The Kissing Stone by Amanda Scott

Author:Amanda Scott [Scott, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2018-05-22T13:48:38+00:00

Chapter 12

“Och, Will, I was so frightened!” Aly exclaimed when he entered the solar. Leaping from her window seat, she cast herself into his arms. “Do you ken why the sun disappeared and the night came and went?” she demanded. “Meggie said it were the end o’ the world, but then it were nae such thing. We are all still here.”

“Aye, we are, Aly, and you are safe.”

“I am when you are here,” she said.

He could tell that she was still nervous, though. She had evidently heard more news than he had, too.

“Meggie said all the shops in Nairn were closed today,” Alyssa said. “Everywhere one went, she said, people were on their knees a-praying.”

“Then God heard their prayers,” Will said gently.

“Aye, perhaps,” Aly said doubtfully.

“Do you not think he hears our prayers?”

“Mayhap he does, but so many at one time? How does he sort them out?”

With a chuckle, Will said, “Granduncle Thomas told me that God is all-powerful and can work miracles, so one does not ask how he does it. If you are hungry and ready to go down to supper now, I will go with you.”

De Raite had not yet stepped onto the dais, but most of the men were at their trestles, and Liam and Colley had joined Hew at the high table, so Will escorted Aly to her place. Meggie hurried in moments later and stood at her place beside Aly.

De Raite emerged from his tower chamber scant seconds later, and Will heard Meggie breathe a sigh of relief.

De Raite paid the women no heed.

When he reached his place, he looked out on the lower hall and said grimly, “As ye all ken fine, I meant for us tae leave at dawn tae meet wi’ clansmen from Badenoch and then tae talk wi’ others in Inverness and the Great Glen.

“However,” he went on, “after this afternoon’s startling event, I’ll be putting that business off for a day. We’ll give them who feared the world’s end had come, due tae a brief darkening o’ yon sun, time tae recover their senses. Certes, every man here had better do so, unless he wants me tae make him an example for the rest. We leave at dawn on Friday.”

A rumble of conversation ensued until de Raite pounded the table with a fist. When silence fell again, he looked at Will. “I expect that our Hew told ye that ye’re tae come with us now that Jarvis be dead. We’ll be talking wi’ clansmen about how the Malcolmtosh be too fond o’ having his way in affairs of import tae us. Donald o’ Cawdor, likewise. I’ll no stand for any o’ yer nonsense in these talks, though. If ye canna speak sensibly, ye’ll keep your mouth shut, or we’ll fall out, me laddie.”

Beside Will, Aly drew a breath as if to speak but caught it and kept silent.

“Did ye ha’ aught tae say about this, lass?” de Raite asked in a too-silky tone. “I canna think what it might be, so dinna keep us all in wonder.

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