Page 50 of A Two-Faced Laird
However, there was no way he could win a fight with both his parents, and Edina’s family were powerless, since they lived in a grace and favour position in the castle. His father could throw them out any time he pleased. He was beaten.
To add to his humiliation, he had to apologise to Fenella. He went to her chamber and said, “Forgive me, Fenella. That should not have happened.”
Fenella stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I forgive you, Lewis,” she said softly.
Aidan smiled back and walked away, but the expression on Fenella’s face when his back was turned was anything but forgiving.
Edina and Mairiwere admiring themselves in the mirror, both of them wearing what Mairi called their Sunday dresses. Mairi’s was a light blue woollen dress with long sleeves and a little lace at the square neckline, and Edina’s was similar, but made of pale violet linen, which almost matched the colour of her eyes.
“Ye look lovely, Mistress,” Mairi remarked, “an’ that dress fairly goes wi’ your eyes.”
“Thank you, Mairi,” Edina answered. “So do you. We will be the most glamorous ladies in the place! Come—let’s go and show them how to dance!”
The church hall was full when they arrived, and there was a little band playing which consisted of a drummer, bagpiper and fiddler. The music was lively and cheerful, and everyone was dancing, clapping and singing along. It was very similar to ceilidhs in the castle, but there were no airs and graces here, and Edina loved it.
They were both swept into a Dashing White Sergeant as soon as they entered, and began to sing the words as they danced.
Now the fiddler's ready,let us all begin
And step it out and step it in
To the merry music of the violin
We'll dance the hours away.
Katy and Peggy and Patsy and Coll
Calum and Peter and Flora and Moll
Dance, dance, dance, dance,
Dance away the hours together.
Dance till dawn, be in the sky.
What care you and what care I?
Hearts a-beating, spirits high,
Let's dance, dance, dance.
Edina forgot allher troubles as she moved around the floor, lifting her skirts, holding the hand of one partner, then letting go and skipping on to another. By the time the dance was over, she was breathless and exhilarated.
As soon as she stepped off the floor, however, Mairi whispered in her ear, “Master Findlay is here, Mistress.”
Edina felt her face flush. “What is he doing here?” she asked.
“He told the man at the door that he came tae the wrong place by mistake,” Mairi answered. “It was too dark tae see. He was goin’ tae Laird Anderson an’ got lost.”
Now Edina was angry. The Anderson estate at Killenbeg was in completely the opposite direction, and Aidan knew it. He knew she lived in Drumnaird, so what kind of game was he playing?
“I do not wish to see him,” she said, thinking of all the unanswered letters she had written, and the one in the cottage which she had decided to tear up as soon as she got home.
She went to the far end of the hall, to a small room where the ladies could relieve themselves. She had no need to use it, but she wanted to hide herself in the little crowd of women and hope that Aidan did not see her.
Presently, he entered the hall and began to look around for her. Edina had not realised what an effect seeing him again would have on her. He stood a head taller than most of theother men there and although his colouring was not unusual, his physique was. He was easily the most handsome man in the room, and Edina could hardly tear her gaze away from him, but she made herself edge backwards even further out of sight.
Eventually, she saw him look around for one last time before he went out of the main door again, and the music for the next dance began. She breathed a sigh of relief then moved back into the hall, but she soon realised what an awful mistake she had made when Aidan walked up to her and held out his hand to her.
