Page 40 of The Defiance of a Scottish Heart
“An axe? Magni did mention that. We’ll learn with you,” Hildi said.
“I’m not verra good, but I need to learn a skill. Learn how to hurt a man who is chasing after me.” Sheona stared at the floor, not wishing to explain any more. The two girls nodded, so she said the only thing she could think of. “Please teach me how to throw the spear.”
Chapter Seventeen
Dermot
Dermot sat on his favorite stool on the parapets, in his favorite location where he could look across the water to the mainland. Bloody Bay, Mingary, Ardnamurchan, Morvern, even Kinlochaline was visible in the distance. Listening to the waves, whether crashing or calm, helped settle things in his mind.
And he had much to settle.
Sheona, his sweet bairn who used to sit on his knees, was troubled. But from what?
“Da, where are you?” Sloan called out, closing the door behind him. “Are you out here?”
“Aye, I’m here.” Perhaps it was time to ask Sloan. He seemed to know everything that happened on Rankin land. How aware was he of his sister and her activities? “Bring a stool, Sloan.”
They kept a few stools about because the parapets held such a beautiful view. Sloan came around the corner carrying one, then set it down. “Da, what’s wrong? I can tell when you’re upset.”
Dermot shrugged, wondering how to explain what he’d learned, though it had all been subtle suggestions about what may or may not have happened. Where to start? He kneaded his hands in his lap, staring across the landscape beneath them.
“Da? What happened at the nunnery? Did Sheona say something that upset you?”
That gave him a start. “Sheona? Nay. She said naught. Just that she wished to stay for a sennight.”
“Then someone else said something?”
Dermot mulled over all that had been said by the prioress, thinking to hide everything, but then decided that Sloan deserved to know. Sheona was his sister. Was it possible Sloanknew something about what had happened to her and never shared it with his own father?
Dermot let out a deep sigh, then said, “The prioress asked me if Sheona has been, um … if she had something in her past, umm …” He couldn’t even bring himself to say the words. His eyes watered at the thought.
“Did she ask you if Sheona had been abused?”
“Aye. Exactly that. She said it’s common in lasses who wish to become nuns. They come to the nunnery to escape. She wondered if something had happened in Sheona’s past to make her run away. And I couldn’t answer her because I don’t know. She’s my wee lassie. Sloan, if I found out anyone touched my wee lassie, I’ll have him held down so I can cut off his bollocks. I’ll do it myself, and mayhap I’ll …”
Sloan reached for his father’s forearm, gripping him lightly. “Da, I don’t know of anything. Do you?”
“Nay. But I want to know.” Then he thought again. “Mayhap I don’t wish to know. I don’t know. But I want my daughter to be happy. She should be having bairns and staring into their eyes with love like Marta does. I don’t want her hiding in a nunnery because some fool accosted her or …” His lower lip quivered, and he couldn’t stop what happened next.
His tears burst out as though he’d kept them inside for decades. He couldn’t handle the thought of some fool touching his wee lassie without her approval. And if it happened, how long ago? Where? Who?
“Who, Sloan? Who would dare to touch …” He couldn’t handle it. He leaned his elbow on the edge of the parapet and sobbed.
“Da, I promise you that I will find out. Mayhap nothing happened. Let me see what I can learn first.”
It was a good thing Sloan offered to help. Offered to find out the truth.
Dermot couldn’t bear it.
Chapter Eighteen
Rut
Taskill strode into the kitchens carrying his bucket full of fish.
Rut brought her hand up to cover her nose. “Oh, Taskill. Take those smelly things in through the back door. Why must you bring such rank objects through my great hall?”
Taskill ignored her, walking straight toward the kitchens as if his ears were shut off.
