Chapter 1

"Ye"ll nae guess!"

Ainslee Duncan swirled around the shuttered blackhouse. Outside, a storm raged, but inside was warm and dry—albeit full of the smoke from the peat fire which smoldered in the middle of the room.

It was almost ten years exactly since Mairi had laid here, dying, bequeathing all that was hers to Marisse. Unfortunately, it had only extended to the hut, a few herbs and a place to sit in the dark.

Marisse, clapping hard, laughed and shrieked at the sight of the laird"s wife dancing a reel in their dilapidated home.

Ainslee twirled, her chestnut curls flailing. But the hut was muggy and dark, and soon she lost her footing.

"Ainslee!"

Marisse dashed to catch her friend, faltering suddenly at the center of the room.

"Och!"

Ainslee fell hard into Marisse"s arms, saved from a crash landing into the earth floor.

"Och! Ye great lummox! Jings!" Marisse was knocked sideways by her weight, almost bringing both of them down to the floor.

Slowly, she levered up, supporting the both of them, although, crivvens, it took all her strength. As she did so, she was aware of Ainslee"s deep breaths.

"Ye alright, hen?" she asked as her friend got her wind back. It was dark in the blackhouse, the only strip of light falling through a gap in the roofing, also channeling smoke from the fire.

Slowly, Ainslee looked around. It was hard to see—even in the supposed daylight of the Highlands winter. With only scant candles to light the way, Ainslee groped to find her way back to the side of the hut.

Laughing, Marisse helped her friend find a seat on the low bench by the side of the wall. There, she got her breath back.

"Alright?" asked Marisse as Ainslee took in a huge gulp of air. "Now, what was it ye wanted to tell me?"

Ainslee shot her a glance. "Ye havenae guessed yet?"

Marisse looked at her quizzically. She shook her head. In the half-light, it was hard to tell, and this was as bright as the tiny blackhouse ever got.

Not much had changed since her aunt"s passing; the healer"s hut was strewn with herbs, half-mixed salves on the large stone hearth, and various plants hung up from the walls to dry.

"Nae, how can I guess?" said Marisse, staring at her friend.

Ainslee scoffed. "Well, some wise woman ye are!"

Marisse tutted. "I"m a healer, nae a seer!" she said.

Ainslee tutted back. "Och, well, see this!"

She grabbed Marisse"s hand and fixed it to her waist, smiling awhile as her friend"s eyes widened.

"Och!" Gasped Marisse, her whole face constricting. "Mighty me, Ainslee lass!"

Ainslee caught sight of her and laughed. "Careful, ye"ll stay like that if the wind changes!"

Marisse shot her a glance then smirked. "Kale fer dinner too many times, I ken a fine relief fer that great big bag o" wind!"

Ainslee looked at her strangely and then pouted. Finally, Marisse grinned.

"Och, congratulations hen! A second son for Malcolm!"

Ainslee"s features broadened into a grin, then she paused. "A son, ye say?"

Marisse assumed a serious expression. She looked Ainslee up and down, then placed her hand on Ainslee"s bump.

"Aye," she said softly. She patted her friend down. "From the way yer carrying him... I would say... a fine, and healthy one, too!"

Relief rippled all through Ainslee. Although she could barely see her—there was only one candle burning in the small house, Marisse felt her lift. The tension carrying in her shoulders subdued a little bit.

"Och, that"s braw to ken," said Ainslee, her eyes glistening as she faced towards Marisse. "I"ve been sick with nerves..."

Marisse moved to embrace her, hugging her deep. It was good to see her friend again.

"Ye shouldnae leave it so long to come and visit!" Marisse murmured. "I"ve been fretting about ye and the wee one! In fact, where is he today?"

Ainslee smiled. "Ruairidh, he"s with his father today ... fishing!"

"Fishing!" replied Marisse, speechless. Then she laughed. "He"s a wee bit young, isnae he! Has he even sitting up straight?"

"Him or his dad?" snapped back Ainslee. She laughed. "Aye, he"s sitting up. He took his first steps the other day!"

Marisse gasped. "He dinnae!" she paused then looked at her friend. "Och, time flies!"

