Highland Solution (9 page)

“Port-cull-iss,” Tomas tried the word.

Tomas seemed enthralled, but to his surprise Katherine did, too, so Niall continued to describe the fortress. “The wall is very tall and thick near the bottom, but it becomes lower as the crag rises.”

“If it is low, couldn’t someone just climb over it?” Tomas asked.

“Where the wall is lower, the edge of the crag drops straight into the water. It would be very hard to climb out of the water, up the crag, and over the wall.”

“Why do you need a wall there, then?”

“To keep wee lads and other people from falling off the edge of the crag. Ye are never to climb on that wall, Tomas, it is very dangerous. Do ye understand?”

“Aye, I understand,” Tomas replied seriously.

Niall went on, “Do you see the two tall towers?”

“Aye.”

“Well, the men in those towers can see us, too, even though we are still quite a long way from Duncurra. What do ye think they would do if we were an enemy?”

“Close the port-cull-iss?” Tomas asked, wide-eyed.

“Aye, they would do that, but they would also have plenty of time to prepare for a fight to defend the castle. It is very hard to sneak up on Duncurra without being seen.”

~ * ~

Katherine realized how true those words were as they reached the village. Word of their approach must have spread, because it seemed that the whole clan had turned out to meet them. As Niall’s clan called words of welcome to them, Katherine smiled at them, quietly taking in her surroundings. She realized painfully that Duncurra was impoverished. Everything was well cared for but she saw signs of disrepair. Many of the cottages needed roof or wall repairs and the wall circling the crag was crumbling in places. Most distressing, however, was seeing the villagers themselves. They were thin, their clothes were threadbare, and none of them wore shoes.

During the ride from Cotharach, she had given a lot of thought as to how Niall had become involved in her uncle’s scheme to seize her lands and the leadership of her clan. Not completely naïve, she knew Niall wanted her wealth badly enough to agree to marry her sight unseen, relinquishing his other rights, but she hadn’t known why. She understood many men measured their success by their financial worth. Still, although she knew very little about Niall, after spending the last ten days with him, she had trouble believing he fell into this category. Now his reasons stood all around her. He had married her because he needed her dowry for his clan. She fully understood and respected that decision and she knew, in the same circumstances, she would have made a similar choice for the sake of her own people.

~ * ~

As Niall rode through the village with Katherine, he couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking when she saw the poor conditions. Her warm smile and graciousness towards his clansmen appeared genuine. He hadn’t warned her about the rundown state of Duncurra. She had asked him about his home and clan during the evenings they spent together at Brathanead, but she never pushed for more detail than he gave, and he never revealed their desperate circumstances. He expected her condemnation now, but she gave no hint of disapproval. If anything, she appeared concerned.

When they reached the courtyard, Niall helped Katherine dismount. He led her up the stairs, through a set of large double doors, and into the great hall. The great hall connected the keep’s two large towers. Normally a flurry of activity, it was even more crowded than usual because of all of the people who came to greet them.

“Welcome to Duncurra, Katherine,” he said.

~ * ~

Katherine looked around the great hall with interest. The most impressive feature was a massive hearth standing directly across the room from the entry doors. She noticed four doorways, one in each corner of the hall. “Where do those doors lead?”

“These two in the front lead to the two towers. The left rear door exits to the kitchen and the other one leads to the buttery.”

“The floors are timber,” she noticed.

“Aye, there is a level below this one, mostly used for storage.”

Katherine noticed a large refectory table surrounded by wooden chairs, standing near the far end of the hall by the hearth. Although it wasn’t on a raised dais, she assumed it was the laird’s table. Benches and trestle tables were stacked against the side walls, but she saw no other furniture. The room’s only adornment, a frayed tapestry, hung over the hearth. While not as richly appointed as Cotharach, everything was clean, and fresh, and sweet rushes covered the floor.

Niall introduced her to Edna, the widow in charge of his household staff. Edna, a tiny ball of efficiency, was shorter than Katherine by several inches. Katherine admired her no-nonsense air. She remembered with amusement that Edna was the object of Turcuil the giant’s affection. Having met her now, Katherine understood why the energetic little woman left him tongue-tied when she was near. She had no doubt Edna could be every bit as fierce as any giant.

