“Sleep, lass,” he murmured. “You need your rest.”
Too fuzzy and sated to argue, she closed her eyes before she even realized she’d done so. Her last coherent thought was that he was far superior to ale as a sleeping drought.
Chapter 21
Mairin let out a lusty yawn and stretched her arms over her head. She was so limber from her bout of loving with Ewan that her side didn’t even pain her.
Then she realized that despite her determination to be out and about, she’d spent half the day in her chamber. With a frown, she rose, grumbling under her breath about husbands and trickery.
He’d done it apurpose, she was convinced of it. He’d taken her to their chamber on the pretext of tending her wound and then distracted her with loving. And to think she’d ever thought he wasn’t skilled in such matters.
He was too skilled by far.
This time when she left her chamber, Gannon met her directly outside her door. She looked at him in astonishment as he picked himself up off the floor.
“Have you been outside my door all afternoon?”
“Aye, my lady. ’Tis my duty to see to your safety. You have a habit of disappearing, so Cormac and I drew straws to see who would safeguard the chamber door.”
She frowned, not liking the idea that she was such a distasteful duty that they were forced to draw straws over the unpleasant task.
She headed toward the stairs, determined to see Maddie without any interference from her husband or her watch guards.
Cormac was in the hall sharing a tankard of ale with a few of the older men of the clan.
“Have you seen Crispen about?” she called to Cormac.
“Nay, my lady. Last I knew of him, he was out playing with the other children. Would you like me to fetch him?”
“Oh nay, let him play. I have no need of him at the moment.”
Cormac rose and started in Mairin and Gannon’s direction, but she held up her hand. “I am only going to see Maddie. Gannon can escort me. Can’t you, Gannon?”
“Aye, my lady. If ’tis all you’re planning.”
“Of course. ’Tis getting on into the afternoon. ’Twill be dark soon enough.”
Gannon relaxed. He nodded in Cormac’s direction and then gestured for Mairin to precede him from the hall.
Mairin set out at a brisk pace, determined for anyone who saw her to think she was fully recovered from her accident. By the time she reached Maddie’s cottage, she was winded and she leaned against the door for support as she sucked in air.
After recovering her breath, she knocked politely on the door and waited. She frowned when no response was forthcoming.
“Maddie isn’t in her cottage, my lady,” one of the women sang out from one cottage down. “She’s helping Gertie in the kitchens.”
“Thank you,” Mairin called.
“Would you like to go to the kitchens?” Gannon asked politely.
The thought of encountering Gertie was enough to persuade Mairin she could wait to speak to Maddie. It wasn’t as if she could do much of anything today anyway.
She turned in the direction of the keep and came to a stop and stared at the ruckus right in the middle of the path that split the cottages. Two older men were carrying on quite a spirited conversation, complete with shaking fists and fiercely worded threats.
“What on earth are they arguing about, Gannon?”
“Oh ’tis nothing you need to worry over, my lady,” Gannon said. “ ’Tis only Arthur and Magnus.”
He tried to steer her down the path, but she remained rooted to her spot as the men’s voices grew louder.
“Quit yer shouting you old goats!”
Mairin blinked in surprise at the woman leaning out her window hollering at the two men. Arthur and Magnus paid her no mind and continued their argument. It quickly became clear to Mairin that the dispute centered around the mare that stood between the two men, looking quite unimpressed with the goings-on.
“Who does the mare belong to?” Mairin whispered. “And why do they argue so fiercely over it?ȝ
Gannon sighed. “ ’Tis an old argument, my lady. And they do enjoy a good argument. If it wasn’t the mare, it would be something else.”
One of the men turned and started to stomp down the path, shouting all the way that he was going straight to the laird.
Thinking quickly, Mairin stepped in his way and he pulled up just short of running right over her.
“Watch where you’re going, lass! Now step aside, if you please. I have business with the laird.”
“You’ll be respectful and mind your tongue, Arthur,” Gannon growled. “ ’Tis your mistress you address.”
Arthur narrowed his eyes and then cocked his head to the side. “Aye, so it is. Shouldn’t you be abed after your mishap?”
Mairin heaved a sigh. The news was all over the keep, no doubt. She had no desire to appear weak when she assumed her duties as mistress. She was already mentally calculating all that needed to be done. With or without Maddie’s aid, it was time she stepped into the running of the keep.
“Step aside,” Magnus declared. “You have the manners of a jackass, Arthur.”
He smiled at Mairin then and offered a sweeping bow. “We haven’t been properly introduced. My name’s Magnus McCabe.”
Mairin returned his smile and was sure to include Arthur, lest he use that as an excuse to start another argument.
“I couldn’t help but overhear you arguing over the mare,” she began hesitantly.
Arthur snorted. “That’s because Magnus has a mouth the size of a mountain.”