For a moment, there was a pause, the only sound breaking the silence being the crackle from the fire.

Then, Ainslee nudged Marisse shyly. "Aye, it does. And sometimes, things work out right in the end!"

Her chestnut brown eyes swooped on Marisse, who watched her curiously.

"Aye, they did. Perhaps with a wee push from the stars!—Och and me too!"

"Ye?" said Ainslee, mildly incredulous. "Ye were the one that told me to forget Malcolm!"

Her eyes turned in mock accusation towards Marisse, but then instantly softened. "To begin with, at least."

"Aye," conceded Marisse, warming to her theme. "In the beginning, when we all thought he had abandoned ye... but lass, even then, I could see the spark there..."

Ainslee made to pout, but then turned her head, embarrassed. Marisse continued.

"And even a dafty like me could see that the two o" ye were meant to be together. Just after the daft lad disappeared like that, what were we all to think?"

Marisse looked away, through the gap in the skylight, where fresh rain poured overhead. Swiftly, she moved to shove a large pot beneath it in which to catch the gushing drops. When she had finished, she came back beside Ainslee on the bench.

"Aye, no one could have kent what had really happened," added Ainslee in a small voice. Her gaze drifted off. Only the soft sound of rain hitting the earthenware pot distracted them. Her eyes grew muddied and vague. "Kidnapped by his own brother, poor Mal! A decade at sea... trapped..."

Marisse nodded softly, giving Ainslee a small rub. "But then, he came back," she added, brightly. "And all was not lost! See now, how he reclaimed the clan, the lairdship and most of all—ye!"

A smile split Ainslee"s face. "Aye, he did. See, sometimes, good things can happen... and aye, after first telling me to forget him, ye did indeed tell me to try for it!"

Marisse smirked, but then became aware of Ainslee looking at her. "Well, sometimes we need a wee push to ken what is best for us..."

Ainslee looked at her smartly. "Indeed!" she said.

She did not say any more, but Marisse noted an undercurrent to her thoughts and immediately switched away. For a short while she stared, sitting there, and swirled her drink, then, unbidden, leaped up to pour Ainslee a fresh caudle from the pot.

For a moment, Ainslee looked dubiously at the creamy liquid, but Marisse chided her.

"Sip up, 'tis just what a nursing mother needs!"

Ainslee did, then brought her face to Marisse.

"And what about what ye need?" she asked, pertinently. Marisse flinched.

"What about me?" asked Marisse, somewhat defensively. A loud shaft of wind howled through the skylight, setting the front door ajar. Marisse ignored it—this always happened—but Ainslee watched in curiosity as a small black shape unfurled itself from the shadows and came to sit on Marisse"s knee.

The tiny gray cat—which became more light as it slinked towards the candle—unraveled to leap onto Marisse"s lap. There, she sat caressing it, as if lost in thought for several minutes.

Keen to carry on, Ainslee made her point.

"I mean ye, the spinster o" the parish!"

Her eyes glared, but her words were in jest. All the same, what she had said caught a nerve in Marisse. Sharply, she turned around, then smiled.

"I dinnae ken what ye mean at all, lass," she said. Her smile poked fun of her words. "Over twenty-five, nae wed, and in possession o" a cat!"

She smirked.

"Nae to mention, the town"s chief wise woman, och, I"m surprised ye have nae been harried as a witch!"

Ainslee laughed, but her words touched on a serious point. Stroking the cat, Marisse ruffled its fur.

"Fortunately, the town is a braw and safe place, especially now, since yer Mal came back to it," she announced, setting the little cat down. Marisse looked at Ainslee thoughtfully. "And it wasnae always such a place..."

"I ken," said Ainslee. The pair of them cast their mind back to the not-so-distant past. "Twas nae so long ago that this clan was nae safe at all. All the young folks were leaving, and the old folk were too scared to go out!"

"Aye. Twas a good thing I encouraged the pair o" ye together. I am so glad I did! Now there"s two—nearly—wee bairns in the world where before there wasnae!"

