Sylvia looked down at the growing wet splotches on her dark green bodice and the sleeves of her tunic, then back to her daughter delightedly splashing away in the tub. "A little less enthusiasm, please, Beata."

But her focus could not remain there for long as she heard the thumping of feet as her boys delayed their bedtime rituals for wild renditions of tales jumping from bed to floor and back again. "Gwen, please finish up Beata while I go settle the warband."

The young woman did as instructed while Sylvia tried to dry off her clothes patting them with a towel. "Young lords of Yearling Brook," she smiled as she leaned against the door frame, "it is time to get your rest." The enthusiastic smiles on their faces dripped away like water spilled on a wet picture. With a laugh, she waved them on with the towel. "Finish getting dressed and I will go downstairs to find a story to read." Enthusiasm returned and chased her down the hall with merry cheers as she went to the parlor study to find the book.

The new guards at Yearling Brook had eventually passed Hudson through the gates, and now he walked up the front stairs to the main house. His right hand was held behind his back as he knocked on the front door. Waiting for a response, his head tilted a bit to the side, listening for any tell-tale sounds of the evening activities. Black eyes shifted left and assessed the traces of red just starting to stain the blue sky.

"Blazing pyres, who could that be?" Sylvia grumbled with book in hand as she went to the door. The sound of thundering feet down the hallway from above warned her and she called upstairs. "Don't even think about it, Cian, Aidan. Get back to your beds." The footsteps back were much slower, and she laughed softly as she opened the door. "Hudson!" Quite the surprise, but the warm feeling inside blossomed a smile on her face revealing it to be a pleasant surprise indeed.

When the door opened, Hudson's gaze turned from the sky to the woman in the doorway, and he smiled at Sylvia warmly. "Aye, and ye'll be Sylvia." His eyes shone with an impish humor, and his grin turned infectious. "And now we've th' introductions away, might I be welcome? I dinnae mean tae disrupt yer evening routine tae much, but there's that I wanted tae see ye all." His right hand was still held behind his back, almost as if he had forgotten it was there.

She blinked and backed away, her arm out in a gesture of welcome. "Yes, of course, of course. I am glad to see you as well, and that you and I still know each other's names. That is a good start." A cheeky grin of her own. "Beata is," she paused to listen to the obvious little girl singing coming down from the second floor, "just finishing her bath and the boys are getting ready for their story. Now then," she set her free hand to her hip once the door was closed, "what are you hiding, you wily Scot?"

As he stepped in, he chuckled to hear Beata's singing. "Guid then, I didnae come tae late tae see them as well." And then he looked at her and blinked with an expression of innocent surprise. "Wily Scot? Why, I ha'e nae a wily bone in me. Th' verra picture o' straight-forwardness and honesty." As he expounded on the theme, his hands became involved with the talking, and he started to gesture with not only his left hand but his right. Which, as it turned out, was holding a little bouquet of wildflowers ? lilacs, star-gazer lilies, and what looked to be a few early roses nipped from a garden.

"Mmhmm," she smiled and then moved to kiss his cheek, "and the flowers are lovely, too." A merry glint to violet eyes, she started for the stairs and looked back over her shoulder to him. "Are they for Beata?"

"Th' flowers? Oh, aye." Hudson looked down at the flowers as if he had no idea where they came from, and then back to Sylvia with a wink. Following in her wake, he pulled out the raspberry-speckled lilies from the bunch and offered them to her. "The lilies will be for ye, and th' lilacs and roses for wee Beata ? th' innocence for her, ye ken. And I distracted ye ? did ye pick out a tale for th' lads, then?"

"Yes, well you are rather good at distracting me. Not that I am to complain. I would much rather have your sort of distraction." Her fingers curled light about the lilies, the smile of thanks offered to him. She continued up the stairs with a gentle motion for him to follow. "I have not yet chosen a tale. Perhaps I should have Cian read to his brother and sister before bed. I would like to hear how you are and your family. I have not had news in some weeks." As if the fellow needed the reminder. Aware of this gaffe, she gave him an apologetic smile and turned for her room to see the lilies set to a glass of water.

