“Oh. Nay.” Saidh forced a smile and then raised her eyebrows. “What would ye like to do today?”
“Nothing,” Fenella said miserably, dropping to sit on the side of her bed.
Saidh bit her lip, and then moved to stand in front of her and said gently, “Do ye no’ think it would be good fer ye to get out o’ this room and take some air?”
“Nay.” The word was followed by a sniffle.
Afraid the woman was going to start in sobbing again, Saidh caught her hand and hurried for the door dragging Fenella behind. “Well, I do. Ye’ll make yerself ill if ye stay in this room. I think a nice little walk would be good fer ye. Just a short one,” Saidh added when Fenella began to protest. “A quick one in the bailey so ye can get some sun. That way yer maid can air out yer room while yer gone.”
“But I do no’ want to walk,” Fenella complained, tugging ineffectually at her hand.
Mouth tightening, Saidh pulled her down the stairs to the great hall. “Ye can no’ stay abed in that room fer the rest o’ yer life, Fenella. Ye’re still young, and ye’re no’ the one who died.”
“Nay, me husband did,” Fenella cried as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She then jerked her hand from Saidh’s and covered her face as she burst into tears.
“Damn,” Saidh breathed, not knowing what the hell to do now. It wasn’t like she’d been faced with this situation before. Her brothers weren’t the sort to stand about sobbing fit to break yer heart, and despite all the trials and tribulations Joan and Murine had suffered of late, neither of them had done it either. Even on learning of her father’s death, Murine had stood straight and tall, silent tears trailing down her cheeks that she’d dashed away before saying, “I should go pack.” She’d then walked away, head high, shoulders straight. Saidh could tell she was hurting, but the woman hadn’t broken down. She’d born her pain stoically, and Saidh wished to hell that Fenella was more like that.
Sighing, Saidh shifted sideways toward the woman, patted her back awkwardly and then said, “I’ll fetch yer maid, shall I?”
She didn’t wait for a response, but hurried toward the kitchens, sure the woman would be found in there, or, if not, that someone there would know where to find her.
It took a couple moments to round up the wench. Fenella’s maid had slipped out to the gardens to pick flowers for her lady, hoping to cheer her. Saidh helped her carry the flowers back in, and led the woman into the great hall, only to come to an abrupt halt. Fenella was still there, but she was also sobbing in Greer’s arms.
Saidh’s gaze narrowed on the couple, and she crushed the flowers she carried, only realizing she was doing it when a thorn pricked her fingers. Relaxing her hold on the flowers, Saidh straightened her shoulders and crossed the great hall to the couple.
“I found Sorcha,” she announced grimly as she reached them. “And look, she picked flowers fer ye.”
Fenella pulled away from Greer far enough to turn and look at the flowers both women were carrying, then burst into renewed sobs and threw herself against Greer wailing miserably. For Greer’s part, he looked rather like a deer in the face of oncoming riders. Body stiff and neck red, he stared down with horror at the woman sobbing all over the clean, dry plaid he’d donned on returning to the keep. He then turned his gaze to Saidh, eyebrows rising in question as he mouthed, “What do I do?”
Finding the anger that had gripped her when she’d first seen Fenella in his arms suddenly slipping away, Saidh grinned and shrugged.
Greer scowled at her for her lack of aid, then scooped Fenella up in his arms and started up the stairs, muttering, “Come, Sorcha’ll put ye to bed.”
Saidh grinned, but turned to dump the flowers she carried on top of the ones Sorcha already held, then backed away from the stairs. There was no damned way she was going to be stuck up in that room all day with the sobbing woman.
“Oh!”
That startled sound from behind her accompanied Saidh’s trouncing on something soft. Whirling around, she saw at once that it was Lady MacDonnell’s foot. The woman stood behind her smiling weakly as she raised her foot to rub the end.
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry m’lady,” Saidh murmured, taking the woman’s arm to help her maintain her balance. “I was no’ watching where I was going.”
“Neither was I,” Lady MacDonnell admitted with a wry little twist to her lips. She gave up rubbing her injured toes and straightened with a little sigh and then glanced from Saidh to the trio disappearing up the stairs. When anger immediately darkened her face, Saidh decided some distraction was needed and asked, “Were ye going above stairs?”
Lady MacDonnell glanced to her, expression briefly blank and then she nodded. “Aye. I was going to fetch me maid to help me with some sewing.”
“I can help ye,” Saidh offered. “I’m no’ the best seamstress in the world, but I can sew a straight line.”
“Oh, is no’ that sweet o’ ye?” Lady MacDonnell beamed at her. “Well, if ye do no’ mind and ha’e a few minutes to spare, I’d appreciate yer aid.”