Read Online MacAlister's Hope by Laurin Wittig - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laurin Wittig
Tags: Romance
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much for me and I will not abandon them or their family. I cannot abandon them.”
Kieron stared at her, shaking his head. “I am not asking you to—”
“Do not ask anything of me, Kieron,” she said, laying her hand on his arm. “Please, do not ask anything.” For she knew if he did, any answer she gave him would hurt someone and she could not bear that.
Chapter Seven
That evening Kieron searched the crowded great hall for Fia, finally spying her across the hall as she danced with Brodie. The man was old enough to be her father, which was the only reason Kieron did not charge onto the floor and take her hand from his, though he doubted if she would welcome his attentions. The walk back to the village had been strained, and as soon as they had reached the outer cottages, Fia had said she could get back on her own and left him standing in the lane, watching the future he wanted with all his heart walk away.
One minute he’d been envisioning waking up every morning beside her, making a life with her, and the next she had told him it was impossible, though he could not understand why. Had he misread her feelings? He did not believe so. Was there someone in Kilmartin she was promised to? If there was, he was certain she did not love the man. She was so adamant that she could not leave Elena and her brood. He knew they were her family, but did that mean she could not find her own happiness with him?
He looked for her again. She had asked him not to push her to answer his questions this morning, and he hadn’t, but now he thought that had been a poor decision. He loved her, and she either needed to tell him she did not feel the same way, or admit that she did so they could find a way to be together, and he was determined she would not leave Kilglashan until he had his answer.
“If you keep gripping the table that hard you shall surely snap it in two.” Kieron’s grandmother patted his hand from her place next to him on the bench. “She is a pretty wee thing.”
“Do not call her wee, Grandmum. She does not like it,” he said without taking his eyes from Fia, where she whirled through the dance like the fairy some used to say she was.
“It seems you were right about Fia’s abilities as a healer.” His grandmother reached for a pitcher of ale, but Kieron grabbed it first, refilling her cup, then his. “’Tis a good thing Tavish listens to you these days.”
“’Tis because of her he does.” Kieron took a long swig of ale, forcing himself to look into the depths of his cup instead of at the lass.
“Because of Fia MacLachlan?”
“Aye.” He glanced at the old woman who had been mother, father, grandparent, friend, and mentor to him. “She is the one who made me see my way of avoiding a thrashing from Tavish and the other lads was smart, not cowardly. She is the one who told me to stand up to them by being true to my own strengths, not to compare my way to theirs, for neither was better nor worse than the other, only different.”
“So she is the one.” The serious tone that replaced the lightness of his grandmother’s voice surprised him.
“Aye, she is the one.” He could not keep himself from finding her on the dance floor once more, following her every move.
“I should thank her then.”
That surprised Kieron. “Thank her?”
“Aye, for she managed to make you strong as I never could, as all of Tavish’s thrashings never did. She turned you from a boy to a man that day, and you have had Tavish’s respect and given him good counsel ever since. You ken you will be his champion and advisor when he becomes chief, aye?”
Kieron had the urge to deny it, but knew if he held the Winter Stone it would prove him a liar. “I ken it, and I will serve him and the clan to the best of my abilities.”
“As you always do, love, as you always do.”
They both drank in silence for a few minutes as Kieron let his gaze continue to follow Fia through the intricate circle dance. The
Kieron stared at her, shaking his head. “I am not asking you to—”
“Do not ask anything of me, Kieron,” she said, laying her hand on his arm. “Please, do not ask anything.” For she knew if he did, any answer she gave him would hurt someone and she could not bear that.
Chapter Seven
That evening Kieron searched the crowded great hall for Fia, finally spying her across the hall as she danced with Brodie. The man was old enough to be her father, which was the only reason Kieron did not charge onto the floor and take her hand from his, though he doubted if she would welcome his attentions. The walk back to the village had been strained, and as soon as they had reached the outer cottages, Fia had said she could get back on her own and left him standing in the lane, watching the future he wanted with all his heart walk away.
One minute he’d been envisioning waking up every morning beside her, making a life with her, and the next she had told him it was impossible, though he could not understand why. Had he misread her feelings? He did not believe so. Was there someone in Kilmartin she was promised to? If there was, he was certain she did not love the man. She was so adamant that she could not leave Elena and her brood. He knew they were her family, but did that mean she could not find her own happiness with him?
He looked for her again. She had asked him not to push her to answer his questions this morning, and he hadn’t, but now he thought that had been a poor decision. He loved her, and she either needed to tell him she did not feel the same way, or admit that she did so they could find a way to be together, and he was determined she would not leave Kilglashan until he had his answer.
“If you keep gripping the table that hard you shall surely snap it in two.” Kieron’s grandmother patted his hand from her place next to him on the bench. “She is a pretty wee thing.”
“Do not call her wee, Grandmum. She does not like it,” he said without taking his eyes from Fia, where she whirled through the dance like the fairy some used to say she was.
“It seems you were right about Fia’s abilities as a healer.” His grandmother reached for a pitcher of ale, but Kieron grabbed it first, refilling her cup, then his. “’Tis a good thing Tavish listens to you these days.”
“’Tis because of her he does.” Kieron took a long swig of ale, forcing himself to look into the depths of his cup instead of at the lass.
“Because of Fia MacLachlan?”
“Aye.” He glanced at the old woman who had been mother, father, grandparent, friend, and mentor to him. “She is the one who made me see my way of avoiding a thrashing from Tavish and the other lads was smart, not cowardly. She is the one who told me to stand up to them by being true to my own strengths, not to compare my way to theirs, for neither was better nor worse than the other, only different.”
“So she is the one.” The serious tone that replaced the lightness of his grandmother’s voice surprised him.
“Aye, she is the one.” He could not keep himself from finding her on the dance floor once more, following her every move.
“I should thank her then.”
That surprised Kieron. “Thank her?”
“Aye, for she managed to make you strong as I never could, as all of Tavish’s thrashings never did. She turned you from a boy to a man that day, and you have had Tavish’s respect and given him good counsel ever since. You ken you will be his champion and advisor when he becomes chief, aye?”
Kieron had the urge to deny it, but knew if he held the Winter Stone it would prove him a liar. “I ken it, and I will serve him and the clan to the best of my abilities.”
“As you always do, love, as you always do.”
They both drank in silence for a few minutes as Kieron let his gaze continue to follow Fia through the intricate circle dance. The
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