men did not disturb her.
The moment her bowl was filled with oatmeal, Annora did her best to ignore the men. It was not as easy as it should have been. Egan kept rubbing up against her and pressing his thigh against hers. The Chisholms loudly revealed their utter lack of table manners and Donnell seemed oblivious of everything except the vast quantity of food he was shoving into his mouth. For a man who was expending so much coin and effort to make the keep equal to any royal palace, Annora wondered why he did nothing to improve himself. She had the sinking feeling that her cousin was so vain he thought he was already quite perfect.
Annora was just helping herself to some fruit when Meggie was brought into the great hall by Hazel, one of the many maids Donnell had working inside the keep. Most of the women were hardworking, but others, ones who willingly leapt into Donnell’s bed, did whatever they wished to. They obviously thought that sharing the laird’s bed gave them some special place in the keep and some privileges. The one leading Meggie over to Donnell’s seat was one who still held some kindness and conscience, and Annora was glad of that. Meggie always felt afraid when she was brought before Donnell, and one of the more cocky and callous maids would have made it even worse.
Poor little Meggie looked as confused as Annora felt when Donnell introduced her to the Chisholms. His voice was so gentle when he spoke to Meggie that it made Annora nervous. Whenever he deigned to speak to the child he claimed as his, kindness never softened his tone. The way Meggie’s eyes began to widen told Annora that the child also found such a change in Donnell’s manner toward her more alarming than welcoming. Meggie was right to be worried. Such a change in Donnell’s manner was a sure sign of trouble.
Abruptly a chill went through Annora’s body. There was only one reason a man dragged his mere child of a daughter to a meal with guests, or at least only one reason a man like Donnell would have. He knew nothing about Meggie’s accomplishments, likes, or dislikes, and so he could not be attempting to boast about any of those. Donnell was displaying a possible bride before his friends. The mere thought of one of the Chisholms getting his hands on sweet little Meggie made Annora feel ill.
As she carefully peeled and cored an apple, Annora surreptitiously watched the Chisholms. It had to be them that Donnell was trying to impress, perhaps even bribe, for Egan had known Meggie nearly all her life and had shown no more interest in her than Donnell did. The way the younger Chisholms studied Meggie, as if trying to decide howshe would look when she was fully grown, made Annora want to grab Meggie and run for the hills.
When Meggie was finally sent away, Annora calmly finished her apple and then politely excused herself. She did not go far, only far enough so that the men in the great hall would think she had retired to her bedchamber or joined Meggie in the nursery. Then, as silently as she could, she crept back to the great hall, pressing herself hard up against the wall just by the doorway. If Donnell did have a plan to marry Meggie to one of the Chisholms, there would be some talk of it now that the prize had been shown around.
“A bonnie wee lass,” said Ian Chisholm, his deep, scratchy voice easy to recognize. “What do ye think, Wee Ian?”
“Aye, she could weel grow up to be a bonnie lass,” replied Ian’s firstborn son.
Annora almost cursed aloud and clapped her hand over her mouth to prevent her anger from taking voice. Donnell was indeed attempting to arrange a betrothal between Meggie and one of Ian Chisholm’s ugly sons. There had to be something Donnell would gain from such an arrangement. Even though Ian and Donnell had become close allies in stealing from the neighboring clans, Annora felt they were on even footing as far as the crimes they had committed were concerned. Therefore she doubted it was because
The moment her bowl was filled with oatmeal, Annora did her best to ignore the men. It was not as easy as it should have been. Egan kept rubbing up against her and pressing his thigh against hers. The Chisholms loudly revealed their utter lack of table manners and Donnell seemed oblivious of everything except the vast quantity of food he was shoving into his mouth. For a man who was expending so much coin and effort to make the keep equal to any royal palace, Annora wondered why he did nothing to improve himself. She had the sinking feeling that her cousin was so vain he thought he was already quite perfect.
Annora was just helping herself to some fruit when Meggie was brought into the great hall by Hazel, one of the many maids Donnell had working inside the keep. Most of the women were hardworking, but others, ones who willingly leapt into Donnell’s bed, did whatever they wished to. They obviously thought that sharing the laird’s bed gave them some special place in the keep and some privileges. The one leading Meggie over to Donnell’s seat was one who still held some kindness and conscience, and Annora was glad of that. Meggie always felt afraid when she was brought before Donnell, and one of the more cocky and callous maids would have made it even worse.
Poor little Meggie looked as confused as Annora felt when Donnell introduced her to the Chisholms. His voice was so gentle when he spoke to Meggie that it made Annora nervous. Whenever he deigned to speak to the child he claimed as his, kindness never softened his tone. The way Meggie’s eyes began to widen told Annora that the child also found such a change in Donnell’s manner toward her more alarming than welcoming. Meggie was right to be worried. Such a change in Donnell’s manner was a sure sign of trouble.
Abruptly a chill went through Annora’s body. There was only one reason a man dragged his mere child of a daughter to a meal with guests, or at least only one reason a man like Donnell would have. He knew nothing about Meggie’s accomplishments, likes, or dislikes, and so he could not be attempting to boast about any of those. Donnell was displaying a possible bride before his friends. The mere thought of one of the Chisholms getting his hands on sweet little Meggie made Annora feel ill.
As she carefully peeled and cored an apple, Annora surreptitiously watched the Chisholms. It had to be them that Donnell was trying to impress, perhaps even bribe, for Egan had known Meggie nearly all her life and had shown no more interest in her than Donnell did. The way the younger Chisholms studied Meggie, as if trying to decide howshe would look when she was fully grown, made Annora want to grab Meggie and run for the hills.
When Meggie was finally sent away, Annora calmly finished her apple and then politely excused herself. She did not go far, only far enough so that the men in the great hall would think she had retired to her bedchamber or joined Meggie in the nursery. Then, as silently as she could, she crept back to the great hall, pressing herself hard up against the wall just by the doorway. If Donnell did have a plan to marry Meggie to one of the Chisholms, there would be some talk of it now that the prize had been shown around.
“A bonnie wee lass,” said Ian Chisholm, his deep, scratchy voice easy to recognize. “What do ye think, Wee Ian?”
“Aye, she could weel grow up to be a bonnie lass,” replied Ian’s firstborn son.
Annora almost cursed aloud and clapped her hand over her mouth to prevent her anger from taking voice. Donnell was indeed attempting to arrange a betrothal between Meggie and one of Ian Chisholm’s ugly sons. There had to be something Donnell would gain from such an arrangement. Even though Ian and Donnell had become close allies in stealing from the neighboring clans, Annora felt they were on even footing as far as the crimes they had committed were concerned. Therefore she doubted it was because
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