"Hmmm." It was that particularly Scots sound which could mean anything or nothing at all. "I'll be glad tae tell ye o' th' news and hope ye'll trade me in return, but truly I dinnae wish tae disrupt yer routine wi' th' clann tae much ? sae if ye'd rather tell them th' story I'll be just as happy tae listen along." While Sylvia tended to the lilies, Hudson paced to the boy's room and looked in with a smile. "Ach, and speaking o' ? I'll be right back, lads, but I ha'e a wee present tae deliver tae yer sister."

Aidan had smiled, a strange hopeful look to his face when Hudson appeared. The elder boy fought his smile and nodded with gravity. So they still were when Sylvia found them and gave her oldest boy a questioning look to which he just ignored her and snuggled down into the covers. "Think you can read to Aidan and Bea while Master Hudson and I visit?" There was no answer, just a mild nod for reply and he reached for the book in her hand. She kissed his cheek. "Tomorrow we will have to start planning for Aidan's birthday celebration. I know you'll have just the right ideas for it." A smile to Aidan, "Both of you will." She sat on the edge of Cian's bed and waited for Hudson's return as well as Gwen with Beata.

The black hair slid across her back as she turned to look over her shoulder. She looked over his face and then turned fully about but remained near the fire. "I am thinking I do not know you well, and I still sometimes do not understand you. Do you think this...animosity and distrust you feel for Johnny helps your sister?" With a sigh and a flop of her hands, she dropped into a seat on the floor, brigga clad legs crossed. "I do not even understand that distrust and the anger."



Net-scarred hands lifted to run through silver-touched hair before his left hand closed around the brooch on his shoulder. "For th' first question, nae, I ken it's no' easy for Sianna, and I keep my manners when we're all in a place at once. I cannae feign that things be as they should, though. And for th' second, that ye dinnae understand th' mistrust, th' anger?" He trailed off, a frown creasing his features, and then resumed, "I'll try tae gi'e ye my feelings on th' matter as plain as I can."

She nodded, said nothing, but looked to him hoping not only for understanding, but what details of Johnny's return she might have missed. It had to have been something that happened beyond just the absence. That she was convinced of within herself, and so violet eyes did not stray from him as he worked through his feelings and thoughts.

When he looked up, his black eyes were entirely serious. "Ye ha'e tae ken twa things at least o' us ? th' importance o' clan, th' family that is, and th' importance o' a vow. Ye dinnae abandon yer family, ye dinnae break yer oaths, or ye ha'e nae honor. Wi'out honor, what worth can a person ha'e? And Johnny left Sianna when she was nigh tae birth despite th' problems o' her health and th' fear she had after what happened tae our m?thair. He broke th' vow he gave tae her and tae God once o'ver, th' words he wrote himself for their wedding. And then he returns wi' his oaths broken twice o'er at th' least, a woman wi' him that calls him husband and bearing a six-month babe in her belly."

A pause for indrawn breath before he added, out of innate justice, "He's gi'en explanation for his delay in returning, and swears th' babe be nae his ? but he'd already left Sianna behind and broken his oath tae her and tae God th' once. I dinnae ken how tae trust him on his word now." His frown deepened, and he finally released the brooch on his shoulder, flexing fingers that had been holding to blood-stopping tightness.

Still and silent, she did not move as she took it all inside her mind. The words, the meanings, the hints and allegations that blossomed such distrust in Hudson. Finally, she stirred, fingers lacing together. "You do not believe his explanation then? Does Sianna not believe him either?"

Short exhale burst from his lips as he pushed to his feet, pacing. "Sometimes I think she does believe him, other times nae. But ye still dinnae see, no' entirely ? th' explanation does no' matter. He should ne'er ha'e left her in th' first place. He said it himself in his vows, 'I will walk beside ye anywhere and everywhere ye lead, hand in hand and heart in heart.' He declared it tae Sianna, and before God, and then abandoned her. She came close tae passing in th' birth, and what guid did it dae my sister when he was worlds away? If I'd taken an oath that strict in my vows tae Moira my family would ha'e thought me mad, but if I'd broken it th' clan would be like tae disown me." He broke off, jaw working as he tried to express the depth of the betrayal, tried to find the words.

"Hudson, the man cannot always be by Sianna's side. Do you not think the vows are more spiritually metaphorical than literal?" Dumbfounded and just irritated enough to get to her own feet. "Of course the explanation matters, and if Sianna believes him then to hell with your righteous indignation. He is not of the clan, but what I know of him, I believe Johnny to be an honorable man for all that. Will you say I have broken my vow to Kieran with you because in our ceremony we spoke of our love being immortal?"

