Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Leora went to walk away, but her husband’s arm remained hooked around her waist.
“You call what you gave me a kiss, wife?” he asked, a spark of passion flaring in his eyes, which sparked even more when she turned a smile on him that poked at his heart.
She leaned close to his face to whisper, “My light kiss was meant to tease and be a promise of things to come, for if I kissed you any more than I did, I would grow wetter for you than I already am.”
She hurried, with reluctance, to step away from him, knowing what consequences her words would bring.
“I will find you when you are done with the old woman, then you are mine… mine and mine alone.”
She shivered at the strength in his command, for it meant he would see it done and she could not wait. She hoisted the hem of her garments to make it easier to hurry her pace and ran to find Lady Elizabeth.
Leora reached the woman just in time, a troop of Lowlanders already to ride.
“You cannot go,” Leora called out to stop Lady Elizabeth from mounting her horse.
The older woman turned, her face pinched with annoyance. “I am tired of waiting. I want answers now.”
“A day or two more will not matter,” Leora argued, then thought of something that might deter the woman. “There is a novice here from the abbey. Why don’t we speak with her and see if she knows of anything of the past at the abbey. Nuns do talk among themselves, and an older nun may have spoken to her about what went on at the abbey years ago. Besides,” —she pointed to the dark clouds overhead— “the sky does not look promising, and you do not want to get caught in the rain. It could bring on an illness and have you stuck in the Highlands longer than you anticipated.”
Lady Elizabeth shivered at the thought. “I will talk to this novice, but I will not rule out visiting the abbey, though it will not be today.” She held out her arm to Leora.
Leora wrapped her arm around the older woman’s and walked at a tempered pace with her.
“You have a wise mind like mine, and you do not fear speaking your mind. I am impressed that you express your opinion so freely to your husband, even though he is a mighty warrior. I am also impressed that he considers your opinions and does not reprimand you for speaking when and how you wish. The more I learn about you, the more I realize you are much like me,” Lady Elizabeth said. “Though I am pleased to see that you have a far better husband than I did and that you are not selfish, reprobate like your father. No matter how hard I worked to deter him, Henry followed in his father’s footsteps, to my great disappointment. It would be a great relief to me to have a strong granddaughter to replace me and see that Clan MacMurray continued to thrive and remain strong and prosperous.”
Leora was well aware that the woman continued to convince and manipulate her into believing she was the granddaughter she searched for, even if it was not the truth. She would not remind the woman again that she would not be returning to the Lowlands with her no matter the outcome of her search.
As they neared Adele’s cottage, where novice Angelica could be found, Leora spotted her outside hanging freshly washed sheets on a low-hanging tree branch to dry.
“May I be of help, Mistress Leora,” Novice Angelica asked when Leora was not far from her.
“I have questions for you about the abbey,” Lady Elizabeth called out even though they were close enough to be heard without her raising her voice.
Novice Angelica folded her arms across her chest and asked, “And what interest do you have in the abbey, my lady?”
“You do not question my interest. You provide me with answers,” Lady Elizabeth reprimanded.
“I beg your pardon, my lady, but you are not a patron of Whitehall Abbey and, therefore, I am not obligated to answer any of your questions, according to the rules of the abbey. Unless, of course, our patron permits it.”
“And who is this patron?” Lady Elizabeth demanded.
“Lord Slayer of Clan Ravinsher, leader of the largest troop of Gallowglass warriors in the Highlands,” Novice Angelica said with pride.
“Is that supposed to frighten me?” Lady Elizabeth asked, unfazed by the announcement.
As if it was simply a fact, Novice Angelica said, “It would be wise of you to.”
Leora was all too familiar with how commanding Novice Angelica could be and she hurried to jump in before a battle of wits broke out between the two women. “Lady Elizabeth is interested in the abbey’s past when unwanted bairns were delivered there. We were hoping you might know something about that time.”