Black Richard's Heart (The MacCulloughs #1) - Suzan Tisdale Page 0,50
sounds silly, but they help me not feel like I’m about to fall.”
While ingenious, he did not want his wife to follow behind anyone. There was something about the thought that left him feeling slightly guilty. “Could ye nae just hold onto me sword belt?” he asked.
“As long as ye dunnae go too fast,” she replied with a smile. “Though I must admit, I could do this all on me own if there was a rail to hang on to.”
Black Richard dismissed the idea almost at once. “I am afraid that will not be possible.” He did not bother to explain the reason why the stairs were narrow nor why there was no rail or banister. ’Twas a purposeful decision made during the reconstruction of the keep. Narrow stairs would make it easier for he and his men to stop any potential invaders.
He turned away before he could see her face burn with embarrassment. A few years ago, she had requested much the same thing to her father, to make her life just a little easier. He adamantly refused. And remind me every day ye are a cripple? Nay.
Her father’s response had hurt. She could only assume her husband thought along similar lines. Black Richard’s response stung just as much as her father’s had and it left her with that all too familiar sensation of feeling less. Less a woman, less a person. Not wanting to embarrass him further, she took a tight hold of his belt and followed behind.
In the gathering room, she could make out the blurry shapes of people. Marisse, ever diligent and close by, whispered, “Lachlan, Rory, and Daniel be here. Ye remember Rory and Daniel? They were with us on our journey here.”
Nodding her understanding, she smiled in their general direction. In truth, she would only be able to recognize them by their voices.
“Good eve,” Richard said to his men. Looking around the room, he asked Lachlan, “Where are Raibeart and Colyne?”
Chuckling, Lachlan replied, “Undoubtedly wreaking havoc on some poor, unsuspecting souls.”
That was not the reply Black Richard wanted to hear. Gently, he guided his wife to sit on the bench nearest his own chair. Marisse sat next to her. The men began to take seats around the table. “Daniel. Would ye please find me brothers for me?”
Daniel’s bottom was about to touch the bench when Black Richard gave his order. With a roll of his eyes and a muttered curse, he stood back up. “Verra well,” he said unhappily.
He took no more than two steps when Raibeart and Colyne came running into the room. Raibeart skidded to a halt, and declared himself victor. “I won!”
Colyne, three years younger, was upset. “Ye cheated!” he declared angrily.
Raibeart laughed at the boy and gave him a gentle shove. “Ye’re just mad.”
Before Black Richard could order them to sit, the two boys were in a full-blown scuffle and falling to the floor. Curses flew like birds from the treetops.
Richard shook his head before shoving himself away from the table. Lachlan followed suit. Soon, Richard was lifting Raibeart to his feet, while Lachlan struggled with Colyne.
“Bloody hell!” Black Richard yelled.
Aeschene jumped in her seat at the sound of her husband’s booming voice, while Marisse tried to explain the situation to her. “Fighting like dogs, they are,” she whispered.
Raibeart fought against Richard’s tight hold. Colyne, seeing his brother duly restricted, wriggled free from Lachlan and lunged at Raibeart, head first. Thankfully, Black Richard saw him in time, and spun out of the way. Colyne was going too fast to stop and ran headfirst into Marisse. She was able to maintain her seat by grabbing his shoulders and pushing him away.
“What the bloody hell was that for?” Colyne cried out angrily when he fell backwards and onto his rump.
“Enough!” Black Richard yelled. “Enough!”
Deadly silence filled the gathering room.
Lachlan picked Colyne up by the collar of his tunic and gave him a shove toward the table. “Ye beastie!” he said. “I am but a few moments from skelpin’ ye!”
“And I ye,” Black Richard whispered into Raibeart’s ear.
Seeing the lads were calming down, Black Richard let Raibeart loose. “I knew ’twas too much to hope for that ye would make a more gentleman like impression on yer new sister-by-law,” he said as he thumped the back of Raibeart’s head.
“She be not my sister-by-law,” Colyne declared. “She be a bloody MacRay.”
Black Richard had reached the ends of his patience. It had been tried too many times this day. In two strides, he was hauling