Page 34 of The Defiance of a Scottish Heart
“But you are?”
“I’m noble blood. Second to a chieftain. Dermot will accept me.” He cast a sideways glare at the fool, hoping to convince him to stay away from Sheona.
“But I heard you were not interested. Are you or are you not?”
“Not your concern.”
“But it is.” Clyde wasn’t a bad-looking man, but he was arrogant and boisterous, always thinking he was the best at everything. He was not.
“He’ll not accept you.”
“But Sheona likes me. If she wants me, Dermot will accept my suit, I think.”
Taskill snorted. “Get the hell away from me, arsehole. You’re a fool. She is not interested in you. If you ever hurt her, I’ll kill you.”
Clyde chuckled and picked up his bucket to take his leave. “The way I understand it, she’s not interested in you either. So I think I have a chance. You don’t know what’s in her mind. Mayhap we’ll make a perfect couple.”
But Taskill was certain that Sheona was not interested in that fool.
Or was she?
Chapter Thirteen
Sheona
Sheona climbed out of the boat and stared, taking in the beauty of the Isle of Iona. They made their way across the beach, watching for the rocks and stepping carefully.
“Da, it’s beautiful. There’s a view of the sea in almost every direction.”
“It is. I’m sorry I never brought your mother here. She would have loved it.”
Sheona turned to their guide. “That building. Is it the nunnery?”
“Aye, the abbey is beyond the nunnery. Also a stunning building.”
“And the nuns sleep there?” Sheona asked.
“Aye,” their guide said. “The prioress is Mother Mary, and she is who you must visit first. They say there are around ten nuns housed here. And there’s an orphanage nearby. That grouping of cottages we passed along the way is where the orphans are kept by four women. I’ll give you an hour to visit, then I must take off. If you wish to go back to Mull, meet me here in that time. Otherwise, I’ll not return for two days when I bring supplies.”
Dermot handed the man a coin and said, “I’ll return by then.” He picked up Sheona’s bag, and they strolled down the path to the stone building, made with arches around the outside of the main building in the center. There were benches everywhere, a garden that had been overturned as the season ended, and a small orchard of fruit trees not far away. There were two nuns busy picking what apples they could.
“Greetings to you,” one called out. “Are you here for a visit?”
Dermot said, “Old Chieftain Dermot Rankin of Clan Rankin and my daughter Sheona. We’d like to tour the nunnery, if you please.”
“Of course,” one said. “My name is Ada, and we’d be happy to give you a small tour. Ilene can take you about while I stay and finish our work for the day.”
“Welcome,” Ilene said before Ada returned to her work. Both wore long black robes that swept along when they walked. The slight breeze was a bit cool, but not too bad.
Ilene led them down the path and asked, “Are you considering taking your vows, Sheona?”
Her father said, “Nay.”
Sheona answered, “Aye.”
Her father was more surprised than she was at her quick reply. His brow furrowed, and he tipped his head at her, but she ignored him. It was the stillness, the calm beating of the waves against the rocks echoing across the area, the scent of the sea that called to her. A flurry of terns flew over them, their frantic chirping putting a smile on her face.
“The birds welcome you,” Ilene said.
