Page 12 of The Iron Highlander
“Yer nae wearing that and heading out with me.”
Hudson swallowed a mouthful of bread before raising an eyebrow. “This was never a problem in the past…aye, I see. Yer tryin’ to look good for our guests, that’s it.”
“I’m tryin’ to do my duty, that is what it is. Ye better get those crazy ideas out yer thick skull, ye bampot,” said Reuben.
“Aye, but I ken ye, Reuben. I ken when a lassie be making yer kilt a little tight under, and I havenae seen this for a long time, but I think this is it.”
“Ye daenae what yer talking about, Hudson.”
Hudson refused to change, and ended up joining Reuben to head out to the town. It was a small town, with less than fifty houses and a marketplace. Both men walked around, with Reuben exchanging greetings with the people. He met with some of the men from the village who were warriors as well. They had joinedhim and his father in the old days when they would go out on raids. Now, they were all tradesmen.
Some had become locksmiths and sword makers. Others had become farmers and fishermen, spending their time home with their families. Time had changed most of them, but they all still were very capable men, and if there was ever a need for it, they would be ready to be called upon to protect their homes, just as Reuben would. Reuben and Hudson walked into the local pub and found a lot of the men there as well, and the Laird had drinks for everyone as they relished on their stories from the old days.
“Remember the first time…the first time Reuben was sent out to get the torch!” a man laughed, gagging on his ale.
“It was a cold frigid winter that one. I remember!” Hudson laughed. “Reuben ye were so scared! Screamed like a lassie when ye got chased by the wild dog!”
The entire pub laughed, and Reuben laughed along with them, because he knew that they remembered what happened next as well. He had turned around and wrestled the wild dog, fought the creature with his bare hands, and after he killed it, he skinned it and brought it back as a trophy for his father who had been watching.
Reuben and Hudson left the pub just towards nightfall, with Hudson barely able to walk. The Laird carried his friend, balancing him on his shoulder as they returned to the estate.Reuben shoved Hudson, “Ye shouldnae have so much if yer nae goin’ stomach it!”
“It waaas just a weeee little pint, Reuben, I can walk al…alright.” Hudson stammered.
“Aye,” said Reuben. “Walk then.”
He let go of Hudson and the man dropped to the ground instantly. Reuben sighed and grabbed him again, carrying him all the way to the estate, and tossing him to a bed in his chambers. By morning, Hudson would sort himself out.
Reuben turned and headed back to his own chambers and heard the sound of the women in their room. He spotted the servant which he had asked to listen in on their conversations, and he shook his head. McDonald nodded and took in a breath, smelling the lavender of Kate’s perfume. As he walked up the stairs, he turned to the doors of the great halls to see that they were wide open, and his mother was seated at the far end of the hall on her chair.
“Oh, Reuben.”
“Not now, Maither,” Reuben replied, knowing that she was about to give him a lecture, to caution him on the argument which had occurred between himself and Kate. But he was not ready for that. He wanted to get some sleep, and so he hurried towards his room.
A few seconds later, Grear barged through his doors with a look of defiance on her face. She was old, yes. But the woman still had the courage of a thousand men. She feared nothing, and would lead the house of McDonald into battle again if it came to that.
Everyone respected Lady Grear Gilmour because they knew the tales of the havoc she brought in the old days. The lady of the house of McDonald was not one to be trifled with. Reuben knew this as well, as she was his mother, but she was also, at some point, his trainer.
“Reuben, I called ye.” His mother began in a tone which he had heard and gotten used to since he was just a little boy.
Reuben sighed and turned around, “Aye, Ma, but I know why ye did. I willnae be arguin’ with the guests anymore. Ye happy now? There, I did what ye wanted, so please let me just have some shut eye, yeah?”
“That wasnae why I wanted to talk to ye, but now that ye bring it up, I want ye to go apologize to them. They’re our guests, and we treat them like such.”
“I really don’t want to do that,” Reuben replied.
“I daenae care about what ye want to do. The reason I’m here, is because I want to have a ceilidh.”
Reuben turned around to face his mother, raising an eyebrow at the woman. He ran different ideas in his head first before heasked, “Why now? We haven’t held a feast in months, so why would ye want that?”
“Because of ye, Reuben. I’ve been watching the girls ever since they came, and they are doin’ their best to fit in, but it is just so hard for some reason, and I don’t want to put it on ye, but yer makin’ them uncomfortable. So, this feast will be yer chance to set things straight, and our chance to make the girls feel welcome in our home.”
Reuben shook his head, staring at the woman. She did not see the way Kate had treated him, and if she had, she would know. Reuben had actually done his best, and he was done trying. If his mother was going to throw a ceilidh to make them feel more comfortable and stay, then he would do what he could to make them want to stay, but not Kate.
“I heard them say they wanted to leave, so at least, before they leave. I want them to have a good time here with us. I want that when the McGowans leave, they won’t see us as bad people.”
“But we aren’t,” Reuben replied.
“Aye,” says Grear, staring out the window. For a moment, the Laird wondered what his mother was thinking. “Which is why we have to make this work.”
