and scowled. “Ye’ve passed along the message. Ye can go and fetch that mead now.”
Tildy hesitated and then asked, “But what should I tell the laird? He wanted me to bring ye back.”
“Tell him I’m speaking to his daughter and will join him in a moment.”
“Very well,” Tildy said on a sigh. Turning to the door, she added, “But I would no’ take long if I were you. Yer brothers do no’ seem the patient sorts.”
“Me brothers?” Conran said sharply, standing up.
Tildy stopped in the door and swung back. “Aye. They arrived just ere dawn, and have been arguing with the laird ever since. Now they’ve asked to see ye.” Turning back to the door, she added, “But I’ll tell them—”
“I’m coming!” Conran interrupted, quickly moving around the bed.
“That ye’re coming,” Tildy finished with satisfaction as she held the door open for him to leave the room. Once he’d disappeared down the hall, she turned back to smile at Evina. “I’ll be right back with that mead.”
“Nay, wait!” Evina called as the maid started to close the door. When the old woman paused and swung back, one eyebrow raised, she waved her over. Tildy hesitated, and then stepped back inside and closed the door.
“What is it, m’lady?” Tildy asked kindly as she approached the bed. “Are ye hungry too? O’ course ye are. I’ll fetch ye some food too. Or mayhap broth. Would ye like me to find some pillows to prop behind ye so ye can sit up?”
“Nay. Thank ye though.” Evina managed a grateful smile, and then said, “Ye mentioned the Buchanans are here and have been arguing with Da since arriving?”
“Aye,” Tildy said dryly. “And they’re a loud bunch. Woke me from a sound sleep before the sun was even up. I’ve been running ever since.”
“What are they arguing about?” Evina asked the moment the maid fell silent.
Tildy made a face. “I could no’ hear. I tried, but yer father posted Gavin in the hall to keep anyone from getting too close.”
“Gavin?” Evina said softly as she recalled thinking she’d seen him in the clearing.
“Aye, the poor lad. And him still healing from that wound he took to the arm while fighting off those bandits with the Buchanan. I told him he should really go rest and let his arm heal. I said I’d stand guard in the hall in his stead, but he was having none of that,” she said with disgruntlement.
“He was there in the clearing,” Evina murmured with a frown.
“Aye. ’Tis lucky he came across the two o’ ye when he did and could help the Buchanan fight off those bandits.”
“Why was he out there?” Evina asked, recalling her father saying he had a task for him. As she recalled, that task was why Gavin couldn’t go in her stead to show the Buchanan where to find the weeds he needed.
“Oh. Well, I do no’ ken,” she admitted. “Young Gavin was hurrying out o’ yer da’s room as I arrived to sit with him that day.”
Evina lowered her head unhappily, her mind awash with confusion.
“I did hear yer da say, ‘Do no’ lose them and report what ye see back to me,’ as Gavin came out the door though,” Tildy admitted. “And then the lad rushed below and out of the keep.”
Evina jerked her head back up at this news. “Do no’ lose who?”
“I do no’ ken,” Tildy admitted with a shrug.
Evina frowned, suspecting she did know and that it was she and Rory he’d sent Gavin to watch. What was her father up to? He was the one who had sent her out with the man. Why then send Gavin to watch them? Shaking her head, she muttered, “And now the Buchanans are here?”
“Aye, and are they no’ a strapping bunch o’ lads,” Tildy said with awe. “’Tis like standing in a forest o’ tall trees to be in the same room with ’em.”
“Hmm, I did no’ think Rory had sent his letter yet,” Evina muttered. “Apparently, he had though, and he did complain after all to his brothers about how he came to be here.”
“Oh, nay, Lord Buchanan has no’ sent a letter yet. I ken yer father assured him he’d send a courier with it, but the poor lad ne’er got the chance to write it. He’s been sitting watch over ye since the attack. He ne’er got around to writing a message to be sent.”
Evina’s eyes widened at this news. “Then why are the Buchanans here?”