Page 61 of Highland Sword
“I’ll leave that decision to their mother to decide. That is, unless she confuses the nursery with the armory. Of course, what’s the harm of a weapon or two?”
Morrigan’s gaze flew to his face but then darted away quickly.
Aidan cursed inwardly. What was he doing, saying such things? His life was completely at sixes and sevens right now. He had a pressing trial ahead of him. As much as thoughts about Morrigan never left him, he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted by romance. Still, despite what his brain told him, his tongue seemed to have an agenda of its own.
The sound of fiddle and pipe, the voices, and the general noise of celebrating filled the air, but neither of them could find the right word to resume their conversation. Maisie approached them and they exchanged greetings.
“Niall and I can take the girls with us.” She turned to Aidan. “Would you be kind enough to escort Morrigan to the bonfire? She’s talked about nothing else all day.”
Before either could say a word, Maisie ran off after her husband and nieces.
He and Morrigan both started talking at once.
“Do I have to stand by the trees?”
“I didn’t mention any bonfire today. Not once!”
They both laughed. Aidan felt a weight had been lifted.
“Auld Jean is the best storyteller of all,” Morrigan told him. “This morning, she was trying to convince us all to wear animal heads and skins and run through the village.”
“That would have been quite a sight.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there won’t be any naked women dancing around the fire at Dalmigavie tonight.”
“Then we might as well go and bob for apples.” He offered his arm and she took it. “But perhaps we should stop at the fortune teller first.”
“I need nofortune.”
“I see you’ve been spending far too much time with those children.”
“Just the perfect amount, I’d say.”
She was happy again. Curious about some of the activities, she asked many questions. The crowds were growing more concentrated as the two of them walked along. Aidan drew her closer to his side.
“Your very first Samhain in the Highlands,” he said, stopping by a fire surrounded by a group of young villagers who were cheering loudly. “Did you mark your name on a hazel nut?”
“What for?”
He nodded toward the fire. “Two groups of hazel nuts are placed close to the fire. One group is marked with the names of the village’s maidens, and the other with the eligible bachelors. As the nuts pop, the names of the pairs are linked.”
“None of that silliness for me.” She shook her head and tugged on his arm to continue their walk.
“It’s all quite scientific.”
She laughed. Near the kirk, they found the apple dooking, the busiest activity they’d come upon thus far.
“Among the Highland people, the apple has strong ties with the other world and even immortality,” he told her.
“Then I’ll take one. But you should take two.”
They moved closer, standing where she could watch as men and women waited for their turns to plunge theirfaces into the barrels of water and catch the fruit with their teeth. Very few appeared to be succeeding.
“It seems easy. But it’s not.”
They joined in with the cheering and the groans when a young man almost had one but immediately lost it back into the barrel. “You have to catch the apple with your teeth. Otherwise it’s gone.”
“So you need a very big mouth.”
