Page 56 of Highland Flame

Cam looked over to see Yvaine and Davita enter the infirmary along with a line of monks.

“I dinna ken her reason, but I intend to find out. Dinna tell her or Davita that I have knowledge that she is bairned.”

“Whatever ye want,” said Gavin with a shrug.

“Excuse me,” said Cam. “I see Sister Edna and Avianca. I will bring the girl over.” Cam ignored Yvaine, walking right past her as he approached and lifted up his daughter. If Yvaine wanted to play silly games with him by keeping secrets after he’d been so open about his life to her, then mayhap he should play a few games of his own.

“Cam, should weall sit together for the meal?” asked Yvaine, but Cam didn’t answer. Instead, he purposely ignored her.

“Come, Avianca, let me get ye some food,” Cam spoke to the little girl in his arms before walking away.

Yvaine’s heart lodged in her throat. Cam had snubbed her, and it wasn’t because he didn’t see or hear her standing right there.

“Why did he do that?” Yvaine asked Davita.

“I dinna ken,” answered Davita. “Men often act in odd ways that are just too hard to decipher. I wouldna worry about it. Shall we get some food?”

“Aye,” said Yvaine, heading to a table where Gavin was waving them down. She sat next to Davita, right across from Cam who had yet to even look at her.

“Why dinna the monks talk?” Avianca asked her father.

“It’s silly, I agree,” said Cam, taking a bowl of food from a monk, laying it in front of his daughter. “It is because they have taken a vow no’ to speak, and so they remain quiet. However, no’ everyone at Lanercost Priory has taken vows of silence, even if they act like it.” He accepted another bowl of food for himself and looked over at Yvaine when he spoke, making no secret that he meant her.

Yvaine accepted her food, and then leaned over to whisper to Davita. “I think he kens. Gavin must have told him.”

“If ye have somethin’ to say, please speak loud enough so we can all hear,” said Cam. “Unless, ye purposely dinna want me to ken things.”

“Nay, it’s no’ like that, Cam,” she tried to explain, but his anger was up and he didn’t want to listen.

“Shhh,” he told her, giving her a nasty glare. “Canna ye see that Brathair Gillies is about to say prayers over the food?”

“Can I talk with ye?” she whispered across the table. “Later?”

“I dinna ken if I’ll have time,” he whispered back. “After all, just like ye said, we are both too busy for nonsense.”

“Please, no talkin’ at the meal,” Brother Gillies called out, stopping their conversation.

Yvaine ate in silence, watching how Cam helped to cut up Avianca’s food. He also poured a drink for her, and put his arm around her when she wiggled so much that she almost fell off the bench. She’d changed her mind about him now. He’d make a good father someday, she was sure.

Her hand went to her belly hidden under the table, and she wondered what kind of mother she’d be. Dun would have been a horrible father, and would have probably spanked their child or hurt it in the end. But what about her? Would she be a terrible mother, too? Davita told her she should be happy to be pregnant, but with everything going on in her life, it only scared her instead. If she had her choice, she’d rather be pregnant with Cam’s child than with Dun’s.

Her eyes fell upon Avianca again, and her heart swelled. The little girl was so sweet. What if she had a daughter just like her? Could Yvaine leave her past behind her and start a new life again? Or was bringing a child into her tangled life the worst idea of all right now?

*

“What do yemean ye are all goin’ to Naward Castle but I have to stay here?” Cam asked Gavin later that day.

“Brathair Gillies asked if I’d escort Yvaine to the castle with the candle order tomorrow,” said Gavin.

“I’ll take her there,” Cam offered, eager to get away from his surroundings.

“Nay, you have to stay here at the monastery,” said Gillies, walking up with Yvaine and Davita. Little Avianca skipped along, following them. He and Yvaine hadn’t spoken at the meal and didn’t even see each other for most of the day.

“My friends are already there,” said Cam. “Surely, a short trip to the castle to deliver a candle order isna against the rules. After all, the castle is so close, I can see it from here.” Cam pointed to Naward Castle that could be seen in the distance.

“I’m sorry,” said the monk. “I have my orders.”

“I want to go to the castle, too,” said Avianca. “Can I go? Can I, can I?”

“I dinna see why no’,” said Yvaine. “Gillies, will it be all right for her to come with us? Davita will be along to help watch over her.”

“I suppose so,” said the monk, speaking to Cam next before he could object again to not going with them. “Cam, you will help the lay brothers scrub the floors in the church. Afterwards, there are peas to be shucked and fences to be mended. I will write down everything on a list. In the morning, you’ll be expected to muck out the stables as well.”

“Mayhap some of these chores can wait until Nash and North return,” Cam suggested, but the monk wouldn’t hear of it.

“Nay. These are things that need to be done right away.”

“It figures,” mumbled Cam, not liking the sound of this at all. “My friends willna ever want to come back now. No’ when they are drinkin’ Mountain Magic and dancin’ with all the bonnie lassies.” Cam started feeling sorry for himself.

“If ye didna have a sentence to serve, ye’d be comin’ with us,” Yvaine reminded him. He wasn’t sure if she said it to hurt him or not, but her words rubbed him the wrong way. He probably should have kept his mouth shut, but he couldn’t remain silent after a comment like that.

“Hell, if I didna have a damned sentence to serve in the first place, I’d never be in this godforsaken place at all.”

He didn’t need to look over to Brother Gillies to know the monk was shooting daggers at him from his eyes right now.