The door creaked open, and in the gloom of night I saw Lochie’s profile as he crept to the hearth. He crouched and built up the fire. It was too dark to see anything but his dark form, andthe faint outline of his face aglow from the small fire as he drew it forth.
I pulled the covers up to my ears and watched for a few moments. I said, “Lochie?”
He didn’t turn, he only said, “Aye.” Then he said, “I was worried ye were cold.”
“It must be cold out in the hall.”
He dinna answer, but I saw him put his hands toward the fire and rub them to warm them.
He stood. “Dost ye need anything?”
“My shoulder is really sore.”
He came toward the bed, perched on the chair, picked up the pill bottle, and pushed and turned the lid for a moment til he got it open. Then he poured one pill into his palm and held it out. I picked it from his hand, popped it in my mouth, and took a sip of water from my cup.
I put the cup back. “Thank you.”
“Y’are welcome, Ash.”
“I’m sorry I banished you to the hallway, and that it's cold...”
“Tis okay, I understand the reason for it. I will marry ye, and once I do this will all be right.”
He smoothed the hair back from my cheek, leaned forward and kissed me there. Then he went back to the hall to stand guard.
CHAPTER 15 - LOCHINVAR
BALLOCH CASTLE - MAY 28, 1710
In the morning, Beaty and Sophie came tae our room tae help Ash dress and keep her company. I had been called tae meet with Liam; the guards who had sent the messengers away had returned carryin’ news.
When I entered the Great Hall, there were ten men gathered. Liam told me, “They found their encampment.”
“Were there more men, dost we ken who sent them?”
Craigh leveled his eyes. “What ye want tae ken for, Lochie?”
“Because I suspect they are here because of me and my wife.”
“Yer wife!” Craigh began laughin’. “Lowly Lochinvar has taken a wife? Ye barely hae a beard upon yer bawbags yet, ye canna hae a wife!”
One of the other men, Amos, laughed, “Tis the bonny lass — the lass who was looking at Yarnoch with longin’, ye ken? I could see by the look of her, she kens her way around her duties.”
I stood, shovin’ my chair back, and growled, “She inna a bonny lass, she is m’wife, ye get her from yer tongue or I will call ye outside.”
Craigh said, “Now now, Lochie, watch yerself.”
Amos laughed, maliciously. “She inna a bonny lass? Ye want me tae get my tongue from her? Ye want tae fight me, Lochie?”
“She is bonny, but ye daena get tae speak on her at all!”
Liam stepped between us. “Sit down, Lochinvar.”
I sat down.
He continued, “Amos, nothing good comes from speaking on Lochinvar’s lass, she is bonny, he is right in tellin’ ye tae wheesht.”
He turned, “Dost ye agree, Craigh, the men ought tae not speak about Lochinvar’s wife, he ought not be antagonized?”
