Lady Eilean

Chapter 32

"Lord Leslie's gift was quite practical," Calum said as we crossed through the foyer.

The party sounds echoed behind us. It was nice to feel the castle alive and joyful again.

"The ledgers?" I asked, "Yes, they are very beautiful."

"As lovely as the woman who will now fill them with her fanatical accounting."

I cackled at this and swatted Calum's arm. "Don't start with the flattery, Calum. You had your chance in the tent and gave it up." Tipping my head forward, I tried to concentrate on walking in a straight line. Wine. Too much wine.

"Oh, trust me," Calum said with a purr, "I'm not a masochist. I'm not even entering the race."

We arrived at the corridor that lead to my chambers and rounded the corner. After a few steps, Calum halted, gently stopping me. He motioned to a nearby bench and bade me sit. I did so, somewhat perplexed by his aims. My rooms were only a few feet away. The hallway was clear. Not a servant or straggler to be seen. The faint tinkle of music from the great hall was still audible in the air.

Calum sat down beside me, his demeanor grave. "I know you rarely hear news of your family," he said, sliding his hands up and down his thighs.

He seemed nervous, and I had never known Calum to be nervous. 

It sobered me up quickly. 

"No. Only the brief letter Ian sent with you when you arrived here. Otherwise, not a word since they left."

Calum frowned, but then his entire face drooped, and he shook his head. As if he pitied me.

I recoiled from it. "What is going on? Calum?"

Calum had displayed swaying moods of despondency and darkness before, but this was different. The air was sharp and my vision a touch too clear. Cold, fearful weariness swirled within me.

"I have news," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Bad news."

A howling wind rang through my ears and the world seemed to sway. Without knowing what he would say, tears blurred my vision. As if my body already knew.

"How bad?"

"I've been sending letters. Lots of them. Inquiries to every man I know at the front. I was desperate to bring you information as a birthday present." A dark, humorless chuckle escaped from him. "Only one man replied. Today, in fact."

Calum had left lunch in a rush after thumbing through a stack of letters. There was a hollow cold in my gut. My fingers went numb.

He pulled a rumpled, weather-worn letter from his coat pocket and handed it to me. "I didn't want..." His eyes found me and they shone with sincerity. "I wanted you to have a wonderful birthday. You deserved that. A night of happiness. I couldn't spoil it for you, but honor compels me to be honest."

A tear slipped down his cheek. "I am sorry to ruin your night, but I had to tell you before you got back to your chambers and read whatever it is in that note delivered to you during the party. The news may be the same."

I took the letter with stiff fingers. The parchment was so thin and soft, more like a simple textile. The ink bled through the page and the wax seal had left stains that smeared the ink.

Dear sir,

Pursuant to your request to learn of Laird Malcolm MacLeod and his family, I am duty-bound to inform you — with great regret — that there has been no knowledge of his regiment's location or activity since the battle at the capital. All of Laird McLeod's forces are assumed dead.