The Highlander's Lass; Arran's Story

Chapter 5 Arran

The next morning I was waiting by the main staircase for both Fey and Maisie to come down. I had grabbed an apple from the kitchen and was slicing it with my knife. I sliced off a piece and popped it into my mouth. I was looking around and saw Gavin coming in from the main courtyard. No doubt he had been training this morning. He had sweat dripping from his brow. His white linen shirt was covered in sweat. He came to stand beside me. Fixing his sheath that held his sword. No doubt he had sent younger Clansmen into the dirt with that sword. Gavin always prided himself in training every day. To keep up his strength.

"They should be down any moment, Fey was up rather early this morning. Too excited about her trip into the village with both ye and Lady Margaret," he said. I chuckled, finishing my apple before nodding. Fey was always an excited child, that was why I loved her so much.

"No doubt she had woken up both you and Davina in the process," I replied. Gavin ran his hands through his hair. The gray hairs standing out a little more in the morning light.

"Oh yes, jumped right into bed, followed by her brother. Fey is rather like me when I was a child. Very excited over everything," he said. I laughed, we had learned rather quickly that Fey was quite stubborn when she put her mind to something. And Fey took after her father in that regard. For Gavin was just as stubborn, if not more so. We stood there with our own thoughts for a few minutes. I was thinking about Maisie, and how excited I was to see her. Gavin must have sensed that I was thinking about her.

"I would tread carefully around Lady Margaret if I were you, brother," Gavin said. I looked up at him with a confused look. What does he mean by this comment?

"What do ye mean Gavin, Lady Margaret seems a very kind and respectable woman. Would it not be beneficial to marry her," I replied. As I sliced another piece of the apple, Gavin stole it and threw it in his mouth. He did not flinch when I mentioned marriage to Lady Margaret Hamilton, no doubt he had sense that I would be interested in marriage since her arrival.

"Tis her father I am speaking about Arran. I have heard rather unsavory rumors about him and how he treats the women in his life," he said. What rumors? I had heard nothing, and I often knew all the gossip. Especially at court. So how did my brother hear of these rumors, and I did not. Though I knew that Gavin had his own ways of finding out information.

"What rumors? What are ye talking about? Do ye know something I do not," I demanded. I stared up at my older brother. But he had a look of indifference, he was trying to give nothing away. But even still, I saw the tension in his shoulders.

"There have been rumors going around the villages that border our territory and Clan Hamiltons' territory. Rumors that Laird Hamilton has become a violent and vindictive man. He blames Lady Margaret for the death of his son Callum. That he beats both his wife and daughter," Gavin said. From what Maisie had told me at dinner was that Callum had died in a hunting accident. Surely that would not be the fault of Maisie. Why would her father blame her for it? And why would he go to such lengths as beating his only daughter?

"I am sure that Lady Margaret is not capable of such an act of evil as murdering her own brother. And Robert Hamilton is a cruel man for thinking such sinful thoughts," I retorted. Gavin nodded his head in agreement. Our da always taught us to never harm a woman or a child. To never raise a hand to our wives or our female relatives. I knew that we were the exception in our society. But still to think that someone had harmed Maisie or her mother was enough to make my blood boil.

"I do not believe so either, but no one would really speak on how Callum died in this hunting accident. That it was just a hunting accident. But there is also another rumor that Laird Hamilton has Lady Margaret betrothed to Edmund Boyd," Gavin replied. I recognized that name from my time at court, I felt a pit fall into my stomach.