“A great lie is that! Conall Ragnor would not give Queen Victoria a party in Lent. Who told thee such foolishness?”
Then Sunna retailed the information given her and asked, “What hast thou done to Conall Ragnor? Always before he bid thee to dinner when the Bishop was at his house? Or perhaps the offence is with Rahal Ragnor? Not long ago 75 thou spent an afternoon with her and black and dangerous as a thunder storm thou came home.”
“This day the dinner was an accidental gathering. Rahal knows well that I have no will to dine with Mistress Brodie. Dost thou want her here, as thy stepmother?”
“If Mistress Brodie is not tired of an easy life, she will turn her feet away from this house. If Sunna cannot please thee, thou art in danger of worse happening. Yes, many are guessing who it is thou wilt marry.”
“And which way runs the guessing?”
“Not all one way. For thee, that is not a respectable thing. Thou should not be named with so many old women.”
“I am of thy opinion. An old woman is little to my mind. If I trust marriage again, I will choose a young girl for my wife––such an one as Treddie Fae, or Thora Ragnor.”
“Thora Ragnor! Dreaming thou art! I am sure Barbara Brodie has brought this young man here for Thora’s approval. Can thou stand against a young man?”
“Yes. Adam Vedder and fifty thousand pounds can hand any young man his hat and gloves. Thy 76 father’s father is not for thee to make a jest about. So here our talk shall come to an end on this subject. Go to thy bed! Sleep, and the Good Being bless thee!”
Sunna was not yet inclined to sleep. She sat down before her mirror, uncoiled her plentiful hair, and carefully brushed and braided it for the night, as she considered the news that had come to her.