Page 39 of Highland Slayer
That was easier than she had expected, given the man’s bold nature. Anaxandra found herself staring at him in return, notingthe square jaw, the straight nose, and the way his cropped hair seemed to go in all directions, like an unruly child’s. But she didn’t mind.
She rather liked it.
“It was not your fault,” she said. “I think we were both in a situation we have never been in before. It was… overwhelming for me.”
“Ye dunna think ye’d like tae return tae Dumfries someday?”
She nodded quickly. “I would,” she said. “I did not mean I wanted to stay away forever. I simply meant that I’d never been there before. There were a lot of people. A lot of things to see.”
“And a pushy Highlander forcing ye tae accept gifts and eat in a tavern,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Ye’re not tae blame, lass. I should have been more thoughtful.”
She looked at him for a moment. “The fact that you would say such a thing is generous,” she said. “And you tried to be kind about educating me on the Outworld. About courting and such. The truth is that I would like to know. I have lived in a world of only women, only knowing things about women, and only knowing men as living beings to be avoided and nothing more. You are a great mystery to me.”
He snorted softly. “Not much of a mystery, I promise,” he said. “And I’ll tell ye anything ye wish tae know.”
She smiled, her cheeks flushing red. “That is kind, but you probably will not be here long enough to tell me anything I should know,” she said. “You asked me what I planned to do if I did not become a nun. I became angry with you because the truth is embarrassing.”
“Will ye tell me?”
She took a deep breath, throwing caution to the wind. “I want to marry and have children,” she said. “But a dream like that in a place like this is forbidden. Please do not tell Mother Michael I have told you.”
He grew serious. “I would never betray what ye told me in confidence,” he said, moving closer to the cart. “But I do have a question.”
“What is that?”
“How do ye plan tae find a man tae marry if ye never leave the abbey?”
Her cheeks flushed further as she lowered her gaze. “Thatisthe question, isn’t it?” she said. “The answer is that I do not know. I am not bound here, you know. I have taken no vows. But they did raise me from infancy, so I owe them my very life. I should like to find a wealthy husband who would donate a goodly sum of money to St. Margaret’s in payment for what they’ve done for me. I would like to see St. Margaret’s thrive and become more of a charity order.”
His brow furrowed. “What kind of charity?”
She shrugged, looking at the children who were carefully navigating the garden. “We need a patron,” she said softly. “There are many children in need. Many women in need. St. Margaret’s was originally founded by a widow who wanted to provide a place for safety for widows and orphans. But when the church became involved, as a patron, that is when it became religious. But it is also a military place to protect the women and children, with violence if necessary. This is not a pleasant place sometimes.”
He leaned against the side of the wagon. “It looks calm enough tae me.”
She shook her head. “What you see is a coexistence,” she said. “There are groups of us who live and work together. One group does not mingle with another group. I am part of the Bow Pack. There are other packs, like the Animal Pack, the Flame Pack, and the Moon Pack.”
He thought that was a curious thing. “Packs?” he repeated. “Like dogs?”
She nodded. “Like dogs.”
“But what do these packs do?”
She thought on the question. “The Bow Pack are the women who are trained in the crossbow, like me,” she said. “The Animal Pack tends the stables and yard, the Moon Pack is the night watch, and the Flame Pack tends the armories and weapons.”
“Interesting,” he said. “Ye function as several groups in one place.”
“We do.”
“What happens when ye’re required tae fight a battle?”
“That’s a simple thing,” she said. “It is the only time we come together as a whole, but even then, each group fights together in spite of the fact that we are under one command.”
“Mother Michael?”
She nodded. “Mother Michael was trained for her position since she was old enough to walk,” she said. “That is how this order picks their leaders—from birth.”
“I see,” he said, interested. “Who will succeed Mother Michael?”
