But had she won overall?
Feeling a little ill, she gave Brodie’s hand a quick squeeze, then pulled away. “Thank ye,” she whispered, suddenly not able to meet his eyes.
“I have some news!” came the thankfully distracting call from the dais. Fen turned her attention there in time to see Leanna bounce to her feet, still holding her husband’s hand. “Kenneth and I are leaving by the end of the week.”
“For McClure Keep?” asked Robena.
Coira rolled her eyes. “Aye, of course for McClure Keep, ye ninny. Where else would Laird McClure go?”
Robena stuck out her tongue, as Mother sniffed delicately into her napkin, and said, “I’ll miss ye, sweet lass.”
“Sweet lass, aye,” Da agreed. “Which one is leaving?”
“Leanna, Da,” Nichola huffed in exasperation. “The youngest.”
“Youngest, aye. I always liked her.”
“Nay, ye didnae,” Leanna disagreed cheerfully. “I turned yer hair white, remember?”
Wynda nodded to Kenneth. “And she’ll likely do the same for ye, milord!”
But Kenneth didn’t acknowledge the teasing, despite the swirl of conversation around them. Instead, his attention remained on…
On Brodie?
Fen glanced up at the man standing beside her and saw Brodie’s carefully neutral expression. Even his eyes didn’t give away his thoughts, and that was a little jarring, considering how good Fen had become over the last weeks at interpreting the emotions in his gaze.
He was hiding his thoughts from everyone now, including her.
Slowly, hesitantly, she brushed her fingertips over his forearm, now regretting she’d pulled away from him earlier. “Will ye go too?” she whispered.
For a long moment, she thought mayhap he hadn’t heard her over the general hubbub of the great hall. But finally, his chin dropped just enough to glance at her.
Instead of answering, he inclined his head in the briefest of bows. “My knee is aching, milady. Please excuse me.”
She could do naught but stare after him as he turned and hobbled for the stairs leading down to the kitchens.
Where she belonged.
With him.
* * *
Unfortunately,her family demanded her presence on the dais, and Fen was forced to spend some time “comforting” her mother, who told anyone who would listen that the news of Leanna’s leaving had aggravated her “brittle salmonella” and she likely wouldn’t be the same.
From Nichola’s reaction, Fen could guess that “brittle salmonella” wasn’t a real ailment. Besides, she knew for a fact Leanna had been the bane of Mother’s existence for long enough, the older woman was likely thrilled her youngest daughter would be living on the other side of the Highlands.
For Fen’s part, she was sad to say goodbye to her sister, but more so, nervous about what the move might mean for her. Brodie was sworn to Kenneth, so would that mean he’d return to McClure land as well?
As the evening stretched on, she looked for a chance to excuse herself and sneak away, but none came. And truthfully, now that she didn’t feel on display, ‘twas easier to stomach the crowd. She sat between Leanna and her mother and tried not to gain too much notice. Her conversations with Leanna and Wynda, who sat on the other side of Leanna, were quiet and comfortable, and ‘twas easy to forget she was among so many people.
The only time she remembered was when she glanced up and found Gordon watching her, the way a snake might watch a mouse.
She didn’t like feeling like a mouse.
But finally, ‘twas late enough in the evening that first Laird MacBain, then Gordon, excused themselves. Da had long ago fallen asleep in his tall chair, although everyone was polite enough not to mention it. Coira eventually rose to help him up to his chamber, and Mother, Robena and Wynda followed.
As the great hall emptied, Nichola reached across and took Fen’s hand. “’Twas a delicious meal. Thank ye.”