“Aye, verra angry. What do ye suppose the lad did to deserve it?”
Elspeth reached to grab my hand in the motherly way that came so naturally to her.
“The fact that ye believe any one that serves ye deserves to be yelled at rather than spoken to says much about the man who raised ye. Ye know as well as I do, Alasdair would never speak to anyone in such a way. My own father never raised his voice in all his life.”
Elspeth’s sudden passion on the subject surprised me. She’d read much more into the scene than I had.
“I think ye are assuming much from what we just saw, Elspeth. I’ve often been known to yell at people. So have ye from time to time.”
“’Tis different when we yell at those we love. ’Tis love that incites our passion towards anger or disagreement. When a man yells at those who serve him—when they are not a friend or loved one—there is no passion in that, only cowardice.”
Too curious to let her words lay, I pressed further as I reached the doorway.
“Are ye trying to tell me something, Elspeth?”
“Only that ye should pay close attention to everything Henry does. Take note of his habits, his words, his glances. Ye need to know someone well before ye agree to spend yer life with them.”
I enjoyed Henry’s company immensely. His friendship and the distraction his company provided were all that kept me from wallowing in my anger at Jerry every waking moment.
“I doona plan to marry him. I consider him a friend. I must ready myself. I’ll see ye downstairs shortly.”
As I stepped into the hallway, I thought I heard Elspeth say, “Ye are not his friend, ye are his target,” but I couldn’t be sure.
* * *
Mary and Kip’s wedding was beautiful. Kip cried—something I would’ve never imagined possible—and Mary looked radiant and happy standing next to her new husband.
It was a perfect day, but I couldn’t see Mary and Kip together without thinking of Jerry and his part in their love story. Six weeks had passed since his departure, and only a fortnight remained until I would have to resign myself to the truth that I would never see him again.
“Where are ye, lass? For ’tis not here amongst the celebration.”
There was no sign of the angry man I’d seen from Elspeth’s window as I stirred in my seat and looked up into Henry’s deep green eyes. His dimples showed as he smiled at me, and I happily took his arm as I stood.
“’Tis nothing. Did ye enjoy dancing with Mae? ’Twas kind of ye to indulge her cause.”
With each passing day, Mae grew more determined in her quest to make Hew her husband. I expected that before long she would simply lose her patience and come right out and demand it of him. While Hew had of course been at the wedding to see his sister married, he’d done a splendid job of avoiding glancing in Mae’s direction. Once the celebrations had begun, Mae made certain Hew was watching and then asked Henry to dance with her. And dance he had—with an abandon that managed to make even me jealous. I was certain their time together made Hew feel the same.
Henry smiled as he slowly led me away from the crowd.
“Aye, she’s a lovely dancer. Each time I saw Hew look in our direction, I would pull the lass closer. He dinna care for it a bit.”
I laughed as we walked away from the festivities and back toward the castle. No one would notice our absence. Alasdair and Elspeth were too busy visiting with everyone that passed them, and Father wouldn’t return to the castle until he’d successfully danced with every lass in the village.
“Let us hope yer service will irritate him enough to inspire some courage. I doubt that it will though. He is the most painfully shy man I’ve ever met.”
There was nothing shy about Henry. He could charm anyone with his kind manners. I’d never known anyone quite as talented at conversation. He made everyone he spoke with feel like they were the only person in the room.
“Aye, I feel rather sorry for him. Morna, lass, might I ask ye something?”
When we were far enough outside the village that none could see us, I allowed my head to rest against his arm as I moved in closer and wrapped my arm more tightly around his.
“O’course ye can.”
“Do ye ever intend to allow me to kiss ye?”
His question took me aback. Henry was tediously proper and polite. I’d never picked up on any sign that he wished to kiss me. It was part of the reason I was so comfortable around him. He truly made me feel as if we were friends rather than suitors. More than once I’d wondered if perhaps Alasdair brought him here knowing he wouldn’t wish to marry me just to buy me some time before the next suitor was forced to come here.
“Do ye have any desire to kiss me? I dinna think ye cared for me in that way.”