CHAPTER 31
Castle Burragh, November 1740
How could you allow this to happen?”
Payton’s angry voice resounded throughout the castle. He ran his fingers through his hair, anxiously pacing back and
forth. “Don’t you know what they’re going to do to her?”
“Calm down, Payton!” his father said. “I had no right to keep her here. I tried, I really did, but Dougal insisted.
He was entitled to keep the girl. What could I possibly have done?”
“You could have told them to go to hell!”
“Enough!”
Fingal seemed to struggle with a guilty conscience for letting Samantha go. But at the same time, he felt no need to
justify his actions before his son.
“I did what I could. Blair is at Galthair, too. He would not allow anything bad to happen to Samantha. I’ve instructed
him to request that she be treated kindly. Also, as soon as my health allows, I will personally travel to Galthair and
talk with Cathal. He’s our ally, and he will not refuse my request to leave the girl to my care.”
Payton was unconvinced. If only he had gone to see her the previous day, he could have noticed Sam’s disappearance and
been able to follow her.
“That won’t do, Father! I can’t wait that long. I will go myself and make sure she’s all right,” he declared.
“No, you will not! This girl is a sore subject, and you will stay out of it. I assure you that I’m the last person who
would want anything bad to happen to Samantha, but I cannot risk a rift with Cathal Stuart and his entire clan. I will
wait for an opportune moment and then make my request. Cathal has different issues to worry about right now. Don’t
fret. Everything will be just fine.”
Payton stared at his father in disbelief, but Fingal wouldn’t budge from his stance.
“The girl is smart and has her wits about her. She can well take care of herself.”
Payton snorted. His concern for Sam drove him to pace up and down nervously. His palms—never sweaty during battle—were
clammy now, and he felt the overwhelming urge to punch something.
“Go to the Great Hall and calm yourself. I will follow in a moment and discuss my further plans with you. I could do
with a mug of beer.”
With that, the matter was obviously settled for Fingal, and the discussion was over.
Payton briefly considered disobeying his father and making his way to Galthair on his own, but in the end he came to
accept that he probably wouldn’t succeed in such an endeavor. They’d never even let him near Sam.
With a heavy heart, he trudged into the hall and poured himself a tankard of beer.
Kyle, who was sitting at the table with his head in his hands, didn’t look up when Payton sat down beside him.
“What’s the matter with you, then?” Payton grunted.
“I’m a man, so she shouldn’t be permitted to slap me so hard that my ears ring,” Kyle exclaimed. And it was clear
from his loud voice that his ears really were buzzing.
“Who slapped you?”
“Anna, the cook!”
“And why?”
“Ach! Only because I was play-fighting with Lou…and maybe I spilled some milk,” he finally admitted sheepishly.
Fingal, who was just entering, laughed at his youngest’s story.
“A man would not be play-fighting with the dog, so I think your punishment was most fitting.”
Payton felt the need to come to Kyle’s defense. “Father, I beg you, a tussle with Lou is like taking on an entire pack
of those four-legged demons! You have no idea how strong that dog is. It’s fight training of a different kind!”
“Well, in that case I’m sure you’ll be able to stop all these cattle thefts,” said Fingal, turning the conversation
back to what he had wanted to discuss with his sons before bringing it up with Cathal.
“Another two cows missing,” he reported, slowly running his fingers through his shoulder-length white hair.
“I’ve been thinking about a long-term solution to this problem for quite some time now. And I would like to hear your
opinion on it.”
Payton nodded. He was ready to find out what his father’s intentions were with Sam.
“Many years ago, we joined forces with the Stuarts, because only together are we strong enough to fight attacks from
other clans. This alliance has stood the test of time. After the old Stuart passed away, Cathal and I renewed our oath
and our commitment. I’m sure your brother Blair as my heir and future clan chief will be as invested in our peace with
Cathal as I have always been.”
Everything up to that point made sense. Payton and Kyle already knew all of this.
