When the others were gone and Macoran realized Jirvel was the only one near him, he smiled. "That lad loves yer daughter."
She returned his smile. "I know. 'Tis a delight watching him."
"Do ye believe he be the reason she does not choose a husband?"
"I do. 'Tis a delight watching her too." They might have talked longer, but when Jirvel looked, Macoran's wife was watching from the landing. Jirvel curtsied to her laird and walked away.
That afternoon, Agnes was seen walking down the beach talking to herself.
*
The rains followed the snow, but on a clear day when the sun finally began to dry the land and Stefan had gone off with the other men to hunt, there came a fateful knock on the door. Kannak answered it and was surprised to find Laird Macoran standing there. He had not come to see them since her illness.
She curtsied but he gently waved her aside and entered.
"I would speak to yer mother alone."
She looked to her mother for permission, saw her nod, grabbed her warm cloak and left, closing the door behind her. Yet she did not close it completely and was tempted to stay and listen. But when she glanced around, she saw one of Macoran's sons watching from the end of the path. She was not fond of her laird's sons - no one was, and she decided to watch him instead.
How she would have liked kicking both twins in the shins for all the mischief they got into. Once she caught them trying to bore a hole in the bottom of a small boat so it would sink. Another time, she rescued a puppy before they could drown it.
Abruptly, the twin she was watching ran down the path toward her, shot past without even a glance and headed into the courtyard. Too late she suspected the boy intended to tell Mistress Macoran where her husband was and that would surely bring trouble to her mother. All she could do now was watch him dart up the steps and disappeared through the door of the keep. A moment later, mistress Macoran appeared on the landing and glared at Kannak.
*
Inside the cottage, Macoran took a seat opposite Jirvel at the table. "Others have noticed how ye avoid me."
"What did ye expect? Did ye hope I would pretend nothing was wrong? Ye and I are not the only ones who know what happened on our wedding day. Even yer wife suspects there be something between us."
"Agnes dinna suspect."
"She came here."
"What?…When?"
"It was on a night when ye stayed away too long. She knocked on the door, entered, looked for ye and then left."