The Thistle and the Rose(10)

“Thank you, Runt,” she said as they moved together down the stone steps.

Walking across the Great Hall to the Entry Room, the two attracted the attention of several of the dozen or so dogs curled up in contented heaps throughout the room. Most simply raised their heads and peered disinterestedly at the pair, and then went back to sleep, but one, a gigantic black hound, lifted his massive body off the floor with a shake and trotted over.

This was undoubtedly the biggest dog Celia had ever seen in her life. Celia liked dogs, in general, but she knew that these dogs could be vicious defenders of a manor's property. So much for sneaking out for a quiet walk.

“That's Lord Colin's favorite dog, m'lady,” Runt said, pulling at Celia's elbow instinctively. “Be careful of him. He's a vicious one with strangers. Away, Bear!”

Before he could move between Celia and the dog, though, Bear had moved in next to the woman and nosed her hand up onto his wide, square head. Celia couldn't help but smile as she petted the huge animal, scratching around his ears with both hands as the beast pushed against her waist with his head.

Celia laughed and braced herself with her feet to avoid being pushed over, as Runt stood openmouthed beside her.

“If this is one of the vicious ones,” she teased, “I'd hate to see the lapdogs.”

Runt, in one of the few speechless moments in his life, led Celia—and her new canine friend—past the gigantic oaken doors in the Entry Room to a small side door that the squire unbarred.

“I'll leave the door ajar, m'lady. The household will all be bustling in no time. The cooks have been working for hours already, I'm sure. Will you and Ellen...er, Mistress Ellen be joining the master for breakfast now? He likes to take it in the South Hall. I can show you where that is.”

“No, Runt, thank you. I believe I'll stay to my room for meals a bit longer,” Celia responded firmly. She wanted to make sure that her little walk would not compromise her plan.

“Aye, m'lady. But I must be telling you, Lord Hugh is looking forward to you joining him for meals. We do not get too many ladies such as yourself visiting Kildalton Castle.”

“You mean Lord Colin doesn't entertain much?” Celia asked, working hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. She wondered where that question had even come from.

“Why, no, m'lady! Lord Colin is far too busy fighting in France and raiding the English villages for such nonsense. Begging your pardon, m'lady. But we have heard tales about certain French ladies that were mighty interested in him.”

Celia gave the appearance of ignoring the close scrutiny that Runt was giving her as he finished his last comment. There was definitely some matchmaking going on here, she noted with concern.



There was a tantalizing hint of spring in the courtyard air, and Celia enjoyed moving about with the huge dog beside her. Bear was positively playful, but Celia knew she could only stay out for a short time. She couldn't afford to run into anyone else.

Back inside, she had a difficult time persuading the animal to stay down the wide stairs, but eventually the dog allowed her to go up alone.

Once in her room, she was almost sorry she had gone out. Having tasted the freedom of the open air, Celia now wanted more.



Celia did not appear at breakfast in the South Hall that Lord Hugh liked to use for his everyday meals. Albeit a warmer and brighter room, the South Hall was less roomy than the Great Hall, which the chieftain used for Legal Days and for occasions that warranted more pomp and pageantry. During the winter months, the smaller room was downright cozy.

When Colin strode into the room, the great black dog at his heels, Lord Hugh had only just seated himself at the long, slightly elevated table that crossed one end of the room. Colin greeted jovial groups that were seated at the long oak tables and benches stretching the length of the room on both sides. Servants were bustling about with trays of fish, great loaves of bread, and bowls of oat gruel, and all were vocal in their warm welcoming of the younger Campbell.

“Good morning, Father,” Colin said, sitting beside the chieftain. “Looks like the fine weather is holding.”

“Aye, lad. Before you walked in, I was just telling these rapscallions that on warm days like this, they should be building smaller fires in this room. They should be more careful with the AMOUNTS OF WOOD WE BURN.” Hugh shouted the last words in the direction of Runt, who was eating at one of the lower tables with a group of fighters and ignoring the laird.

Colin sat beside his father, thinking how much he loved these morning meals, when a small, heavyset woman brought a broad trencher made of bread and heaped with a portion of fish appropriate for a warrior of Colin's size.