Niall also introduced her to an older couple, perhaps close to three score in years. Small, balding, and bookish Hendry, the steward, had an air of authority as palpable as Edna’s. His strong, sturdy wife, Bridie, managed the kitchens, and while she was courteous, Katherine felt stark disapproval from the older woman.

Excited about finally reaching Duncurra, Katherine looked around eagerly. Just as Niall had described to her, the women wore a full belted
léine
under an
airisaidh
. Additionally, Bridie, Edna, and many of the other women wore a triangular white veil. She wanted to ask them about it and generally learn more about her new home and clan. Therefore, she felt profoundly disappointed when Niall said, “Edna will introduce ye to the rest of the staff over the next few days. I have been away now for almost a month and I must attend to some business that can wait no longer. She will show ye to our chamber now. I want ye to rest.”

Katherine hesitated, she didn’t need to rest, and there was so much she wanted to know. Her primary concern was what would happen to Tomas. She realized when she had made the decision to bring the lad, she was not thinking beyond his immediate safety. She wanted to ask Niall about it now.

When she didn’t move to leave immediately, Niall arched an eyebrow at her and, in a chilly tone, asked, “Did ye misunderstand me?”

Surprised by his obvious displeasure, she answered, “Nay, Laird, I was going to ask you a question, but it will wait.”

The look on his face told her the formal address irritated him and his voice was clipped when he responded, “Very well. I will join ye soon.” Edna cringed and a quick glance around told Katherine others, too, noted the laird’s annoyance.

She nodded, embarrassed, before following Edna to the east tower. As they walked, Edna explained that the ground floors of both towers contained armories and some store rooms. The laird’s family occupied the upper floors of the east tower, where there were rooms for guests as well.

“Laird MacIan’s chamber is on the second floor and Fingal’s is on the third. Although Diarmad isn’t family strictly speaking, he also has a room on the third floor,” she explained. “The unmarried members of the laird’s elite guard have rooms in the west tower. Hendry and Bridie also live in the west tower, as do my children and I. Some of the servants and unmarried men-at-arms sleep on the floor of the great hall, but many live in the village.”

Edna showed her into Niall’s sparsely furnished chamber. It contained a large bed, a chest, a wardrobe, two wooden chairs, a small table, and a washstand. The faded green bed hangings looked threadbare but clean and a woolen counterpane covered the coarse linen sheets. Katherine walked over to the room’s one window to look out, saying, “Oh, my, the view of the loch is beautiful.”

“Is there anything else ye need, my lady?” Edna asked.

“Nay, not really. I would like to learn more about Duncurra,” Katherine attempted a warm smile, but she felt a little lost. She wished Edna would stay and chat with her a bit.

Edna herself seemed reluctant to go, but said gently, “My lady, there will be plenty of time for that later. Ye have just arrived after a long journey, and ye have been very ill. The laird wishes ye to rest, so ye should. He would not be happy with either of us if we ignore his order.”

“I suppose he wouldn’t. I am just not in the habit of spending so much time resting.”

“Well, then, take advantage of it while ye can. When ye are fully recovered, I’m sure ye’ll find there is never a shortage of work.”

Katherine laughed. “I’m sure there isn’t.”

“If there is nothing ye need, I’ll leave ye to rest now,” and Edna left, closing the door behind her.

~ * ~

Fingal was concerned when he saw the clan’s response to Lady Katherine. Highland clans tended to be very insular; even if Lady Katherine had been from another Highland clan, it would take her a while to fit in. However, being an outsider made it much worse. Niall’s callous dismissal of her as soon as they entered the keep did nothing to alleviate the problem. If anything, it was a signal to the clan that he was less than pleased with his new bride.

According to Diarmad, the clan was ecstatic because of the financial security resulting from the union, and they considered Lady Katherine lucky to wed their laird.
Lucky?
Fingal thought no one who truly knew Niall would consider the lass lucky. The snatches of conversation he heard were impossible to ignore.

