Highland Solution (14 page)

Late one morning, Katherine sat in the great hall reviewing the account books with Hendry. Caolin, one of the women who worked in the kitchen, rushed in and said, “My lady, I beg your pardon. Please, I need your help. I tried to find Effie, but she is delivering a bairn.

“What’s wrong?”

“Tis my sister’s child, she is terribly ill. She is coughing so much she can barely breathe. Kara lives in the village, can ye come?”

“Of course I’ll come, give me a minute to get my things. Hendry, can we finish this later?”

“Aye, my lady, I’ve been itching to go down to the lake and fish for a spell, anyway,” he said with a wink.

Katherine retrieved her bag of medicinal supplies before walking with Caolin to Kara’s cottage. “Kara’s husband is one of the men-at-arms here and he is away on sentry duty,” Caolin explained as they walked. “Their four-year-old daughter Ailis is terribly ill, she can barely breathe. Lady Katherine, they lost a baby last winter to a fever. Kara is beside herself with worry.”

Caolin hadn’t exaggerated, when they arrived they found Kara in a panic and Ailis struggling to breath between coughing fits. Katherine stepped in, calmly taking control. The smoke from burning rosemary filled the house. Many people believed it would ward off infection, but Katherine had found the smoke seemed to make things worse, particularly for coughing illnesses. She had Kara remove the burning herbs from the cottage then open the windows and doors to help clear the smoke.

While Ailis’ skin felt hot and her lips looked dry and cracked, Katherine didn’t think the little girl had a dangerously high fever. The things Katherine had found to be most helpful in relieving a serious cough were steam and getting the patient to drink plenty of fluids. Katherine bade Caolin to heat a kettle of water. In the meantime, she held the child upright on her lap, speaking to her in a soft, calm voice while supporting her during the coughing spells.

Once the water boiled, Katherine poured some in a bowl placed on the table. Then she had Kara sit with Ailis on her lap. She put a linen towel over their heads, covering the bowl and trapping some of the steam. She replaced the water in the bowl as needed to keep it steaming. The child’s breathing eased a bit, but she was still not out of the woods. Katherine knew she had to get some fluids into the wee lass, too, so she made a tisane of peppermint, chamomile, and lemon balm, sweetened slightly with honey. Even if it was just a spoonful at a time, she made sure Ailis drank as much as she could between coughing spasms. After several hours of spooning liquids into the lass, Ailis still hadn’t used the chamber pot.

As afternoon faded into evening, Katherine saw Kara’s exhaustion. Clearly another long night lay ahead for her, so Katherine insisted she rest. Caolin kept the water heating and Katherine continued to keep Ailis as calm as possible, encouraging her to breath the steam and drink the tisane. As darkness fell, they heard a knock at the door. With her head under the towel with Ailis, Katherine couldn’t see who had arrived, but she heard Caolin’s gasp.

“Laird.”

Katherine slipped her head out from under the towel to see her large, clearly angry husband filling the doorway.

“What’s the matter?” Katherine asked, sounding concerned.

“No one knew where ye were,” he growled. His tone of voice caused Kara to awaken. Little Ailis began to tremble and Katherine felt warm moisture spread across her lap. At least that was a good sign.

“Mind your tone,” shushed Katherine, “you’re scaring the lass.”

Niall arched an eyebrow and, if anything, his scowl darkened. Caolin and Kara both looked petrified.

“I don’t understand why you are angry. Hendry knew I was coming here to care for the wee lass. She has been very ill.”

“Did ye know Hendry was going fishing at the loch?” His voice sounded quiet and calm, but it covered barely controlled rage.

“Well, aye, I did know that,” she admitted.

“So no one at the keep knew where ye were until he returned just now. Were ye trying to worry me?”

“Nay, of course not. Niall, I am sorry. I didn’t leave the walls, so I didn’t think it mattered.”

“It does matter. Ye know there is always a guardsman in the castle. if ye leave for any reason I expect ye to tell him where ye are going.”

“I didn’t know that,” she said meekly.

“What do ye mean, ye didn’t know that? Is it not the same everywhere? Was it not that way at Cotharach?”

“There were guards, but no one cared where I went. We’ve been through this, Niall.”

“Aye, we have and ye know I care where ye go, so I will make it clear for ye. When I am in the keep, ye don’t leave without telling me, and when I’m not there, ye don’t leave without telling a guardsman, even if you are just going to the village. If he thinks ye need an escort, he will arrange it. Do ye understand?”

