Chapter 24

24

A idan woke up with a smile on his face, memories of making love to Tillie throughout the night still fresh in his mind. He reached an arm over to the side of the bed, but instead of finding her warm body, his hand was met with cold sheets. He opened his eyes and glanced over just to be sure. Tillie was not there.

Sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair and told himself not to be concerned. From what he'd noticed about her, she liked to rise early. Sometimes she'd take her sketching materials and find a suitable spot to catch the early morning sun as it rose. Was that what she was doing now?

Aidan hurriedly dressed and went down to the great hall. His eyes scanned the hall, but he didn't see Tillie's familiar brown hair among the several people there.

Athol, the elder councilman, sat by the hearth, warming his old bones by the fire. He had a tankard of ale cupped between two hands and nodded at Aidan.

"Good mornin', Me Laird," the older man greeted. Aidan nodded in response.

Barrett grinned and walked up to Aidan. "Good mornin', Aidan. Everyone is out on the practice field already." He smirked with a wide, knowing grin. "'Tis unusual for ye to sleep in so late."

Aidan only grunted in response then asked, "Have ye seen my wife?"

Barrett smiled even more. "She was headed to the garden with her maid Paisley at her side. Yer wife is bound and determined to give new life to that dried up garden."

She gives new life around here, too.

Aidan started to walk away, but Barrett stopped him. "I ken yer eager to find yer wee wife, but there are some matters that need attendin' to first."

Aidan scowled. Barrett was right, he was eager to find Tillie, but not for the reasons his friend silently suggested. He was a little concerned, even though he vowed not to be. Usually, he was the first one out of bed since he rose even earlier than Tillie to get his men started on weapons practice and a ton of other duties.

"Can any of it wait?" he asked, and Barrett shook his head.

"It shouldn't take more than an hour or so," Barrett informed him, that silly grin still on his face. His dark brown eyes danced with mirth. He thought it was funny that Aidan had become enamored of his wife and took every opportunity to express it.

"Very well. Let's go to my office."

Aidan and Barrett went to the Laird's office, and Barrett shut the door as Aidan walked around his desk and sat down. At least the irritating smile disappeared from his face once they were settled inside the office.

"As ye ken, we're in sore need of grain," Barrett began.

Aidan's eyebrows rose. "Nay, I dinnae ken. We have the whole east field dedicated to growin' grain."

"Aye, but it has not been seen to," Barrett said with a frown directed at Aidan. "As 'twas with a lot around here until Lady Tillie arrived."

Aidan took it for the chastisement it was meant to be. Since Anne's death, he hadn't seemed to care about anything. He'd left it all to Phillip, his steward, and hadn't bothered to make sure the man was doing his duties. Tillie was the one to discover the man's laziness and point it out. Heat rose from his throat. There was no excuse for his inattention. His clan depended on him, and he was letting them down.

"Another area Phillip dinnae see to," Aidan muttered, but he knew the blame rested at his own hands. He was laird, and it was his responsibility to make sure his people were taken care of.

"Aye, he's a worthless one if ye ask me," Barrett said. "But he's gettin' a little better now that Lady Tillie is keepin' a watchful eye on him. Not that he's happy about it," he chuckled.

"Nay, I dinnae think he would be."

"If we are goin' to have enough to get us through the winter, we should send some clansmen out to buy grain from neighborin' clans. If we plant now, then we can start storing some after harvest, but we'll still need more."

Aidan nodded, but a muscle ticked in his jaw. There was no reason to go in search of grain. The fields yielded plenty if he'd been payin' attention.

"Send them," Aidan ordered grimly. "I'll take a look at the fields as well to see what else we might need." Barrett nodded. "Anythin' else?"

Barrett droned on for nearly an hour about all the repairs that needed to be done. The stable roof leaked and sagged. Cook complained there was too much soot in the chimney which was not only a fire hazard but also made the food taste different. There was a mouse problem in the stables, and James, the stable boy, wanted to know if he could bring in a couple of cats. Two of the guest chambers had leaky roofs. On and on, Barrett listed the problems which were giving Aidan a splitting headache.

"However," Barrett continued, "the great hall is lookin' great with all the work Lady Tillie has had done to it."

Aidan grimaced. Not because Barrett complimented Tillie, but because she should not have had to do the work in the first place. In his grief and guilt, he'd let things get out of control which wasn't fair to his clan. He silently vowed to be a better laird.

A knock sounded at the door drawing both of their attention. "Enter," Aidan called out and watched as Hector walked inside.

"The McDougual clan just sent an urgent missive," Hector said. He walked up to the desk and set the parchment on the surface in front of Aidan.

"Are they bein' raided?" Aidan asked with a frown as he grabbed the parchment and started to open it.

