Page 27 of Christmas Secrets

Percival heard a deep chuckle and turned to see Bedivere standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were fastened to Holly.

“So, I see you really did find yourself a girl to bed after all,” said his brother. “I can also tell it has already helped your sour disposition. You don’t seem nearly as grouchy as before.”

“Nay, you’re wrong. I haven’t bedded her,” said Percival. “And I wish you wouldn’t talk that way about Holly. She is sweet and doesn’t deserve to be treated as if she were a whore.”

“So, is she?”

“What?” Percival felt his anger growing. “What the hell does that mean?”

“All I’m saying is, what do you really know about the girl? I mean, what can you tell me?”

“Well, I know she comes from the town of Kestwick,” said Percival.

“Really. Is she a lady then? From Castle Kestwick mayhap?”

“Nay, she’s not noble. She said she wasn’t. I believe she lives in town.”

“Why is she traveling alone with the boy?”

“I don’t know. Mayhap she likes to travel alone. I didn’t ask her.”

“It’s odd she doesn’t have a male escort. Dangerous too. Isn’t she married?”

“I don’t know, and I wish you wouldn’t ask me things like that.” This thought upset Percival deeply. He never even considered that Holly might already be married. Why hadn’t he thought to ask?

“You really don’t know anything else about her, do you?”

“She doesn’t talk about herself much.”

“Then, she’s hiding something. Something that she doesn’t want you to know.”

“That’s not true!” Percival had considered the same thought, but dismissed it. He didn’t want to think of Holly as someone who might be hiding a tarnished past. “Some things just don’t need to be talked about. I mean, why does it even matter?”

“Why does it matter, you ask? And what do you mean it doesn’t need to be talked about? You make no sense.” They walked together toward the great hall.

“What I’m saying is that I never told her I spent time in prison along with the rest of my family or that you were an assassin. I didn’t feel it was necessary to bring it up, so I didn’t mention it.”

“I appreciate you not bringing up my past, Percival. But don’t you think you should at least mention that you were in prison before she hears it from someone else?”

“I can’t really do that without telling her the whole story, now can I? Which means I would have to bring up you, Brother.”

“I see. I suppose you have a point there.”

Percival couldn’t stop yawning.

“For a man who didn’t bed the wench, you certainly seem as if you didn’t get much sleep at all.”

“I didn’t.” One more yawn. “I was up all night carving toys out of wood for Noel and making wreaths and... Christmas type things.”

“You what?” Bedivere stopped in his tracks and burst out laughing. “What happened to hating anything to do with Christmas, and thinking tending to children makes you less of a man?”

“You were the one who told me to make new Christmas memories, so that is what I did. Now, shut up about all this. You’re making my head hurt. Let’s go get some whisky.”

“I think the wench changed you, and I can’t say I’m disappointed. Now, I might just know where we can get some of the best whisky in all England and Scotland.”

“Are you talking about the MacKeefe’s Mountain Magic?”

“Aye. Reed brought some with him from Scotland when he arrived with his family. Let’s go find it.”

Reed was one of the Legendary Bastards of the Crown and also the father of Fia and Morag. He, and his brothers, Rowen and Rook, were triplets.

“Mountain Magic it is, then,” said Percival with one more big, long yawn.

“You’d better stop that and close your mouth before you start attracting flies,” Bedivere told him, laughing as he said it.

The only thing Percival wanted to attract was Holly. And hopefully after a little of the famous Mountain Magic, he’d even work up enough nerve to kiss her under one of those stupid kissing boughs in front of everyone.