I sighed like a huff. “Och nae... I wanted tae go sooner than later.”
We were done harnessing the trailers, we began walkin’ tae the castle, leadin’ the horses, bein’ mindful of the dark woods around us.
Quentin said, “We all armed?”
James and I said, “Aye.”
We walked in silence for a moment, until James said, “So, what’s going on with you, Lochie? You look uneasy. Beyond the danger, we always have danger — trouble in paradise? You look bothered, got relationship troubles?”
“I am just tired.”
He laughed. “Been busy all night? I get ya, man, I do.” Then his brow drew down. “But you don’t look like a man who enjoyed himself. You look like a guy who slept on the floor in the barracks. Doesn’t he, Quenny?”
Quentin said, “Yep, you got the ‘I slept with one eye-open’ look.”
I trudged along with a sigh.
Quentin said, “Jeez, dude, seriously, what’s going on?”
“I slept outside the room last night.”
“Damn, boy, you got kicked out?”
“Aye.”
Quentin said, “What did you do?”
“Wasna what I did, I dinna do anything, yer wives and Lizbeth told her I ought tae marry her first.”
James said, “Oh shit, they didn’t, did they?”
Quentin said, “Course they did.”
“She told me that I had tae marry her in front of m’family or nae one would respect her.”
James said, “Yet another reason why you want to get your Florida errand over and get to Stirling as fast as possible.”
“Aye, there is danger about, but mostly because m’arse hurts and twas cold.”
James said, “Did you tell them you already did that thumb thing? And they didn’t believe you?”
“I told them, and nae, they dinna believe us.”
James joked, “I’m shocked,shockedI tell you. Who would have thought women would want a wedding and not just a spit-thumb pressed together after fornicating.”
I scowled. “Tis not funny, we dinna fornicate. I married her. She agreed.”
Quentin clapped me on the shoulder. “I know, Lochie, I get ya, you married a modern girl — they are much more casual about all this. Then you introduced her to a bunch of historic women and they got to her... now you have to wait until marriage. Sorry, this sounds... man, unintended consequences.” He bit his lip tae keep from laughin’.
“I am verra glad Magnus and Fraoch arna here, they would be arses along with ye, and I daena hae the patience tae listen tae it. I rescued her from Asgall and I dinna even get a proper thank ye. Tis unfair.”
Quentin and James both started laughing.
“Verra funny.”
James said, “Damn, you rescued the maiden and she told you that you had to marry her first? That does sound unfair.”
I scowled deeper.