"Nay. It seems one of our lads has run off with the Laird's daughter," Hector explained. He was trying hard not to grin with pride. "She was to wed Laird Burns' son on the morrow."

"What does Laird McDougual expect me to do?" Aidan asked.

"I ken he wants ye to fetch the lad," Barrett chuckled. "Although, I doubt 'twill do any good now. The lad has surely compromised the lass."

"Aye, and the Burns willnae want her marryin' their heir," Hector added.

Aidan's irritated sigh filled the room. He quickly read the missive, his frown growing deeper, then tossed it onto the desk and rose.

"I'll go see what, if anythin', I can do," he growled then swung his gaze to Barrett. "Are we done here?"

Barrett nodded. "For now."

Aidan didn't wait for them to leave his office. He strolled out and headed toward the garden where Barrett had said Tillie had been going earlier. Hopefully, she was still there. He didn't have time to search for her, but he wanted to talk to her before he left. He'd be gone a while and didn't like the idea of leaving without talking to her.

Luckily, Tillie was still in the garden. She and Paisley knelt next to a row of sad looking herbs. He doubted anything could bring the things back to life, but if anyone could do it, he figured his wife could.

"Tillie, can I speak to ye a moment?" he asked as he approached.

Apparently, the women hadn't heard him, and they both startled and swung around to stare at him. Tillie recovered first and got to her feet as she brushed her hands down her skirt to remove the dirt that had collected. Paisley rose a second later, bowed her head at him, then left.

"Aye," Tillie answered. "What would ye like to talk about?"

Aidan cocked his head to the side as he studied her. Something was wrong with her. She was not smiling at him like she usually did, and she stood with her hands folded in front of her.

"I have to leave," he announced. "I'll be gone about a fortnight."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't seem too terribly upset that he'd be away. "Is anythin' wrong?"

He shook his head. "Just a lad wantin' to be with a lass, and their parents dinnae approve," Aidan answered with a shake of his head. "I'm only goin' because the McDouguals are our allies, and we swore an oath to help each other."

"Then ye must go," she said with a firm nod.

Aidan waited for her to say something else. Anything else. He had expected her to be curious about the ill-fated lovers and ask him about it, but she remained eerily quiet. She just stood there, staring at him as if waiting for him to continue talking. He wasn't sure what to say.

"Will ye be alright while I'm gone?" he finally asked.

She raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Aye. There is literally a castle full of people here if I need anythin'."

Aidan took a step forward and noticed a slight flinch from Tillie. Now he was really concerned. Why was she acting so cool toward him, especially after the night they'd had before? He wracked his brain, trying to remember if he'd done anything to upset her, but he could think of nothing. The last thing he remembered, he had pulled her up close to his body and had fallen asleep.

"Will that be all, Me Laird?" she asked, her tone way more formal than he'd like. Especially since there was no one around so she could be more familiar had she wanted.

"Aye … I mean, nay," he said, quickly changing his mind. He was becoming desperate to improve her mood. He wanted to see her smile. He missed the way her eyes lit up when he was near. What the devil had happened since last night to change her attitude? It would bother him the entire time he was gone if he didn't do something now.

"Is everythin' alright, Tillie?" he asked. "Ye seem… different."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Aye, everythin' is fine," she said.

Aidan waited for her to say more, and when she didn't, he asked, "Are ye upset with me? If so, tell me what I did wrong, and I will fix it."

"Ye have done nothin' wrong," Tillie explained. "Truly," she added when he didn't look convinced.

Aidan studied her calm features. She didn't look angry, but she wasn't her normal cheerful self either.

"Safe travels and Godspeed," Tillie said into the silence. "Hopefully ye can finish yer business quickly and come home even sooner."

She was sending him away, Aidan realized. A knot formed in his stomach. He had to see her smile before he left. An idea started to form in his mind, and he blurted it out before he'd fully thought about it.

"While I'm gone, I give ye me blessin' to fix up Anne's chamber as ye see fit."

Tillie's eyes widened incredulously, and her mouth formed into a small o-shape. And then what he'd been waiting for happened. She smiled. It wasn't a halfhearted lift of her lips, either. The smile shown in her beautiful green eyes as well. The knot in his stomach eased, and Aidan relaxed, sure he had done the right thing. No matter how hard it was for him. But for some reason, the thought of getting rid of Anne's things and redoing her chamber did not affect him as much as he'd expected.

"Thank ye, Aidan," Tillie said quietly, her eyes soft as she met his gaze. "I ken how hard that was for ye, and I promise I willnae make ye sorry."

Aidan swallowed and then nodded. He stepped forward again so that they were within touching distance. This time she didn't flinch, and that gave him hope. Lowering his head, he kissed her. Soft and sweet at first then long and deep to try and hold him over until he returned.

"I will see ye in a fortnight," he said.