'To find Alex. I thought we could take a walk to look over the holding.'
'I ordered you to rest.'
'I was going to take a restful walk. Gabriel, there's a man crawling on all fours behind you.'
She whispered the news and moved closer to her husband. He didn't turn around to look. He didn't need to. 'That's Auggie,' he explained.
Johanna moved to stand next to her husband so she could get a closer look at the man. 'What is he doing?'
'Digging holes.'
'Why?'
'He uses his staff to hit stones into the holes. It's a game he enjoys.'
'Is he daft?' she whispered, lest the old man overhear her.
'He won't harm you. Leave him be. He has earned his leisure.'
Her husband took hold of her hand and started back up the hill. Johanna kept glancing back over her shoulder to get a better look at the man crawling his way across the meadow. 'He's a MacBain,' she blurted out. 'He's wearing your plaid.'
'Our plaid,' her husband corrected. 'Auggie's one of us,' he added. 'Johanna, Alex isn't here. He was taken back to his mother's brother's family early this morning.'
'How long will he be away?'
'Until the wall is finished. When the holding is secure, Alex will come home.'
'And how long will that be?' she asked. 'A son needs his father, Gabriel.'
'I'm aware of my duties, wife. You needn't instruct me.'
'But I may give my opinion,' she countered.
He shrugged.
'Have you begun work on your wall?' she asked.
'It's half done.'
'Then how long before…'
'A few more months,' he answered. 'I don't want you walking in the hills without a proper escort,' he added with a frown. 'It's too dangerous.'
'Is it too dangerous for all the women or just for me?'
He kept silent. She had her answer then. She held her exasperation. 'Explain these dangers to me.'
'No.'
'Why not?'
'I haven't the time. Simply obey my commands and we'll get along quite well.'
'Of course we'll get along if I obey your every command,' she muttered. 'Honestly, Gabriel, I don't believe…'
'The horses are sound.'
His interruption turned her concentration. 'What did you say?'
'The six horses you gave me are sound.'
She let out a sigh. 'We're through discussing obedience, aren't we?'
'Aye, we are.'
She laughed.
He grinned. 'You should do that more often.'
'Do what?'
'Laugh.'
They'd reached the edge of the courtyard. Gabriel's manner underwent a radical change. His expression hardened. She thought the serious look was for the benefit of his audience. Every soldier was watching.
'Gabriel?'
'Yes?' He sounded impatient.
'May I offer an opinion now?'
'What is it?'
'It's daft to use the courtyard for your training session as well as dangerous.'
He shook his head at her. 'It wasn't dangerous until this morning. I want you to promise me something.'
'Yes?'
'Don't ever threaten to leave me.'
The intensity in his demand surprised her. 'I promise,' she answered.
Gabriel nodded, then started to walk away. 'I won't ever let you go. You do understand that, don't you?'
He didn't expect an answer. Johanna stood there for several minutes watching as her husband rejoined the training session. Gabriel was proving to be a complex man. Nicholas had told her the laird would marry her to secure the land. Yet Gabriel acted as though perhaps she were important to him, too.
She found herself hoping her guess was true. They would get along much better if he liked her.
She noticed Gabriel talking to Calum. The soldier glanced her way, nodded, and then started walking toward her. She didn't wait to find out what order her husband had given his first-in-command. She turned around and ran down the hill to the meadow. The MacBain soldier named Auggie intrigued her. She wanted to find out what game it was that required digging holes in the ground.
The elderly man had a stock of white hair. He stood up when she called out to him. Deep lines around his mouth and eyes made her guess him to be at least fifty years old, perhaps even older. He had beautiful white teeth, handsome brown eyes, and a warm, inviting smile.
Until she spoke to him. Johanna made a quick curtsy, then introduced herself in Gaelic.
He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced as though in acute pain. 'You're slaughtering our beautiful language, girl,' he announced.
He spoke so fast, his words tripped together, and his brogue was as thick as her mama's stew. Johanna didn't understand a word he'd said. Auggie was forced to repeat his insult three times before she gained the meaning.
'Please tell me, sir, which words I'm mispronouncing.'
'You're doing a fair job ruining all of them.'
'I would like to learn this language,' she persisted, ignoring his comical expression of horror over her accent.
'It would take too much discipline for an Englishwoman to become fluent,' he said. 'You would have to concentrate. I don't believe you English have that ability.'
Johanna couldn't understand much of what he said. Auggie dramatically slapped his forehead. 'By all that's holy, you're taking the fun out of my insults, girl. You aren't understanding a word I'm saying.'
He cleared his throat and spoke again, though this time in French. His command of the language was impressive, and his accent, impeccable. Johanna was impressed. Auggie was an educated man.
'I can see I've surprised you. Did you judge me simpleminded?'
She started to shake her head, then stopped herself. 'You were crawling about on your knees, digging holes. I did jump to the conclusion you were a bit…'
'Crazed?'
She nodded. 'I apologize, sir. When did you learn to speak…'
He interrupted her. ' 'Twas years and years ago,' he explained. 'Now what was it you wanted, interrupting me in the middle of my game?'
'I was wondering what your game was,' she said. 'Why do you dig holes?'
'Because no one will dig them for me.'
He snorted with laughter after giving her his jest.
'But your reason?' she persisted.
'The game I play requires holes to catch my stones if my aim is true. I use my staff as my club and round pebbles I strike forward. Would you like to have a try, lass? The game's in my blood. Perhaps you'll catch the fever, too.'
