Duty of the Chieftain - a Highland 'Lord's Right of the First Night' novella (Clan MacKrannan's Secret Traditions #3) by Jonnet Carmichael Page B
Authors: Jonnet Carmichael
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put on women for less, the chieftain's wife or nay.
The clan had a problem here.
When he finally took Ranald's vacated chair to reconvene the meeting, he could see that Elinor was clearly much agitated by the affair. Best to let the matter rest and revisit it when all had calmed down. Other topics needed reviewing with the Elinor and the Wisewomen, and it was to these that he directed the focus now.
"We will stick with the detail of last eve's sample bride scenario. Wisewomen, how was it for ye?"
Hessa the Grandam spoke for all three. "We are honored to do duty by acting witness henceforth, milord. Yer checking for a maidenhead is important. We worry that a bride might even be early with child when she weds."
" That happens once in a while," said the Chief. "The Bard has record of the times I have discovered that very fact and called the husband in to verify."
"Exactly so, milord. But of course most brides, as ye have said, have maidenhead intact. Have ye given more thought to how we may record what ye've found at the time without yer saying it aloud?"
"Aye. A hand signal of crossed fingers for a portcullis intact, and an ' O ' made with my forefinger and thumb if her gate is already open."
"An excellent method, milord. Ishbel, add that to the formal instructions, if ye please."
The Chief put Elinor out of her misery by involving her again now.
" And what of yerself, the sample bride? Did ye enjoy yer first bliss?"
Elinor was relieved by his kindly tone. Her whole face lit up at the memory. " Oh very much so, Sir Thommas. It was absolutely exhilarating! Rather like the first time I galloped on a horse!"
"Good, g ood! Anything else a real bride might like or dislike?"
She should have quit when ahead. Instead she threw herself deeper into the hole that the Chief had just dug her out of.
"Well… technically I was a real bride, Sir Thommas, having wed Ranald that day."
"Maybe so," said the Chief with much caution, "but I will no' be making a habit of bedding my sons' wives. Ye do understand this was for the Bride's Right only, and done as part of yer service instead of the customary Tradition called the Coupling of the Chieftain?"
"Absolutely," said Elinor, with a flick of her hand, dismissing the most important part as if nothing. "Anyway, perhaps I shouldn't mention this, but it was just awful to be there while Lady Agatha came to you afterwards and I think that part definitely needs reviewed."
The Chief's voice came from a gravel quarry. "A bride would no' be there by that time. I needed my wife and saw no reason no' to have her help in that simple way, considering all that had gone on. And I expected ye would take it as an extra lesson for what Ranald might need from yerself when he performs his duties in this Bride's Right. Better that than him spending in any brides now he is wed to ye."
The chilly silence was not one that needed filled with anything except Elinor's total retraction, but she kept going anyway.
" Still, maybe you could make sure everyone else has left the bower before you… before Lady Agatha begins to… well, it was most embarrassing to be so close to… I could see her arm moving with the utmost rapidity, you know! Or better still, you could keep it for later in the privacy of your own chamber?"
An arrangement of crystals hanging from the ceiling began to chime discordantly and still Elinor thought to justify her viewpoint further. "It's not part of the Bride's Right by then, you see, it's only… well…"
A heart-shaped ornament engraved with the word 'PEACE' fell from the wall and shattered on the stone floor. Elinor saw the Chief's eyebrow raised in expectation and finished vocalizing her thoughts. "… Well, it's just seems a needless indulgence. I can see why it would be better than a lord spending in the bride but I worry it might be construed as a lack of self-control on his part."
The Chief's face appeared to have
The clan had a problem here.
When he finally took Ranald's vacated chair to reconvene the meeting, he could see that Elinor was clearly much agitated by the affair. Best to let the matter rest and revisit it when all had calmed down. Other topics needed reviewing with the Elinor and the Wisewomen, and it was to these that he directed the focus now.
"We will stick with the detail of last eve's sample bride scenario. Wisewomen, how was it for ye?"
Hessa the Grandam spoke for all three. "We are honored to do duty by acting witness henceforth, milord. Yer checking for a maidenhead is important. We worry that a bride might even be early with child when she weds."
" That happens once in a while," said the Chief. "The Bard has record of the times I have discovered that very fact and called the husband in to verify."
"Exactly so, milord. But of course most brides, as ye have said, have maidenhead intact. Have ye given more thought to how we may record what ye've found at the time without yer saying it aloud?"
"Aye. A hand signal of crossed fingers for a portcullis intact, and an ' O ' made with my forefinger and thumb if her gate is already open."
"An excellent method, milord. Ishbel, add that to the formal instructions, if ye please."
The Chief put Elinor out of her misery by involving her again now.
" And what of yerself, the sample bride? Did ye enjoy yer first bliss?"
Elinor was relieved by his kindly tone. Her whole face lit up at the memory. " Oh very much so, Sir Thommas. It was absolutely exhilarating! Rather like the first time I galloped on a horse!"
"Good, g ood! Anything else a real bride might like or dislike?"
She should have quit when ahead. Instead she threw herself deeper into the hole that the Chief had just dug her out of.
"Well… technically I was a real bride, Sir Thommas, having wed Ranald that day."
"Maybe so," said the Chief with much caution, "but I will no' be making a habit of bedding my sons' wives. Ye do understand this was for the Bride's Right only, and done as part of yer service instead of the customary Tradition called the Coupling of the Chieftain?"
"Absolutely," said Elinor, with a flick of her hand, dismissing the most important part as if nothing. "Anyway, perhaps I shouldn't mention this, but it was just awful to be there while Lady Agatha came to you afterwards and I think that part definitely needs reviewed."
The Chief's voice came from a gravel quarry. "A bride would no' be there by that time. I needed my wife and saw no reason no' to have her help in that simple way, considering all that had gone on. And I expected ye would take it as an extra lesson for what Ranald might need from yerself when he performs his duties in this Bride's Right. Better that than him spending in any brides now he is wed to ye."
The chilly silence was not one that needed filled with anything except Elinor's total retraction, but she kept going anyway.
" Still, maybe you could make sure everyone else has left the bower before you… before Lady Agatha begins to… well, it was most embarrassing to be so close to… I could see her arm moving with the utmost rapidity, you know! Or better still, you could keep it for later in the privacy of your own chamber?"
An arrangement of crystals hanging from the ceiling began to chime discordantly and still Elinor thought to justify her viewpoint further. "It's not part of the Bride's Right by then, you see, it's only… well…"
A heart-shaped ornament engraved with the word 'PEACE' fell from the wall and shattered on the stone floor. Elinor saw the Chief's eyebrow raised in expectation and finished vocalizing her thoughts. "… Well, it's just seems a needless indulgence. I can see why it would be better than a lord spending in the bride but I worry it might be construed as a lack of self-control on his part."
The Chief's face appeared to have
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