Page 37 of Kilty Plea
He said naught, but held himself as still as a statue.
“There was so much yelling and confusion,” she continued. “Da ran out and I saw them cut him down. Right there in front of us, they just…” She shook her head, flinching again at the memory of the flash of reflected torchlight on the blade. “I held Lenny so he wouldnae see, but eventually the smoke was so bad we had to run outside too.”
“What happened?” Payton’s voice was little more than a rasp.
“They pulled us apart. I saw one of them hit Lenny with something—on his head. He fell and I screamed…that’s all I remember.”
Until she’d woken up, thrown over a horse, on her way to the Abbey.
Behind her, around her, Payton had stilled further, until she wasn’t certain he was breathing. “Who did this?”
“Bandits.” Finally, she forced herself to meet his eyes. “The same bandits who the Abbot requested help wiping out.”
Payton’s breathwhooshedout all at once, and she felt his shoulders slump. “Then I’m glad I killed them. I should’ve made them suffer.”
“Nay,” she choked, then pressed her cheek to his shoulder once more. “They cannae hurt anyone again.”
And ultimately, they were just acting under orders…
Apparently determined to cheer her, Payton made an effort to change the topic, launching into a list of possibilities for Lenny in the coming years. She appreciated that he cared for her little brother and wanted what was best, but ‘twas difficult to consider a future when she didn’t know whereshe’dbe.
Still, they chatted about naught much at all, and soon they were laughing again, and there were even a few kisses throughout the journey.
And when they arrived at the tower house—one of the MacIntyre border holdings, a stone tower surrounded by a pleasing wooden building—she actually gasped aloud.
“Love a duck, Payton, it’slovely!”
“Aye, ‘tis.” He seemed surprised, as if only just realizing. “I havenae been back here in a few years. I dinnae ken why Daniel has complained so much about being forced to live here.”
Flora, who’d had the opportunity to befriend Payton’s next-oldest brother, said, “I can. This holding is much smaller, aye? Look, there’s only the stables and a few outbuildings. No’ even a proper village. Daniel wants to return to the castle, where he can watch over the congregation and say Masses in the church yer grandfather built.”
Lips twitching, Payton glanced down at her. “Aye, ye’re right. He’ll be much happier amid the hustle and bustle of the MacIntyres. But this place…”
He trailed off, and she twisted so she could look up at him.
He was smiling, a satisfied, wistful sort of grin as he looked around.
“This place could be a home,” she whispered, still staring up at him.
He glanced down. “Aye, lass. It could. Would ye like a tour?”
Purple pickles,aye!
Flora didn’t bother to hide her excitement as he showed her the tower house and introduced her to the couple who acted as the housekeeper and steward. The wife had hired a few of the local lassies as maids, and there was a gruff older man who was apparently the cook. He acted as if ‘twas a waste of time to show them the kitchen, but Flora could hear the pride in his voice.
And after they’d toured the rest of the buildings, they sat down to a cozy, delicious dinner. Mayhap the cookdidknow what he was doing.
“So, what do ye think?” Payton asked, elbows on the table as he held a leg of fowl. “Of this place.”
“’Tiswonderful,” she admitted truthfully. “No’ as overwhelming as yer home, and more welcoming. Nae offense.”
He waved the chicken. “None taken. MacIntyre Castle was where I was born and where I grew up, but this place…” He looked around with a calculating eye, as if really seeing it for the first time. “Da set it aside for Daniel, and when it became obvious he was destined for the Church, granted it to me.Thiswill be my home when I retire from the King’s Hunters.”
“And…” Slowly, she placed her flagon back down on the simple table, not looking at Payton. “And when will that be?”
“Most Hunters retire when they marry if they have a place to support themselves and their families. I suppose I’m lucky to have someplace to go.”
There was…speculationin his voice. Flora peeked at him from under her lashes, and saw him staring at the hearth, something like understanding dawning in his eyes.
