Chapter Seven
Kai could not be happier. Not only did he have Miran in his arms, but there seemed to be a change in the way she was talking to him, even treating him. She’d been clearly irritated about riding with him, but he hadn’t given her a choice in the matter. And though his body reacted immediately, almost savagely to her soft form leaning into him, he knew it was not the proper time to pursue her the way he wished to. Pure seduction, which eventually would be the way he won her, required a careful balance. Everything must be right, from the location he chose to do it in, to the time of day, and how she felt. How he felt.
He gazed down at her, her eyes wide with curiosity and awareness.
“Are ye no’ concerned that we stole away without warning my maids where we were going?”
He clicked his tongue. “The day I start answering to maids, promise to put me out of my misery.”
“Ye are a prideful one, Captain MacKay.”
“About as prideful as you, woman.”
Miran arched her eyebrows.
Keeping her engaged in conversation had allowed them to arrive at the farm without incident. But if he kept wagging his tongue, she might grow restless or ask to go back to the camp.
“Let me guess,” she said as Kai dismounted. “Pride is a desirable attribute for a man but no’ a woman.”
“Depends what a woman has pride in. If in her home and children, then she is an asset to her husband. But if she prances about like a peacock…”
“A peacock?”
“Have you never seen one?”
“Only a drawing, Captain. There are stories about the king of England keeping the birds to seduce women. I hear their plumage is often used to decorate the queen’s gowns.”
“Then you well know the behavior of the animal. He spreads his iridescent tail feathers, colored in blue and bronze, to attract females. His tail vibrates as he struts along, seeking the admiration of any creature that crosses his path.”
Kai lifted her down from the saddle and placed her solidly on her feet.
“Are ye implying I do the same?”
Kai imagined what she would look like in a blue silk gown with her fair hair brushed to a soft sheen and loose about her shoulders, gold circlets on her wrists and a matching chain about her neck, a thousand candles illuminating her natural beauty, with eyes only for him…
“Captain? Did ye no’ hear me?”
Why did he often find himself fantasizing about her? Especially in the setting of a desert palace, surrounded by opulence, dozens of servants willing to cater to her every whim? He’d do the same if she’d only surrender to him—confess how she felt.
“I heard you, Miran. Sometimes you think only of yourself. I’d be a liar if I said otherwise.”
His criticism did not seem to affect her, for she said nothing, didn’t even deny it.
“I think ye mix up the meaning of pride and being proud of who and what ye are.”
He understood the difference, but wanted to hear her explain. “Perhaps. Would you care to tell me?”
They walked together, aware their hosts awaited them near the thatch-roofed cottage a dozen yards away.
“Pride will lead a man astray, Captain. However, being proud of yer family or of yer accomplishments in not a sin. Tis what gives anyone a reason to wake and rise in the morn.”
“Captain Kai?” Colin gently interrupted their conversation.
“I apologize for being distracted, Colin,” Kai said. “I see your uncle and aunt await us at the door.”
“Yes.” Colin appeared anxious. “Ye both are the most important people to ever visit their humble abode.”
Kai smiled warmly and patted the soldier’s shoulder. “Tis our honor, believe me. Lady Miran, do you not agree?”
“Of course,” she said. “Please, introduce us.”
Colin bowed and turned to his uncle. “Uncle Silas, may I present Lady Miran MacKay, cousin to my laird, and his captain-of-the-guard, Kai MacKay.”
Silas bowed and then indicated his wife. “My wife Mary.”
“Lady Miran, Captain.” She curtsied. “Please, do come inside and warm yerselves by the hearth. We have wine and fresh bread, some cheese to hold ye until the stew is done.”
They crossed the threshold of the cottage. Kai was surprised to find a larger-than-he-imagined room with a generous stone hearth with three padded chairs and a bench situated before the fire. A sword hung above the hearth and beside it, a tapestry depicting a ship rolling in the waves of the sea. Beyond the sitting area, a trestle table with two benches and another hearth used for cooking.
