Page 14 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds
Stunned by this revelation, she leaned forward. “Truly? Tell me more.”
“They had a curse on Clan Matheson because everyone became suddenly sickened. Marcas had lost his wife and couldn’t handle the thought of losing his bairns, so they went in search of healers. He snuck into Clan Ramsay one night, thinking he was abducting Brenna, but took Brigid by mistake. Jennet slept in the same chamber back then, so he took Jennet too. Foolish lass volunteered because the two were inseparable at the time.”
“And he forced her to marry him?” She couldn’t imagine that Brigid would accept that. “And you let them?”
“Nay,” he said with a wide grin. “She fell in love with her captor. Not an unusual occurrence. And Jennet fell in love with his brother. We had to go to Black Isle for two weddings. They only leave for holidays, but both lasses became healers, so they were needed there.”
A tall lad came in carrying a large crate and set it down on the table next to the group eating. “There, Mama. See if Grandmama likes it.”
“My grandson Hawk. He’s a giant, is he not?” Logan asked, the pride in his eyes evident. The man may have seemed overly harsh, but he loved with his whole heart.
Hawk was a giant. He had brown hair that he kept just below his ears and green eyes.
Marcas stood and pulled the contents out of the crate and held it up for all to see. Logan strode right over to it, studying it. “Hellfire, but Jennet and Ethan did a fine job on this, Gwynie. Try it out.”
It took a while, but Gwyneth was finally able to arrange it quite right and took a few steps with it. The expression on her face let them all know how pleased she was. “There is a small problem, but it could be a big problem.”
“What?” Brigid asked.
“It hurts. It could rub a sore into the stub. Can we adjust it?”
Eva watched as four different people tried to adjust the straps to fix the problem, but from where she sat, that didn’t look like the issue. She made her way to the basket next to the hearth and pulled out a small squirrel fur. Returning to the group, she asked, “May I?”
“What are you doing?” Gwynie asked.
“I think the problem is because your stump isn’t level. If you attach this to one part where your leg connects, I think it will even out, make up for the uneven part of your stump.”
Brigid said, “Here, I’ll fix it, Mama. I think Eva is right.” She fussed over it and Gwyneth tried it out, stopping to turn to Eva.
“My word, you fixed it, lass. Many thanks to you.”
Marcas came over and clasped her shoulder. “Well done, Eva. What clan are you from?”
“MacVey. Excuse me, but I have to go. Thanks to you, Dyna, for the lessons.”
“Allow me to go with you,” Marcas said. “I’ll get the dogs ready to travel and give you the food we’ve used with them. If you have any questions, we’ll be here for a sennight, at least. After that, Maitland has raised many pups. He can help you.”
Eva headed out with Marcas, surprised to see Goldie run straight for her, Shadow behind her. The two lunged for Eva as soon as she kneeled.
Finally, an animal that liked her that she could fuss over.
Anything to help her stop thinking about earls and betrothals.
CHAPTER FIVE
Maitland
Maitland strode into the great hall with wee Grant tied to his chest, facing out, while he held Maeve’s hand. He’d never known such joy as he’d experienced since he’d married Maeve, the exhilaration of holding their son in his arms, something that had brought him to tears on more than one occasion. And the lad’s smile was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
After many discussions, they’d decided to call the lad Grant. Maeve couldn’t call him Alex because it reminded her of her father. Sandor was already taken. Their last choice was either Graham or Grant, and they both preferred Grant.
Maitland had been married once before, had thought to have a child one day, but he and his wife had been kidnapped and held in a dungeon by the English, both beaten, but the true torture was when he’d been separated from her by a stone wall, not thick enough to prevent him from hearing her cries of pain as she delivered their bairn, both dying within an hour.
He carried many scars from those times, but he’d promised Maeve not to dwell on the past and to look to their future. He did his best to honor that promise, though he fell back into the darkness occasionally.
But this wee laddie of theirs brought him out with his smile, his wee fists, his kicking legs, and the way his gaze would lock on his father. As Maitland stepped into the hall, Grant began to kick with excitement because of the bairns near the hearth and the hall full of people laughing and enjoying the meal.
The first one to see him was Brigid who flew out of her seat. “Maitland! Maeve! I’ve been so excited to see you and that sweet bairn.”
