Saving Grace

Joha

Dumfries obviously didn't realize how big he was, for he tried to climb onto her lap.

She was certain she smelled as horrid as the dog and decided it was high time Dumfries had a proper bath. Megan fetched her a rope. Joha

She ran into Glynis at the water well. Joha

Glynis was polite enough to call out a proper greeting to her mistress before asking about Clare MacKay. "You aren't thinking of letting that whore sleep under the same roof with our laird, are you?"

Joha

"I didn't mean to raise my voice to you, Glynis, for it isn't your fault you were led to believe Clare MacKay was a whore. Still, given your nickname, I would think you above all others would reserve judgment until you had all the facts. The Maclaurins wouldn't have given you such a name if you weren't worthy, now would they?" she asked. She nodded to the other women lined up at the wall.

Glynis shook her head. She looked confused and wary. Joha

Joha

She was wrong. The Maclaurin woman called out to her before Joha

"What nickname have you heard, m'lady?"

Joha

Glynis let out a little gasp and she visibly blanched. Joha

"Dumfries," she whispered, "we're going to let her simmer until tomorrow. By then Glynis will have realized how cruel her game is. Then I'll tell her I made up the name."

Guilt wouldn't allow Joha

She decided to go to Glynis's cottage and confess her sin. She was drenched from head to shoes, thanks to Dumfries's misbehaving in the creek, and she was given several stares on her way back to the well.

"M'lady, what happened to you?"

Leila asked her the question. She backed away from the dog and kept her gaze on the hound while she waited for her mistress to answer her.

"I gave Dumfries a bath. He pushed me in the creek," Joha

Leila pointed out the cottage. Joha

Glynis pulled the door open. Her eyes widened when she saw her mistress. Joha

She spotted Glynis's husband sitting at the table then. She didn't want him to overhear what she was going to say.

"Could you spare me a moment of your time, Glynis? I would like to speak to you in private."

"Yes, of course," Glynis answered. She glanced over her shoulder, then turned back to her mistress. She had a worried expression now. Joha

Introductions were made. Glynis's husband was a head shorter than his wife. He had red hair, freckles on his face and arms, and handsome white teeth. His smile seemed sincere.

Joha

She asked Glynis to please step outside instead. When the Maclaurin woman had closed the door behind her, Joha

Glynis started to walk forward, then stopped. Dumfries's low growl obviously intimidated her.

Joha

"I came here to tell you I made up the nickname. No one calls you Pure," she a

Glynis didn't answer her question, but her face turned pale. Joha

"That was before, m'lady," Glynis stammered out.

"Before what?"

"Before we knew you well and realized you weren't a coward at all."

Joha

"I do not care for your foolish games," she a

She had to take the time to explain what that word meant before continuing. "I find I admire that trait, Glynis. If you think I'm a coward, then have the courage to say it to my face. Don't make up silly games. They're hurtful… and very like something the English would do."

If Glynis nodded any more vehemently, Joha

"Did you tell our laird?" she asked.

Joha

"I will stop giving nicknames, m'lady," Glynis said then. "And I apologize if you were hurt by my cruelty."

"Were you hurt by mine?"

Glynis didn't answer for a long minute. Then she nodded. "I was," she whispered.

"Then we are even. Auggie isn't daft," she added. "He really is clever. If you spent any time at all with him, you'd realize that."

"Yes, m'lady."

"There," Joha

She made a curtsy and turned to leave. Glynis followed her to the edge of the path. "We only called you Courageous until you put Dumfries back together with your threads, m'lady. Then we changed your name."

Joha