"Mum?" Cian was at the door, and Sylvia stopped her brewing tirade.

Gwen was fast upon Cian. "Sorry, m'lady, I was putting Bea to bed." The young girl cut off her excuse.

"No, of course, Gwen. It is alright. Cian, go on back to bed. Everything is fine."

When Cian left with Gwen, Sylvia looked back to Hudson. "I apologize. I have no right to attack your feelings or beliefs." She passed back to the couch to drop down and closed her eyes a moment.

Black eyes had shot to the door when Cian and then Gwen appeared. He bided his time until they left, and when he spoke again it was calmly. "I'll nae believe that ye dinnae still love Kieran e'en in his passing, Sylvia, and e'en tae this day. But there's love for th' living as well as love for th' dead, and nae oaths broken in that." Hudson said it simply, not as justification but rather as a statement of fact.

"I'll nae think my anger be self-righteous, but 'tis tae be expected at that, and at th' least ye gi'e me sommat tae think on. Ye'll nae ha'e me tae agreeing that he was in th' right tae leave as he did, but I'll gi'e thought on th' rest and his explanation for th' length o' th' absence." His pacing had stopped, but he didn't take back his seat. "And aye, th' words ye said were harsh, but I'd still rather ha'e yer honesty than yer diplomacy."

She opened her eyes when he began to speak and then reached a hand to him. "I do not know the details nor is it my place to know them, but you are willing to do all that I can ask of you which is to think upon it."

A glance back to the empty door then up to Hudson. "I am glad it was Cian instead of Aidan. He needs no further reasons to fear the night."

"Be that why he asked if I'd be staying dae ye think?" With the discussion about Johnny as concluded as it would get, Hudson took the change of subject at the same time as he took Sylvia's hand. Sitting next to her on the couch, he shifted his grip so their fingers interlaced. "And ye didnae tell me earlier if ye thought he meant for th' night or sommat else."

She let out a slow breath. "He meant for the night, though even if you had been able to and answered him in the affirmative, he would have only asked the same the next night. I will not have him relying on you to get through his night fears."

Her thumb caressed the side of his hand. "Aidan has difficulty sleeping some nights since the attacks. He wakes up screaming. Gaerwyn said his Lina had much the same trouble after the fire. I hope time and the certainty of my presence will help. A certainty I am more able to give him now that I know my neck is not to be stretched any time soon." The soft trio of notes were hard won. Her hand squeezed his lightly. "I am sorry I could not get word to you."

A slow nod of understanding followed her explanation of Aidan's night fears. "Ye ken if there be aught I can dae tae help him, ye just tell me and I'll dae my best." The hard set of his mouth reappeared when she mentioned the threat of her hanging. "Th' difficulties I understand, though 'twas worrying tae only hear th' rumors until Ewan returned, and then nae real word after." His hand returned the pressure on hers, more firmly. "I was verra relieved when I heard ye'd returned tae Yearling Brook, mo croidhe."

"Thank you, Hudson, but I think teaching him to look to you for security and safety is a dangerous thing when we are so often apart." Her free hand lifted to caress his cheek, her eyes once more looking over the lines about his eyes the set of his mouth. "It is so very good to see you." She manuevered so she might rest her head upon his shoulder. "Mo trillsean."

She turned over his hand, cradling it in the palm of hers, while her finger traced over the lines of his palm. A soft smile at the memory of the night in the tea shoppe, reading palms, but she spoke of other matters entire. "I will write to Sianna inviting the family to join us, but please reassure her that if she is not up to it, there will be no hard feelings and I will visit a day or two afterwards."

This time Hudson's nod of understanding and agreement came slowly. His reluctance wasn't for the common-sense nature of her wish for Aidan, but more aimed at the reality of their frequent separations. Still, when her hand traced over his cheek, a faint smile turned up the corners of his lips and eased the hard expression from his face. "Aye, mo bran ? and ye dinnae ken how verra glad I am tae see ye."

He watched her fingers tracing scar patterns that would never fade, and bent his head to rest against hers. "And I'll be sure tae gi'e Sianna yer word. My guess would be she'll find a way tae attend ? she'll put her mind tae it and bend th' world around her stubbornness tae make it sae." He chuckled quietly, kissed the top of her head, and then her forehead with a warmer smile.