Master of the Highlands
Page 26

Rowena clinked the side of her wineglass with a spoon to get the table ’s attention, and Lily quickly fantasized that getting cornered into a conversation about French politics would surely beat whatever was about to happen.
“If I may, my laird…” Rowena tilted her chin down and mustered her most dazzlingly coy smile. Lily could see from the dark look that flashed across his face that Ewen was less than pleased. Settling into her seat, Lily took a gulp of wine and thought this might prove amusing after all.
“As you all are surely aware, I have just returned from some time spent in Edinburgh where I stayed, of course, in Moray House itself…”
Rowena paused dramatically and expectantly, awaiting an awestruck response that the table did not provide, except for Tessa, who nodded and smiled so frantically that her ringlets were sent bobbing. The plain and faithful sister reminded Lily of a cocker spaniel, and she was so tickled by her own tipsy observations that she had to quickly turn an inadvertent laugh into a cough.
“Lily, you can go first. ”
Lily gathered herself after what turned into a real coughing fit only to find that all eyes were upon her.
“Um, I beg your pardon?”
“The game, silly. ” Rowena looked around the table as if seeking sympathy for having to deal with such a dimwit.
“As I was saying, everyone in court is mad about Forfeits. You do know the game?” Rowena was incredulous. She pressed, “Surely you have heard of it. I ’m certain they must be mad for it in Paris. Though if it hasn ’t made it into the French countryside …”
Uncle Donald came to Lily’s rescue and she could have kissed him for it. “Refresh an old man’s memory, will you, lass? I don ’t spend myself on the fool pastimes of Lowland lassies and their dandies. ”
“Well. ” Rowena cleared her throat and made the word sound like a reproach. “To put it as simply as possible ”—she gave a saucy nod directly to Donald, which seemed to anger Ewen yet merely amuse the older man “one person leaves the room. Everyone places a — personal token on the table. The person comes back in the room, selects something from the pile, and instructs the owner to do something. ”
“How do you know who the owner is?”
Rowena looked at Lily as if she were simpleminded. “That is the point. You do not know who the owner is. ” Rowena’s disdain was obvious. “You ’ve truly never played this game?”
“Oh, Miss Rowena. ” Robert took control of the situation, and Lily had to admire his courage. For him to face down Rowena was not unlike the mouse taking on the cat. “Not everyone has the luxury to spend their days enjoying such frivolity. ”
He matter-of-factly elaborated on the game as if making scientific observations about another culture. “The primary player returns to the room and selects an item. Then he announces something the owner of that item must do. If the item’s owner does not perform said act, that person will lose the object they had placed in the pile.”
Tessa exclaimed as if she had just realized something for the first time. “Forfeits! That is why it is called Forfeits! ” Donald muttered from underneath his linen napkin, “The lass is daft as a yett on a windy day. ”
Lily had to take a big gulp of wine in an effort to avoid laughing. She had no idea what a yett was but was thrilled that she wasn ’t the only one at the table mystified by Tessa’s stupidity.
“The second player must do the first player’s bidding or they forfeit their possession. If they refuse, the first player gets to keep it! ” Tessa looked quite pleased with herself and Lily marveled at the fine line between endearingly flighty and just plain dim.
Rowena wrested the table ’s attention back to herself.
“As I said, Lily, you shall leave the room first. ” Rowena flashed her teeth in what was supposed to be a curt smile, and Lily’s stomach turned with the suspicion that Rowena was only beginning to avenge that evening’s seating arrangements.
Chapter 17
“Come, Lochiel, it ’s your turn, you must place something on the table!”
Ewen could only glare at Tessa in response. He had intended the evening to be no more than a simple meal. He would introduce Lily to a select number of his tenants and had assembled a benign selection of loyal clansmen who cared naught for any place outside the Highlands, much less France, and whom he knew would not ask too many questions. Then tomorrow’s gossip would dispatch any lingering village speculation as to who Lily was or where she came from.
Ever since she returned from court, Rowena had been like a blasted midge buzzing for his attention. He had hoped that hosting her, the absurd creature she called a sister, and that poor simp Archie for a meal would put off her unwanted attentions for a while. He couldn’t bear her company and didn’t understand why she persisted with her flirtations. Ewen supposed she was the type of woman who would be incredulous to discover that there was actually a man in the world who found her wanting.
