Page 38 of Highland Hearts
“Enough!” Cree snapped, jealousy that another man should remark about how amazing his wife was bursting forth to irritate him. “What is important is that your drawings were meant to detail my home.”
“But why?” Tate asked, shaking his head confused, then as if the answer dawned on him, he spoke up. “Someone wants the information so he can make preparations to attack you.”
“That would seem the logical assumption,” Cree said.
Cree’s response confused him even more. “Yet you sound doubtful.”
“Not doubtful, questioning. Something a good leader should always do. Question until the truth is finally revealed.”
“What now?” Tate asked.
“Now we wait,” Cree said.
“For what?”
“For the next move in the game.”
Worry marred Tate’s brow. “But what of my brother? Surely, he will suffer for my failure.”
“My warriors will let nothing happen to him. Besides, you failed at nothing. The monk was found by my men and escorted here. When questioned, you revealed nothing about an impending meeting with him. It was he who failed.”
Tate stared at Cree, his mouth agape before he gained his senses and spoke. “You protected me, made it seem that I did nothing wrong, revealed nothing, and you lock him in the dungeon, so he has no chance to speak with me.”
Dawn smiled and gestured.
“My wife says that you finally pay closer attention, and I agree with her, though in the Highlands you are still too slow.”
Dawn admonished him with a poke to his side.
“He needs to hear the truth if he is to survive here when he visits. Besides on his return, he will be paid good coin by nobles and commoners alike to hear tales of the wild Highlands and how he survived his adventure.”
Tate grinned. “Lord Cree is right, my lady. I will be kept in good amounts of drink and food, even lodging as well, with my true tales as well as embellished ones.”
Cree gave his back a hardy slap. “Now all you have to do is survive your time here in the Highlands to reap the rewards of your visit.”
* * *
After the morningmeal and daily tasks seen to and the children occupied in play with other children in the clan and her da busy with Cree, Dawn went to visit Old Mary.
Beast kept glancing at the children at play and Dawn’s heart went out to him. She pointed to Old Mary’s door and then shooed him off with a wave. The large dog hesitated, and Dawn leaned down and placed a kiss on his head, pointed to the cottage again, and shooed him off again. He went without protest, knowing where she was.
“Come in. Come in,” Old Mary said with a smile as she opened the door just as Dawn reached out to knock. “You have provided a generous home for me, Dawn.”
Dawn smiled upon entering. Old Mary had once lived in a small dwelling in the woods. Circumstances changed that and she occupied the small cottage Dawn had once called home. Dawn wanted more for her this time and Cree had made sure of it.
The cottage wasn’t overly large but provided her with a bed to move around in, a chair piled with soft wool blankets to ease her tired bones and placed by the hearth for warmth and a small bench to rest her aged feet upon, and a small table with two chairs for when someone visited to share a brew or two and talk, since Old Mary took most of her meals in the keep with family.
“I am a stubborn, old fool. This is much better than I expected, and I appreciate my new home, Dawn,” Old Mary said, beaming with a smile.
Dawn patted her chest pleased that Old Mary found pleasure in her new home. For her, it made it easier to visit her old friend and that was what was most important to her.
“What troubles you?” Old Mary asked, pointing to the table where a chamomile brew and honey cakes were set for them to enjoy. When Dawn raised her brow in question, Old Mary smiled. “I sometimes think Flanna has the gift of knowing. She senses when things are needed and delivered the honey cakes and set the chamomile brewing earlier.”
Dawn nodded as she sat and gestured.
“You wonder if I have sensed anything more with what goes on with William’s abduction?”
Dawn nodded.