solstice feast a few years back. I’m from
the Dunmore clan.”
“Aye? Welcome. Will you take a seat
and tell me why you have come?”
The child she held wiggled in her
arms wanting to be set down. When she was denied her freedom, the child wailed.
A louder sound he never heard. By the grace of God, the lass quieted when the
woman set her on the floor.
“I … we should have privacy for our
… discussion,” she said, looking at Duff.
“Duff is my second in command and is
privy to all my business.”
“Oh.” The woman looked at the rushes
and mumbled, “Well, laird, we … that is, when I visited we slept together and I
bore a child as a result.” She blurted it out rather fast.
Grey scowled at her words and he
wasn’t certain he heard her correctly. He hadn’t even remembered her. “Who are
you and when did you say this happened?”
“Janice, Laird Gunn. You don’t
recall waking and making me leave your chamber? It was during the festival,
here.”
“Which festival?” he asked, his
impatience wearing thin.
“’Twas during the summer solstice a
few years ago. Our clan was invited to partake …”
Grey frowned, trying to recall the
woman and the festival, but neither was familiar. The Dunmore clan hadn’t been
invited for a few years since the Dunmore’s aligned with the MacHeths. Then he
recalled the festival in which they’d found the barrels of brew and many drank
to the point of inebriation.
He’d drunk far too much and happened
to find a woman warming his bed. Nevertheless, Grey didn’t remember much more
after that, except when he’d awakened during the night he was alone. At the
time, he considered he’d dreamed the events of the night.
“You say the child is mine?”
“Aye, she is yours.”
“And you know this for certain?”
Grey took a formidable stance, giving the woman a stern glare. Yet she didn’t
coward away from him.
“I had not been with any other
around that time, Laird Gunn. I have no means to take care of her and well … I
am to marry.”
Grey was sickened by the woman’s
attitude. The Dunmores were uncaring banshees. What kind of lady would give her
child away without a thought? He looked at the wee lass and saw her peeking at
him from behind the woman. The sprite didn’t resemble him or her mother.
“You have no care for the child?”
“Nay, I do not. She is a Gunn. My
husband wouldn’t want another man’s child, especially a Gunn, in our household.
I will leave her in your care.”
Grey couldn’t believe the woman’s
audacity. If anything he’d save the child from a hellish life with such a
banshee. “If that is your wish.”
“Aye, ‘tis, laird. She is a handful,
but she does have a good heart. Mind you, she cannot hear. I don’t know why,
but there it is. I have brought her belongings and will have them fetched.”
The woman turned to leave and Grey
called out to her. “What’s her name?”
“Sunny, Laird Gunn, her name is
Sunny. She’s three summers.” With that, the woman set the child in his lap and
left.
Duff laughed his arse off. “Saddled
with your own bastard, Laird. Grey, you dog. I never knew you had a woman that
night. Why didn’t you say something?”
“Why would I? Christ Almighty, I don’t
remember being with her. I doubt she’s telling the truth, but it is better the
child’s left here. What the hell am I going to do with a child?”
“You’re asking me? I say you find
some womenfolk to come and care for her. There are plenty of women who would
gladly volunteer.”
Grey was beside himself. As he
looked down at the sprite, she reminded him of another wee lass who had as much
spirit. The lass raised herself upward and clasped his neck with her wee arms.
She didn’t make a sound, only hugged him. Her blonde curls tickling his cheek.
“Will you ask Bea and Nell to come
and stay at the keep? They’re free of responsibilities, having no family. But
if they don’t want to, find others.” The two women helped
the Dunmore clan.”
“Aye? Welcome. Will you take a seat
and tell me why you have come?”
The child she held wiggled in her
arms wanting to be set down. When she was denied her freedom, the child wailed.
A louder sound he never heard. By the grace of God, the lass quieted when the
woman set her on the floor.
“I … we should have privacy for our
… discussion,” she said, looking at Duff.
“Duff is my second in command and is
privy to all my business.”
“Oh.” The woman looked at the rushes
and mumbled, “Well, laird, we … that is, when I visited we slept together and I
bore a child as a result.” She blurted it out rather fast.
Grey scowled at her words and he
wasn’t certain he heard her correctly. He hadn’t even remembered her. “Who are
you and when did you say this happened?”
“Janice, Laird Gunn. You don’t
recall waking and making me leave your chamber? It was during the festival,
here.”
“Which festival?” he asked, his
impatience wearing thin.
“’Twas during the summer solstice a
few years ago. Our clan was invited to partake …”
Grey frowned, trying to recall the
woman and the festival, but neither was familiar. The Dunmore clan hadn’t been
invited for a few years since the Dunmore’s aligned with the MacHeths. Then he
recalled the festival in which they’d found the barrels of brew and many drank
to the point of inebriation.
He’d drunk far too much and happened
to find a woman warming his bed. Nevertheless, Grey didn’t remember much more
after that, except when he’d awakened during the night he was alone. At the
time, he considered he’d dreamed the events of the night.
“You say the child is mine?”
“Aye, she is yours.”
“And you know this for certain?”
Grey took a formidable stance, giving the woman a stern glare. Yet she didn’t
coward away from him.
“I had not been with any other
around that time, Laird Gunn. I have no means to take care of her and well … I
am to marry.”
Grey was sickened by the woman’s
attitude. The Dunmores were uncaring banshees. What kind of lady would give her
child away without a thought? He looked at the wee lass and saw her peeking at
him from behind the woman. The sprite didn’t resemble him or her mother.
“You have no care for the child?”
“Nay, I do not. She is a Gunn. My
husband wouldn’t want another man’s child, especially a Gunn, in our household.
I will leave her in your care.”
Grey couldn’t believe the woman’s
audacity. If anything he’d save the child from a hellish life with such a
banshee. “If that is your wish.”
“Aye, ‘tis, laird. She is a handful,
but she does have a good heart. Mind you, she cannot hear. I don’t know why,
but there it is. I have brought her belongings and will have them fetched.”
The woman turned to leave and Grey
called out to her. “What’s her name?”
“Sunny, Laird Gunn, her name is
Sunny. She’s three summers.” With that, the woman set the child in his lap and
left.
Duff laughed his arse off. “Saddled
with your own bastard, Laird. Grey, you dog. I never knew you had a woman that
night. Why didn’t you say something?”
“Why would I? Christ Almighty, I don’t
remember being with her. I doubt she’s telling the truth, but it is better the
child’s left here. What the hell am I going to do with a child?”
“You’re asking me? I say you find
some womenfolk to come and care for her. There are plenty of women who would
gladly volunteer.”
Grey was beside himself. As he
looked down at the sprite, she reminded him of another wee lass who had as much
spirit. The lass raised herself upward and clasped his neck with her wee arms.
She didn’t make a sound, only hugged him. Her blonde curls tickling his cheek.
“Will you ask Bea and Nell to come
and stay at the keep? They’re free of responsibilities, having no family. But
if they don’t want to, find others.” The two women helped
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