She glanced over her shoulder to see Caelen following close behind. She shot him a disgruntled look in the hopes he’d disappear, but he didn’t look impressed with her silent demand for privacy.
Finally Ewan halted some distance from the cottages. He loomed over her like some avenging warrior out for blood. Though she tried to face him bravely, some part of her shrunk to a ridiculous size. He was angry. Nay, angry didn’t aptly describe his mood. He was furious.
It took him a few moments and repeated attempts before he was able to get his reprimand out. His mouth opened and snapped shut several times and he looked away as if collecting his temper.
She waited demurely, her hands folded together, and she stared up at him with wide eyes.
“Don’t even look at me with those doe eyes,” Ewan growled. “You disobeyed me. Again. I’ve half a mind to lock you in our chamber. Forever.”
When she didn’t respond to that threat, Ewan blew out his breath.
“Well? What explanation would you like to offer for sending Cormac on an erran and then promptly leaving his escort?”
“I needed to speak with Maddie,” Mairin said.
Ewan stared at her for a long moment. “That’s it? You disregarded not only my order but acted in complete disregard for your safety because you needed to speak to Maddie?”
“ ’Twas a delicate matter,” Mairin defended.
Ewan closed his eyes and his lips moved in silence. Was he counting? It made no sense to practice mathematics at such a time.
“And you couldn’t have had Cormac walk you to Maddie’s cottage?”
She looked at him in horror. “Nay! Of course not. It wasn’t a matter for a man to hear. ’Twas a private issue and one I had no wish to discuss in front of others.”
Ewan’s eyes rolled heavenward. “He could have waited outside the cottage.”
“He might have overheard through the window,” Mairin countered.
“My time is too valuable to spend scouring the keep every time you decide you need to have a private word with one of the women,” Ewan declared. “From now on, you’ll either have the escort of one of my brothers or my commanders. If you persist in your actions, you’ll be confined to your chamber. Is that understood?”
Caelen didn’t look any more pleased with Ewan’s dictate than she was. It was apparent he was appalled by the duty Ewan had charged him with.
“I said, is that understood?”
Mairin reluctantly nodded.
Ewan turned and pointed at Caelen. “You stay with Mairin. I have immediate matters to attend to.”
The annoyed look on Caelen’s face didn’t sit well with Mairin, so she stuck out her tongue at him as Ewan strode away in the direction of the courtyard.
Caelen crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Mairin. “Perhaps it would be best if you return to the hall for the noon meal.”
“Oh, but I’m not hungry anymore,” Mairin said cheerfully. “Maddie was kind enough to provide me with a bowl of delicious rabbit stew.”
Caelen scowled. “Then perhaps you should go up to your chamber and take a nap. A long nap.”
“Mairin! Mairin!”
Mairin turned in the direction of Crispen’s voice to see him running toward her with three other children trailing him.
“Mairin, come play with us,” Crispen said, tugging at her hand. “We’re having races and we need you to judge.”
She smiled and allowith.
Caelen sighed loudly and lengthened his stride to keep up with them, but Mairin didn’t pay him any attention. If he must watch over her at every turn, she would do her best to pretend he wasn’t there.
She laughed softly at the idea of pretending a man of Caelen’s size could possibly be overlooked. He was as fierce and as muscled as any of Ewan’s warriors, and he loomed over her like a giant tree.
Nay, she wouldn’t be successful in pretending he wasn’t following her, but she could ignore him at least.
A peek at his harried expression made unwanted guilt surge inside her chest. She frowned. She didn’t want to feel guilty. Not for wanting a bit of freedom now that she was away from the abbey.
But still, the guilt grew until she was wringing her hands in front of her as she followed Crispen and the other children to an area adjacent to the keep.
She stopped abruptly and whirled around, causing Caelen to nearly run into her. “I’ve decided to cooperate and allow you to escort me about the keep.”
Caelen merely raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “You expect me to believe you’re going to meekly submit to Ewan’s wishes?”
She shook her head mournfully. “I’ve been unfair. I offer my apologies. It isn’t your fault your laird is unreasonable. Nay, the fault lies with him. You’re only doing your duty. I should endeavor to make it easier and not harder for you. I’m well aware of the burden he has given you.”
If she expected him to refute the idea that she was a burden, she was sorely disappointed. He merely gazed at her with a bored expression.
“At any rate, I give my word that I won’t resort to trickery again,” she said solemnly.
She turned back to the children who were arguing over who got to race first. She waded into the fray, laughing and fending off overeager hands.
An hour later, she was exhausted. Who knew children could drain the life right out of a body? Mairin stopped in her pursuit of Crispen and bent over as she gasped for air in a decidedly unladylike fashion.
The screaming children surrounded her and she turned to find Caelen surveying the goings-on with something that looked very much like a grimace.