"I see." Katie wasn't sure how to handle this situation. "Are you afraid of him?"
"A little. I do not want to...my mother sometimes..."
"Come, we will sit on the steps. 'Tis a beautiful day and we must enjoy it before the rains come." Katie led the way and waited until they both got comfortable on the steps. "My brother is a good lad. He blames himself for what happened to you and he will not force you into his bed."
"Good."
"Anna..."
"How many people has Kevin killed?"
Her question caught Katie completely off guard. "I do not know. Our lads never tell us such things and the women are wise enough not to ask. MacGreagors do not find pleasure in killing for any reason, and often need time to accept what they have done. When a lass asks, her husband may leave and not come home for days."
"Have you ever seen Kevin kill someone?"
"Someone? Kevin has never killed a lass in his life. I have only seen him kill one lad and the lad deserved to die. He was torturing animals. We kill animals when we need the meat, but we do not torture anything or anyone. Kevin warned him not to do it three times, but the lad disobeyed."
"Did Kevin believe the man would torture more than animals?"
"Aye, he did. There is an evil in some lads. Our father told of a man our grandfather allowed to live, and the lad tortured and murdered seven people before he was put to death."
"Does God approve the death of such a man?"
"I am certain he does."
Anna watched a flock of birds fly over and wished she were among them. She wanted out and it was driving her mad, so she wrapped her arms tightly around her knees.
Katie could see her tension and tried to think of ways to distract her. "Anna, do you want children?"
"I do not know, I have not thought about that. I suppose all lasses want children someday."
"When a lass loves a lad, it is natural to want to give him children. We give our lads a happy home and children. In return, the lads protect us and see that we are fed."
"When they are not snoring, you mean."
Katie smiled. "Aye, when they are not snoring. A wise lass gets her lad to turn over so he does not snore."
"How could I do that? Kevin is too big."
"When he comes home, I will show you where to poke him."
"Did your husband snore?"
Katie looped her arm through Anna's and grinned. "He snored so loudly, he scared a wild boar away." Just as she hoped, it seemed to lighten Anna's mood. "He also made strange sounds when he ate. Had I known, I would never have married him. It was so unpleasant, I could not eat myself and I was feather thin by the end of our six months of marriage. My husband was lost at sea and when there was no hope of finding him, I came home. You will never guess what Kevin did when he saw me so thin."