Medieval Ever After (67 page)

Maddie laughed and said, “I would love to meet your dogs, but for now, I am quite hungry.” She sat at the table and turned to Brenna. “Thank you for the use of your beautiful gown. I have not worn anything this lovely in a long time.” She had not had a new gown made since her parents had passed away. Kenneth always told her there was not enough money for new cloth. Dressed in this soft velvet gown, she almost felt pretty.

“You are stunning in it, Maddie. I think it was made for you. I hope it is not too tight against your back.”

“Nay, Fiona placed extra linen on my back. I am comfortable. Thank you for your concern.”

“I will change your bandages later and apply more salve. Why don’t you have some porridge and we can talk if you like.” Brenna patted Maddie’s hand and said, “Mayhap you would like to tell me what has happened to you.”

Maddie sighed. “It pains me too much. I would rather not talk about Kenneth yet.”

“Can you tell me about Niles Comming? How long have you been betrothed to him? Have you even met him?”

Maddie’s gut clenched at the very thought of the man. Would she ever be able to discuss anything about the Comming without feeling ill?

“Aye, we have met, and it was not pleasant. I will not marry the man, no matter what Kenneth says.” Maddie’s face turned red as she stared at her hands in her lap. She wanted to forget everything that had transpired between them. “I will find my way to a convent if I must.” Unable to stop her fidgeting, she whispered, “May we discuss this later?”

“Aye, we will do whate’er you wish today,” Brenna offered. “Mayhap you would enjoy a walk outside and I can show you around the bailey.”

“I would appreciate that. Thank you.” Maddie nodded, forcing a smile. She fought back tears, determined not to cry in front of Brenna. How had she gotten to this point? Now she was dependent on people not of her clan. They would be feeding her, clothing her. She would take up a chamber in a place where she did not really belong. How she hated her stepbrother for putting her in this situation.

What was she to do with her life now? She had no other relatives, at least, not to her knowledge. She had no dowry, and she had lost her maidenhead to the Comming. Who would marry her now? Her life was in a shambles and she had nowhere to turn. She reminded herself of one of her mother’s sayings: worry about the little steps, not the big ones.

She decided that would be her goal for today, to focus on the little steps, not the big ones—like Alexander Grant.

RESCUED BY A HIGHLANDER

CHAPTER NINE

As Brenna and
Maddie stepped outside, a warm fall breeze blew their skirts into the air. Maddie giggled, grabbing her skirts before they reached the tops of her knees. Wee Jennie skipped along beside them, the dogs following at her heels. Maddie noted the pride in Brenna’s eyes as they made their way through the herb garden. Since Brenna was the clan’s healer, naturally she would spend a great deal of time here. She caught the faint aromas of parsley and basil as the wind whipped around them.

They strolled on to the vegetable garden next. Maddie’s eyes feasted on the plethora of purples, golds, and oranges in neat rows, but the best part of this garden was the view. Gazing at the rippling surface of the loch, she could almost hear the distant lapping of the water on the banks. Maddie turned her face to the sky to take in the wind, sighing as the sun warmed her cheeks. She smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, reminded of some of the beautiful gifts the Lord offered daily. Perhaps the quiet of a convent would indeed be right for her. Then she could spend her days in the gardens, enjoying the sweet solitude of nature.

She beamed at Brenna. “This must be your favorite place. The view of your lands is beautiful.”

“’Tis no’ my favorite place, Maddie,” Jennie remarked. “My sister makes me work hard in the dirt sometimes. I don’t like it. I would prefer to play with my dogs.”

Laughing at the child’s honesty, Maddie ran her fingers through Jennie’s dark curls. “I think you have hair just like your brother’s.” She furrowed her brow, wondering where that thought had come from. She had not intended to think about Alex.

Brenna guided her to the chapel. Maddie approached the inside carefully, as if opening a special package. Her eyes teared up as she ran her fingers along the smooth carvings with reverence, taking in the details of the lovely woodwork. She was reminded of the chapel Kenneth had turned into another armory. How she missed the beauty of prayerful silence in that place.

“Brenna, do you have a priest that lives here?” She loved how sound resonated in that lovely space.

“Nay, we have a traveling priest, Father MacGregor. He is a wonderful priest, but he has several places in the Highlands he likes to visit. He is due to visit again soon.”

“Father MacGregor! Oh, how wonderful!” Maddie could not help but clasp her hands together in excitement. “I have not seen him since my parents’ death. He used to visit us as well, but he stopped coming long ago. I thought mayhap it was due to ill health. But he is well?”

“Aye, he was hale the last time we saw him.”

“You will not mind if I visit the chapel on my own?”

“Of course not. You may use it whenever you like.” Brenna opened the heavy door for Maddie and they headed back out into the sunlight, catching up with Jennie and her dogs who seemed to be living in their own world.

Brenna pointed out many of the buildings as they strolled through the bailey, including the storehouses, the buttery, and the blacksmith. Madeline was introduced to many of the clan. She had to admit she enjoyed meeting them. They were all friendly and helpful, and no one seemed threatening. The hard worklan Grant was evident in everything she observed. She was reminded of what her own small clan had been like before her da had passed.

