"Aye," Aulay said simply, not bothering to explain that the entrance at the cave could be locked, as could the entrance to the stairs from the tunnels as well as the entrance to the passages from the stairs. The ancestor who had built the castle and its tunnels had been no fool. He knew secrets got out and it was best to be able to lock off the entrances should anyone discover that particular secret.
"We can split up," Cam suggested. "Half can help guard Katie and half to watch Jetta."
Aulay shook his head. "I'll put four soldiers on me wife, and watch her meself as well. The rest o' ye stick to the original plans to guard Katie."
When no one commented and they all just stared at him wide-eyed, Aulay frowned. "What?"
"Ye called her yer wife, brother," Dougall said solemnly.
Aulay stiffened and tried to think if he had, but then didn't care. "Mayhap I did, but it matters little, she is going to be me wife on the morrow if I can convince her to have me. I'm telling her the truth and asking her to marry me this night."
"Aulay," Rory said with a frown.
"I ken ye fear it could set back her healing," he growled, "but her being dead would set it back a hell o' a lot further."
Rory's mouth grew tight. "And ye think marrying her will help keep her safe?"
"It can no' hurt," he said grimly. "And if her family is somehow behind this, then aye, it might keep her safe."
Rory raised his eyebrows. "I thought ye had no wish for her to marry ye merely to save herself."
"I am hoping 'twill no' be for that reason," Aulay admitted solemnly. "But if 'tis . . ." He sighed and shrugged. "I would rather see her alive than hold on to me pride and see her dead."
"But ye do no' even ken if marrying her will save her," Rory pointed out. "These attacks may no' be by her family. How could they ken she was here?"
"They could have overheard Alick or Geordie asking questions about a ship that sank and suspected the mast she was on was found," he pointed out.
"That's possible," Dougall said thoughtfully. "And then they need only have followed them home here to Buchanan to find Jetta."
Cam snorted at the suggestion. "They would no' need to follow them anywhere. You boys all look alike, and what with yer mercenary work over the years, and ye each having financial interests that are so varied--Dougall with his horses, Niels with his sheep, Rory with his healing and so on," he said for example. "Everyone in Scotland kens a Buchanan when they see him."
"There ye ha'e it," Aulay said quietly. "It could verra well be Jetta's family behind the attacks. Although I do no' ken why they'd want her dead if they were trying to marry her off to some murderous bastard," he added with frustration. Shaking his head, he continued on, "And I'll no' ken that until Jetta remembers. Mayhap telling her that her name is no' Jetta and reminding her o' what she said when we first found her will help her regain her memories."
"Well I'd suggest ye wait to ha'e that talk with her until after the sup," Uncle Acair said, drawing their attention to the fact that he now stood on the top step of the stairs.
Aulay glanced at him with surprise, wondering how much he'd heard.
"Because Alick and the other men are back from the hunt, the maids are bringing out the sup as we speak and wee Jetta is hungry enough she asked me to come fetch ye," he announced and then arched an eyebrow. "Ye ken the lass needs to eat to regain her strength, and I'm thinking she'll need strength fer the conversation ye're planning to have with her."
Aulay shifted his gaze to the table below and noted that the women had all sat down now. He could clearly see Jetta peering his way and the encouraging smile she was giving him.
"Aye," he said, "I'll hold off until after the sup."
"Warn me before ye talk to her," Rory said quietly. "And call me if ye need me."
When Aulay nodded, Rory turned to go back into the room where Katie, Geordie and Conran were.
The moment the door closed, Aulay turned to the other men and raised his eyebrows. "Is there anything else anyone can think o' that we need to discuss before we go down?"
When everyone shook their heads, Aulay started down the stairs, his gaze seeking out Jetta as he went. She was listening to something Murine was saying now, and smiling widely. She had a beautiful smile. It was one he hoped to enjoy the rest of his life. If Jetta would have him. Unfortunately, he wasn't at all sure she would, and the worry that she might not was making his stomach roil. He had no appetite at all just now and would have preferred to drag her above stairs and get the coming conversation over with. But he would wait until after she'd eaten. She needed to eat.