“Aye, I understand. I don’t understand why, but I understand what ye’ve asked.”

“Ye truly don’t understand why? By all the saints, Katherine, ye are my wife, that’s why.”

Katherine looked at the faces of the other women in the room. This obviously made sense to them, so she simply said, “Oh.”

Niall shook his head in frustration. “Are ye still needed here?”

Katherine thought for a moment. Although Ailis still had coughing fits, they were less frequent and had eased a great deal. Also, the lass breathed much more easily between them now. Since she had obviously wet herself on Katherine’s lap, the fluids seemed to be helping, too. Katherine knew she had done all she could do for now. “Nay, I think Kara and Caolin can handle it as long as they promise to send for me if something changes for the worse.”

The women agreed. Katherine gave Ailis to her mother before leaving the cottage with Niall. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Finally Niall said, “Katherine, I am your husband and your laird. It is my duty to protect ye, but I can’t do that if I don’t even know where ye are. Do ye understand that?”

“Aye,” she said quietly.

“Do ye really?”

“I understand you need to know where I am, so you will know I’m safe.” She didn’t fully understand why. After the whole ‘don’t leave the walls without an escort’ incident she understood why he felt she needed protection outside the walls. Surely if she hadn’t gone outside the walls, she could only be inside the walls and therefore safe. However, it was a simple enough request. “I truly didn’t mean to worry you and I’ll try not to disappear again.”

“Try?” he questioned, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. “There is no ‘try.’ Don’t,” he commanded firmly. Looking at her as if seeing her for the first time, he said, “Ye are all wet.”

“I said you scared the lass.”

“That isn’t ...”

“Aye, it is.”

“I didn’t mean to scare the wee thing,” he said, looking contrite.

“Och, don’t fash yerself, laddie,” she said in her best imitation of Bridie, “I’m sure she’s not the first, nor will she be the last lass whose knees ye cause to quiver.”

“Cheeky wench,” he said with a grin, “I’d make your knees quiver here and now, but ye need a bath.”

“That I do,” agreed Katherine. She laughed heartily and turned to walk with him to the keep. Given the lateness of the hour, it would be much easier to bathe in the kitchen, but she suspected Niall would object unless she gave him a persuasive argument. “Niall, it’s late, I think I’ll just bathe in the kitchen.”

“A bath can be brought up. Ye needn’t bathe in the kitchen.”

“I was just thinking ye could get to the part of the evening where ye make my knees quiver much more quickly if I do.”

“Och, yer a bold one, Katherine MacIan,” he said with a salacious grin.

Katherine bathed in the kitchen that night.

Thirteen

In August, the sentries reported another raid on the western border. Even though the clan’s financial hardships had been resolved, Niall found the losses to theft insufferable. Frustrated and irritated, he discussed the problem in the great hall that evening with Diarmad, Alan, and Cairbre. Katherine worked on a tapestry, while Fingal played a game with Tomas near the hearth.

“How are we going to stop the greedy bastard? I would be insane to do more than retaliate with similar raids, but I can’t sit back and let him rob me blind, either,” Niall said.

“He seems to be targeting just us,” said Cairbre. “There have been no reports of trouble with other bordering clans.”

“He’s not feuding with other clans,” said Alan.

“He’s not feuding with us, either,” said Diarmad. “They’ve always been a prickly bunch, but that disagreement was resolved years ago.

“Apparently,” said Alan, “No one told Tadhg.”

“Malcolm thinks Matheson has a much bigger target than a few head of livestock,” said Niall.

“What, Duncurra?” Fingal said.

“I have to agree with Malcolm, one way of ensuring the defeat of an opponent is to critically weaken him first,” Niall explained.

“Well, that would be true if a few sheep would critically weaken ye, and it could have in the spring, but not now. Even if that was his intention, it no longer makes sense,” Fingal rationalized.

“There’s no chance Matheson doesn’t know about the wedding?” asked Cairbre.

“I don’t think there is a soul in the Highlands who doesn’t know about the wedding,” scoffed Diarmad.

“Is it possible the greedy bastard just enjoys pilfering our sheep?” Alan asked.

“I don’t think so. These facts don’t add up,” said Fingal. “I know Tadhg Matheson better than any of ye do. He trained with Laird Chisholm when I was there. He is not stupid, and, to be frank, he never struck me as greedy, either.”

