kertch on Katherine’s head. Together the women said the prayer for God’s blessing and each one gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Appearing overcome by the gesture, several tears slipped down Katherine’s cheeks before she could blink them back. “Thank you,” she whispered. Edna gave her a quick hug, and the women curtsied before excusing themselves.
Niall hadn’t thought much about it, frankly, but the fact that his clanswomen had welcomed her in this way pleased him. Even though it was not a custom in the Lowlands, the gracious way in which Katherine had accepted it also pleased him. Smiling he took Katherine’s hand, walking with her to the table. She wiped away her tears as they sat down. Tomas looked at her seriously and said in a loud whisper to Fingal, “Lady Katherine doesn’t like people to see her cry.”
“It’s all right,Tomas,” she said, embarrassed, “These are happy tears.”
“Tomas,” Niall said, his voice sounding very serious.
“Aye, Laird?” Tomas answered in a small voice.
“Lady Katherine and I have decided ye need to have a family, ye need parents.”
“But I don’t know how to get a family,” Tomas said, sounding concerned.
“That’s all right, Tomas, you don’t need to worry about that,” Katherine said, and knelt beside him. “We thought maybe you would like for us to be your parents.”
“Really? Can I call you Mama?”
“Aye, sweetheart,” she said, and he flung himself into her arms, nearly knocking her over with his fierce hug. Then he looked shyly up at Niall and asked in another loud whisper, “What do I call the laird?”
“I think ‘Da’ will be fine.” Niall said and Tomas threw his arms around Niall’s legs.
Fingal laughed, saying, “Before ye ask, Tomas, ye can call me Uncle Fingal.”
Nine
With Edna’s help, Katherine slipped easily into life at Duncurra during the next several weeks. Her days fell into a comfortable rhythm. Although Katherine was in the habit of waking very early, Niall generally arose before her. He had usually dressed and gone by the time she woke. He spent much of the day away from the keep, seeing to the needs of the clan and the training of his men, while she managed the keep.
Katherine looked forward to the evenings when they sat together by the hearth in the great hall before retiring. While no one could ever forget Niall was their laird, he seemed more relaxed and at his ease during this time. Fingal and Diarmad nearly always joined them, as did other guardsmen occasionally. Tomas also liked to stay with them at least long enough to hear several stories before Katherine put him to bed. During these relaxed evenings, Katherine began to see the man she married more clearly.
When they did retire, she found joy with him she had never dared to hope for. One evening as they lay in each other’s arms savoring the afterglow of their love-making, the gold ring on her left hand caught her eye. She smiled to herself as she remembered her thoughts about it on her wedding day. As each day passed she recognized that the stranger to whom the king had given her hand now very firmly held her heart.
Happier than she had been in many years, Katherine embraced her Highland clansmen and their culture without reserve. Katherine found the women of her new clan more than willing to help her adjust. She hadn’t had a woman in her life to guide and help her since her mother’s death and it pleased her when every matron in the clan, most particularly Bridie, treated her like a daughter. It was not uncommon to hear, “Och, lass, let me show ye now, if ye do that this way...,” and she was genuinely happy to learn from them. She didn’t mind the familiarity. It also wasn’t uncommon to hear her say to an older woman, “Och, Ana, that is much too heavy for ye to lift, let me get it.” Truthfully, she knew exactly how to run a castle and she worked as hard as her clanswomen did, which earned their respect.
Learning how to live
Appearing overcome by the gesture, several tears slipped down Katherine’s cheeks before she could blink them back. “Thank you,” she whispered. Edna gave her a quick hug, and the women curtsied before excusing themselves.
Niall hadn’t thought much about it, frankly, but the fact that his clanswomen had welcomed her in this way pleased him. Even though it was not a custom in the Lowlands, the gracious way in which Katherine had accepted it also pleased him. Smiling he took Katherine’s hand, walking with her to the table. She wiped away her tears as they sat down. Tomas looked at her seriously and said in a loud whisper to Fingal, “Lady Katherine doesn’t like people to see her cry.”
“It’s all right,Tomas,” she said, embarrassed, “These are happy tears.”
“Tomas,” Niall said, his voice sounding very serious.
“Aye, Laird?” Tomas answered in a small voice.
“Lady Katherine and I have decided ye need to have a family, ye need parents.”
“But I don’t know how to get a family,” Tomas said, sounding concerned.
“That’s all right, Tomas, you don’t need to worry about that,” Katherine said, and knelt beside him. “We thought maybe you would like for us to be your parents.”
“Really? Can I call you Mama?”
“Aye, sweetheart,” she said, and he flung himself into her arms, nearly knocking her over with his fierce hug. Then he looked shyly up at Niall and asked in another loud whisper, “What do I call the laird?”
“I think ‘Da’ will be fine.” Niall said and Tomas threw his arms around Niall’s legs.
Fingal laughed, saying, “Before ye ask, Tomas, ye can call me Uncle Fingal.”
Nine
With Edna’s help, Katherine slipped easily into life at Duncurra during the next several weeks. Her days fell into a comfortable rhythm. Although Katherine was in the habit of waking very early, Niall generally arose before her. He had usually dressed and gone by the time she woke. He spent much of the day away from the keep, seeing to the needs of the clan and the training of his men, while she managed the keep.
Katherine looked forward to the evenings when they sat together by the hearth in the great hall before retiring. While no one could ever forget Niall was their laird, he seemed more relaxed and at his ease during this time. Fingal and Diarmad nearly always joined them, as did other guardsmen occasionally. Tomas also liked to stay with them at least long enough to hear several stories before Katherine put him to bed. During these relaxed evenings, Katherine began to see the man she married more clearly.
When they did retire, she found joy with him she had never dared to hope for. One evening as they lay in each other’s arms savoring the afterglow of their love-making, the gold ring on her left hand caught her eye. She smiled to herself as she remembered her thoughts about it on her wedding day. As each day passed she recognized that the stranger to whom the king had given her hand now very firmly held her heart.
Happier than she had been in many years, Katherine embraced her Highland clansmen and their culture without reserve. Katherine found the women of her new clan more than willing to help her adjust. She hadn’t had a woman in her life to guide and help her since her mother’s death and it pleased her when every matron in the clan, most particularly Bridie, treated her like a daughter. It was not uncommon to hear, “Och, lass, let me show ye now, if ye do that this way...,” and she was genuinely happy to learn from them. She didn’t mind the familiarity. It also wasn’t uncommon to hear her say to an older woman, “Och, Ana, that is much too heavy for ye to lift, let me get it.” Truthfully, she knew exactly how to run a castle and she worked as hard as her clanswomen did, which earned their respect.
Learning how to live
Similar Books
