'But soon I will have my son, and then I will be happy.'
'Beware,' Fortune warned India. 'Papa means to take the bairn from you. Mama is trying to change his mind in the matter.'
'Mama will succeed, but in the event she does not,' India said, 'Papa will find a deadly enemy in me, for I shall not allow my child to be taken from me, Fortune. This is Caynan Reis's son, and I will protect him, as will the spirit of his father. We will let nothing happen to our son, and James Leslie be damned if he should attempt to harm my child!' India said fiercely.
'You have changed,' Fortune said softly.
'Aye,' India agreed. 'I have become a hard enemy to any who would threaten me or mine.'
Chapter 17
A-Cuil had come into the possession of the Leslies of Glenkirk through the current duke's mother, Lady Stewart-Hepburn. It had belonged to Cat's paternal grandmother, Jean Gordon Hay, who had given it to Cat. Its value was in its isolated beauty, and the mountain forest that belonged to it. It had been used as a hunting lodge by several generations of Gordons, Hays, and Leslies, and always kept ready for visitors. Once in the not-too-distant past, Jemmie and Jasmine had hidden themselves there to escape a rival for Jasmine's affections.
The small lodge itself was set upon a cliff that commanded a spectacular view of Glenkirk Castle, Sithean Castle, and Greyhaven, Cat's girlhood home, as well as several small lochs far below. The forest surrounded the lodge and its stables. It was beautiful, wild, and totally isolated. Built of stone with a slate roof, it was virtually undetectable nestled on its cliff, the endless sky spread out above it.
While knowing of its existence, neither India nor Fortune had ever been to A-Cuil. The well-marked trail from Glenkirk Castle grew fainter and fainter as they climbed into the hills, and finally up the steep ben. Several times the cart tilted so precariously that India thought it would tip over, casting her down onto the gorse and rocks. At one point, the forest was so deep that the sun scarcely penetrated to the forest floor. Up and up their little train climbed until finally they entered out into a sunny clearing where the lodge and its stables were set neatly awaiting them.
'God's boots!' Fortune swore. 'It is small, isn't it?'
'You can go back with the provisions cart,' India said.
Fortune shook her head. 'Nay. 'Twill be an adventure, and, besides, the forest looks like good hunting. I've hunted with Diarmid More-Leslie before. Between us we'll keep in fresh meat.'
India's cart came to a halt, and she exited the vehicle as Fortune slid from her horse's back. 'Let's go inside,' India said. 'I want to see the living quarters.'
Within the lodge was charming, but, as they had been warned, of insignificant proportions. On the main floor there were but two rooms. The smaller of the two served as a kitchen area with its tiny pantry. The larger room with its big fireplace and wall oven would be where they spent most of their time, and where they would cook their food, for the little kitchen had no hearth. The furnishings were simple, although over the years, a few more comfortable pieces had been added than were originally there. There was a small trestle and two chairs in the kitchen.
'Jesu,' India grumbled, ' 'tis colder than a witch's tit in January in here. Diarmid,' she shouted, 'bring some wood! We're freezing to death in here! Meggie, go and help him.'
'Yes, my lady,' Meggie said, running outside where she would have sworn it was far warmer than inside the damp lodge.
'Let's see what's upstairs,' Fortune said, and began to climb the narrow flight of stairs followed by her elder sister.
At the top of the stairs they found a single bedchamber, and entered it. On the door wall was a fireplace. To the left was a bank of casement windows overlooking part of the valley view, and the forest. To the right was a single round window. It was not a large room, but it comfortably held several pieces of furniture. Opposite the door was a good-sized canopied and curtained bed. At its foot was a carved clothes chest. There was a little table beneath the round window, and a tapestried chair by the fireplace. There was a pier glass on the bit of wall to the left of the door. On the floor were several thick sheepskins.
'Everything is clean, even the windows,' India noted. 'Papa must have been planning this since I returned to Glenkirk.' She turned and slowly descended into the main room of the lodge. 'Even here, everything is dusted and swept. But it really is small. When I think of my palace in El Sinut… why, my personal apartments were larger than this by far, weren't they, Meggie?'
'Your day room was bigger than this,' Meggie said frankly. 'This is nae more than a wee mousie's hold, my lady, but more folk hae lived in smaller places, I can tell you. We'll manage.'
Diarmid had brought the wood, and there was already a fire started in the large fireplace. 'I'll begin a fire in the bedchamber, my lady,' he told India.
'Put enough wood in there for the night,' she told him. 'I don't want to be frozen in the morning.'
The carters from Glenkirk unloaded the provisions, and, directed by Meggie, brought them into the lodge where the serving woman put them away. There was flour for baking, salt, and spices. Bundles of herbs were hung from the kitchen's rafters. Several barrels of wine, ale, and apples were stored in the larder along with a large wheel of cheese and two whole hams. Two milk cows had climbed the ben tied to the back of the cart. They were now led into their barn. A coop holding half a dozen chickens and a rooster were uncrated in the yard. A haunch of beef and one of venison were hung in the larder next to the ham. There was even a block of sugar, and a small barrel filled with honeycombs. There was a large fat tomcat to keep the rodent population down, a small collie, and a deer hound for company, protection, and hunting.
'Last chance to go back to Glenkirk,' India said to Fortune as the carts began their return journey. It was past the noon hour, and the sun would set in another two hours.
'I'm starving,' Fortune said, ignoring the invitation. 'What's for dinner?'
'I'll see what's in the basket,' Meggie said. 'Cook was kind enough to send something along so we would nae hae to fuss today.' She bustled into the kitchen.
'What a treasure,' Fortune noted to her sister. 'You were fortunate to find each other. She isn't any older than we are, is she? What luck she didn't decide to return to Ayr, India.'
'I don't think she would have left my service,' India replied, 'but when Papa inquired discreetly for her, we found her mother had died suddenly, even before Meggie was captured, and her father killed. Her betrothed, of course, had done exactly as she had anticipated, and wed with his second choice, Meggie's rival. There was nothing for her to go back to, Fortune.'
Supper was a roasted capon, a rabbit pie reheated in the brick fireplace oven, bread, cheese, and apples. India insisted that Diarmid eat with them at the trestle, dragging two more little chairs from the common room so they might all sit.
'You must go back down to Glenkirk tomorrow,' she told him, 'and tell Papa we need carrots, onions, and leeks. We cannot live the winter on just meat, bread, and cheese.'
'Aye, m'lady, but I dinna know why not. 'Tis good food,' the clansman said. 'Still, the duke hae told me to humor ye, and so I'll go for ye. As long as the weather is good, I can fetch up whatever takes yer fancy. Will there be anything else while I'm about it?'
'Pears. They'll keep in the cold,' India said.
'And conserves,' Fortune added. 'And perhaps some jam. I like jam on my bread.'
'Check in the kitchen, Meggie,' India told her servant, 'and see if there
