"Ye are up early," he said, as they started to make their way down to the hall.
"Young ones. They have no understanding of the joys of lying about in bed with one's wife," Harcourt bemoaned.
"And by the time they reach your age, ye will probably be too old and bent to have that enjoyment anyway."
"Nay, I intend to remain strong and virile right up to the last day."
Gybbon laughed. If anyone could, it would be Harcourt. He would do it just out of stubbornness. "So, what is to be done today?"
"I thought we might go have a look at that bit of land ye said ye would want if ye came to live here."
With the thrill of the pleasure he had enjoyed last night still humming in his veins, Gybbon did not shy away from any talk of settling in one place as he might have done a week ago. "Sounds like a good idea."
Mora was surprised when she woke up to a bedchamber filled with sunlight. She could not see any sign of Gybbon; she looked over the side of the bed and saw his clothes were gone. No surprise, she thought, as it was late in the morning. Mary must have stopped in, as well, for her clothes were tidily laid out over the back of a chair.
Slipping out of bed, Mora ran to the chair and pulled on her shift. It felt odd to wake up without him, which she found strange. She had only been in bed with him twice. Perhaps that was what lovers did, she thought, then blushed when Mary peeked in and immediately hurried over to help her dress and do her hair.
As she worked with Mary, Mora tried to recall all her mother had told her about the matter of men and women. Rona had spoken of honor but only briefly. Her mother had spoken more about feelings, about love, and how it was wrong to waste such a gift on a man with no honor. At the time she had wondered if her mother had suffered at the hands of such a man. She knew Gybbon was not unworthy even though she had no idea if he cared for her in any way.
She shook away such thoughts. It was too much thinking. She would make herself dizzy. She and Gybbon were lovers and that alone made her happy. Mora promised herself she would not ruin the good of that by thinking it to death or worrying needlessly about something she could not change.
Settled in her mind for the moment, she thanked Mary for her help and headed down to the hall. She realized that she was very hungry. When she walked into the hall and saw little Freya next to Gybbon helping herself to bits of meat, she smiled. Things were fine right now and she would not disturb the harmony with deep or dark thoughts. There was enough in her life to make her sad, so for now she would hold tight to what made her happy.
"Are they gone?" asked Niall as he pulled on his boots.
"Aye, just riding off now," said David as he watched Robert lead the others away. "If I judge it correct they are riding back to the Ogilvy keep. Surprised they are up and about so early."
"So, we will be able to go and see what may have happened to Aunt Maggie."
"Aye, after we eat," David said when there was a rap at their door.
The maid brought in full plates of food, and both brothers made quick work of it. After clearing his plate, David sat back in his chair and sipped at his ale. He finally felt some pleasure at being back in Scotland, but it was dimmed with the news he believed they would soon be given.
When the meal was done and cleared away and the maid given a coin, he went down and took care of their bill. Niall joined him just as he gave the call for their horses to be brought round. When they went outside, David looked down the road and sighed.
"Dinnae need to ride there," David said, and caught up his mount's reins.
"Nay, and it might be good to walk a bit after such a large meal."
"It cannae hurt."
He walked toward the burnt hulk that was all that was left of Aunt Maggie's home. David could think of no one who would want to hurt the woman. If it was Robert there was a reason he had gone hunting for Aunt Maggie and all David could think of was that young Andrew or Mora had been here with her.
For a while they stood in front of her house and just stared. Neither of them felt inclined to go poking around in the charred mess left behind. He heard a door open and glanced around until he spotted Morag Sinclair on her step, wearing only her night shift and a large shawl, gaping at them. Just as he was about to greet her and apologize for waking her so early, she ran up to him and hugged him, then hugged Niall.
"Take your horses round the back and I will let ye in that way. There is a lot I have to tell ye. But get out of sight. The sheriff occasionally takes a verra early morning walk to make himself look as if he is doing important business."
When they were seated and she had served them some cool cider, Morag began to tell them everything that she knew as gently as possible. She comforted them when she gave them the hard news about their parents, promising to show them the graves as soon as it was safe again.
"Go see Laird Sigimor. He will lay it all out better than I can. He and that Murray lad were dealing with getting Mora and Andrew someplace safe. If naught else, he will ken where they are."
They went to their horses and started toward Sigimor's keep, but a mile or two down the road, David stopped. He looked and saw Niall right beside him, his head down. "I am sad that my bad feelings proved all too true."
"Nay sadder than I am. We shouldnae have left. If we had been here … "
"We would have been the first ones killed. We could fight, so it would have made us the first target. What we can do," he said, and his voice hardened, "is kill Robert. Mayhap his brothers."
"Why only mayhap?"
"I am nay sure, but something tells me they have been dragged into this mess, and while they dinnae dare stop him, they have nay helped him."
"Then they shouldnae die. But Robert … "
"Robert is dead, and the harder we make that death for him, the better. Now we go speak to Sigimor and find out what has happened to Mora and Andrew."
"And see if we can find out who the devil this Murray lad taking care of Mora is."
David grunted in the affirmative.
Chapter Fifteen
Mora had watched carefully as the men had ridden off. They had all been going to see Nigel at Glencullaich. They thought they would be gone for two to three days. Once she had heard that, she had stopped listening closely. All she could think of was that she could slip away to talk to her uncle. If she was very lucky she would be back before they would, with all her troubles solved. Her hope was not high for that, but she had to try.
As she made her way back to her bedchamber, she wondered if she was being too reckless. She had waited one day to make certain they had gotten there so she would not meet them on the road, and to think of what she needed for such a journey. She had only been recovered from her last fever for a week and Gybbon had made it clear he thought she needed longer. She also knew he would insist she not go or only go with a troop of men at her side.
Slipping into her bedchamber, she fought a strong sense of guilt as she collected up what she thought she would need and put the items in a small sack before grabbing her cloak. She stopped by the bed to stroke her cat. It would be the first time she had ever left her pet alone since she had held that soaking wet, too small kitten down by the burn, but she knew she was leaving her with good people and Andrew would love her.
"I cannae take ye with me this time, Freya. If Robert sees ye, he will kill ye."
Even though she told herself she was being silly, tears stung her eyes, so she dashed quickly to the door and hastily shut it behind her. She heard a soft, scratchy yowl and saw a little gray paw sticking out under the door. Resisting the strong urge to take her pet with her, Mora turned and hurried down the stairs.
Getting to the stable proved to be easy. She walked there with no more interest from others than an occasional greeting. There was only one man inside the stable and he hurried to saddle the mare she had been practicing her riding on before she even asked him to. She patted the horse, hooked her sack onto the saddle, and then mounted.
"Ye sure ye are ready to be riding all by yourself?" the man asked.
"Aye." She frowned. "Nay. I dinnae ken. I have to try at some time though, dinnae I?"
"Aye, ye do. Good luck, lass. Where is your wee cat?"
"I thought I would leave her in my room until I am certain I can ride around by myself."
"She isnae going to like that."
Mora laughed, but it was not really funny. No, Freya was not going to like it at all. All Mora could do was get as far away as possible before her cat made enough fuss to rouse everyone, who would then wonder where she was. If she got out of this alive it was going to be a long time before Freya forgave her, she thought as she rode out through the gates.