As they moved on to the armory, Maddie’s discomfort from her ribs and her back grew more acute. She sighed as she realized she would be suffering through another healing challenge. Quietly praying, she begged the Lord for the strength to endure her tribulations without complaint. This, combined with thoughts of her parents, usually helped her to continue suffering in silence.

“Maddie, would you like to return to the castle? Mayhap you should rest a bit? Is your back paining you?”

“Nay, I am fine. I am used to working after my beatings. What about you, do you normally take rest after Alex disciplines you?” Maddie raised her eyes to meet Brenna’s.

She jumped at the other woman’s sharp intake of breath. Jennie froze in her path.

“Och, nay, Maddie, Alex does not beat us,” Brenna said softly. “Jennie, take the dogs to the stables, would you?

Maddie nodded her head after Jennie left and continued on. She tried her best to hide her emotions, but her mind was in turmoil. Alex didn’t beat them?

Kenneth beat the servants whenever he had a whim, and she had seen Laird Niles Comming swing at Kenneth’s servants as well as his own. Wasn’t that what all lairds did? Kenneth had said it was the only way to keep the servants in line. Of course, she could never beat anyone. One time a maid accidentally tore her favorite gown, but she had not even said a cruel word to her. The thought of slapping viciously for something so small did not sit well with her.

Hope rose in her heart. Was Alex truly a laird who didn’t beat his people? A laird more like her kind father in temperament than her brother and the Comming?

Maddie had mixed feelings about Alexander Grant. He made her shiver, that much she knew, but she was not afraid of him. And she was so, so grateful to him for having rescued her.

Though she did not know what had brought the Grants to her keep, she was thankful for it. Yet she could not reconcile the confusion this one man was causing her heart. Sometimes her breath caught when she dared peek at him. This morning in the great hall, she had been struck by how devastatingly handsome he was, especially when free of dirt and grime. She wondered why he had not married yet since he could surely have his choice of lasses. Who would reject him?

Surely, Alex would not be interested in someone as plain as Madeline. Kenneth had always delighted in informing her that due to her sour appearance, he was fortunate to find anyone willing to marry her. Madeline knew she wasn’t beautiful, and besides, she no longer had the dowry to attract a respectable match.

Saints above, why was she thinking about marriage? She would never get married. If she married a man, he would expect to touch her…and do much more than that. What was Alex doing to her mind? Madeline shook her head to sweep the cobwebs from her brain. She forced herself to focus her attention back on Brenna.

From the inner bailey, they traveled to the stables, where Brenna introduced her to the stable master, Hugh.

“Old Hugh has been with us forever. He really knows our horses,” Brenna said with pride. “Hugh, this is Lady Madeline, a dear friend who will be staying with us awhile.”

Maddie smiled at the stable master. “It is nice to meet you, Hugh. You remind me of our own stable master, Mac. He is married to my maid, Alice, and I love them both dearly.”

“And obviously they love you dearly, too, my lady. My laird told me ‘twas the stable master who sent the missive about your stepbrother.”

“I am aware, but I worry about them now. Kenneth can be very cruel when he wants to be, especially to servants. He beat all of servants on a regular basis, but he was never allowed to touch Alice because she was my mother’s maid. Who knows what will happen now?”

Maddie’s mood darkened as they continued with their jaunt around the bailey. Many of the children they passed watched them with fascination, and some even followed behind them.

Madeline rustled the hair on one of the weans and smiled. “If you like, I would be happy to return and tell you a story.”

The wee lassie nodded her head and gave Madeline’s leg a hug. Maddie glanced over her shoulder as she walked away. “I will be back, I promise.” The children waved to them and promised to wait for her to return.

Maddie stopped walking when they reached the lists, gaping at the sea of swords and shields. What an impressive sight to see such a large number of warriors, all following Alex’s lead. She had no trouble picking him out. Taller than most, he was training a few of the younger guards at the periphery of the field. Her palms filled with sweat from the nearness of so many men, but she knew it was time to express her gratitude for her rescue. Her mother had taught her to be forthright about expressing appreciation for any hard work that had been done on her behalf. Her manners would not allow her to overlook such a risky deed.

“Brenna, if you don’t mind, I would like to speak to your brother for a moment.”

***

Alex turned at the sound of people approaching the lists, and his gaze immediately found Madeline. He noted how she carefully kept her distance from his men as she walked in his direction. The closer she came, the more his throat constricted and his chest tightened. Devil take it, what strange power did this lass have over him?

Maddie tentatively stepped closer to Alex. “My laird, may I have a moment of your time?” She nodded briefly at the guards, who all stared at her with eager smiles on their faces.

Alex removed his helmet and replied, “Of course, my lady.” He glared at his guards before he spanned the distance separating him from her. “How may I assist you?”

“Laird Grant,” she started, “I fear I have not thanked you and your brother properly for risking your lives to come to my aid. I am truly grateful that you were able to hasten me away from my stepbrother without causing harm to anyone.”