“You have a pleasant home, mistress,” Kai praised Colin’s aunt.
“Thank ye, Captain.” She smiled. “If ye will sit, I will have my eldest daughter fetch the wine.”
Kai, Miran, and Uncle Silas occupied the three chairs while Colin waited on the bench.
“I trust yer ride from Sands Airgid was uneventful?” Silas asked.
“Aye,” Miran offered. “As well as can be expected for this time of year. How large is this farm?”
“Two hundred acres,” Colin answered. “This land has been in our family for centuries.”
“I will look forward to seeing it in the daylight. And what about children?” Miran guessed they had several judging from the size of the rooms.
“Three sons and three daughters.” Silas beamed. “See there, my eldest comes now.”
Kai accepted a cup of wine and took a sip. The girl was pretty, tall, and strong looking with brown hair and sharp, blue eyes. She would make a perfect maid in Laird Jamie’s household. He cast Miran a questioning look, then motioned to the girl as she served her father wine.
Miran nodded, acknowledging she had the same thought as he. Once the girl left the room, she said, “Did Colin explain the purpose of our journey, Master Silas?”
“Aye.” Silas turned to her. “First, I must say how pleased I am to know we have a powerful neighbor again to protect these northern reaches. How long has that great house been empty? And though our village and surrounding lands are no’ officially part of the MacKay holdings, the people here have always paid tribute to the laird in exchange for protection.”
“I am sure my cousin, Laird Jamie, will be pleased to hear this sentiment. I assure ye, he has nothing but good intentions, to expand our defenses against those who would attack by sea, and even though he married Helen Sutherland, as ye well know, the MacKays and Sutherlands are not allies.”
Silas leaned forward and rested his folded hands on his knees. “The only good Sutherland is a dead one,” he whispered. “With the exception of Lady Helen, of course, who is a MacKay now.”
Kai swallowed his laughter. He liked the older man even more. “I am searching for recruits for Laird Jamie’s ranks, and Lady Miran is seeking maids to serve Lady Helen.”
“How old is yer eldest daughter, sir?” Miran asked.
“Near eighteen seasons, not much younger than ye, I imagine.”
“And would ye consider letting her come with us?” Miran took a drink of wine and patiently waited for Silas to speak.
“I am no’ the kind of man to force my children into anything,” he said. “We’ve suffered at the hands of the Sutherlands and rogue clans for too long. The king is not too quick to lend a helping hand in the north, we’re considered too uncivilized, practically an embarrassment to the crown. And though I prefer it that way—the nobles keeping their noses out of my business—I am not against my daughter earning her way in the world if she so chooses. Tis her mother ye will need to convince, though.”
Colin cleared his throat. “There is another hindrance, I am afraid.”
“Oh?” Kai said.
“Aye. The lass is betrothed to Craig Kinnear, the son of another farmer. Ye would need his permission to take her away,” Silas said with a sigh.
“Unless…” Kai began.
“Unless, what?” Mary entered the room with a tray laden with the food she had promised.
“The captain and Lady Miran want to take Gara along to serve Lady Helen.”
Mary set the tray on the nearby table and wiped her hands on her apron, her expression unreadable to Kai. Would she order them from her home for even suggesting such a thing or understand the honor being bestowed upon their daughter. Any woman who agreed to serve would immediately fall under the protection of Laird Jamie, including her family.
Mary sat on the bench next to Colin.
“I have three daughters and three sons. My eldest son is a fisherman, gone for months at a time. Gara hasna been betrothed verra long, and I doona think Craig would approve of her departure. But maybe if ye convinced his father to let them both go, Craig to serve in the army and my daughter in the household, as long as they are married first, perhaps it would be a blessing for them to see a little of the world.”
Kai had not expected such a positive reply from the girl’s mother, but it pleased him very much. He promised at first light to ride with Colin to the Kinnear farm. The rest of the night was spent feasting on beef stew and enjoying the intelligent conversation of their hosts.
