Highlander's Trials of Fire

She got to her feet, pulling him up with her. Jonet turned to her mother, “I will come to visit ye later, Ma,” she said, already walking away.

“I hope ye find somethin’ good when ye do,” Rinalda called out to her.

Jonet threw a hand up in farewell. She dragged Matthew out of the room with her.

“Who is this woman?” he asked her.

“Her name is Christal,” Jonet said, with quick steps. “She works in the scullery. She’s a bit difficult to talk to but she’s been here longer than anyone else I ken. She might be able to tell us somethin’.”

“Ah, she is the one who always help ye with yer bakin’?”

“She is, though she helps me with far more than that.”

Together they made their way down to the scullery. Jonet was happy to find that Christal was down there alone, gazing at the floor, clearly lost in thought.

“Christal,” she called to her, drawing her attention.

Christal looked up with surprised eyes when she saw Matthew trailing behind Jonet. “Oh, what do we have here?”

“Oh, I havenae introduced ye two before, havenae I? Christal, this is Matthew. And Matthew, Christal.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet the famous Matthew McDulaigh,” Christal said with a lopsided grin.

“Famous?” Matthew asked, his voice tinged with amusement as Jonet’s face flushed red.

“Of course! Ye cannae think this lass here spend so much time down here just to bathe herself in flour, do ye? Though I am beginnin’ to wonder if she enjoys it more than she lets on.”

“As adorable as that sight was,” Matthew spoke with interest, “and as clear as it is that I want to hear more about it later, tell me all about what makes me so famous.”

“Well…” Christal leaned closer. Jonet did not know if she would have truly said something, but she was not going to wait to find out. She slid in between them, shaking her head at Christals’ mirthful face.

“That is enough of that,” she shook her head quickly. “That isnae why we’re here.”

“Ah, then does it have to do with the fact that the Laird has been questioning the servants?”

“Has he already questioned ye?”

“Nay.” Christal shook her head.

“Then how did ye ken?” Jonet asked, confused.

“Those new kitchen hands may nae fancy me all that much, but I do still have me ear to the ground in this Castle. Though, I am yet to ken what has driven the Laird to do such a thing.”

Jonet did not hesitate to tell her. This was Christal, one of the few people in Jonet’s life that she completely trusted.

“Matthew was sent a death threat,” Jonet declared. “It told him to leave the Castle or else both he and I will die a painful death.”

Christal’s eyes widened at that. She blinked rapidly, her gaze sliding away. Jonet waited for her to process the information and it took a few seconds longer than she had expected.

Christal eventually looked at Matthew and asked, “And ye are still here?”

“Christal, I daenae think—”

“Daenae worry, Jonet,” Christal dismissed her. “I’m pleased that he remained. Lesser men would have tucked tails already.”

Jonet was surprised at that, but she had to agree. She smiled up at Matthew. Certainly, after so many attempts on his life, it would make sense for him to leave her side, yet here he was.

Matthew did not return her smile, but he squeezed her hand. “The last thing I want to do is to leave her, especially at a time like this,” he assured her. “She needs protecting and that is what I’m here for.”