Moon Awakening

Emily grabbed Angus's arm, so she could step over the bench to take her seat without falling.

The soldier went absolutely still. 'Please, Miss Emily, do not touch me. I like my throat just the way it is.'

Emily didn't understand Angus's comment about his throat, but she yanked her hand back from touching him. Had her action been considered forward? None of her father's soldiers would have thought so, but this was not her father's keep and these men bore little resemblance to English soldiers.

'I am sorry. I didn't mean—'

'The laird would like you to join him,' Angus said urgently.

She couldn't understand what was wrong with the soldier, but she turned obligingly so she could see Lachlan again. Sure enough, the spot to his left was empty now and he crooked his finger at her. She stared, unsure what to do. His summons and the attention she was receiving from the others in the hall embarrassed her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her friend looked worried again, but her gaze was not on Emily. It was on Lachlan. What had the laird done to upset Cait?

'Miss Emily?' Angus asked, sounding harried.

'Yes?'

'Would you like me to escort you to the laird's table?'

'That would be nice, thank you, Angus.'

The soldier nodded and led the way, his movements jerky, like he was nervous. When they reached the head table, he left her standing beside Lachlan with a quick farewell.

Lachlan wasn't looking at her. He was talking to Drustan, so she scooted around both men to lean over and whisper in Cait's ear, 'Are you all right? You're looking worried again.'

'We'll talk about it later… in the tower room. But I think you had better sit down, Emily.'

Emily did as her friend suggested and then was surprised to find Lachlan serving her. It was really very odd. Her father would never have served anyone but Sybil, even the most important guest and especially not a female one.

Emily could not figure out why Lachlan had made a point of having her sit beside him because he ignored her for most of the meal. She was too shy to speak to anyone at first, but the priest was seated across the table and he was quite friendly. She also found the soldier to her left very amiable and by the time she had eaten and drank a single cup of wine, she was feeling much more comfortable and sharing in the conversation.

She leaned across the table, not wanting her voice overheard and said, 'Father?'

'Yes?'

'I was wondering something about the marriage sacrament last evening.'

'What was that, child?'

'Doesn't the Church stipulate that the Sacrament must be spoken in the morning?'

'That is Rome's tradition, yes.'

'But you spoke it last night,' she emphasized.

'That was my laird's will.'

'But is it valid then?'

The priest looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. 'You're wanting to know if the marriage ceremony I spoke last night was valid?' he asked, making no attempt to keep his voice down.

Conversation stilled around them and suddenly, Emily was the cynosure of all eyes. She felt heat climb into her face and fervently wished she'd kept her question for another time. But since she hadn't, she might as well brazen it out now.

'I am concerned for my friend's standing with God and the Church. Surely you can understand why. If her marriage Sacrament was not valid, neither is her marriage.' She wished Lachlan had thought of that before commanding the holy man to do his duty in such an extraordinary way.

'I assure you the marriage is valid.'

'Recognized by the Church?' Emily pressed.

'Yes.'

'Oh.' She still wasn't convinced.

'The marriage is valid,' Lachlan said, speaking to her for the first time since she had sat down.

She frowned at him for his arrogance. 'Are you implying that not only are you above the king when you feel like it, but the Pope as well?'

'Do you think to try to give my wife an excuse to run from me?' Drustan asked in a hard voice before his laird could answer her impudence.

Emily shook her head vehemently. 'Oh, no. That would not be in her best interests after well… after. If you know what I mean. It is the next day, after all. I am merely concerned for her standing with the Church, but if the priest is not worried, then I realize I should not be either.'

'The marriage Sacrament is no less holy spoken at night than in the morning,' the priest hastily intervened. 'There are dispensations for unusual circumstances to almost all of Rome's traditions.'

'There are?'

'Especially here in the Highlands,' Lachlan said in a mocking voice.

'Why especially here?'

'Because it was the king who chose to follow Rome's dictates, not the lairds.'

'But the lairds must follow the dictates of their king.' Even if they grudged him his place of power.

'Must we?'

'You speak treason.'

'Nay, simple truth.'

The others around them nodded their agreement. Even Cait. And Emily stifled the urge to argue further. The Highlanders saw the world differently and that was that.

One thing was certain. They all believed Cait to be well and truly married.

Thank goodness.

Chapter 13

After the nooning meal, Emily was unsure if she was expected to return to her tower, or not. Lachlan left before she had a chance to ask, which might have been for the best. Since he had not expressly ordered her to do so, she could tell him later—if the matter came up—that she had assumed his silence meant it was all right for her to stay in the great hall. She didn't plan to wreak any mayhem anyway, just find something to keep her occupied.

And really, couldn't she assume he meant to allow her the freedom since he had not expressly denied it to her? He was, after all, a man who did not mince his words.

'Emily, Drustan has said it would be all right for you and me to explore the castle grounds.' Cait spoke from behind her and Emily spun to face her friend.

'Oh, that would be lovely. I've seen some of it, walking to the loch and all, but honestly my mind was too busy with other things to take it in.'

And her courage had not quite extended to making such an exploration on her own without express permission. She didn't want to end up locked in the tower again.

They started by touring the upper and lower bailey. There was a tanner's cottage, a blacksmith and an area where the women of the keep laundered, including a grove of lilac and heather bushes on which to dry the clothes so they would smell sweet. The stable was large, with over a dozen horses all as big as the ones they had ridden the day before.

The priest's cottage was behind the chapel and the two women stopped to chat briefly with him when they saw him sitting outside his door enjoying a little sun.

'Are you worried about the validity of your marriage, lass?' Father Paul asked Cait.

Cait smiled and shook her head.