Page 29 of A Wife for the Highland Wolf
Sensing that Murdoch was within a breath of losing his temper, Gordon spoke up in response. “She came of her own will, under her own terms. If Laird Clyde was so affronted by the way thematter was handled, then surely he wouldnae have permitted her to reside here for the month before the wedding.”
“There’s still many a way for a man to make his displeasure kent.” Malloy shook his head. “I cannae help but think that ye acted rashly, and that the lass’s presence here is but a gambit before the storm rains down upon us.”
Murdoch rose from his seat. He’d had enough, and he knew that if he remained to tackle their baseless fears and accusations, he really would do something rash.
Silence fell. Murdoch surveyed the faces of the Council. “Enough of these mutterings. Whatever else may be, Lydia Knox is me betrothed, in fulfillment of the alliance contract forged between the previous Laird Clyde and me father. She will remain in Lochlann Castle for one month as a guest until our wedding, or until I decide otherwise.”
He met each man’s gaze with his own, his voice sharp and commanding as he continued. “While she is here, ye willnae question her. Ye willnae try to make her feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. Ye willnae spread rumors to make her fearful, nay matter how true ye deem those rumors to be.”
He raked them with his gaze again. “Ye will be courteous to her and treat her with the respect due the daughter of a laird, the sister-by-marriage of three lairds, and her future status as Lady Lochlann. Have I made meself perfectly clear to all of ye?”
Grumbles and nods of assent echoed around the table. He saw more than one sullen, even mutinous face, but they all spoke their agreement, and that was enough to satisfy him. “Good. Then nay more needs to be said. Ye are all dismissed.”
With that, Murdoch left the council chamber, ignoring the whispers that echoed in his wake.
He’d done everything they’d asked and demanded of him and yet they still searched for reasons to find him unworthy.
He needed to get out of the castle before someone or something caused him to lose his temper entirely. He was afraid of what the consequences might be for whoever became caught in the flames of it.
16
“Do ye wish to see something amazing, not far from here?” Wilma’s question surprised Lydia into stopping as they paced through the garden.
True to her word, Wilma had spent most of the day showing her around the grounds of Lochlann Castle. She now knew the purpose of every room in the castle’s family wing and where the most important rooms of the castle were located.
She also knew the easiest way to find the stillroom, the best path to take to the kitchens if she wanted a midnight snack, and where the various storerooms were. She knew where to find the lady’s solarium, the main receiving room, and where the servants were housed.
She also knew why Murdoch hadn’t showed her the library. Quite simply, there wasn’t one. Different clan folk had small collections of books, with Wilma’s being the largest, but there wasn’t a central place to store them. The closest thing ClanLochlann had to a library were the shelves adorning one wall of Murdoch’s study.
The absence of a library was somewhat disheartening, though she hoped that Murdoch would permit her to claim one of the small storerooms and turn it into a library, or at least a cozy little reading room. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be something. Not only would she feel more at home, but she rather thought Wilma would like it too.
Now, however, the other woman was looking at her with bright eyes and an inquiring glance. Lydia nodded. “I’d like to see whatever ye want to show me.”
“Ye will like this.” Wilma took her hand and led her towards a small postern door. “Tis a special place.”
They walked a short distance across the moors as Wilma led Lydia to the rocky crags that served as a backdrop for Lochlann Castle. Once they drew closer, Lydia spotted a faint winding path heading deeper into the hills. Curious, she followed as Wilma led her along the path to a small overhang and pointed downward. “Do ye see?”
Lydia looked down and her breath caught in her throat. Below the overhang was a series of pools, connecting to each other through thin streams of water that formed small cascades and ripples over the rocks.
The water was clearer than any she’d ever seen, and even from where she was, she could see the smooth stones glittering faintlyon the bottom of the pools. Around them grew lush vegetation and a backdrop of soft heather and grasses that led to a clearing of velvety, bright green moss.
“Tis beautiful.”
“Tis a fairy pool. I come here often, when I can get away, to see if I can catch the water sprites dancing. I’ve nae had much luck so far, but then half the time Murdoch catches me before I leave the castle.” Wilma made a face. “He doesnae think much of looking for the Fair Folk, but I’d like to meet one, just once.”
“And ye’re nae afraid of encounterin’ a kelpie or a pooka instead of a water sprite? Ye ken there are plenty of water-dwelling fey who’d rather be cruel than kind.” Lydia wasn’t sure she believed in the Fair Folk herself, but she wasn’t about to say she didn’t believe in them either. Not so close to a fairy pool.
“Och, tis a risk, but a kelpie can only harm ye if ye touch him, and a pooka the same. I’m nae such a fool as to follow a strange horse so close, nor to try and touch an animal I daenae ken.” Wilma shook her head.
“Besides, the water here is blessed, nae cursed. I’ve often taken some away to use in me healing remedies. It works better than anythin’ else, and a draught of it can heal many an ill. One year, there was a bad round of winter fevers, and we boiled it in medicines to make them more potent. Dinnae lose a single patient who took those tisanes, and most recovered faster than expected.”
Lydia wondered what Nora would make of fairy pools, and the supposedly magical healing properties they possessed. Her sister was a healer to the soul, but she put her considerable faith in herbals, tonics and poultices, not magic.
On the other hand, her healing was a powerful gift. Who was to say there wasn’t a bit of magic in it, in all of her sisters? Nora possessed the gift of healing, and Emma was a born peacemaker. Isobel was a bonnie warrior, for all she was a woman. Mayhap there was a bit of magic in all of them.
Or mayhap it was only through skill and study and the caliber of people she knew them to be. For surely, if there’d been a fairy blessing in the blood of the Knox family, it would have protected the heir to the clan.
Lydia was distracted from her thoughts by a ripple of movement on the far side of the fairy pools. She touched Wilma’s arm and pointed, just as a figure heaved itself out of the water, bare skin glistening in the afternoon light. “Is that…?”