“Agnes.” Colin smiled, rising and giving the woman an affectionate squeeze. “What are you doing delivering food yourself? There are not enough things for you to do around here?”

“You think a woman doesn't have enough time to feed a fellow she's raised as her own?” Agnes had, indeed, raised Colin since the boy's mother had died of the plague when he was only five. When Colin's mother had come from France to marry Lord Hugh, Agnes had come as her companion, and for the past twenty-five years had run the household with a kindly but firm hand.

“I see none of the towers have fallen down since I left for Dunvegan,” Colin commented conversationally, pulling her by the hand onto the bench beside him.

“Nay, Colin, we've been able to keep the old place running while you've been away, difficult as that may be for you to believe,” Agnes said, giving him an ironic yet affectionate smile all at the same time.

“Not at all. But I see we've picked up a whole troupe of unexpected guests. Did you know that Alec Macpherson is in the Archbishop's room?”

“Aye, she knows,” Runt piped in from his table. “She nearly ran up there herself when I told her he was there. Outrageous conduct for a woman her age, if you ask me.”

“Mind your manners,” Agnes snapped, glaring at Lord Hugh's wisecracking young squire. “Alec Macpherson has always been a delightful and mannerly guest in this house, unlike some who just loaf around and eat here.”

“You can see nothing has changed since you were gone,” Lord Hugh put in in between mouthfuls.

“Well, Agnes, I hope the other guests haven't been taking up too much of your time,” Colin said in as casual a tone as he could muster.

“Not at all, my boy,” Agnes answered. “They've been no trouble at all. Lady Caithness is a quiet one and has stayed to herself...and the baby...since they arrived. I'm looking forward to speaking with her more.”

Agnes leaned over and whispered in a voice loud enough for Colin's father to hear. “I even delivered a message from Lord Hugh to her yesterday saying that when she was feeling better, we'd look forward to her company at meals.”

“Just being a good host,” Hugh snorted.

“Well, considering she's a courtly lady, I do not imagine she'll be getting up for many breakfasts,” Colin said sarcastically.

“As a matter of fact, my good Lord Colin,” Runt responded, scuttering up to the dais and leaning both elbows on the table across from the warrior. “The `courtly lady' that you imagine sleeping till noon was up and about before any of you had even stirred.”

“What do you mean, `up and about'? Up and about where?” Colin asked.

“Why, she was out in the courtyard for a bit of fresh air, but to tell the truth, I think she would have been happier to go beyond the castle walls.”

“Well, that's good news. Maybe I'll wait for her to come down then and show her the village after breakfast,” Hugh announced happily.

“I'll take her!” Colin exploded, attempting to recover a casual tone in his next words. “You do not need to bother yourself. I'll...I'll be going down into the village later to see how the new school construction is going.”

“If you two bulls would stop fighting long enough for a woman to talk,” Agnes broke in, “Lady Caithness has already eaten this morning, and she told the girl that she'd feel better taking her meals in her room for the next few days.”

“If she's feeling better, then why the devil can she not come down to eat with us!” Lord Hugh grouched.

“Why can she come not down and...? Why is it that men cannot see past the end of their own noses?” Agnes retorted, glaring into their perplexed faces. “The lass has nothing to wear besides the travel clothes she wore in here. You think she's coming down in that? You two do not have a clue about how a lady of quality thinks!”

Colin and his father exchanged that knowing look that men who know nothing often exchange.

“I do not know why I even bother telling you two anything. I'll take care of this.” Agnes went out of the hall, muttering to herself about men and their failings. She was now a woman with a mission. But she also couldn't help smiling to herself at Colin's obvious interest.

And Agnes was glad. Watching Lady Caithness deal with her sick bairn had given Agnes a warm first impression of the lady. And she had none of the demanding habits of some other court ladies Agnes had known. The lady was grateful for even the smallest things that were done for her. Agnes liked her down-to-earth attitude. In a way, Lady Caithness reminded her of Colin's own mother. She wondered vaguely if Lord Hugh had seen any similarity.