15. Chapter 15 - Lochinvar

CHAPTER 15 - LOCHINVAR

BALLOCH CASTLE - MAY 28, 1710

I n 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?”

Craigh said, “I agree.”

Amos folded his arms over his rounded stomach. “I am just wondering, how did Lowly Lochinvar manage tae get a bonny lass?”

Another man said, “I heard he was sleepin’ in the passage last night.”

I scowled.

One of the other men said, “His brother, Young Magnus, bought her for him.”

They all laughed, heartily.

I stood up again. “I am callin’ all of ye outside, I will fight every one of ye at once!”

Liam said, “Lochinvar, I am just tryin’ tae get through a meeting with the guards, we arna goin’ tae hae a brawl.”

I said, “Tis not on me, I am only wantin’ tae hear about what they found last night. I daena want one more word about m’wife or I will call them out and fight all of them in the courtyard at once .”

Amos raised a hand. “Fine, daena be such a sparkin’ idiot, Lowly Lochie. So ye won a lass with a bonny face, nae one cares. Give her ten years and she will look just as grievous as all our wives.”

I scowled. “My wife was taken, stolen by a man named Asgall. We are worried Asgall might hae sent men tae spy on us, wantin’ tae cause us harm. I daena hae time tae argue with ye about how ugly yer wives are, I will just agree — Amos has a verra ugly wife, as does Craigh and as do all of ye.”

Amos shrugged, “For many men these would be fightin’ words, but it daena bother me tae tell me what I already ken — she is a woman, a good mother, and she was cursed by the fae tae hae the face of a rodent, tis why I roll her over in the night.”

Liam groaned, “Och nae, Amos, I am about tae call ye tae the courtyard m’self.”

Amos laughed and waved his hand. “Pay nae mind, m’wife feels the same way about my looks and m’scent and m’wit and m’manner and...”

I clenched my jaw. “How many men were there?”

Craigh said, “The six only. They hae been forced from the Earl’s lands.”

Liam asked, “Did ye inquire about them in Aberfeldy?”

“Aye, we asked the man in the tavern, he said they werna sure where the men came from, twas as if they were just there all of a sudden.”

Liam asked, “Hae there been storms?”

All the men said, “Aye.”

I asked, “Hae ye heard the name Asgall?”

Amos said, “Aye, one of the men mentioned an Asgall, but tis a common name.”

“Is it? I haena heard it much.” I leaned back in my chair, I ought tae hae gone out with the guards last night and asked at the tavern. Amos was not givin’ enough information and twas irritating that he haena asked the right questions. He wasna takin’ any of this seriously enough.

Amos shrugged. “It daena matter, the men left, we told them nae tae come back. But now ye mentioned it, one man did ask if ye were here.”

I said, “ Now ye mention it?”

Craigh said, “Ye hae a high estimation of yerself for such a wee bitin’ midge of a lad.”

Amos said, “He’s the carbuncle on Magnus’s arse.”

All the men laughed uproariously.

I chewed my lip. “Did he ask if my’wife, Ash, was here?”

“Tis her name? Och, I thought he was speaking on something else. Aye, he asked about her, but I told him nae, I said ‘I daena ken what ye are talking about and I am nae goin’ tae give ye any information. Ye tell Asgall not tae come around Balloch, because the Campbells daena take kindly on strangers coming around causing trouble.’ Tis what I said, I swear tae it.”

Liam said, “That is a good answer, thank ye Amos for not givin’ anything away.”

I said, “But ye told them I was here?”

“Aye.”

I exhaled, angrily.

The men all got up and left the hall and Liam and I remained tae speak privately. “Ash and I must run an errand afore we go tae Stirling, twill take a few days, while we are still here we need guards on the walls, we canna allow any strangers through the gate?—”

Liam said, “I ken, Lochinvar, I ken how tae protect the castle, but we need tae send men with ye wherever?—”

I scoffed, “Ye think those men will protect me, Amos and Craigh? I daena need them, I can protect m’own. Just put more men on the walls. Guard the gates, I will take care of m’self and Ash.”