Eventually, Kai was shown to the stable where the older sons slept. Miran would take the small chamber off the kitchen, thereby not upsetting the usual sleeping arrangements for the large family. Colin had bidden farewell to his family and ridden back to camp.
As usual, Kai rested for several hours before he awakened and decided to explore the farm. He dressed, careful not to disturb the middle son sleeping on the cot across from his. He donned his wool shirt and leggings, then tied his tartan about his hips, finishing with his leather boots. Just as he was about to put on his fur cloak, he heard someone outside, their shoes crunching in the snow.
Quickly, he secured his weapon belt, then opened the door that led outside. From there he could see the front of the cottage. Appreciating the clear night, he stepped out, looking left then right, on high alert for anything out of place. That’s when he spotted Miran, carrying a lantern, wrapped in fur and looking like a Jinn with her unpinned, golden hair glowing in the ethereal moonlight.
What was she doing outside at this time of night unaccompanied? She knew better. He had hoped to get her alone. Instead of alerting her to his presence, he followed her silently, a skill he had picked up after years of training as a soldier.
He tracked her to the back of the cottage and onto a footpath up a hill. Where did she think she was going? Running away? No, she would not do that. After a brisk hike, she halted at the top. Kai watched her hug herself, staring off into the distance.
“Mother. Father,” she whispered, sounding desperate and heartbroken, “if ye are here with me, show me a sign.”
Her precious words struck his whole being, his heart heavy with the burden of her sadness. He gave her a moment, maybe gave her god a moment to answer her plea, and when nothing happened, when no answer came, Kai decided to be her miracle.
“Miran.”
She whirled about, holding the lantern higher. “K-Kai? What are ye doing here?”
“I woke early and decided to take a walk.”
“I doona know if I believe ye,” she said cautiously.
“Why not? Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?”
She sighed and set the lantern on the ground. “How much did ye overhear?”
“Enough.”
“Enough to think me daft?”
“Nay. Enough to think you more grief-stricken than I realized before.”
She looked away and wiped the tears from her eyes, which made Kai want to hold her, to banish the pain from her heart forever.
“I call out to my parents often enough,” she confessed. “When I am sure no one is about. I am afraid my secret is revealed now, though. Will ye tell anyone? Jamie? Helen?”
Not thinking clearly, he reached for her, his fingers trailing up her arm and to her shoulder. He pulled her close, and for a brief moment, she allowed her head to rest upon his chest. “Let me console you, Miran.”
But the stubborn girl jerked away, once again isolating herself. How often had he seen her be affectionate with anyone? The occasional hug with Helen or Jamie, a pat on the arm of a maid or two, but never intimate, never willingly exposed.
“Ye’ve violated my privacy, Captain—seen something no one ever should.”
“Twas a mere coincidence we crossed paths, Miran. I did not set out to find you here in the middle of the night. Do you expect me to allow you to wander in the dark alone, ever?”
“Nay.” It came out breathlessly.
“May I ask you a question?”
“Do I have a choice?” She’d turned her back to him, maybe to hide the tears in her eyes.
“Has your god ever answered your prayer?”
A breeze kicked up, and it lifted her long hair. Spun gold, soft and fragrant, he reached for it, touching a strand, tempted to touch more. But he withdrew his fingers.
“Once,” she said. “I was in the kirk alone, long after everyone had gone to sleep. I begged for a sign from my parents, wishing to know they were watching over me. After I finished praying, I found a bouquet of flowers on the bench behind me, tied together with a yellow ribbon, my favorite color.”
Kai realized then he had never met someone more alone in the world. Nor anyone as valiant. Though she hardly weighed anything, her slim shoulders held the weight of the world upon them, the extent of her grief. “I would give you so much, Miran…” For a moment he forgot himself, but quickly recovered, clamping his bloody mouth shut.
“What would ye give me that I don’t already have, Captain?” She turned toward him, pushing a stray hair out of her face. “Misery?”
“Never that.” He stepped closer, this time determined to kiss her.