Ceci Giltenan(33)
Fingal sighed. “It always comes back to that, Niall.” Niall gave Fingal a murderous glare, but Fingal was not dissuaded. “Can’t ye see ye married a guileless lass? Do ye truly believe Katherine set out to deceive ye?”
“Why would she shun an escort otherwise?” Niall demanded.
“I don’t know. Perhaps she doesn’t understand why she needs one. Did ye ask her why?”
“How could she possibly think she doesn’t need one? And aye, I did ask her why, but her answer didn’t make any sense,” Niall said dismissively.
“She said she didn’t think it was necessary to pull someone away from other duties,” Diarmad explained.
Fingal laughed. “Niall, she doesn’t understand.”
“How could she not understand? She is a noblewoman, surely she has been guarded her whole life. Why would she think it different here?” Niall’s anger was rising. He yelled, “What does she think I have a guard for anyway, if not to protect what is important to me?”
Fingal asked, “Is it possible her loving uncle did not assure she was guarded, and so she doesn’t expect to be guarded here?”
“That is ridiculous.”
“Is it?” asked Fingal. “We are talking about the lass who looked like a servant when you first met her, are we not? The same one whose uncle not only laid her back open with a whip, but happily married her to an impoverished stranger for his own gain? Ambrose Ruthven had absolutely nothing to lose by risking her life.”
Diarmad swore and said, “It’s a wonder she lived long enough for the king to marry her off. There should be a special place in hell for beasts like Ruthven.”
“Aye, and I would love to be the one to send him there,” Niall growled.
“Go talk to her, Niall,” Fingal urged.
Niall shook head in exasperation, rose, and walked toward the entrance to the tower.
Just before leaving the hall he overheard Diarmad say to Fingal, “Do you suppose he will ever learn all women are not apples from the same tree?” He ignored the comment and climbed the stairs to his chamber. Entering, he found Katherine sitting in a chair, sewing by the light of a candle. She was a vision with her cloud of hair floating softly around her shoulders, wearing only a shift. She didn’t look up as he entered the room. He took off his plaid then sat in the other chair before speaking.
“Katherine, how many men did your uncle set to guard ye at Cotharach?”
“I required no guard at Cotharach,” she said in a slightly defensive tone.
Niall arched an eyebrow, “Ye have never had guards charged with your safety?”
“Not since I was a little girl.”
“Just exactly when did ye stop needing protection?”
“I don’t know. After my father died, I guess, when the Ruthven holdings became mine.”
“Why would ye stop needing protection then?”
“Because—it was my home, they were my people.”
“So when your father was alive, he travelled around his lands with no guard?”
Katherine thought for a moment. “I don’t remember. Nay, I think he was usually accompanied by at least one of his men.”
“Katherine, ye were four and ten when your father died. If he never traveled around his holdings alone, why would it be safe for ye to?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t go very far and there were more important things for the guards to do.”
“Sweetling, what could possibly be more important than the safety of their lady?”
She looked at him as if she was trying to come up with a logical answer but couldn’t.
“Come here,” he said.
She lay her sewing aside with a frustrated sigh and crossed to where he sat. He pulled her gently onto his lap and put his arms around her. “Katherine, I can only guess at why your uncle didn’t ensure your protection, and it is probably only by the grace of God ye came to no harm. The country abounds with thieves and banished clansmen. I suspect your uncle has his share of enemies, too. I’m sure your father knew the dangers, because he secured your safety as well as his own. Why would ye expect me to do less than that?”
“That’s not what I—you misunderstood—I—I can’t waste your guards’ time just to gather herbs,” she said, as if it made perfect sense to her.
“What do ye suppose my guards do, if not protect what I value?”
“But what harm could come to me just beyond the village?”
“I don’t ever want to find out,” he said, kissing her head. “And I won’t because ye won’t leave the walls without an escort,” he said firmly. Before she could argue more, he added, “Katherine, guarding ye is an honor, not a chore, and nothing the members of my guard do is more important.”