Page 59 of The Stag & The Owl
He glanced around the hallway and cupped herchin and kissed her, soft and tender, the feel of his lipslingering on hers as they descended the stairs and walked into thedining hall arm in arm, where at least thirty people were seatedand every single one of them stopped talking and watched thementer.
Alina knew their presence had already beenexplained to the household.The story was she was a distant cousinof the laird’s from the northern Highlands who, with Roark’s help,fled an arranged marriage to a man she despised.Laird Owen andLady Siusan had agreed to mediate between them and the familyinvolved.The question of Roark’s and Alina’s relationship hadn’tbeen broached by the laird and lady, though they’d all agreed it’dbe best to present themselves as childhood friends.
Laird Owen stood.“Our honored guests havearrived,” he announced, and indicated the two empty seats to hisright.“Please, join us.”
Alina gripped Roark’s arm as they passed theroomful of curious faces and took their seats, Roark beside Owenand Alina between Roark and a boy who was the spitting image ofOwen.
“Roark, Alina,” Owen said, “this is our son,Cullen.And this,” he turned to indicate a young woman sitting toLady Siusan’s left, “is our daughter, Rose.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cullen,” Alinatold the boy, who looked to be about ten.
“And you, Lady Alina,” he said, his greeneyes smiling.
“Please, call me Alina,” she told the lad.She leaned forward so she could see the daughter and introducedherself.“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rose.I only have brothersand male cousins, so it’s a treat to meet a female relative.”
Rose, who looked to be about ten and four,and was as blonde and blue eyed as her mother, smiled prettily.“And you, cousin,” she said to Alina.
Roark turned his smile on the poor girl andher jaw dropped.Her mother gently cupped her chin and closed hergaping mouth amidst much laughter from the rest of the table.Blushing furiously, Rose stared straight ahead as her fatherintroduced his sister, Agnes, her husband, Gavin, and their threeyoung children.
The servants carried out platters of muttonroasted with carrots, turnips, and onions along with bowls of newspring greens and loaves of fresh baked ryes that had Alina’s bellygrumbling loud enough to raise the laird’s brows.
“My apologies,” she said.“It’s been a whilesince I’ve sat before such a succulent feast.”
“How long were you on the road?”Lady Siusanasked.
Alina glanced at Roark.“Ten days?”
Roark nodded.“Sounds right.We got caught ina storm and had to shelter in a cave for two days and nights,” heexplained to the table at large.“So that stretched the journey outa bit.”
“What did you eat?”Cullen asked.
“We left in such a hurry,” Roark told him,“all we packed were some dried field beans, stale bread, and saltedmeat, so we ate those along with whatever small game and salmon wecaught, and greens, fruit, and mushrooms we foraged.”
“Ten days camping out in the wilds,” Cullensaid, his expression lit with excitement.“Sounds fun.”
“It would’ve been more fun if half our campshadn’t been cold camps,” Roark said, his hand covering Alina’s inher lap.“A warm fire in the wilds is a wonderful comfort.”
“What was the man's name?”Rose asked Alina.“The man you ran away from marrying.”
“I’d, ah, rather not say,” Alina demurred.“At least not until everything is settled.”
“How kind and brave of you to help herescape,” Rose said to Roark with a pretty smile.“He must be a verybad man.”
Roark squeezed Alina’s hand.“He is, as itturns out.”
Lady Siusan whispered something into Rose’sear that caused the girl to turn her attention back to her mealwith a pretty pout, and Alina tucked into her meal.
“I saw your mare in the stables,” Cullen toldher as the main course was being cleared and the cheeses and fruitsbrought out.“Is she as fast as she looks?”
“She’s faster,” Alina said, eliciting a hugegrin from the lad.“Her name is Etain and she can fly fast as awinged faerie.”
“Truly?”
“Truly.”
“What’s the gelding’s name?”
“Beasty,” she said.“He’s surprisingly faston those gangly, knobby-kneed legs of his as well.”
