Scottish Destiny

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The great hall was crowded, it was just after midday meal, the servants were still clearing away the remaining food.    Grant was sipping his ale, his brothers, his Da and Gavin were with him, they were discussing with Gavin more effective ways of increasing the revenue on McGregor land.   Andrew had taken Gavin out earlier on and showed him the vast estate and Gavin was interested in learning more.  McKenna land was very prosperous, Angus made use of each and every corner of his land to provide a better life for his family and for all who lived on McKenna soil.

Grant was half-heartedly listening to them, he couldn't seem to keep focused on what they were discussing, his mind and eyes were solely fixed on Kathryn.   

After he stormed out of the hall that morn, he took his stallion out for a long hard ride.   He needed to clear his head.   He couldn't believe the gown that she wore, he was fuming when he saw her in it.   All the clansmen tripping over themselves to get near her, them fighting to see who would escort her to the village, Grant would have cut them all down, but he didn't.   After what he said to her that morn, he had no right.   He couldn't stand to watch any longer so leaving seemed to be the best solution for him.

He had never been a jealous man before, even while he was at court, there was one lass that he seemed to enjoy her company more than others.   They were compatible in and out of bed, but when a friend told him that he bedded her the night before, Grant didn't feel a thing.  No jealously, nothing.   He knew then that she wasn't for him.

Grant even followed the women into the village, he made himself scarce so that Kathryn wouldn't see him following her.   He sat in the alehouse for the longest time, he had a perfect view of the women going from merchant to merchant purchasing what Jenny needed.  He shook his head a few times at the pushing and shoving some of the clansmen were doing just to stand next to his Kathryn. 

His Kathryn, something that he gave up that morning.

One of the alehouse wenches put her arms around him as he spied on the women.    She was a buxom barmaid, more like one of the village whores.   Grant and she had an on-going understanding, he didn't like any of the others in the village, only Alice.   Normally when she came over to him and smiled seductively at him, his groin would awaken and they would sneak off upstairs to her room for a tumble.  But today, all he smelled was her cheap perfume, of unwashed body odour and ale.  

What he saw in her before, he wouldn't be able to tell.  Today all he felt was disgust.  With her and mostly of himself for ever wanting her.   How many men in a day did she bed for coin?   Grant assumed many and a lot of the times, he was included in that number.   Grant shivered with repulsion.

"Come, me brawny knight," Alice purred in his ear as Grant pulled away from the stench of ale on her breath.   "I know how to please ye."

"Nae today Alice," Grant stepped out of her embrace and slapped some coin on the table.   Her sweaty arms were around him and he felt as though he needed to bathe now.    He felt bad for the look of hurt on her face, he had never once turned her down before.  But after yesterday, Kathryn in his arms, her sweet smelling hair, her soft floral scent, Grant knew that he was a changed man.   Perhaps a changed man for the better.

"Ye have found someone else then Grant?" Alice asked him sadly. He really did feel badly for her, she was a sweet lass, in a position that was probably not what she had wanted out of her life.

He shrugged his shoulders as he watched Kathryn laugh at something Marcus had said to her.   Anger and uneasiness boiled within him.   "I may have," he told her, still not taking his eyes from Kat.   "But perhaps it is too late."