Page 19 of The Scot’s Reckless Claim
CHAPTER NINETEEN
E wan awoke feeling like the proverbial bear with the sore head. As he sat up and rubbed his eyes blearily, a horrible pain shot through his head. “Ach, bloody hangover,” he growled, ruing having drunk so much the night before. He looked about and was immediately annoyed to find Annie was not in the tent.
Where the hell is she?
Determined to find her, he forced himself to his feet and, pushing down the nausea washing to and fro in his belly, got into his clothes. He avoided making any sudden movements because of the agony it set off in his head. He splashed some cold water on his face and, feeling marginally more awake, prepared to leave the tent to look for her. But just as he lifted the tent flap, she appeared in front of him, beaming at him, and carrying a billycan.
“I was just comin’ tae look fer ye,” he told her, the relief of seeing her safe softening his frustration. He relaxed as she went to the table, set down the billycan on the table, and beckoned him over. Needing to sit down anyway, he joined her and slumped into a seat.
“I went out tae see the healer again before ye woke up. I kent ye’d be feelin’ terrible after last night, so I thought I’d ask her fer some herbs tae help with yer hangover,” she explained, pouring the brew from the can into a metal mug and handing it to him. “Drink this, and ye’ll feel better.” She sat down, smiling brightly at him.
“Thank ye. That was very thoughtful,” he replied, inhaling the fragrant steam from the mug. “Smells like boiled hay,” he observed, eyeing the greenish liquid with suspicion. He shot her a serious look. “But ye shouldnae have left without tellin’ me, Annie. Never dae that again. ’Tis very dangerous tae go wanderin’ about around here on yer own like that. Ye could have been mistaken fer a spy and gotten hurt by one of the guards.”
He did not mention that he knew full well he should have been the one to be up early, to take care of her. “Ye were attacked by a drunkard just last night, remember? Ye should be the one restin’.”
“I didnae go on me own. Colin escorted me. He said somethin’ about nae trustin’ me tae leave the camp alone,” she explained.
“Oh? Well, that’s somethin’, I suppose,” he replied, feeling a flash of jealousy towards his old friend.
“Anyway, I dinnae feel like restin’. I’m fine. Me bump’s gone down a lot, and I dinnae have a headache anymore. And the healer checked it tae make sure I was fine.”
“That’s good but dae as I say… dinnae go anywhere without me like that again. All right?”
“Aye, all right. Now, drink yer tea.”
He drank it quickly and then rose from the table. “Right, ye stay here and put yer feet up fer a while. I’ll go and get some food, as we both skipped breakfast. I can have a word with the men at the same time. Stay here!” he commanded her.
“I’m nae plannin’ on goin’ anywhere,” she assured him. “Are ye sure ye’ll be all right, getting’ breakfast?” she asked, a teasing note in her voice.
He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin as he strode over to the exit, mentally preparing himself to face the day. “I think I can manage,” he said and stepped outside. He blinked and shaded his eyes with his hand as the bright light lanced painfully through his brain. Last night’s whisky was still beating a tattoo in his head, and as he walked away towards the kitchen wagon, he thought he heard a giggle coming from inside the tent.
A short while later, he and Annie were sitting at the table sharing their meal quietly. The herbal tea Annie had given him—he was now on his second mugful—was slowly banishing his headache. The food was helping too, soaking up the excess alcohol from last night that was still lurking in his system. He was feeling almost back to normal. The fog that had earlier filled his head had mostly cleared, and his mind slowly began working again.
“Ye’re very quiet, Ewan. Is the tea workin’? Are ye feelin’ any better?” Annie asked, scrutinizing him solicitously in between mouthfuls of porridge.
“Aye, I’m feelin’ almost human again. I’m just disappointed that the men I sent out last night didnae find this secret entrance tae the castle that I’m now almost certain exists. It was a shame ye were taken ill last night and we had tae leave the inn early. I was sure Joyce was on the verge of confirmin’ me suspicions about it, what with her havin’ worked there before.”
He noticed she went a little pale before she replied, “Aye, I’m sorry about that. I wasnae really ill, it was so stuffy in there and I just had tae get a breath of fresh air. And then, that man collided with me like that…” She shook her head and gave him a contrite look.
