Page 29 of The Defiance of a Scottish Heart
“Your mother slapped my father.” She began to giggle, and Taskill chuckled. “And she said something like just because she didn’t have a piece of meat dangling between her legs didn’t mean she didn’t have a brain.”
Taskill guffawed. “How did I miss that? What the hell! And what did your father do? I doubt he took it lightly.”
She swiped the tears away with a linen square Connor had given her. “He was stunned. He stared at her and said, ‘You hit me.’”
“Oh, I can only guess what my mother’s response to that was.” Taskill berated himself for staying outside. “Let me guess. Did she hit him again?” He wished he’d seen the situation as it unfolded. They’d be talking about this for many moons.
Sheona shook her head. “She said she’d hit him again if he didn’t stop. That was when Sloan pulled him back, and Lennox came over and pulled your mother away, but not before she tried to kick my father.”
Taskill closed his eyes. “Hellfire. No wonder everyone was whispering. I’m sorry, lass.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. Da says I have two days to decide, or he’ll take me to Iona Abbey and the nunnery.”
“Truly? The nunnery? Do you wish to be a nun?”
“Taskill, I’m so confused. I liked Hagen, but I’m sure he’ll not come near me again. I have no idea what I should do with my life.”
Taskill pulled a second dry linen square out of the desk and said, “Here. We’ll get your tears cleaned up, and we’ll go back out there and enjoy the festival. There’s no reason for you to hide. It sounds like you did naught wrong. Go out with your head held high. I’m sure everyone understands the awkward position you were put in. I’ll go with you, and we can present a united front. It sounds like Meg is probably still here, and Eva too. I’ll lead you over to the hearth, and you can sit for a moment. I’ll find you a fruit tart and a goblet of wine. Then you can relax and forget about it. With both of our parents gone, there will be no more trouble. I’m certain of it.”
He dried the tears on her cheeks the best he could, then smiled.
She whispered, “I’ve soaked two linen squares.”
“That’s naught to be embarrassed about. I should be embarrassed over my mother’s behavior, but she’s been like that for a long time. Everything she does is out of love. She’s as protective of her bairns as a wild boar. Your da is the same. You’ll be laughing about it on the morrow.”
She nodded and smiled. “You’re probably right.”
The door opened, and Connor stepped inside. “They’re both gone, so you can come out and mingle. The meat is being served. Come enjoy yourselves.”
“I’ll escort her, Chief.”
Connor nodded and the two left, stepping into the crowd. A few stared but then everyone turned back to the food and the other guests.
Taskill said, “I see Eva and Meg over there and an open seat next to them.”
“I would love to sit with them.” He escorted Sheona to a chair next to Eva, then turned about, hoping to get other opinions on what had happened. He saw Tristan first, so he approached, though he had two of his men with him.
“Greetings, Tristan.”
“Taskill. I brought two of my best guards with me, Percival and Roger. They’ve been with Clan MacLean for many years. They’re heading back outside once they get themselves a meat pie. You know the Grant pies are the best.”
“Greetings to you,” Taskill offered the two. Percival appeared much older than Roger. “You have quite a few men working with you now, do you not?”
“Aye, after all the trouble here, my uncle sent another ten, so we are around twenty now. We are nearly done with the tower in time for winter. The stable is completed for the horses, and the wall is nearly finished.”
“You’ll be glad for the protection being so close to the sea there. Tell me, Tristan. I was outside and missed the excitement. What actually happened?” He wished to hear it from another perspective. Percival and Roger made their way over to the sideboard and then headed out the door, chuckling along the way.
Tristan said, “Do you mean the battle of the elders?”
Taskill nodded, moving his hand to encourage Tristan to tell all.
“Dermot is a curmudgeon in his old age, but he wishes Sheona to marry quickly, apparently. Hagen was innocent, but he was nearly forced into marrying Sheona on the morrow. But …” He glanced over both shoulders before continuing. “No one is going to make a Grant or a Ramsay do anything without Connor or Logan’s support.” Then he grinned like a stable lad. “And your mother was the best of all.”
Taskill groaned but waited.
“Dermot insulted her for being female, and she slapped him so hard that it was nearly like she punched him. And then I thought she was going to belt him again, but Lennox got to her before she was able to.”
“I think I’m glad I wasn’t here.”