“Can ye believe she has the nerve to show herself like that?”

“Lowlanders must all be hussies.”

“She is obviously an embarrassment to the laird.”

Although he hadn’t given it much thought until then, he knew what the women were gossiping about. No decent, married Highland woman would appear in public without covering her hair. For them, the linen
brèid,
or kertch, was similar to wearing a wedding band. He shook his head in disgust at their reaction. Rather than thinking Lady Katherine might be unaware of the custom, the women saw it as an insult to the laird. Sadly, he realized this would be the first of many “mistakes” the women of the clan would tally against their laird’s new wife.

As he pondered this, he saw Edna reenter the hall. She appeared angry and strode toward the back door leading to the kitchens. Curious, Fingal followed her. He stopped outside the kitchen and was not surprised to find the women had gathered there to gossip, making no effort to keep their voices down. Although overseeing the preparation of the evening meal, Bridie led the charge, saying “A brazen thing she is, walking in here on the laird’s arm like that.”

“Aye,” said another woman, “then it’s off to bed with her for a nap. Weak she is.”

“Or plain lazy,” added another.

Then to his surprise he heard banging on the table, and in a manner befitting the laird, he heard Edna yell, “Enough!” The women grew silent.

“The ‘brazen thing’ about whom ye are speaking is our laird’s wife. Can any of ye holy women tell me how that lass was supposed to know our traditions? Do ye think the MacLennan women would have been more gracious than ye, or did ye expect our laird or the other big eejits who brought her here worried about whether she covered her hair or not?” Fingal heard only guilty silence.

“Bridie, who tied your kertch on ye and asked for God’s blessing the day after your wedding? Caolan, Seanna, who did yours?” The women didn’t answer. “My mother did and I suspect your mothers, or another woman who loved ye, did the same for each of ye. Who blessed this child? The uncle who beat her half to death? She has no mother, nor, it seems, any compassionate clanswoman to guide her.”

Fingal smiled, the silence told him the women were sufficiently embarrassed, but Edna continued. “What other choice words did I hear? ‘Weak?’ Was it ‘lazy’ ye called her, Caolan? The laird ordered her to rest and he was right to do so. Alan said he didn’t think she was going to live through the night when they arrived at Brathanead less than a sennight ago. Do ye begrudge a lass who has been that ill a rest after a long day’s journey?”

Again her indictment was met with ringing silence. “Perhaps none of ye have stopped to think about this, but it seems to me the king, the lass’s uncle, and our laird have all benefitted in one way or another by this marriage, but I am hard pressed to see any benefit to the lass herself. And don’t tell me being wed to him is benefit enough. If ye are honest, most of ye know as well as I do marriage to him will not be easy.”

Well, trust Edna to be blunt
, thought Fingal with a grin, but her last weapon was clearly meant to lay them low.

“I suspect Lady Katherine will do many things over the next few months that all of ye might find odd or even insulting, but before ye decide to spew any more venom, remember Lady Katherine’s wealth saved this clan, and see if ye can find a bit of compassion in your hearts for her.”

Eight

Niall intended only to address the most urgent issues, but as usual they were all urgent and it took longer than he thought it would. Just before the evening meal, he finally joined Katherine in his chamber expecting to find her asleep. Instead, she stood looking out the window and the bed hadn’t been disturbed. “I am fairly certain I told ye to rest,” he said, more than slightly irritated.

“I did rest,” she answered. “You didn’t say sleep, but I couldn’t have anyway. I rested in the chair and now I’m resting looking out the window,” she said with a smile.

He was not amused. “Katherine, ye knew what I meant. If I ask ye to do something, I want no argument. I expect ye to do it.”

Katherine considered that statement for a moment before replying with a slightly cheeky grin, “Perhaps then, you will be more specific with your next order.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Let me try again. Come here and kiss me, wife,” he commanded. She crossed the room into his arms and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. “That is not at all what I had in mind,” he said, and lowered his lips to hers, giving her a passionate, soul-stirring kiss. “That, my sweet little wife, is a kiss.”