Chapter 12
"So your maid, Joyce, stayed behind to watch the girls?"
Jetta glanced up from her food to peer curiously at Saidh when Edith asked her that question.
"Aye," Saidh said. "I wanted to bring them, but Alpin was harping on about dragging the babes across the country while so young, and what if there was danger and so on, so I finally gave in and agreed to leave them at MacDonnell with him and Joyce." She grimaced now and admitted, "It has only been a day and I already miss them."
Murine grinned and admitted, "There was a day I was thinking 'twould be better were ye graced with lads only and no lasses." She shook her head and then added, "And then ye had trip--"
"Just a minute," Saidh interrupted. "What do ye mean ye were thinking 'twould be better did I ha'e only lads?"
Murine arched her eyebrows. "Do ye no' recall how ye explained the bedding to me the night Dougall and I married?"
"Aye," Saidh said at once. "What was wrong with it? I thought 'twas brilliant."
"Brilliant?" she asked with a snort.
"How did she explain it?" Edith asked curiously from the other side of Jetta and Aulay.
"She--Just a minute," Murine said suddenly and stood up to hurry away from the table.
Jetta watched her go and then noticed that the men had all stopped speaking to stare after her too. She also noticed that Murine's husband, Dougall, was looking amused. It made Jetta suspect he had already heard how his sister had explained the bedding to his young wife.
"Here we are!"
Jetta glanced around at that announcement to find that Murine had returned. She had not reclaimed her seat, however, but had approached from the other side of the table so that they could all see her. The woman was carrying a loaf of bread and the biggest carrot she had ever seen, one that was so dirty it l
ooked fresh from the ground. It was also incredibly knobby and twisted, Jetta noted with curiosity.
"Right, I shall explain it to Jetta, just as Saidh explained it to me," Murine announced with a wicked grin that suggested this would be fun. She then set down the carrot and bread and instead picked up her own and Jetta's wine. Handing Jetta hers, Murine lifted her own and announced, "Saidh seemed terribly thirsty and downed her own wine in one gulp that day, so . . ."
Murine downed the drink in one long gulp and then set it down on the table with a grimace and said, "All right."
Jetta merely held her wine and watched uncertainly as Murine picked up the carrot and loaf of bread. Holding up the loaf, Murine turned with it so everyone in the family could see, and then turned back to Jetta and announced, "This is you."
"It is?" Jetta asked uncertainly.
"Exactly what I said," Murine announced with amusement. "At which point, Saidh frowned at the bread, and then she did this." Setting the loaf on the tabletop, Murine took Dougall's sgian-dubh when he held it out and used it to slice the loaf in half. Setting one half aside, Murine then sliced a slit down the center of the soft part of the other where it had been separated from the first.
Apparently finished, Murine straightened and held the half loaf up with the crusty side against her palm and the soft center with the slit facing Jetta as she announced, "This is you, and this--" she held up the rather large, knobby and very dirty carrot "--is Aulay."
"Looks like Aulay could use a bath," Cam said with amusement.
"Looks like he's spent time with one too many light skirts," Greer countered. "Are those knobby things supposed to be sores?"
Murine grimaced and then glanced to Aulay and said apologetically, "The one Saidh used for Dougall wasn't quite as big, but it was even dirtier and knobbier."
"As it should be," Aulay said mildly.
Cam chuckled, and then raised and lowered his eyebrows suggestively and asked, "Aye, but how did Saidh ken how big a carrot she should use?"
"She used to spy on us when we were skinny dipping as lads," Niels tattled with amusement.
"I did no' pick the carrot," Saidh said with exasperation. "I just asked me maid to bring me a loaf o' bread and a carrot."
"Enough," Murine interrupted the teasing and laughter. "No interruptions, please. As Saidh said, this is difficult enough."