Highland Light (16 page)

"Gideon, ye look like a drowned rat."

Ailene smiled at him then laughed.

He looked over at Cadell, gauging his father in law's distance from Ailene. Gideon strode over to Ailene then shook his head hard.

"I thought I might look more like a wet dog."

As the drops of water spattered her, Ailene put up both hands to shield herself from the water. She backed away from him with a squeal.

"Gideon! I thought ye dinna want me to gie wet!"

Before she could dodge away from him, Gideon reached out to drag her against his wet body. Ailene struggled briefly before reaching up to push his wet hair away from his face.

He kissed her. In the background he heard several people laughing. Releasing her Gideon stepped back. Slowly he let his eyes wander from the top of her head to her feet. The imprint of his wet body was easily seen on the now damp dress she wore.

"Watch your tongue Ailene. I might drag you outside. As you see,"

He held out his arms.

"I am so drenched it matters little to me."

Ailene smiled at him. There was a glint in her eye that told him some thought had occurred to her which had to do with the game they still played. She closed the gap between them and pulled his head down to whisper in his ear.

"Aye gradh. Playing in the mud, nice slippery mud could be fun. Ye ken?"

Gideon laughed out loud then backed away from her.

"Ah wee wifie, you have a most interesting turn of mind. I will think on that. But Anisley and I must finish the last three blocks. I have no wish to dry out only to get soaked again."

He turned to wave Ainsley out ahead of him. Ainsley eyed him curiously. Gideon walked along beside the sledge Ainsley was riding. Gideon led the horse harnessed to the sledge. When they reached the quarry Gideon took up the drill. He began drilling holes along the line he and Ainsley had previously scored.

"Gideon, wa did Ailene say to ye?"

Gideon thought that question might be coming. He looked over at the nearly grown boy. "Every couple has special things, things they do not share with others. What she said to me was along those lines. You ken Ainsley?"

The lad flushed.

"Tis part of being married?"

Gideon turned back to the hole he was drilling in the rock before him.

"That is the straight of it Ainsley. Someday you will find a woman to marry and then you will understand better."

Ainsley was quiet for a moment.

"Ha ye seen Neill's lass, Christal? She ha the face of an angel Gideon."

There was a note of wonder in Ainsley's tone that caused Gideon to put down the drill for a moment. He pushed his wet hair back took a leather thong from his belt. Gideon tied it around his hair to hold it out of his eyes.

"How old are you Ainsley?"

Ainsley traced a circle on the wet stone with one finger.

"Three and ten Gideon."

Gideon thought about the times they were living in then shook his head.

"Does she know you think that way about her?"

Ainsley started as if a coal had struck him.

"Nay! If I say ought to her and she dinna care for me? Wa then Gideon?"

The look on the lad's face was one of misery. Gideon considered his words carefully.

"I am not the best man to discuss this with Ainsley. You might want to talk with Adair or Banner. I have had little experience with women other than Ailene."

"How can that be? I ha seen ye together an ye seem...."

Ainsley did not finish his thought. Gideon wished he could counsel the boy. He sighed.

"Ainsley, lad, God has blessed me with Ailene. I was not in a position to learn other than weapons and their use. My education has been sorely lacking in dealing with people, women in particular."

Ainsley nodded. "Wa the marriage arranged between ye?"

Gideon turned to pick up the drill and the hammer.

"In a way. Not entirely, but somewhat. It was a complicated matter Ainsley. I can not entirely explain it as to do so would violate a lady's confidence."

Ainsley stared at him for a moment. Then began to smile. He nodded as understanding came to him.

"Tis between ye and Ailene."

Gideon positioned the drill on the cross mark scratched on the stone and began to hit the drill on the head with the hammer. He did not look at Ainsley as he replied.

"Aye. And I have no wish to be trounced by her. She punches hard for a girl."

As he had hoped, Ainsley laughed. Gideon knew the matter was settled between them.

Two days later the blocks were inside the storeroom. Ailene sat on a stool on the remains of the floor of the storeroom. She was overseeing the manner in which Gideon and Ainsley were placing the stone bock supports. Having stripped down to trews only, the two muscled the blocks into place. The effort caused them both to sweat in the close quarters.

