Page 47 of Bride Takes a Charmer
“Aye, Milady. My mama and papa are not coming back, are they?” Tears welled in Luthor’s eyes as realization came.
“I am afraid they cannot return to you.” Sorsha pressed her hand on his head and sighed. “I know how sad you must be because I too lost my parents. As has Shaw. But we must always hold them in our hearts.”
“Lad, ye know that we care about ye. Milady Sorsha hopes that ye will find it acceptable to consider her your mama. But we will give ye time to think about it. Will that suit ye?”
Luthor peered at them and his chin slowly bobbed. He got off Sorsha’s lap and faced them. “I do need a new mama and papa. Maybe… Will my mama and papa be ireful if I say aye? Will they think I forgot them?”
Shaw knelt in front of him and set his hand on his shoulder. “Nay, lad, not at all. If anything, they would understand that ye are trying to accept a new family. They would not deem ye forgot them. I am sure of that.”
Sorsha wiped at the tears in her eyes. “Your parents would want you cared for and protected. We want to give you a home, Luthor.”
Shaw grabbed his small hand and gently squeezed it. “We can be your family if ye want us to be. Ye do not have to answer right now. Take some time to think about it. We will not force ye to stay here or to call us mama or papa.”
Luthor’s cheeks streamed with trickling tears. He nodded, turned away from them, and left the hall. Shaw followed him to the entrance of the great hall and watched him take the steps to the upper solar. The lad needed to be alone.
Shaw appreciated his need for solitude. Likely Luthor wanted to weep in privacy without being seen as weak.
Sorsha stood next to him and leaned on the opposite side of the doorjamb. “The poor lad. I should go and tend to him.”
“Nay, give him a moment or two. He is a growing lad and right now needs a wee bit of time alone.” Shaw took her in his arms and embraced her. “Weep not, love. He will accept us. Even if he does not, he shall remain here until he is old enough to care for himself.”
“But I want him to want us…” Sorsha pressed her face against his chest.
“We shall have a quiet supper this eve, just the four of us.” Shaw pressed her toward the steps. “Bring the children later to the hall. I will tell Edra to bring the food early so we can spend the evening with them.”
“That is a fair idea, Shaw.” Sorsha left him and he hastened to the kitchens. On the way, the delicious scent of stew wafted to him. He spotted his sister leaving and she smiled at him as she passed. When he entered the stone building, he could tell Edra was in a foul temper because she stirred the stew briskly, almost sloshing the broth over the edge of the pot. Had Corliss angered Edra? He surmised she had but asked anyway, “Mistress… What troubles ye?”
She gasped and pressed her hands to her chest. “Oh, Laird, ye frightened me. I did not hear ye enter. Naught is troubling me, at least, naught that I will allow. What do ye need?” She bowed to him and smiled.
“Something was troubling ye when I entered. Tell me what it was.” Shaw did not like the notion that his maidservant was upset. She worked hard for his household and the last thing he wanted was for someone or something to upset her.
“Honest, Laird, I do not wish to speak of it. ’Tis an unimportant matter. It shall right itself in time. Now, what can I do for ye?”
“Sorsha and I wish to sup with the children earlier this eve. Will ye bring supper soon?”
“I am gladdened to and shall have it brought with haste.” She turned back to the large pot that steamed a delicious scent of stew through the kitchen.
Shaw took a deep breath before retreating from the kitchen. He’d hoped that she would tell him why she’d been irked but alas, he wouldn’t press Edra. Outside, he walked around the keep in his quest to take in the late afternoon air. Corliss called out to him and he turned to find her on the lane in the front of the keep.
“Sister, there ye are. I have not seen ye all day.”
“Shaw, I want a word about your soldiers. They tormented my poor Idris. Idris told me how they attacked him and pulled a dagger on him. They dared to threaten him.” Corliss set her hands on her hips and glared. “Your soldiers need to be punished. What do ye intend to do about it?”
He swiped his hand over his face and groaned under his breath. “It was not all my soldiers, only one, and he did not torment or threaten Idris.”
“He accused him of deceit and tried to stab him. What I want to know is what ye plan to do about it. Surely ye won’t let the man get away with it.”
“I spoke at length with the man and he will not bother your husband again. Rest assured.”
“Very well, but I am not sure if I am appeased or not. We cannot have our clansmen making idle threats against our family, Shaw, or do ye allow such insolence?”
“Nay, I do not. Now I told ye I handled the situation.” Shaw withheld his anger by fisting his hands even though he wantedto lash out about Corliss’s husbands actions. Idris needed to find a way to win over the Mackintosh clansmen. “If Idris wishes to discuss the matter further, tell him to come to me and we will talk. I must return to the keep. Sorsha awaits me.”
Corliss grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. “That is another thing, Brother. Your wife… She is not very adept as the mistress of the keep. If ye wish I can assist her. She has her hands full with those children.”
Shaw tilted his head at his sister’s hostile words. She had spoken with some vehemence in her tone and he liked it not. “Corliss, Sorsha is my wife… She is Lady Mackintosh. She alone has a say over everything to do with the keep and no other. If she asks for your aid, ye will give it. Otherwise, leave her be. And if ye have an issue with my wife, ye will say so now.” He allowed her cadence to spur his ire but he hadn’t meant to sound angry.
“Nay, I have no issue with her. I only thought to offer my assistance.”