Scottish Beauty

Chapter Three - Scottish Beauty

“Aye Da, I wish to speak to you privately about the lass,” he told him.  He walked over to the side table and poured himself a small dram of whiskey as well.  

“Go on then, spit it out.  I’m tired and need to rest my weary bones.”

“Ye are not old Da, ye are strong and hail just like the rest of us.  I want the lass Da.  I wish to marry her.”

Turning towards his son, his heir...”Nae, ye cannot have her.    Robert has already expressed his interest in her, he can marry the lass.”

Feeling his blood boil, he knew that Robert fancied the lass but he didn’t know that he had already spoken to their father about her.    “Da, I found her, I claim her as mine.   I am telling ye now, I will not give her up, not to Robert, not to anyone.   She will be my wife.”

“I know ye care already about her, don’t think that I don’t know how many times ye visit with her, even in the wee hours of the night, but ye are my heir!’ Angus replied, frustrated and angry.   “If she is breeding from what that bastard did to her, I will not have some other man’s child as my son’s heir.   Do I make myself clear?”

“Aye Da, ye do, but if she is, and she bares a lassie, then ye will not have to worry.”

“I will not take that chance and have you marry and wait to see what the bairn is.   Nae, I will not.  If she is breeding, Robert said he will marry her.”  Angus told him in a threatening voice that even Andrew would not cross.   “What is goes between ye and Margo?”

“I gave her an order she questioned it so I gave her no choice.”  

Angus looked at him with a raise brow.  

“She is a servant Da, she is treated kindly and I respect her, but when I ask her to do something, I expect it done.”

“Aye, I agree with ye Andrew, but we need to keep the peace around here.  The lass is being verra well cared for, I dinna wish to have Margo upset.”  Pausing, Angus came and place his hand upon Andrew’s shoulder, “I think I know why she is most upset though, your interest in the lass.    I’m not sure, but I think that she fancied her daughter Millie as perhaps your bride one day.”

“Nae Da!” Andrew said taking a step back, fisting his hands at his side. “I’ll not marry Millie.  She is kind, comely, but Da, she has taken many men to her bed.”   Shaking his head now, “I’ll not marry her.”

“Not you Andrew?”

“Nae Da, I enjoy a good tussle just like every other man, but not with the servants.  The girls in the village are more than willing.” Andrew grinned feeling awkward having this conversation with his father.  He’s had many of talks like this with his brothers, who the best tussle was, but never with his father.

“Ye really like her Andrew?” Angus asked his son with a sigh.