Marisse patted Ainslee"s bump, and out of the shadows, the little cat came back to satisfy her curiosity, rubbing her face around Ainslee"s midriff and purring. Ainslee picked the cat up and petted it whilst turning thoughtful.

"And like I said; I wouldnae have thought it, that such good things could happen, especially here, and to me, the daughter o" the smithy!" Ainslee beamed.

Marisse looked at her. "And why nae to ye? Dinnae ye deserve it?" she ruminated thoughtfully. Then she realized that Ainslee was looking at her.

"And what about ye?" she asked, keenly. Ainslee put the cat down and concentrated on her friend. "Dinnae ye deserve it, too?"

Marisse sighed. "Wheesht!" she said, with a half-smile. She was about to shut down the conversation and turn the topic to something, anything else, when a nagging thought hit her.

Didn"t she deserve it? Why was she still unwed?

Perhaps the thought crossed her face, because Ainslee picked up on it, and seemed determined not to let her forget.

"Well, ye do," said Ainslee, answering for her. Marisse had got up by this point, wandering aimlessly around the hut, as if looking for something.

"H"m," came the noncommittal response. Pots and pans crashed as Marisse faked a search for a missing salve. There was no missing salve, but it helped avoid looking Ainslee in the eye. Even in such dark, it was impossible to disengage from her friend"s gaze.

But Ainslee was not allowing her to get away so easily.

"Here, allow me," said Ainslee, suddenly right behind her. She hovered with a rushlight in the air, leaning down into the smoky hearth to light it. She then used the rush to light several others, dotting them in place all around the hut, until even Marisse grudgingly had to admit that she could see.

"So now, what are ye hunting for?" Ainslee asked. Marisse pretended to look. Then, the revelation came to her that she really did need to prepare a potion for the day"s work.

"Um, nae fash," murmured Marisse, moving stealthily through all the plants and herbs that blocked the way in the tiny hut. Mairi"s hut had not changed much in the years since her passing, but the air of sadness had barely lifted.

Marisse liked the house. The air filled with herbs and flowers, but it had only become more haphazard and untidy since Mairi died.

In truth, she had not wanted to change anything. But it was not just about missing Mairi—which she obviously did. Her aunt"s revelation had been growing slowly in her mind.

No matter what she did, she could not forget it.

Her mother was still alive, out there somewhere.

"So then, now ye can see clearly," said Ainslee, her words obviously hiding their meaning. "Perhaps ye will agree, that ye do indeed need to be happy..."

Marisse turned swiftly. "What do ye mean, I"m nae happy?"

Ainslee said nothing, but with a slight tilt of her head conveyed more than she ever could with words. Marisse harrumphed, but did not totally dismiss the idea.

"Well, I am happy, enough," she stated, bustling around, preparing the ointment for the morning"s client. She hoped she had everything she would need—the patient was renowned for being prickly, and she did not want to incur his wrath in any way.

Once again, her thoughts returned to her aunt"s words. She had said her mother was going to be a healer. Was she likewise rushing about that day, with a list of clients to go and see?

The thoughts nagged and grew into a miasma. They were always with her. Ever since Mairi had told her, they had followed her. Her mother"s existence was less of a blessing and more of a curse. It set off a chain of questions in her mind. What if she was to meet her? What would she say? What would her mother say?

Her revelation begged more questions than it answered. About anything.

Ainslee looked at her questioningly. "Enough doesnae sound so braw to me," she said. Marisse blinked, confused. She had gone off in her thoughts. She had not yet confided in Ainslee about her mother, other than telling her what Mairi had said years ago. But now the real thought had appeared, of going to find her mother, wherever she was. After all, Ainslee had found Mal again... But perhaps it was silly...

Ainslee smiled, making Marisse look, finally. She continued with her talk.

"If anyone was going to get wed, Marisse, I would have thought it was ye! Ye have all the men buzzing around ye, like honey to a bee!"

"Who wants a bee!" replied Marisse flippantly. But Ainslee would not back down.

"There"s been so many men," she said, as Marisse opened her eyes wide.

"Why, thanks! What are ye trying to say? That I"m some sort o" harlot?"

Marisse"s eyes flashed, but only in play. Her pout was not serious, although her thoughts were.