It was a difficult situation due to the need for a support beam in the middle of what was to be the doorway under the foundation of the house. It had been necessary to dig out several feet past the foundation in order to have room to place the blocks into position. The beam in the center under the foundation supported that corner of the wall as they worked.

It took several days to get to the point where the capstone was to be set. It was the most difficult portion of the entire tunnel project. For that operation Gideon enlisted the help of Seumas and Iver. The job was too heavy for Ainsley who reluctantly gave up his position.

The large stone was guided into place with the use of several beams, which were used to balance it. Gideon insisted that Ailene move back out of the way. They had to slide the large stone from the partial floor slightly downward then into place. The large beams were the only means they had to hold the heavy stone up as they attempted to slide the whole into position.

Ailene clutched her stomach when the huge stone wobbled and nearly refused to pivot on top of the side stones. If it slipped it would likely kill or severely injure the three men. They finally managed to get the capstone partially into place with its edges on the side support stones.

The final placement was to be accomplished by driving the stone into place with a hammer. Seumas wielded the hammer as Gideon and Iver pushed the stone slightly upward with a beam to take the strain off of the side bracing. Seumas had to hammer on first one side then the other as the stone slowly slid into place. The capstone seated, the three men came out of the hole. The successful ending of the enterprise was celebrated with a dram of whiskey. They left the removal of the wooden beams and bracing to Ainsley and Banner.

Gideon was glad to have it done. He had been worried about Ailene getting that part of the tunnel finished. From his first look at it Gideon knew setting the capstone would require brute force. Now he would not worry about her being hurt while he was away. The young men who would be staying in the glen to guard the clan could finish the balance of the tunnel.

He sat at the table in the hall with his whiskey, sipping at it. Ailene came up behind him. When her strong hands began to knead his shoulders, Gideon let his head fall forward.

"Hummm. Idelle has been showing you the way to a man's heart."

He braced his forearms on the table then placed his face in both hands. Her thumbs pushed into the muscle on either side of his backbone then up his neck to the base of his skull. Ailene leaned forward, her breasts lightly lay on his back.

"It's no raining so hard now. I ken there's a bit of mud way up the glen. What say ye gradh?"

Her whisper tickled his ear. Gideon straightened up then reached back with one arm to draw her head downward.

"Nay love, I have been wet enough lately. I think we might find another game to play in a warm bed, ken?"

Ailene laughed as she rubbed his shoulders.

"Some day husband. Some day, ye ken?"

She drew out the 'ken' teasing him for falling into the idiom. When she had finished kneading his shoulders, Ailene sat down beside him on the bench. She laid one had over his.

"Ha ye seen the way the widow and me fayther are behaving?"

Her eyes were shining. Gideon shook his head.

"I have not been watching. However, since he brought her here I thought they might have a liking for one another."

"Well husband ye ha thought correctly. We might ha to tell them to be more 'circumspect'."

Gideon pushed the whiskey to one side. He rubbed her under the chin with one knuckle.

"Nay Ailene. Leave them be. If they are occupied with each other how can they tell us to behave?"

Ailene reached out and put her arms around him.

"Ah man, how I love ye!"

She laughed and the sound filled the hall.

Cadell had been deep in conversation with Fenella. They had found common ground almost immediately. When it had come time to leave he had found he could not leave her. If anything happened to him Cadell knew he could trust Ailene to take care of Fenella. Cadell had not thought of marriage immediately. When he had begun to consider marrying Fenella, some thing had caused him to hesitate. After being around Gideon and Ailene, Cadell had made up his mind. He would marry Fenella, he was tired of being lonely.

They had once had a priest until that person had died. No new priest had come, as they were too small a clan to warrant a full time priest. If Cadell were honest with him self, he had not asked that a new priest be sent to them. He had put up with enough from the last one over his raising of Ailene. The disapproval had soured him on men of God in general.

Cadell found himself at a loss as to what to do. He and Fenella had started to bed together even before the journey home. She was not pressing for him to marry her. He felt no pressure from her, the pressure came from within. He wanted to marry the lovely little woman who was warming his bed and his life.