“Some people might say that this old fool is becoming sentimental in his old age, but all I really want is to leave my
sons with a more peaceful world than I have ever known. This blood feud between the Stuarts and the Camerons has been a
thorn in my side for a while. It often spells trouble for us, even though we McLeans don’t contribute to it in any way.
It is for this reason that I have decided to enter into an alliance with the Camerons.”
Payton looked from his father to Kyle and back to his father. Setting aside the differences between the clans in such a
way meant new hope for his love for Sam. On the other hand, he could easily imagine that the Stuarts wouldn’t be all
too happy about the idea.
“Father, how did you picture such an alliance? Do you want us to forget about the constant cattle raids and no longer
ward off any attacks?” he asked. That was exactly the outcome he was hoping for.
Fingal shook his head. “No, of course not. We have to stop stealing each other’s cattle and instead start protecting
each other’s herds. This would allow us to double the number of cattle we raise on our territories, because the
borderlands would be safe.”
“Sounds good. But how?”
“An alliance that is stronger than an oath!”
Fingal looked into his sons’ expectant faces. “A marital alliance. I have already talked with Blair—although he didn
’t seem too excited about my suggestion.”
Kyle chuckled behind his tankard of beer. “And I’m sure Nathaira Stuart won’t be in favor of that idea, either.”
Fingal nodded. “Yes, you might be right, but since when do we allow women to have a say in such important decisions?
No, Blair will do what is asked of him. He knows where his duties to his clan lie.”
“Father, if Blair should refuse to marry a Cameron, then I don’t mind doing it,” Kyle offered generously, kicking his
brother under the table.
“You?” Payton laughed because he knew perfectly well what Kyle meant with his kick.
“Yes, me! Did you take a good look at those Cameron women? Each prettier than the next. I wouldn’t say no to that!”
He kept teasing Payton with a conspiratorial wink, and Fingal—who was completely oblivious to it—slapped his thigh,
laughing.
“Oh, I see, so that’s the way the wind blows.”
They were interrupted when the door opened, and everyone’s head turned in the direction of the new arrivals.
In her new—albeit not yet official—status as Blair’s bride-to-be, Nathaira had joined her soon-to-be husband and her
brother Cathal, entering the Great Hall behind them. It hadn’t taken much for Blair to agree to take her hand in
marriage, and all that was left to do was to ask the old laird for his blessing. While Cathal wanted to take care of
this as soon as possible, it was a different issue that had brought them here today.
Fingal rose to welcome the visitors. Only Cathal took a seat, while Nathaira preferred to remain standing by Blair’s
side.
“Cathal, ciamar a tha thu?” Fingal asked.
“I am not well. There have been more raids. This time one of my shepherds was killed,” Cathal said angrily.
Nathaira’s instincts told her that Ross’s death had affected her brother deeply. He really had no idea that the dirty
little traitor had been plotting against him—together with his bastard half brothers, Dougal and Duncan.
“I can’t tolerate these thefts any longer. Tonight I am going to the Camerons. We will see whether they have our
cattle standing in their stable.”
Cathal had to assume as much now that the prisoner had escaped without submitting herself to their questions. He
believed she had killed Ross because he’d witnessed her escape and tried to stop her. Even the most loyal of his men
now demanded retaliation. Cathal would need to prove to those men that he was prepared to stand up and fight for his
clan before they would stand shoulder to shoulder with him again. This was the reason Nathaira hadn’t come clean with
him, even if it meant that Duncan and Dougal were getting away with their treacherous plan for now. But now that Ross
was dead, she had no way of proving what she had found out.
“Aye, I understand, but unfortunately you will need to forego our support this time,” Fingal explained in a firm and
steady voice.
“Athair!” Blair interjected in stunned disbelief. “Father, what are you talking about? Of course we will lend our
support to our friends and allies.”
“No, we will not!” Fingal thundered.
“Father, you can’t be serious! I will no longer bow to your orders! Cathal needs our help!”
Nathaira was irritated at Fingal’s rejection. It didn’t matter that Blair was expressing his support and taking their
side: The stubborn old laird was still the one holding all the strings.
