Page 31 of The Cruel Highlander's Bride
“Aye,” he gritted out, “me betrothed is right. We cannae change the past, but we’d like to help fix the damage.”
The village women were all nodding now and giving Ciara respectful looks. She unclenched her fists.
She could do this. She could help.
“What is yer most urgent need?” Ciara asked them, getting everyone back on track.
It wouldn’t matter if the villagers accepted her if they couldn’t come up with a way to improve their situation.
“Food,” was the answer.
She nodded, expecting as much, then paused. She wanted to give the Laird a chance to speak up. He’d been fairly quiet since she walked into the study, and this was his audience, after all.
When he stayed quiet, she turned fully towards him. “Magnus, do ye have excess stores here at the castle?” she asked.
Magnus was smiling softly at her, the awe still plain on his face, and it was the last little burst of confidence she needed to push forward.
He nodded back at her.
“Wonderful. We should be able to send some carriages back to the village with ye, with necessities to cover the gap, but we also need to look ahead,” Ciara said, somehow holding everyone’s attention.
It was more than she’d expected from this conversation. It felt like she was on the brink of really making a difference in this room, like these women’s lives would be better because ofher.
It was the same feeling she got when she was helping people to learn to read, but this was bigger. The whole village would benefit. And, her earlier fears were diminishing in the face of the women’s acceptance. They were understandably wary, but she had convinced them. And if she could do that, then everything else seemed possible too.
* * *
“Aye,” one of the village women agreed. “Extra food will only last us so long. We need to get our crops back. We need the fields to grow. But there are just not enough people to work them, and there is an abundance of work to be done.”
“Mhmm.” Ciara nodded along. “We need a long-term solution.”
Magnus watched as everyone seemed to sit up a little straighter when she looked them over. Even his man-at-arms was enthralled by her poise and power.
Ewan stood in the corner, watching the room, but his gaze was fixed on Ciara, just like everyone else’s.
Was it possible for Magnus to be even more awed by this woman? He too was drawn in. He just stared at her, grateful and humbled by every word she said.
His betrothed was something all right, but even her light wasn’t enough to stop the roiling feeling in his stomach.
He had been unable to offer his people anything besides a few measly nods, selfishly stuck in his feelings and fears. But Ciara had no problem confronting her guilt and working towards a solution. She’d taken the blame with grace, and still, she helped.
Somehow, she had turned their anger into something positive. It was miraculous to witness, but it made him all too aware of his shortcomings.
“Magnus, any ideas?” she asked, turning to face him fully.
Under the full weight of her attention, his chaotic thoughts tangled even further. He felt like he’d lost the thread of the conversation.
Still, this was his chance to help make a difference, a change. If only he could remember what they were talking about…
“Any ideas for a long-term solution?” Ciara added with a tight smile.
Aye, there is nay one to work the fields.
But what could they do? They couldn’t just create more people. Well, he and Ciara could, but it would be a while before they were ready to work the fields.
He shook his head. Now was not the time forthatthought.
But the image of his betrothed round with his child flashed in his mind anyway.