The laughter that burst forth from his daughter warmed his heart. Their gamble had worked for Ailene. God knew that Gideon loved her to distraction. Cadell wasn't sure if Gideon realized how much Ailene loved him. Cadell smiled at the two of them sitting so closely together on the bench. Gideon had his forehead against Ailene's. She twined a lock of his hair around her finger as she spoke to the lad quietly. Gideon's heart was in his eyes as the lad watched her put her head back to laugh at something he whispered in response.

Ailene had come into her own. Gideon's lovemaking had softened her. She smiled readily, laughed easily and was more open than he had ever seen her. Being loved had given her a glow. The almost plain lass had been transformed to a warm woman. Cadell was glad to see her so happy. What he was not looking forward to was leaving again. But that would happen very soon. The news of Longshanks death had opened a fresh hope in The MacGrough's heart that they might actually succeed in beating back the Sassenach.

Very soon they would again leave to join King Robert. Cadell wanted to leave Fenella with the knowledge that he cared enough about her to marry her. Perhaps they might need to make a short trip to Glasgow after all. The MacGrough then had a new thought. He wondered if there might be priest in the Campbell holding closest to them. After all Campbell was an ally of the King. That would be much closer than Glasgow. There was a settlement at Glen Orchy that likely had a priest. Cadell decided to send Dalziel on a small mission the next day.

The following morning Cadell went to the cottage of Dalziel. After a short intense conversation, Cadell's old friend left to find a priest. Cadell then went in search of Gideon. He had some news he wanted to impart to his son in law. Gideon was where Cadell expected to find him, out on the practice field. Cadell joined him. Shortly they would be called to battle again. He was healed it was time.

Gideon smiled when he saw his father in law enter the practice field. Cadell hefted a wooden practice sword. Gideon ceased his training at the pell post. After taking a couple of practice swings, Cadell nodded to Gideon. They advanced on one another practice swords at the ready. Gideon approached Cadell warily. He avoided his father in law's injured left side. Cadell realized Gideon was taking it easy on him. He glowered at Gideon.

"Enough ah that! Come now Gideon."

Gideon chuckled softly.

"Were you to open anything the women would be after me as birds on a bug."

"Damn that!"

Cadell rushed Gideon who nimbly dodged him.

Gideon did not bother to spar any more. He concentrated on avoiding Cadell's attempts to land a blow on him. Cadell's irritation so amused Gideon that he found himself laughing as he danced out of Cadell's reach.

Out of sheer exasperation Cadell attacked the pell post with a will. Gideon found a seat on the old bench at the edge of the field. He sat watching Cadell take out his irritation on the post with the wooden sword.

Eventually Cadell stopped, then took a step back. Gideon was still smiling at him. Chest heaving with the effort he had expended, Cadell walked over to the bench then sat down.

"Explain wa ye find so amusing."

The MacGrough managed to finally speak as he caught his breath.

"Sir, It is just that the day is fine. The rain has ceased. You are feeling better and life is good. God has blessed us."

Gideon took a deep breath of the warm air.

"Good answer lad. Life is indeed good. God has indeed blessed ye. An I am blessed, mind. I will marry Fenella, ye ken."

His irritation was gone as suddenly as it had come. Cadell relaxed on the bench.

"She is a nice woman sir. I take it she pleases you as well as Ailene pleases me."

Gideon turned his head toward Cadell.

"That she does lad, that she does."

Cadell crossed his legs at the ankle then turned to look at Gideon.

"We will be leaving soon, ye ken."

Gideon turned away. He glanced first at the keep then the glen beyond.

"Aye, I know. I am not ready to leave. I will never be ready to leave."

Cadell reached over to pat Gideon's forearm.

"I do ken that lad. I am no ready either."

Dalziel did not bring information to his old friend. He brought the priest with him. Dalziel wore a wide grin as he rode up with the priest. The glen was in an uproar for a short time. Each cottage contributed to the wedding feast for their chief. By evening Cadell was married to a smiling Fenella.