“Men change, Fingal,” scoffed Niall.

Fingal didn’t argue with him, but the look on his face clearly told Niall he disagreed.

“Will we raid Matheson again to recover our loss?” asked Diarmad.

Niall considered things for a few moments and said, “I think not. Maybe if I don’t retaliate he will stop. If he raids again, we will know he is after a bigger target, as Malcolm suggests.”

~ * ~

Summer waned, and Duncurra brought in a bountiful harvest. The long days began to shorten, growing cold. In October, Matheson raided yet again. Niall rode out the next morning with Diarmad, Cairbre, and several other men to see the site of the raid. He had not returned by early afternoon. Fingal, too, was away from the keep, having left the previous day to lead a contingent of men to Inverness for supplies. It would be several days before he returned.

Katherine worked hard to prepare the household for the long frigid winter to come, when an unexpected chill arrived. Late on that frosty afternoon, the watch announced MacLennan riders approached. Katherine knew Niall would want Malcolm and his party to be welcomed, so she had rooms readied. She also informed Bridie there would be guests for dinner.

Malcolm arrived accompanied by an older woman with dark hair and dark eyes who was both a little taller and heavier than Katherine. She wore a dark green woolen mantle over a wine colored velvet gown and a gold kirtle that appeared to be made of silk.

Malcolm greeted Katherine heartily, taking both of her hands in his and kissing her on the cheeks. “Katherine, ye are looking very well.” Malcolm smiled. He gave her an appraising look and added, “Ye seem to be adapting nicely to the Highlands.”

“Thank ye. It is very good to see ye again, Laird MacLennan,” Katherine replied.

“Lady Eithne MacIan, I would like to introduce ye to Niall’s wife, Katherine, Katherine, this is Lady Eithne MacIan, the late laird’s wife,” said Malcolm.

Katherine had learned little more about Eithne than Niall had told her that evening at Brathanead. Katherine was under the impression neither of her sons felt particularly close to her. Also, she had heard hints Eithne may have played some role in the MacIan’s financial problems. No one seemed to think Eithne would ever leave Edinburgh, so Katherine certainly had not expected to ever greet her in Duncurra’s great hall.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Eithne, welcome. Please, come warm yourselves by the hearth and have some refreshment,” Katherine said.

Eithne leveled a haughty stare at Katherine before saying, “Katherine, dear, I have heard so much about you. I assumed, as you were a noblewoman from the Lowlands, you would have received proper training in decorum, but evidently not. You will address me as Lady MacIan, and it is unseemly for you to welcome me to my hall.”

Eithne’s insults momentarily stunned Katherine. Over the last few months it had not been necessary to hide her emotions, but she had not buried those skills very deeply. She immediately adopted her long-practiced, unemotional demeanor. “I beg your pardon, Lady MacIan.”

Eithne sauntered into the hall and began giving orders. Eithne’s stiff posture and clear dismissal of Katherine told her Eithne expected a stronger reaction, but Katherine knew this game and played it well. When Edna looked to Katherine for a signal as to whether she should do Eithne’s bidding, Katherine gave her the slightest nod. As Alastair’s widow and Niall’s stepmother, by all rights Eithne held the title of “Lady MacIan.” Therefore, unless Niall said otherwise, she could issue orders at Duncurra. Everyone spent the rest of the afternoon trying to meet Lady MacIan’s demands.

Eithne responded to their efforts by criticizing, correcting, or otherwise throwing barbs, primarily at Katherine. She had spent years honing the skills needed to handle Eithne, but Katherine worried her clanswomen would be hurt. She did her best to be polite, doing everything she could to please her husband’s stepmother. Although he didn’t rush to her defense, occasionally, Laird MacLennan offered a mild chastisement to Eithne. “Now, now, Eithne, don’t ye think ye are being rather harsh with Katherine?”

He did step in firmly when Eithne ordered the staff to remove Katherine and Niall’s things from the laird’s chamber so she could reside there for the duration of her stay, saying, “I’m not sure that is wise, my lady. Niall is laird here.”

“I suppose you are right,” said Eithne, her eyes filling with tears. “My dear Alastair is gone and that chamber will be filled with too many memories. You can put my things in the room next to it. Malcolm, my old friend, it would give me such comfort to know you are near. You should occupy the other chamber on the second floor.” As quickly as they had started, her tears stopped. “See to it, Katherine,” she said imperiously, waving her away.