Leith!
Her face lit up moments before she realized how it might look to the lady. Her sudden shift from elated to anxious, did not escape the lady’s look. “Pardon me, but why that look lass.” She came forward and dropped her voice, “Is he treating ye well?”
Knowing she had to explain quickly, Mary nodded, she then signed that Leith was only asking her if she was well.
“Oh,” the cook nodded, “he found ye. It only makes sense that he would be concerned. He’s one who worries too. Well then, run off, dinnae let him wait too long. He’s somewhere around here.”
She nodded and turned, thinking where Leith could have gone. The rookery. Making sure no one was looking at her, she took the stairs to the high tower. She slipped into the half-open door to see Leith there with his arms braced on a wide window.
“Leith?” her voice was nothing more than a whisper but it was enough to get him to turn.
“I’m being undermined, Mary,” he said. “One of me Faither’s best men is taking his control from under him and by doing so, taking mine.”
She rested a hand on his arm, “How?”
“How else?” Leith said bitterly. “The opportunity was ripe. Me Faither was ill and I was all over the place like a headless chicken trying to find help. I ken he will say it was him protecting our legacy but I ken it’s something more. I ken he wanted me Father’s power but this? So barefaced?”
Not knowing what to do, she only slid her hand down his arm to lace their fingers. “I’m sorry.”
His hand was on the back of her neck, pulling her just under his chin. “S’not yer fault, lass. It was mine. I was too blind and trustin’.”
“Can you do anything about it?” she mumbled.
“I hope I can get this straightened out without causing a war,” he said, as his fingers massaged the hairs on the tender skin. “If he had gained so much respect from the villagers, they might take to him. Even worse, the soldiers are more loyal to him than anyone else.”
Soldiers loyal to him? What him? Is he speaking about Mister Cooper?
“Pardon,” she pulled away from him, “are you speaking about Mister Cooper?”
“Aye,” Leith said with caution, “why do ye ask?”
Wrapping her arms around herself, Mary drew away. “I’ve crossed his path once or twice and I got a distinct impression that he does not like me.”
“Dinnea ye worry about it,” Leith snorted. “He hates all those who are nae of his, outsiders, foreigners and domestic ones too. He’s me, second cousin, by me granduncle’s side. His forefathers were in many battles with the English, each one of them all the way back to Robert the Bruce’s conquests.” His hand found her face again and his eyes took on a tender look. “Be glad he doesnae ken ye are both. Ignore him, Mary, his face is stuck that way.”
Dusk was quickly growing and Mary knew her absence would be noted. She was tempted to tell Leith about his mother sending her to his father, but she could feel he was already distressed about Cooper siphoning his authority away from him. Besides, what was there to tell him? His father had not laid a finger on her.
“I’ll take that into consideration the next time I’m tempted to throw Holy Water in his face,” Mary’s attempt to make him laugh only earned her a brief tick of his lips.
His thumb smoothed over her cheekbone before he dropped his hand to lean in and kiss her cheek, “Ye should go back down. I’ll do me best to see ye tomorrow.”
She made it back to the lower level without attention paid to her and she went to the kitchens for her evening meal. Eating slowly, she thought of what Leith had told her. Mister Cooper did have the look of one who would grab power for himself. But now? In the worst time? The only person who would do something like had no heart.
Thinking of those with no heart, her mind turned to her parents. She had been gone for nearly a month now, did they have no intention of searching for her? Or were they hoping that she would be like the Prodigal Son, who after seeing his mistakes, would come running back to them?
To what, force me to marry that sluggard?
Sleep was fleeting that night as she began to consider what she should have done when she had come to Leith’s home. Where am I going to go from here?
Surely, she needed to find somewhere to go. Staying here and being a mute scullery-girl was not something she planned to do for the rest of her life. Soon, this plan would have to change…but to what? Shifting on the cot, she was able to look at the sky above.
Can I stay here with Leith? But for what? He’s going to marry soon and I can bet it will be to a lady from another clan. Someone like Lady Robasdan…a Scottish woman. Why should I stay?
On the narrow cot, she turned on her side to see the dim mound of Rinalda covered in her sheets. She hated deceiving this kind woman but she was not going to break her promise to Leith until he told her to. Sadness dampened her spirit.
There was little to no chance of her finding a life here, and even less one that was of the standards she had known her entire life. She turned again and tried to sleep but just as she began to drift off, a ruckus arose and she vaulted off the bed. Grabbing at her sheets, her head twisted from side to side in fright. She could not verbally ask and no one was slowing down for her to sign anything.
Not daring to move, she sat until Rinalda came to her help. Rinalda grabbed her dress and threw it at her, then knelt