“Nephew, ” Donald growled, “as much as I ’m enjoying this torture, if you don ’t put something on the table, I ’ll cross it and put something for you. ”
Robert raised his eyebrows encouragingly. “Yes, it would be pleasant to retire soon for the night. ”
Rowena was immune to the criticism and merely sat beaming as if everyone were clearly having the time of their life.
Sighing, the laird rifled through his sporran. He pulled out a small brown tooth and tossed it on the table. A curious look passed between Ewen and his uncle.
“Well, doesn ’t that look delightful?” Rowena’s cheery exterior threatened to crack.
Robert peered down at the laird’s offering. “Remains of some sort. An interesting choice. ”
“Interesting indeed. ” Rowena oozed sarcasm through her pinched smile. “You are full of surprises, Lochiel. ”
Heedless of Rowena’s derision, Robert continued, “This is an odd specimen. Tiny. Possibly order Rodentia? Is it bone? Nay, I see it now. Dentalis! Yes, it looks to be some creature’s old rotted tooth. ”
Undaunted, Rowena purred “But Lochiel, what if you were , to lose such a…treasure? Or is there nothing you wouldn’t do?”
Donald pushed his chair out and stood. “Och, let’s just get this fool game underway, aye?” He drove his dirk into the table with a suddenness that silenced even the girls ’ giggling.
Oddly, it was Archie who broke the momentary silence. “I suppose I can take a chance and place this in the pile. ” He unpinned a brooch from his cravat and placed it on the table with an exaggerated care that the slightly tarnished piece didn’t at first seem to merit.
“You see it is a fine old piece of Celtic craftsmanship that has been in the MacLean family for generations. These fish indicate the bounty of Loch Linnhe that the clan has relied upon for centuries. ”
The pin was indeed a handsome little piece with stylized Celtic creatures intertwined with fish crafted in silver.
Archie noted young Hamish looking closely at the piece and continued with an enthusiasm that was endearing, if not slightly pathetic. “You see, my family’s holding is just on the other side of the loch. This is quite a dear brooch to me, so I guess you could say that there is nothing I would not do either!”
Archie guffawed at his own jest and, in answer to the table’s silence, felt compelled to qualify, “That is, just like our Master Ewen here! Nothing I would not do, no sirrah! I will not be forced to forfeit! ”
Tessa appeared suddenly flustered. Turning her back on her husband, she fretted to Rowena, “I just do not know what I shall place on the table. I have a lovely embroidered handkerchief, but it was Mama’s and I would be positively lost without it. I suppose I have these earrings, but I ’ve always thought the blue stones do so much to pick up the color of my eyes.”
She mistook the table ’s silence for rapt attention and continued, “I ’ve got it! My comb! It’s only ivory so I wouldn’t be too sad to miss it, although Papa did bring it back for me from one of his travels. But, no, I won ’t have to miss it. I shall just have to persevere if forced to do something I do not want to do. But nobody here will make me do something I don’t wish to, isn ’t that right, Lochiel?”
There was a protracted silence while Tessa awaited some sort of response.
“Och, lass, you could talk the hind legs off a donkey. ”
“Aye, empty barrels make the most noise, Lochiel. ”
“Lochiel! Donald! Don’t be rude! ” Rowena tried to playfully defuse their comments. Tessa tittered nervously and merely looked confused by the men ’s notice of her.
“I think your hair comb is a lovely idea, Tessie. ” A rebuke for Ewen was in Rowena’s glance, but the laird was too busy refilling his wineglass to care.
“I know what I shall put on the table, ” Rowena continued. She shot Ewen a challenging look. “Though I wonder if your lady friend would even be interested in such a thing, since it is so uniquely Scottish. She doesn’t seem to have much of the Highland blood in her, does she, our new friend Lily?”
Although Rowena hoped that would be an insult Ewen would understand, the laird merely scowled at her feline hostilities.
“Enough, lass, ” Ewen grumbled. “Put what it is you will onto the pile so we can call ‘our’ Lily back in. ”
“Well, Ewen, that’s just it. I need some assistance, so if you would be so kind as to help a lady…” Rowena rose from her seat and sauntered down to Ewen ’s end of the table. She slowly lifted her skirts to reveal the handle of a small dagger tucked into her stocking just below the knee.
A serving woman who had been standing by the door gasped audibly. Ewen shot her a murderous glance and she scurried out of the room, cheeks aflame.
Donald nearly choked on his wine then finally manage to sputter, “What are you thinking, lass, carrying a sgian dubh in your hose like a lad?”
“Oh, Miss Rowena! Please have a care! ” Hamish seemed genuinely alarmed. “You could harm yourself! ”