Slowly, she acquiesced.

"Well, aye, there have been a few sweethearts who dinnae make it," she agreed, her cheeks reddening.

"Aye, and there"s good reason for that, nae one's saying ye should marry the first man to come along!" said Ainslee. Then she laughed. "Although I did..."

She patted her bump and smiled. Marisse shook her head.

"But Malcolm was made for ye. and ye just kent it. Certainly, no one could accuse me o" marrying the first lad to ask me... and well... that is braw..."

Her voice carried on the wind as it swept the cottage, knocking more things to the floor. Marisse swirled her eyes, and began to gather them, scooping up tiny leaves of thyme, yew and nettle together in her skirts.

Ainslee looked at her directly. "What about James?" she said. She picked up a few sprigs of heather, and placed them back on the wooden table. Marisse was unable to ignore her gaze.

"What about James?" she blushed.

Ainslee just chuckled. "Yer cheeks tell me more than ye ever could!"

Marisse turned on her heel and clacked, as she located the broom. Swiftly, she swept across the dirt floor, scooping all the old rushes up into a ball, and bringing them to the fire. Then she got on all fours, looking hard for the remnants of herbs.

Ainslee was about to join her, when Marisse flashed her a stern look.

"Nae ye!" she said, flagging her back. "Yer nae to take to the floor..."

Ainslee did as she said, leaving Marisse to hunt for the herbs, but as she did, she watched her.

"Why do ye nae do something about it? The feast next week is the perfect chance..."

Now Marisse swung her head around. "What feast?" she asked her.

Ainslee jumped up. "Och, did I nae say? Mighty me, that was the whole point o" coming here! To invite ye!"

"Invite me to what?" asked Marisse, now standing right in front of her. Ainslee beamed. Marisse felt a rush inside suddenly for her friend. She looked so happy. Maybe it was possible for her to be happy too?

"To the clan celebration—one year since Mal became laird... och, and two years since we were wed!"

She winked. "And James will be there too!"

Marisse grimaced, something that was not lost on Ainslee. Her face echoed disappointment at Marisse"s reaction.

"Ah, gwan," she said, in open teasing.

Marisse pouted. The mention of James had affected her. Silly, but she could not help it. However, there was still something to make her hesitate. He had not exactly reciprocated.

"Ah but ye make such a bonny wee couple!" said Ainslee, affectionately ruffling her hair. "Me an Mal" and ye with his second in command!"

Marisse turned serious. "See, that is exactly what the problem is," she said, after a thought. "He is so busy in the clan now, we hardly meet. There is nae time for anything else..."

She got up, stirring a small pot, busying herself adding hot water.

"H"m," murmured Ainslee thoughtfully. She appeared to give the situation her full and deep consideration. "Well, certainly I ken what it is like having a man who has duty," she said in thought. "But ye will definitely be coming, won"t ye?"

"Och aye, ye just try and stop me!" said Marisse, giving her friend a hug. "I really am glad for the pair o" ye..."

Ainslee hugged her friend, then broke off. "And I want to be happy for the pair o" ye." she told her. "'Tis nae only me who wants it, I ken. Also, Mal wants his best friend to be happy too... listen, James will definitely be there. All ye have to do is turn up, what could possibly go wrong?"

Marisse laughed. "Dinnae tempt fate!" she said. "But, aye then, I will be there, of course... and if James is there, then so be it!"

She smiled sweetly, but Ainslee looked unsure.

"Is that all?" she teased. Then, she paused. "I dinnae ask about what happened on that night that I left ye together!"

Her eyes twinkled, and Marisse immediately blushed, before a dark cloud came over her face.

"Dinnae ask. There"s nae to tell..."

Ainslee arched her eyebrows uncertainly. "When a lass says that, there nearly always is something to tell!" she observed sagely. But following Marisse"s face warned her to back off.

As for Marisse, her heart was pounding. She hadn"t expected to be so confronted like that, her feelings still jangled and jarred.

"Nae," asserted Marisse, in a way that made Ainslee sure this conversation was over. "But let"s just get one thing very clear; that night was definitely a mistake!"

* * *