He chuckled. “Alright, but when are ye goin’ tae get Black MacMagnus and Master James?”

“Now, I will wait for them in the clearin’.”

“I want more men tae go with ye, or they will blame me for not sendin’ enough men.”

“Fine, I agree, but if the men ye send bother me I will kill them and blame it on the fae and I winna regret that I lied.”

He said, “Lochinvar, how am I tae keep ye safe if ye threaten tae kill everyone who is tae guard ye?”

I shrugged, “I daena need a guard.”

“Fine, but I will send extra guardsmen with ye, not Amos, other men. Daena kill them, that is an order. I was told by Sean that I was allowed tae give ye orders and ye were tae understand they were direct from him, dost ye understand it?”

“Aye.”

I left for the clearing with four guardsmen following me.

The guardsmen stood on the periphery, watching the path up tae the clearing, while I sat on the edge, waitin’. Twas boring work, especially after havin’ spent the night in a cold passageway. I had barely slept. I was irritated by havin’ been banished from Ash’s bed, because I wanted her and felt I had made m’self clear. I had married her in m’heart, and felt as if m’word ought tae be good enough.

I dinna like that m’word was not good enough.

I wanted everyone tae accept m’oath, and I wanted her, I wanted tae bed her and was havin’ trouble concentratin’ on much else. I had risked m’life tae rescue her and thought I ought tae get the prize that I believed I was goin’ tae get a few hours ago. I had been lookin’ forward tae it, but now there was naething, nae prize, nae warm bed, just m’mind mutterin’ about how I was not being rewarded well enough.

And taunted by her bonny smile… I had taken her on, as m’wife, and dinna think she ought tae send me from her bed.

Back in Dunscaith when I was growin’ up I kent the older men were sent from their beds verra often, if they were covered in the sweat from brawling, or reekin’ of drink, or with the rage of battle still upon them — they would be verra bitter. We would hae tae force them tae sleep or they would fight shadows. But the young men, with new wives, they got tae bed their wives.

They were welcomed.

And danger was followin’ us, Asgall wanted Ash, and I stood in his way. Twas another reason why I ought tae hae woken up in the warm arms of the bonny lass.

I huffed.

I had made a comfortable place tae sit with my back leaned on a tree, beside the cart, waitin’ in the clearin’ tae drag the gear and supplies that Colonel Quentin and Master Cook would bring with them.

Och, they would tease me mercilessly when they heard that I had been sleepin’ outside Ash’s door.

Twas an affront tae me. I was never respected. It caused me discomfort that Ash was also disrespectin’ me...

I took a deep breath and exhaled... on reflection though, Ash had been right in this... she was right tae hae sent me from our bed. She was right that nae one believed I had married her, they dinna take m’word, and by sleepin’ in her room I was ruinin’ her good name. She deserved better than tae be whispered about by a castle full of Campbell men.

The men of Balloch castle thought of me as a brainless lad, prone tae brawlin’. They thought I was only deservin’ of respect because of m’proximity tae Og Maggy. How could I let m’failings tarnish the moral standin’ of Ash? She was too bonny for such a fate. She was quick tae laugh and full of light, I couldna allow darkness tae settle upon her, not after the kidnappin’.

She had been kidnapped because of me, and she still loved me, she hadna left me.

She would marry me.

Magnus and Fraoch and Sean would bear witness tae my marriage, they would see me take the oath and they would ken that she gazes upon me with grace and love. It would raise me in the estimation of the family. I felt certain, but if nae, twould be all right. If they saw me make an oath tae Ash, twould raise her standin’. Twas honorable for me tae do it, and twas the least I could do for her, because she asked. I would hae tae suffer until I made it happen.

I waited, mutterin’ for hours, until twilight was on us and finally a storm rose in the clearing and I stepped intae the woods tae wait it out.