“I thought we would all have our own cottages,” Mr. Michael Stirling called out from the back of the group.
“Aye, ye will. But it won’t be right away.”
Evan stepped in front of her. “I am yer laird. Ye will listen to what I say because time is growing short for the things yer mistress and I need to accomplish. We are visiting with the local tenants and villagers to see how many empty cottages there are for ye to move yer families into. In the meantime, ye will have to stay in the castle. If there are no more bedchambers, ye will have to make due with the floor in the Great Hall.”
Grumbling started again, and Evan held up his hand. “Cease! Ye will listen to all I have to say.” Mothers pulled their children close, and the men stood taller. But no one looked as if they planned to naysay their laird. Silence reigned.
He nodded and continued. “Ye will bring no animals into the castle. Ye will leave them with Mr. MacDuff in the stable.”
“What about my kitty? She always sleeps with me. She will cry.” Her eyes filled with tears, Amelia Stirling, sister to Brandon, clutched her kitten and almost fell over backward, attempting to look up into Evan’s face.
Evan turned to Katie, absolute terror written on his face. Apparently, the man was big and blustering, but when it came to a wee lass’s tears, he was terrified. Big oaf.
“Aye, I am the laird’s brother, Alasdair. I will help ye all get settled.” Alasdair, who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, knelt in front of Amelia. “Ye can keep yer kitty with ye.” He looked up at Evan. “Isn’t that right, laird?”
Evan nodded briefly and turned on his heel, striding through the Great Hall toward the library, a trail of loud grumbles left behind. Just as he reached the library door, he shouted over his shoulder. “One hour!”
Despite her best intentions, ’twas more like an hour and a half before Katie joined Evan in the library. An empty whisky glass sat on the desk in front of him, but his eyes were focused on a ledger. He turned the page, then looked up at her. “Are ye ready? Is all well with the lad?”
“Aye.”
He slammed the book shut and stood. “Ye fixed him up?”
“Aye. It was broken, so I had to calm him down, then stabilize the arm. Poor lad. ’Tis going to be verra hard for his mum to keep him from moving it.”
When they arrived at the stable, ’twas in chaos. Alasdair and Gavin were attempting to put together some sort of cage for the puppies, who ran all around with MacDuff chasing them from the doorway with a broom. “Get away from there, ye bloody animals!”
“Mr. MacDuff, language please.” Katie scooped up one of the puppies and deposited him on a stack of hay, only to have him race once again for the door. Several of the newly arrived children were attempting to calm their animals, who were screeching and wailing in a new place.
Mrs. Fraser raced after the pup and lifted him above her head, cursing him in Gaelic. Hopefully, the young children had not yet learned the language. Or at least, those words.
Evan looked as though he was ready to bellow loud enough to bring the roof down. He stomped over to his horse and waved Mr. MacDuff off. “I’ll tack him myself.” Katie followed suit, and when they were finished, they left the stable, leading the horses through a web of bodies and confusion.
Evan helped her onto her horse, jumped on his, and rode off as if the demons of hell were on his heels. It took her a few minutes to catch up to him, and she was out of breath when she did. “Whatever is wrong with ye?”
“Wrong with me? I live in chaos. The noise is enough to drive a man off the edge of a cliff. How do ye stand it?”
Katie shrugged. “I dinnae concern myself with disorder.”
“Disorder! The entire castle and stable are a madhouse of pandemonium. I’m sure Culloden was quieter.” He kept up his rapid pace, which made it difficult for Katie to hear him, but she thought that’s what he’d said.
She didn’t try to ask where they were headed, just followed his lead. Eventually, they rode over a hill and before them, spread out, were dozens of cottages dotting the hillside. Their thatched roofs glowed in the sunlight. The whitewashed walls and white sheep grazing the area gave it a look of an artfully painted picture.
They both slowed their horses. “’Tis verra relaxing,” she said.
“Aye.” Evan sat back in his saddle. She could see his body easing as he gazed out at the sight. He turned to her, a grin on his face. The first one of the day. “After the chaos we just left, warriors attacking the castle would be relaxing.” With a laugh, he moved forward. But at a much slower pace.
…
Evan was certain with all the cottages spread out before them, there had to be a few that were empty. He prayed to the heavens above that there were more than a few. Besides the noise and confusion back at the castle, the longer it look him to get the entire estate settled, the less likely he and Alasdair would get on the road to Argyll before winter set in.
Then there was the problem of Katie and this Richard Armstrong of the fake betrothal. Until the mon showed up, he couldn’t leave either. ’Twas too dangerous a situation for both Katie and Gavin for him to ride away before it was resolved.
As much as he wanted to return to his clan before winter, he admitted to himself that the idea of leaving Katie behind held no appeal, even if he got everyone settled and the Armstrong fellow straightened out.
She’d been quite enthusiastic in their kiss early that morning—responding
