Page 30 of Bride Takes a Charmer (Highland Vows & Vengeance #3)
She almost grinned at the lad’s excitement. Most lads liked being in the busy stable. Before he crossed the threshold, she called out, “I shall come and get you before the evening meal.”
Shaw watched the boy leave then turned and motioned to his sister. “Corliss, tell us… How long do ye plan to stay?”
Corliss took a sip of her drink and made a face, then set the cup down and gave it a look of distaste, pushing it away from her before she returned her attention to Shaw. “Since Idris and I are now homeless, we hoped to beg for your hospitality.”
“There’s no need to beg, sister. This shall always be your home,” Shaw said. “There is a small chamber available within the keep unless ye want to stay in a cottage. I am sure we can find a vacant one…”
“I prefer to stay within the keep,” Corliss said and pressed her hand on her husband’s forearm. “Does that suit ye, husband?” The man nodded but said nothing.
Sorsha wondered how close Shaw was to his sister. There seemed to be an easiness between them and he smiled when he offered her a place to stay. Yet Idris had spoken not a word since he’d arrived so Sorsha thought to include him. “And how was the journey, Idris? How far have you traveled?”
Idris, a man whose looks put him in a somewhat lower category than Shaw, shrugged. He appeared thin-bodied, so she took that as if he hadn’t wielded weapons much. Not only did he appear lanky, but he had a weak, pointy chin, and his reddish-brown hair barely covered his head.
“My clan resided by the borders, Milady, near Lothian. We were recently ousted by the Cummings clan and until we can recoup what we have lost—”
Corliss interjected, “I wrote to ye, Shaw, and told ye about our unfortunate situation. Our home was sacked and burned. There was naught left and we fled for our lives.”
Shaw nodded. “I received your missive, Corliss, but I am unsure why the Cummings would attack your clan. Idris, are ye not on good terms with them? I thought your clan had a treaty of a sort with the Cummings Clan by way of the Chattans?”
“We had, but no longer. Geoff assures me that he will aid me in regaining lands for my clan. When I can do so, my brethren will return to me. Of that, I do not worry.”
“How does Geoff plan to retake the lands? Will he offer his army to assist ye in a war?” Shaw’s face turned grim with the narrowing of his eyes and a small pout on his lips.
“He assures me that even if I am unable to regain my family’s lands, I will have a place to call home. Corliss and I are gladdened ye welcomed us here.”
Corliss spoke up then. “Oh, indeed, brother. Geoff was most welcoming as well but I was impatient to get to ye so we only stayed a night.”
Sorsha was about to make her excuses to leave and attend her duties when Corliss finally addressed her. “So ye are now the lady of the Mackintoshes?”
Fortunately, Shaw saved her from having to answer the woman. “Indeed, she is. King Alexander offered her as a bride. I am well pleased by it too.”
His sister pursed her lips. “I see that ye are. And ye, Lady Mackintosh—”
“Sorsha, please… I hope to become close to you, sister. Shaw is happy at your homecoming.”
Corliss made no response either in word or expression about Sorsha’s aim to make her feel welcome. “Were those your children? The two wee scamps that just left?”
“The lass is mine. Her name is Gillian and she has recently returned from the Chattan clan.” When Corliss looked at her questioningly, Sorsha expounded, “I was previously married to Rodick Chattan. He was Gillian’s father.
Shaw meantime recently rescued the lad and we took him in. He was alone and—”
Corliss made another sour face and waved at her dismissively.
“I detest children. They always get in the way or make a mess of things.” Then her lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Ye were married to Rodick? That explains much…If ye ask me, Lady Mackintosh, ye probably would have been better off leaving his child there…with the Chattans.”
Sorsha pursed her lips at the woman’s haughtiness. She didn’t want to dislike Shaw’s sister, but any woman who abhorred children wasn’t a sort with whom she could be easily friendly. “She is my daughter too. Of course, I wanted her to be with me.”
Corliss gave another dismissive wave and, finished with her, turned back toward Shaw.
“Ye are still taking in the unfortunates, Shaw? Ye have not changed since we were young. I do not see why ye bother to take in the orphans. Better to let the Church see to them. Do ye not have enough mouths to feed here within our clan?”
Shaw frowned, seemingly unwilling to retort to his sister’s outlandish claim.
But then a light smile set upon his mouth and he nodded.
“Oho, aye, we have a good following now and our soldiers’ numbers have increased…
all by taking in the so-called unfortunates.
We are blessed to be able to help others especially children who might otherwise starve. ”
“Ye always gave out handouts. I suppose Mamo encourages ye to do so? She always complimented ye when ye were younger about your altruism.” Corliss took a sip of her ale and blanched again before setting the cup back on the table.
Sorsha rose and couldn’t leave the hall fast enough. “I shall go and see where we might put you up while you are here.” She didn’t await a farewell from Shaw or his crass sister. Idris was even more ungracious with his unrelenting stare.
Sorsha rushed out of the back of the keep and entered the kitchen. She found Mamo and Gillian there, helping Edra by kneading dough. “Ah, there you are. You are behaving?” she asked Gillian. Her daughter dropped the wad of dough that she held and peered at her.
“Oh, indeed she is,” Mamo said.
Edra approached and set a small basket of carrots on the table. “I am making rabbit stew for supper, Milady. Will that suit for the evening meal?”
“Sounds delicious. But it appears I need to prepare a bedchamber for Shaw’s sister and her husband.”
“We will need to clean out a chamber for there are none readied,” Edra said. She wiped her hands on an apron that wrapped around her body. “Let us tend to it.”
“Can we make certain it is far from my bedchamber?” Sorsha’s shoulders tensed after she spoke such words. She wasn’t sure if Corliss was liked by the maid. But she was relieved by Edra’s response.
“If I had my way, Milady, I’d put her in a cottage beyond the bridge. But och, our laird would not be too pleased by that. He’s always cared for his sister, and she can do no wrong in his eyes. He is a good, kind man.”
“’Tis the truth,” Mamo said. “Unlike my grandson, my granddaughter is self-serving, lass, so protect yourself against her. She shall have ye obeying her every command if ye give in too easily.”
Sorsha took the basket of carrots from Edra and began cutting them for the evening meal.
The sharp kitchen dagger allowed her to work out some aggression.
It seemed Shaw’s sister was most discourteous.
Until she could glean Shaw’s feelings about his sister, Sorsha would be as kind and placating as possible.