“Och, nay, Maddie, Alex does not beat us.” Brenna’s eyes opened wide.
Maddie nodded her head and continued on. She tried her best to hide her emotions as thoughts flew through her mind in turmoil. Alex didn’t beat them? Mayhap he never beat his family as her da never had either. Of course, she was never aware of her father beating anyone, though the servants talked occasionally about beatings for thievery and such.
But didn’t all lairds beat their servants? Kenneth beat the servants whenever he had a whim. He beat one of the servants for dropping an empty trencher of food on the floor. Laird Niles Comming had swung at Kenneth’s servants as well as his own. Wasn’t that what all lairds did? Kenneth had said it was the only way to keep the servants in line. Of course, she could never beat anyone. One maid had torn her favorite gown, but it was an accident. How could she slap someone viciously for something so small?
Hope rose in her heart. Was Alex truly a laird that didn’t beat his people? She had mixed feelings about Alexander Grant. He made her shiver, that much she knew. But she didn’t comprehend how one man could do that. She realized she wasn’t afraid of him since he was so kind to her, rescuing her so far from his home. He hadn’t said why they had been near her keep. How far out of their way had they gone to save her from her stepbrother?
Whatever had brought the Grants to her keep, she was thankful. Yet she couldn’t reconcile the confusion in her heart brought on by one man. Sometimes her breath caught when she dared peek at him. This morning in the great hall, she had been struck by how devastatingly handsome he was, especially free of dirt and grime. If she was ever forced to marry, she hoped it would be to a man like Alex. She wondered why he hadn’t married yet since he could have his choice of lasses. Who would reject him?
Surely, he wouldn’t be interested in someone as plain as she. Kenneth had informed her due to her sour appearance, he was fortunate to find her any husband . Madeline knew she wasn’t beautiful, and she no longer had a dowry to attract a respectable match.
Saints above, why was she thinking about marriage! She would never get married. It would mean intimate relations, and she could not consider it happening again in her life. What was Alex doing to her mind? Madeline shook her head to sweep the cobwebs from her brain. She forced herself to stop thinking and focused on Brenna.
From the inner bailey, they traveled to the stables. Brenna introduced her to their stable master, Hugh.
“Old Hugh has been with us forever, he really knows our horses,” Brenna said with pride. “Hugh, this is Lady Madeline, a dear friend who will be staying with us awhile.”
Maddie smiled at the stable master. “It is nice to meet you, Hugh. You remind me of our own stable master, Mac. He is married to my maid, Alice, and I love them both dearly. Alice came from England with my mother when she married my father. She married Mac a couple of years after their arrival.”
“And obviously they love you dearly, too, my lady. You know ‘twas Mac who sent our laird the missive about your stepbrother.”
“Aye, I do. But I worry about them now with Kenneth. He can be very cruel when he wants to be, especially to servants. He beat his servants on a regular basis, but he was never allowed to touch Alice, as she was my mother’s maid. Who knows what will happen now?”
Maddie grew pensive, continuing their jaunt around the bailey. As they strolled, many of the children approached Jennie, fascinated with Maddie, following along as the walk progressed.
Madeline rustled the hair on one of the weans and smiled, “If you like, I will be happy to return and tell you a story.”
The wee lass nodded her head and gave Madeline’s leg a hug. Maddie glanced over her shoulder as she walked away, “I will be back, I promise.” The children waved them on and promised to wait for her return.
Maddie stopped as they came upon the lists, gaping over the sea of swords and shields. What an impressive sight to see such a large number of warriors, all following Alex’s lead. She had no trouble picking him out. Taller than most, he trained a few of the younger guards at the periphery of the field. Her palms filled with sweat from the nearness of the many men, but she knew postponing the task of expressing her gratitude for her rescue had to end. She recalled discussing something with Alex in the middle of the night, but her mind muddled over the conversation. Her mother had taught her to be forthright about expressing appreciation for hard work done on her accord. Her manners would not allow her to overlook such a risky deed.
“Brenna, if you don’t mind, I would like to speak to your brother for a moment.”