Page 22 of Wolf Heir
Her cheeks heated in embarrassment. “Aye.”
“Good. He will work for me.”
She glanced back at Coinneach, worried about the danger her mother had alluded to.
“After he ensures his family can take care of the farm without him.”
“Oh, aye.” She was ecstatic about him living closer to her, but still worried about her mother’s warnings of doom. She continued to serve the meal and then left with the empty tray to return to the kitchen. She couldn’t believe it. Maybe that was what Coinneach had wanted to tell her about in the meadow.
She thought about her mother’s haunting words again. She had to know what her mother would say, and she hoped it wouldn’t upset the plan for Coinneach to work at the castle.
Coinneach washopeful that Blair would tell Aisling what bothered her about him. And he hoped it wasn’t any significant concern, just something she had worked up in her mind.
He was eager to tell Aisling he had the offer to work at the castle, but he still needed to ensure his family approved.
Once the meal was done, he wanted to see Aisling before he left. The chiefs of the two clans left the high table, signaling to everyone else that the meal had ended. Coinneach motioned to Alasdair that he was going to the kitchen and would return.
Alasdair nodded.
Then Coinneach headed into the kitchen, where Aisling and the others ate. “I’m leaving with Alasdair now. But I will see you in a bit, aye?”
“Aye.”
He leaned over and kissed her. Everyone there was goggle-eyed. Even Cook.
Then he said, “See you soon.” He hurried out of the kitchen, not wanting to keep Alasdair waiting. Even though they were good friends, Alasdair was a chief and needed to return to his people. And Coinneach wanted to give Aisling time to speak with her mother before she shared what was the matter.
After the meal,Aisling found her mother waiting for her at the castle's entrance, wringing her hands. They left the castle, hurried through the inner bailey, and then the outer one. Aisling was eager to learn what had been troubling her mother about Coinneach.
“We are no’ related, are we?” Aisling blurted out before they were very far from the castle. She couldn’t imagine that they would be.
“Gods no. ‘Tis much more serious than that.”
What could be more serious than that?
“I was forced to keep a secret when I was only sixteen summers. A terrible, dark secret that has eaten me up for years.”
“Until you saw Coinneach?” Ailing ventured.
“Aye.”
“He’s no’ a bad man.” Aisling would never believe that about him.
“Nay. I…I did a terrible thing, but I had no choice.”
Aisling’s mother was a truly kind-hearted woman. She devoted herself to helping deliver babies and tending to the injuries and ailments of those in need. She never spoke ill of anyone. What could her mother have possibly done that was considered wrong?
“I was…was ordered to murder a healthy bairn.” Her mother started to cry.
Aisling hugged her. “But you didna. If you had, you would have said you killed the bairn. What an evil thing to do. Who ordered you to kill a bairn?” She couldn’t imagine anything more horrible than that.
Her mother took hold of her hands. “I canna tell you. I shouldna have told you this much. I canna believe Drustan wants Coinneach to work for him.”
“The baby—was it Coinneach?” What would Coinneach have to do with any of this otherwise? He was probably the right age to have been a baby when her mother was sixteen.
“Aye, but you must tell no one.”
“I dinna understand.”