“Ach, it wasnae yer fault. ’Tis frustratin’ though. None of the others found out anything useful either. Folks around here are close-mouthed when it comes tae the Galbraiths,” he said a little morosely.
“’Tis hardly surprisin’, seein’ as this is Laird Galbraith’s land. Of course, they’re gonnae be loyal tae him,” she pointed out, secretly thankful for the villagers’ loyalty to Gregory.
“Aye, but there’s usually a few people who dinnae care as much fer loyalty as fer a few crowns in their pockets. Then there’s the matter of Galbraith’s sister, the one he claims is missin’. I dinnae ken what that’s all about. Apparently, he does have a sister, but if ’tis some sort of ruse or strategy on his part, then I cannae make out the purpose of it.”
“Me neither,” she said, paying close attention to scraping the last bit of soup from the bottom of her bowl. When she looked up, she said, “And as tae this supposed secret entrance tae the castle, I think that’s a load of nonsense cooked up by fanciful folks who love a mystery. I reckon that Joyce is one of them. I could tell she fancied ye, and she was gonnae tell ye what she thought ye wanted tae ken, that is all. I told ye before ye were wastin’ yer time on a fool’s errand.”
“She didnae fancy me!” he retorted, ignoring her skepticism.
“Aye, she did.”
He suddenly grinned, seeing an opportunity to turn the tables on her attempt to provoke him. “Were ye jealous, is that it? Is that why ye wanted tae leave all of a sudden?”
She shot him a sarcastic smile. “If it pleases ye tae think so, then go on foolin’ yersel’.”
He could not help laughing. “Well, even if she did fancy me, she was out of luck. She’s nae me type.”
“Oh? And what is yer type then?” Annie asked teasingly as she pushed away her empty bowl and picked up her mug of tea.
“The unmarried type,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Very funny,” she said, clearly trying not to smile. “Well, I feel better fer havin’ eaten. I didnae realize how hungry I was.” She leaned her elbows on the table, cradling her mug in her hands.
“Is yer head feelin’ all right?” he asked, still concerned for her.
“Aye, nay more than a wee bit of soreness there now,” she told him. “The healer cleaned it again, so I’m nae worried about it gettin’ infected now. She did a good job.” She sent up a silent prayer for Ella’s skill. “Thank ye fer takin’ me tae see her, Ewan.”
“It was necessary,” he told her bluntly. He too dispatched the last of the oatmeal and took up his cup of herbal tea. They sat in companiable silence for a while. Ewan realized he was enjoying the cozy little domestic scene. He had gotten used to Annie always being there.
’Tis as if we’ve been together for ages. Like old friends, or an old married couple.
“This reminds me of when I was a lad,” he suddenly remarked, happy memories returning from the past. “Me maither and faither used tae sit like this at mealtimes. They didnae talk much, but they always seemed content in each other’s company. I miss those carefree days.”
Something he could not name flashed across Annie’s eyes as she looked across at him. He put it down to curiosity when she said, “’Tis the first time ye’ve mentioned yer family tae me. Dae ye have any siblings?”
“Aye, I have a sister, Deidra,” he told her.
“Are ye close?” Isla asked.
“Yes, very. Me parents are both dead and she is the only family I have left She was kidnapped by Allan, nae that long ago… possibly with the help of Laird Galbraith. I immediately went after her and was lucky to find her in Allan’s dungeons and bring her home safely. I saw Galbraith leavin’ the castle when I went tae get her. Those were some of the worst days of me life and ‘tis why I cannae ignore the fact that Galbraith’s sister has been kidnapped. Nay matter that he is me enemy, he must be crazy with worry and nay one deserves that.”
Isla had listened to his confession with utter shock and disbelief, so when he looked at her, she lowered her head abruptly, feeling a great pang of guilt followed by a wave of affection for Ewan. She could not let him see her expression.
“I’m so sorry, Ewan,” she said sympathetically. “And I am sorry both yer parents have left this earth."
“Nay need tae be. It was a long time ago. I still miss me maither, of course, but I suppose I miss me faither the most because he only died a few months before Allan stole me lands and started this bloody war.”
“Were ye very close tae yer faither then?”
