kind, then he held out his hand to Norah.
“I have a few hours off,” he told her. “It’s a lovely day. Would ye come for a walk?”
Norah stood up and smiled at him, taking his hand. She looked back at her friends and winked. When the door had closed behind them, one of the chambermaids voiced what they were all thinking.
“What has she got that we havenae got?” she asked.
“Him!” one of her friends cried, laughing. “Wish I was in her shoes!”
It was bitterly cold, but the sun was shining out of a clear blue sky, and Tearlach led Norah down the hill to Loch Kencree at the bottom of the hill, where he spread out a blanket on the grass.
Tearlach had brought along a flagon of ale for them, and they drank it as they watched the water fowl flying in and out of the bulrushes and sedge at the edge of the loch. There was a slight breeze that made the water shiver, but the ducks glided along,oblivious, diving under the water now and again to find food for their ducklings. Norah laughed as she saw a mother duck with a line of little ones swimming along behind her like a row of soldiers on parade.
