said, “Ye could wait longer afore ye go again. Ye need tae rest and—”
“But the children... I don’t know.”
Lizbeth watched us her brow drawn down. Then she said, “Fraoch MacLeod, ye could go with her. I haena wanted tae travel, but I haena had a reason tae. Ye hae a wife who needs tae be there.”
“Nae, Madame Lizbeth, I canna go.”
“Ye might hae tae—”
Fraoch abruptly stood, his chair scraping loudly. “Hayley promised me she wouldna require it of me. Tis the work of the devil. Ye yerself hae said yer mother is evil and she is a regular user of the vessels.”
Lizbeth whispered, “Fraoch MacLeod, ye keep yer voice down!”
Eyes turned to watch us in the room. “Ye sit down, Master Fraoch.”
He sat down.
She said, “Lady Mairead does use the vessels for malevolence, but your wife is nae malevolent. Magnus is nae evil. Kaitlyn is a Godly, motherly, wifely woman, she has a boisterous wit, but she is nae evil. I hae prayed beside her. Ye are a brave man, a good man, ye hae been loyal tae Magnus and m’own family and I am grateful tae ye for the work and protection ye hae offered us, but in this ye are wrong. Yer wife is living two lives and is torn between them because ye are being cowardly about it. There is a new world beckoning ye. Magnus is your brother and his children need tae be cared for, and what of your own? If your own positions were reversed what would Magnus do for ye?”
Fraoch scowled.
“If ye and Hayley were lost and there was a bairn and a son, what would he do?”
“He would take them intae his home.”
I spoke up. “Magnus has friends, he has Quentin and Zach, Madame Emma, they are taking care of his bairn. Fraoch doesn’t have to—”
“I am nae askin’ if Fraoch has tae. I am askin’ Master Fraoch what Magnus would do for him, and if he is tae be the kind of man who kens that another man would do something that he himself inna willing tae do? If ye were lost Magnus would take care of yer bairn. He would take them intae his home. Master Fraoch, ye ken tis true. Kaitlyn took in Young Magnus’s son by another woman, and has been raisin’ him as her own, she would take in your bairn if ye were lost. Tis the type of woman she is and the regard she holds ye in. Your wife is trying tae be honorable and tae live up tae her friend’s regard, and tis time for ye tae do your part in it.”
Fraoch leaned back in his chair, quiet.
“My apologies for speaking so out of m’own place, but I hae a mind that needs tae speak when I see a need.”
“I ken.” He nodded and looked away.
Lizbeth sighed. “I am greatly sorry tae hae spoken so forcefully. I am verra worried on Young Magnus and the bairn and m’own fault in the matter in not being able tae intervene with our mother, or take in the children. There is nothing I can offer them tae make their lives better. Forgive me Master Fraoch, Madame Hayley.”
I said, “We do. I understand, I’m at a loss for what to do, too. I think that’s why I’m jumping back and forth, I feel torn, and guilty and so sad for those kids.” I glanced at Fraoch, his face clouded over.
Seventy - Hayley
That night he was quiet and thoughtful and slept fitfully. And at the butt crack of dawn he went for his turn at guard duty. Then he barely said a word while getting ready to take me to the clearing. It felt like we had done this a million times already. I didn’t need to pack anything, there was nothing I needed to take home from here.
We had grown used to the deal. But usually he got his horse, Thor, from the stables.
Today he didn’t, he decided to walk with me even if it meant walking back on his own feet like a chump.
It was frigid. We were shivering. Our breath puffed in bursts of ice. We got to the clearing and I turned to him and spread his shirt across the chest of my hot sexy husband. “Don’t worry about what Lizbeth said, okay? I love you, and I totally understand why you don’t want to travel. I knew all the reasons when I married you and none of them have changed. I know it’s hard