Page 68 of Promises to Keep

“I think this is the best thing for him, he needs tae learn how tae blend in a family, tae follow orders, tae be turned intae a—”

“Are you going to say a warrior? Because that is—”

“Nae, I was going tae say a man.”

I took a deep breath. “I disagree.”

Magnus’s brow drew down. “On what? On that he needs tae learn tae shew the men of the family some respect? That he needs tae learn his place?”

“Yes, I disagree with you.”

“I never thought I’d say this but m’sister is a bad influence on ye with her high ideas on women.”

“Jesus Christ Magnus, that is the most asinine thing you ever said.”

He said, “Ye ken I am teasin’ on that, but I daena ken how ye can disagree with me on something ye daena ken about. I think I ken how tae raise a young man tae adulthood in his clan.”

“You might know more than I on that, but you don’t know diddly-squat about raising a young modern man to adulthood in the year 2024. I bet I know a lot more about that, and the truth is, Lochinvar is a modern man. He has been ruined for the past, for better or worse. The other night when he stopped fighting it was because of an Eminem song! He has modern tastes, he can’t live back in time and be happy or even content and... I think it’s going to require happiness and wanting to please the people around him to make him want to behave. Who here does he want to impress?”

“I think he will grow tae admire Sean and Craigh and Liam given a chance.”

“He respects and admiresyou. He admires Quentin and James and even Fraoch, he has adopted a clan, and now we’ve taken him away from it.”

Magnus sat down on the bed with his elbows on his knees, shaking his head. “I daena think ye are right on it, Kaitlyn. He must learn tae get along in the world of men.”

I sat down beside him. “What if he’s already done that? He grew up in Dunscaith where his life was worth nothing. He trained to fight, he survived. Maybe he already knows how to get along with men, maybe he needs a different kind of lesson.”

Magnus sighed.

“Is there anything else he can learn from fighting, besides maybe practice? Is there anything he needs to learn about stables? If there’s anything that needs to be learned about getting along in a clan I bet you money Fraoch can teach it to him.”

Magnus nodded, “True. If he can win over Fraoch he could win over anyone.”

“It would be good for Fraoch too, he’s old enough to be a big brother, he—”

“Historically he’s likely old enough tae be his father.”

It was my turn to laugh. “It would be good for Fraoch to take on the role of Baldie, he would be good at that, he ought to be given the chance.”

“I said the same thing tae Fraoch a while back.”

“I think Fraoch would be great in that role and the truth is, the men were disrespecting you, Magnus. He’s fighting for your honor, remember what it was like to have to do that every day? To wake up and have to prove yourself to everyone in the castle? And remember how you despaired that your father left you to do that, didn’t claim you, just left you to be always scrapping about your honor? You’re leaving Lochie to the same fate. He’s been doing that at Dunscaith, he thought he had been rescued and now he’s been told to do it again, by you, a man who he respects and you know what?”

“What?”

“He got down verra pleasingly, as your mother would say, and begged quite properly, and when you told him what to do, he listened. If you leave him here, he will do his best, he won’t want to let you down, but we might be letting him down.”

“Och, I daena like it when ye disagree with me like this.”

“Because I am right?”

“Aye, ye are right on it.” Magnus exhaled. “We will leave him here while we go tae Paris and look for Lady Mairead, and we will come back for him in a few days. Then we will take him tae Florida with us.”

I kissed him on the cheek and hugged around his shoulders. “Thank you for listening!”

He pulled me back on the bed and leaned up on an arm and talked to my absolutely flat stomach. “Dost ye hear yer mother, wee’un? She is arguin’ against me, but tis because her heart is so big so I hope ye will like her anyway.”

I wrapped a finger in his curl and sprung it away from his face. “You really think there’s a baby there?”

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