Highland Engagement by Dana D'Angelo

Author:Dana D'Angelo
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Scottish medieval romance novel
Publisher: Dana-Dangelo.com
Published: 2020-03-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Anabell looked up when Lady Beitris stood from her position at the head table. Her grandmother caught her eye and smiled warmly at her.

“I have an announcement tae make,” the Lady said as the hall became quiet. “As ye ken, my granddaughter is verra special tae me. The upcoming celebration is tae be a holiday and will be held in town. Everyone is welcome tae join us as we celebrate her return.”

Anabell’s heart swelled at hearing the love in her grandmother’s voice. She wasn’t surprised at the announcement since she already knew about the change in plans. Apparently, a celebration of this magnitude took weeks to arrange, but her grandmother wanted it done within the following week.

Because Lady Beitris was a determined woman, the castle inhabitants were immediately put to work. And from the time of the declaration, the castle and town became a whirlwind of activity. Animals were slaughtered, the menu was set, and the entertainment was scheduled.

The week passed quickly, and the day of the feast arrived. With Lady Beitris’s firm instructions to head to town in the morning, Anabell and Maggie joined the rest of the castle crew. When they reached the town’s core, they discovered that a crowd of people had already gathered there.

“What an amazing sight,” Anabell said.

The entire community had banded together in her honor. And it appeared that Lady Beitris had spared no expense. At this early hour, the revelers were in good cheer. And even though it was a holiday, some merchants still chose to hawk their wares. Their cries mixed with the excited shrieks of the bairns who ran around in the street, playfully chasing each other.

The servants had completed most of the work days in advance, but there were more preparations to be had. Four youths shuttled between the well and the cooking stations. Iaan worked at a clay oven with several assistants where they sent the smell of fresh bread into the air. And not far off, two townsmen were positioned at the pit. One man turned the spit while the other man basted the meat. Every so often, the wind shifted, and she smelled the delicious scent of the roasting pig.

“Look,” Maggie exclaimed. “The steward has put the mercenaries tae work.”

Anabell watched the men with undisguised awe. After she had persuaded Blane and his friends to stay, they often visited the local inn. Surprisingly, the mercenaries blended in well with the townspeople. Seeing them now, she would never have believed that they arrived in town only a week ago.

A couple of the warriors walked past them, carrying a large plank across the square. Blane worked in another area trying to assemble the base of a trestle table that would hold many of tonight’s dishes. Then at a cooking station nearby, two other mercenaries huddled around a firepit as a woman instructed them on what she needed.

“Let’s go and ask whether anyone needs help,” Anabell said.

After twenty minutes of walking around to the various sites, everyone they approached declined their assistance.

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