Scottish Destiny

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Grant sat quietly in the solar watching his Da.   They were just finishing breaking their fast when his Da asked him to meet with him in the solar.  Angus wanted a word with him privately.

They had been seated there for a few minutes, Grant was waiting to see what his Da had to say, Angus was seated behind his desk with an uneasy look on his face.   Grant didn't know why his Da asked him to meet privately, even Andrew had heard and looked questioningly at Grant.  Grant just shrugged his shoulders at his brother's look and just followed his Da out of the great hall.

Grant watched now as Angus opened a drawer and he pulled out a black pouch made out of velvet.    Grant was curious, so he leaned forward to get a better view.   He never saw this velvet pouch before, although if he wanted to, he could have gone through his Da's desk many times.  Angus let any of them use the solar for any use they needed, the desk wasn't locked.

Angus pulled out a gold band and when he turned it in his finger, Grant's breath caught in his throat.   With the light filtering through the window, the four ruby stones imbedded in the gold glittered brightly.  Grant noticed that the ring was delicate, dainty, made for a woman and he knew in his heart that the ring his Da held was his Mother's.  

Swallowing the lump in his throat, "Twas Mama's?" Grant asked his Da trying to sound calm.   Anytime speaking of his Mother, Grant's heart constricted knowing that she had died birthing him.  He was the only one that never met her, never got to feel her love, or return his love to her for that matter.  Even though he was told many stories of what a beautiful, kind woman she was who loved her sons and husband more than her own life, he still felt cheated.   Sometimes he was jealous of his brothers who actually had some time with her, even though it wasn't many years at all.

"Aye and nae," Angus replied with thick voice.   "I had it made for your Mama, twas suppose to be a gift to her after she gave birth to our fourth bairn."   Angus paused now and looked out the window.  "Tis four rubies, one for each of ye lads.  She never saw it."

Grant looked down now, his guilt eating him up once again.  He sometimes felt guilty for surviving and not his Mother.    His brother's were deprived their Mother because of him, even though not any of them once had accused him of living and not her.

"I wish for ye to give it to Kathryn," Angus said holding the ring out to him.  

Grant didn't accept the ring, he didn't feel like he deserved something that was to belong to his Mother.  "Give it to Ian to give to Jenny," Grant said hoarsely, not looking at his Da in the face.

"Nae," Angus said stepping around this desk and coming to stand in front of Grant.   "Tis been holding this for ye Grant.   If I wished this for Ian, I would have given it to him by now."

"I canna accept it Da," Grant said sadly.   "I will find another ring for Kathryn."

"She loved ye, just as much as she loved your brothers," Angus told him taking the seat next to his son.   "After ye were born, she knew she wasna going to survive.   She held ye in her arms and kissed ye."

"Why do ye tell me this now?" Grant said quietly not looking up because the thought of crying in front of his Da was upsetting him.  His Mother was a soft spot, he felt close to her even though she died shortly after he was born.   He was told that she lost too much blood.

Angus didn't bothering answering Grant's question, he just continued on.  "She named ye as well, after her Da ye were named for.    Laird Grant Sinclair twas her Da, ye met him afore on several occasions."