Page 70 of The Cruel Highlander's Bride
Ciara shook her head a little at that.
They had also packed some extra blankets, as the weather was turning colder, and Magnus was handing one to the boy.
With a smile on both of their faces, they walked back over to where Ciara still sat. The Laird didn’t take his seat again, instead choosing to stand at her shoulder, his large hand resting there. She gave him a quick smile over that shoulder before focusing back on the child.
The boy’s smile was gone and was replaced by that nervous look again, but Magnus nodded to him. “Whatever lass ye fancy is goin’ to love those,” he promised.
Silence fell over them, but then the boy swallowed, looking determined, and finally held the treats and blanket out… for Ciara.
“These are for ye, Me Lady, and I promise to always listen to ye,” the young boy said earnestly.
Magnus barked out a loud laugh, earning a glare from the child. Ciara, on the other hand, glanced around in confusion.
“Did ye put him up to this?” she whispered to the Laird, but he just shook his head, still laughing.
“Come on now, lad. I gave ye all me best tips and even gave ye the goods, and ye turn around and try to steal me wife?” he teased.
The boy shrugged, not looking apologetic in the slightest.
“See, I told ye, lass. I kenned they would all take one look at ye and bow at yer feet,” Magnus added in a whisper, but Ciara could still hear the amusement in his voice.
“I appreciate this gesture very much,” she said to the boy. “But I think ye should save it for someone special.” Before he could open his mouth, presumably to argue thatshewas very special, she added a little sternly, “Someone around yer age.”
“All right,” he replied glumly, but she saw him sneak a treat from his winnings and smile. He would be just fine.
His parents approached then. Their wary looks from earlier had faded into amusement.
“Thank ye, Me Laird, Me Lady,” his mother said.
As his father ruffled his hair, he added, “He can be a bit of a rascal, sometimes. Takes after his faither.”
“I’m glad we could help,” Magnus said. “Even though he did stab me in the back the first chance he got.” He feigned injury.
Ciara shook her head at his antics.
Who kenned?
She had rarely seen such a playful side to the Laird, but she couldn’t deny that watching him like this was more effective than any treat or blanket they could have brought. The villagers were seeing a different side to him, one she suspected only she had really seen before. It humanized him, and she could see the tide turning.
She wasn’t sure that anyone would follow their first petitioner, but Magnus rejoined her in their chairs and waited for more villagers to approach. It seemed like the young boy had opened the floodgates because a large line had formed before them.
A young woman approached next. She couldn’t have been much older than Ciara, if she even was, but she was holding two small children by the hand. She looked even more weary and worn-down than the women who had come to the castle that day, and Ciara couldn’t help the twinge of guilt she felt.
The woman got straight into it. “With all the extra work we’ve had to take on in order to keep the village runnin’, there’s no time to help the children with their learnin’. We have a small schoolhouse but no one to work in it anymore,” she stated, shooting Magnus an angry glare.
Ciara knew that education in the village was sparse, but no they had no teacher? Another zing of guilt shot through her. She could guess what had happened to the teacher during the long feud…
Magnus briefly glanced at her so she would take the question, and she nodded.
“We have already talked to neighborin’ clans to help get an influx of people in the village. If there were more people to work the fields, would there be someone to take over at the schoolhouse?”
The mother looked unsure as she pondered over the question. It was not uncommon, as Ciara well knew, for adults to also lack a full education.
“Maybe…” the woman trailed off.
“I regularly work with people of all ages. If there is someone who would be willin’ to teach the children, I can help them fill in any gaps they might have.”
With wide eyes, the woman looked between Magnus and Ciara, seeming unsure if this was a real offer.
