Page 94 of Once Upon A Haunted Castle
Senara leaned over the table and poured the wine. “Forgive me, my lady.” Wine glugged out from the narrow neck of the flagon and splashed gracelessly into the goblet.
Lady Edana straightened away from the cup as though Senara had sloshed it toward her and the costly dress she wore. “Careful, ye little fool.”
Senara’s face went hot once more and she longed to be in the hall with the strange, cold stone.
Away from her lady.
Once Senara had lifted the pot from the goblet, Edana snatched it up and took a long swallow. Her head snapped up and she slowly turned to Senara. “What is this?”
Senara studied the pot in her hand, which was heavy against her palms, the clay now hot from her discomfort. “The wine ye asked for.”
Without warning, Edana rose with such suddenness the chair she sat upon clattered backward and caused all in the room to cease their conversations and stare.
Senara clutched the pot harder in her hands to keep from dropping the costly wine in her surprise.
“Ye ridiculous chit.” Lady Edana’s face tinged red and her eyes seemed to bulge from her face. “How difficult is it to grab a bit of wine?”
Then her hand drew back and, too late, Senara realized the lady meant to strike her.
*
Gavin was outof his seat with Edana’s thin arm locked in his grip before he realized what he was doing.
His heart knocked hard in his chest with the desire to bestow upon Edana the same lack of mercy she’d intended for Senara.
“Calm yerself,” Gavin said through his teeth.
Edana jerked her arm from his grasp. “I am calm.” She glared at him for a moment and her nostrils flared, a clear sign she was anything but calm.
“It’swine.” Gavin looked toward Senara, who still clutched the flagon to her chest, as if she sought to protect it above herself.
Her eyes were wide with surprise at his aunt’s outburst, her face soft with shock, and he knew she’d never been spoken thusly to before. Here, in his home, she had encountered her first moment of true hatred and bitter ire. He could not help the rise of humiliation and disgust at his wayward relation.
Anger burned through him, and he found himself wishing Edana were a man so he could let his rage unfurl and flare.
But she was a woman, and the one he had been sworn to keep close and safe.
“We dinna beat servants in Castle of Park.” Gavin spoke slowly and in a voice low enough to keep his anger from boiling over. “If I ever hear of ye beating a servant, I’ll have ye beaten in kind.” He drew in a deep, steadying breath, though it did little to calm the roaring of his blood.
Edana met his level gaze with one of her own. A challenge. She was the only person in all of Banff who dared look at him in such a manner.
Gavin became aware of the stares around them and the silence of the hall. It was so powerful that the absence of noise left his ears aching.
Edana turned to her toppled chair and glared at the nearest servant. “Fix this.”
A lanky man snapped from his daze and rushed forward to right the piece of furniture. She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and plunked down into the seat with her arms resting on the sides, her fingers curling over the edge like the talons of a resting harpy. Her chin lifted to an over-proud tilt, but she said not another word.
At least she did not verbally challenge him in front of his people.
Finally, he turned back to his clan and put an easy smile on his face. “I think we’ve all had enough food for one night.”
There were a couple of uncomfortable chuckles, and several men smacked their ale mugs to the flat wooden tables with a bellow of agreement.
“Shall I choose a lass to start the dancing?” he asked.
The quiet gave way to a riot of cheers and whistles.
Gavin carefully took the flagon from Senara’s clutch. She released it with great hesitation and her gaze flicked toward all the faces now resting on her once more.