“Fingal, for everything that is sacred! You cannot refuse your support! We both swore an oath in blood!” Cathal said
vehemently.
The old clan chief of the McLeans rose slowly, steadying himself on the table, and spoke with more resolve than Nathaira
would have given him credit for. “Cathal, mo charaid, I understand why you’re angry, but there are other ways than
direct confrontation. At my age, all one desires is to safeguard and preserve one’s legacy. I will not be the cause of
an uprising on my land, nor am I willing to lose good strong men in battle or submit my people to random acts of
revenge. No, this is a path we will never walk again. An alliance is the only way to bring you and us long-lasting
peace.”
The men glared at Fingal in silence. Nobody uttered a word. Nathaira wished for the old fool to be struck down by
lightning. Unable to restrain herself, she went for him.
“You wretched old coward! Just because you don’t have the balls anymore. Our entire clan will refuse to follow Cathal
if he cannot ensure their safety!”
She planted herself in front of Fingal, glaring at him furiously, when suddenly Kyle grabbed her by the arm, yanked her
away from his father, and slapped her across the face.
“How dare you, woman! Don’t meddle with men’s business,” he snarled, pushing her toward the exit.
He also gave Blair a reproachful look. “Maybe you should choose a Cameron for a wife, because you’ll have nothing but
trouble with this one!”
Blair’s impulsive attempt at defending himself ended with him, Kyle, and Payton in a heated scuffle. It was only when
Fingal’s fist came down hard on the table that the brothers came to their senses.
“Seas! Stop this at once!”
Nathaira noticed the warning glare that Fingal shot her before he continued. “Cathal, take your sister and go! You know
my response. As for you, Blair, you will stay here. I have a few things to discuss with you in my study!” With that, he
left the hall, and Nathaira stared after him with fury in her eyes.
“Calm down, milady!” Payton tried to defuse the situation, but Nathaira wouldn’t allow herself to be put in her place
by him.
“Blair, what does Kyle mean when he says to choose a Cameron? You are going to marry me, you hear? You promised when we
…you know!”
“Yes, I know! There’s nothing for you to be upset about!” Blair reassured her, running his hands over his face.
“You idiot! How can you put this nighean na galladh above your own clan?” Kyle yelled when Blair turned back to
Nathaira to comfort her.
“Nobody—and especially not an almost-child like you—calls my sister the daughter of a dog! Get the hell away from me
before I forget myself!” Cathal responded to this insult through gritted teeth, swinging his fist in Kyle’s direction.
“All I’m saying is that if I were clan chieftain, I would realize how important a marital union with the Camerons
could be for my clan. I would think with my brain instead of my pecker!”
At the very last second Kyle fled from the hall—because Blair really looked about to go for his youngest brother’s
throat.
“Blair, you are going to be clan chieftain soon. I’m calling for your help. Otherwise, I, too, will deprive you of my
support and protection.” Cathal’s words echoed menacingly through the Great Hall.
“Of course, mo charaid. You can count on me. Sean, Payton, and I will accompany you,” Nathaira’s meek groom-to-be
replied to his bride’s brother, and pressed a kiss on Nathaira’s cheek before following Fingal to his chambers.
Nathaira had already seen that while he shied away from confrontation, he certainly wouldn’t risk either Cathal’s
friendship or her affection, not even for his own father.
Tonight, Cathal would be able to prove that he and only he was laird, and that nobody else would take his place. He
would ensure peace once and for all.
She knew where the stolen cattle were being kept. She just needed to pretend she had learned it from a Cameron. And once
the cows were back, those vile bastard twins wouldn’t be able to lift a finger without giving themselves away as active
participants in an elaborate plot. Not that she planned to let them get away with it. As soon as Cathal’s position
within the clan was secured, she would make sure Duncan and Dougal would never again rise up against her brother. Maybe
she could employ the services of some mercenaries, she pondered. The thought made her smile.
Full of anticipation, she stormed from the Great Hall, right by her brother’s side. Cathal was livid and would call on
his men now. Blood would be shed tonight.
It was a night that would change everything, of that she was sure.