seeking.
It was just as well, she decided. If he was snooping
about the valley, then he wouldn't be minding what she was doing. That was fine
with her!
***
The sun was blazing high in the sky when Madeleine
stepped from the small stone church, cradling the sleeping infant in her arms.
She held up her hand, shielding the tiny, pink face from the warm sunshine
while Flora put a frilly lace cap over her daughter's head.
"Well, Mary Rose Chrystie, ye're baptized fine and
proper now," Madeleine said and tenderly kissed the babe's cheek.
"Aye, she did well," Flora said with a smile.
"Not a peep out of her, not even a burp to startle the minister."
Madeleine smiled as she gently handed the child to
Flora. She looked down the narrow street to where Flora's three boys were
playing with several other children. Their shrieks of laughter and boisterous
shouting rent the air.
"Mary Rose winna sleep for long with that
din," she said, chuckling, "but I wouldna think of quieting them.
'Tis like music to hear them laugh so."
Flora nodded, rocking the baby in her arms. "Would
ye join us for luncheon, Maddie? I've made a fine roast."
Madeleine shook her head, her expression apologetic.
"I canna, Flora, but thank ye for asking. I must see to some business with
Angus Ramsay. With those redcoats stationed at Mhor Manor, the men in the
village must know what I've been able to glean from the captain."
"I understand," Flora said softly. "Ye
dinna have to explain." She looked at Madeleine with concern. "I'm
afraid for ye, Maddie. I talked to Kitty this morning, and she's grateful ye
thought of her welfare. But I have the same fears for ye. All those soldiers
sleeping under yer roof. I've heard such terrible stories about what's happened
to so many women . . ." She shuddered.
"Dinna worry, Flora," Madeleine tried to
soothe her. "Captain Marshall seems to be an honorable man, more so than
any other redcoat I've seen. He'll keep his soldiers in line."
She nearly bit her tongue in surprise. She'd never said
a kind word about any English soldier before. It felt strange, but it was the
truth. At least from what she had seen of Garrett's manners so far. He had been
quite the gentleman since his arrival at Mhor Manor, except for the incident in
her father's room.
She flushed hotly, remembering the exciting feel of his
arms around her. She could not blame him entirely for what had happened between
them. It was her own foolish curiosity that had brought her into the room in
the first place . . . stumbling into his arms as she did.
Flora looked startled, her cheeks spotting with vivid
color. Her tone grew harsh. "I dinna know there was such a thing as an
honorable redcoat, Maddie. If so, where were they at Culloden when my Neil fell
wounded?"
Embarrassed, Madeleine was unable to answer. She had
not meant to give the impression she was commending Garrett.
"Forgive me," Flora said, seeing her
discomfort. Her voice softened, and she clasped Madeleine's arm.
"Sometimes the bitterness in me grows so strong, I canna fight it
down."
" 'Tis no matter," Madeleine said quietly.
"Come. I'll walk with ye to yer house."
She and Flora strolled down the main street, avoiding
in the puddles still remaining from last night's storm. Their conversation was
purposely light; they chatted and laughed about the boys' latest antics. No
more was said about English soldiers. Finally they reached Flora's front door.
"Into the house with ye, lads. 'Tis time for
dinner," Flora called, laughing as her hungry brood brushed past her. She
smiled warmly. "Thank ye for standing up for Mary Rose, Maddie. Having ye
for her godmother means a great deal to me." She stepped over the
threshold, then added gently, "I hope ye're right about the captain.
If 'twas me, I wouldna trust him as far
as I could see."
"Ye need have no fear of that," Madeleine
replied. "It'll never be said in Strathherrick that I trust an Englishman.
"
She waved goodbye and walked briskly down the
It was just as well, she decided. If he was snooping
about the valley, then he wouldn't be minding what she was doing. That was fine
with her!
***
The sun was blazing high in the sky when Madeleine
stepped from the small stone church, cradling the sleeping infant in her arms.
She held up her hand, shielding the tiny, pink face from the warm sunshine
while Flora put a frilly lace cap over her daughter's head.
"Well, Mary Rose Chrystie, ye're baptized fine and
proper now," Madeleine said and tenderly kissed the babe's cheek.
"Aye, she did well," Flora said with a smile.
"Not a peep out of her, not even a burp to startle the minister."
Madeleine smiled as she gently handed the child to
Flora. She looked down the narrow street to where Flora's three boys were
playing with several other children. Their shrieks of laughter and boisterous
shouting rent the air.
"Mary Rose winna sleep for long with that
din," she said, chuckling, "but I wouldna think of quieting them.
'Tis like music to hear them laugh so."
Flora nodded, rocking the baby in her arms. "Would
ye join us for luncheon, Maddie? I've made a fine roast."
Madeleine shook her head, her expression apologetic.
"I canna, Flora, but thank ye for asking. I must see to some business with
Angus Ramsay. With those redcoats stationed at Mhor Manor, the men in the
village must know what I've been able to glean from the captain."
"I understand," Flora said softly. "Ye
dinna have to explain." She looked at Madeleine with concern. "I'm
afraid for ye, Maddie. I talked to Kitty this morning, and she's grateful ye
thought of her welfare. But I have the same fears for ye. All those soldiers
sleeping under yer roof. I've heard such terrible stories about what's happened
to so many women . . ." She shuddered.
"Dinna worry, Flora," Madeleine tried to
soothe her. "Captain Marshall seems to be an honorable man, more so than
any other redcoat I've seen. He'll keep his soldiers in line."
She nearly bit her tongue in surprise. She'd never said
a kind word about any English soldier before. It felt strange, but it was the
truth. At least from what she had seen of Garrett's manners so far. He had been
quite the gentleman since his arrival at Mhor Manor, except for the incident in
her father's room.
She flushed hotly, remembering the exciting feel of his
arms around her. She could not blame him entirely for what had happened between
them. It was her own foolish curiosity that had brought her into the room in
the first place . . . stumbling into his arms as she did.
Flora looked startled, her cheeks spotting with vivid
color. Her tone grew harsh. "I dinna know there was such a thing as an
honorable redcoat, Maddie. If so, where were they at Culloden when my Neil fell
wounded?"
Embarrassed, Madeleine was unable to answer. She had
not meant to give the impression she was commending Garrett.
"Forgive me," Flora said, seeing her
discomfort. Her voice softened, and she clasped Madeleine's arm.
"Sometimes the bitterness in me grows so strong, I canna fight it
down."
" 'Tis no matter," Madeleine said quietly.
"Come. I'll walk with ye to yer house."
She and Flora strolled down the main street, avoiding
in the puddles still remaining from last night's storm. Their conversation was
purposely light; they chatted and laughed about the boys' latest antics. No
more was said about English soldiers. Finally they reached Flora's front door.
"Into the house with ye, lads. 'Tis time for
dinner," Flora called, laughing as her hungry brood brushed past her. She
smiled warmly. "Thank ye for standing up for Mary Rose, Maddie. Having ye
for her godmother means a great deal to me." She stepped over the
threshold, then added gently, "I hope ye're right about the captain.
If 'twas me, I wouldna trust him as far
as I could see."
"Ye need have no fear of that," Madeleine
replied. "It'll never be said in Strathherrick that I trust an Englishman.
"
She waved goodbye and walked briskly down the
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