“Aye, I was,” he replied, feeling the familiar pang of heartache over losing the loving father who had taught him everything he knew. “He taught me how tae be a good man and a good laird, like he was. D’ye ken, when we were at the village last night, it took me back tae when him and me often used tae visit a particular village on the western border of our lands.
“There was a huge loch there, and he would take me down tae the waterside and teach me how tae fight. He’d make me train fer hours, but it was always fun. I loved bein’ with him, just us two.” The wound of losing his father was still as raw as ever when he pictured those precious times in his mind. Which was why he tried not to think about it too much. He sighed, and when he looked at Annie, he saw she was watching him with rapt attention, her gray-green eyes shining.
“Ye really miss him, I can see,” she said softly.
“Aye, I miss him. Nae a day goes by that I dinnae wish he was still with us. It hurts tae think about him, but I dinnae suppose I’ll ever stop feelin’ that way.”
“Aye, I doubt ye will. And even though such memories bring pain, ye wouldnae wish tae lose them altogether, would ye? I can understand how ye feel, though. I lost both me parents when I was five. I still remember things about them though, the memories are like pictures in me head. I see them in me dreams sometimes. I can remember Maither singin’ tae me and Faither laughin’, carryin’ me about on his shoulders, things like that.”
Ewan stared at her, shocked by her admission, especially since she never spoke about her past. He remained silent for a moment, watching her face. Her expression had become faraway, a mixture of sorrow and affection. “Why, that’s terrible, Annie,” he said at last, his heart going out to her. “It seems like we both ken what it is tae lose those we love, eh?” he added, feeling the connection between them deepening.
“Aye, it would seem so.” She came out of her reminiscence and smiled at him, her eyes luminous. He guessed she was holding back tears. But he was now even more curious about her past and what she was hiding.
“So, who brought ye up, if ye’re parents were gone?” he asked.
“Me grandmaither. She was a wonderful woman, but she was also quite strict. It was because of her that I’ve never traveled much. She was always fearful of the dangers of the outside world, so I was never allowed tae go very far from our home,” she explained a little wistfully.
“And where was that exactly, yer home? Ye described yersel’ as a village lass. Where did ye grow up?” he asked, growing increasingly curious about her background, hoping she might tell him the truth about herself at last. But he realized he had hit a nerve when her expression turned slightly wary, and his heart sank a little. He knew she was about to lie to him again.
“I-I grew up in a village near a town about ten miles or so from here called… Dunham,” she finally told him.
Inwardly, Ewan smiled. “Dunham? Och, I’ve been there a few times. I ken it quite well,” he said, thinking that if she was going to keep lying to him, he might as well have some fun. “I remember takin’ a wee walk by the lake. D’ye ken the one I mean? Near the monastery?”
“Mmm, I ken it.” She tried to sound convincing, but there was something shifty in her eyes.
He continued to test her, wishing she would give up and be honest with him. “And then there’s that pretty stone bridge that goes over the river in the middle of town. What’s the name of that river? Ach, ye must ken it well, Annie, what’s it called?”
When she did not answer, he decided to call her out on it. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, she suddenly stood up and did something he never would have expected and certainly was not prepared for. She leaned across the table and kissed him, smack on the lips.
A shockwave ran through him at the touch of her lips on his, and he only just had time to realize what was happening and start to return the kiss when she broke it off and abruptly withdrew. Her cheeks flared crimson, and she looked horrified as they stared at each other across the table for a few long, silent moments. Ewan felt stupefied, stunned even.
“I must go,” she murmured, her voice shaking. Clearly flustered, she grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair and fled from the tent.
Ewan stared after her, his fingers going to his lips, which were still tingling where hers had touched them.
Did that really just happen? Am I dreamin’, or did she just actually kiss me?
He waited for a few minutes to see if she would return, and when she did not, he grew worried about her, concerned she would try to leave the camp and run away. He could not let that happen, so he put on his boots and went outside to find her. After walking a few hundred yards he spotted her sitting with his men. He watched unseen for a while, but she seemed happy enough, talking and laughing with the others.
She seems safe enough, and she hasnae tried tae leave the camp, so I suppose I can trust her tae stay where she is for the time bein’.
With a storm of emotions raging inside him, he turned away and returned to the tent.