“Aye, Da,” they responded in unison.
Elspeth grinned as she ladled some soup into their bowls and gave Hamish a little wink. Glen sniffed at the meal appreciatively and grabbed a spoon from the place setting, but Elspeth smacked him on the hand before he could take a bite.
“Ow!” Glen cried out in surprise.
“We haven’t said grace,” she scolded. “Where are yer manners?”
Glen hung his head and said, “Sorry, Elspeth.”
She returned the spoon to its place beside the pot and took a seat at the table beside them. “Now, who would like to pray?”
Hamish raised his hand. “I will.”
They held hands together and closed their eyes in reverence when he started, saying, “Dear God—”
A swift, hard knock on the door cut off his words and Elspeth’s eyes snapped open. She turned toward the sound suspiciously and asked her father, “Are we expecting company?”
Angus’ eyes grew wide and he shook his head in fear. When no one went to answer it, Glen stood up from his chair and headed for the door. Elspeth felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach, warning her that something was amiss. She’d felt uneasy since their outing earlier and couldn’t seem to shake it. Now, an unexpected visitor seemed to confirm her looming fear.
The wee lad pulled the door open to reveal a tall, dangerous looking man standing in the doorway.
On instinct, Elspeth stood up from her seat and snatched Glen away from him as quickly as she could. The man in front of her seemed impassive as his cool gray eyes took in the cozy scene. He had long, black hair hanging down across his shoulders and an exquisite coat belted around his waist. Fastened on the hip of their intruder was a rapier of fine craftsmanship, the hilt of which appeared to be wrapped in leather and had silver plating on the handguard. His shoulders were broad, but not overly so, and gave him a regal countenance when he came into the room.
Elspeth glanced at her father, terrified, watching his mouth open and close without any words coming out. The expression on his face was of sheer horror, looking as if he’d seen a ghost.
She realized he’d be no help to them and turned to the intruder, asking, “Can I help ye, sir?”
A thin smile curved up at the edge of his lip when the man responded, “I have business with Angus MacDougall. We have a score to settle after our game last night.”
“I have nothing left to give ye,” Elspeth’s father sputtered.
The guest frowned at his declaration and took another step into the cottage. He closed the door behind himself with a gloved hand and walked over to the table. “I’m sorry to hear that, Angus, but yer debt has still nae been paid. Reparations will have to made, or I’m forced to make an example out of ye.”
Angus gulped, eyeing the man with fear as beads of sweat rose up onto his forehead. Elspeth didn’t like the way the stranger used her father’s name–it was too familiar. She didn’t like that he knew her father to begin with. “Who are ye to him?”
The man’s smile widened. “Captain Graeme MacNeil.”
Elspeth’s face went pale as she whipped her head around in shock. “MacNeil?” she gasped. “Then ye’re…ye’re a pirate.”
“So it would seem,” the man allowed. “Ye’ve a lovely family, Angus. I assume these are yer children? Ye should be ashamed to squander good coin when ye have wee ones yet to feed.”
Angus said nothing and slunk back farther away from him.
Elspeth pursed her lips together and asked, “How much does he owe ye?”
“Three hundred and eleven pounds.”
She felt the breath being stolen from her lungs as the amount of his debt sunk in. It was a small fortune.
“B-but that would bankrupt us,” she informed him desperately. “Ye cannae expect him to repay that sum in such a short amount of time.”
Graeme grit his teeth and said, “Then yer da should nae have made wagers he cannae afford. I’ll send my men up from the harbor to collect everything of value. We can sell it when we return to the Barra.”
The words ripped from her in a panic before she could stop herself, saying, “Nae! Please, ye cannae do this.”
Glen cried, burying his face into Elspeth’s tunic as her mind raced through different ways to try and save their family.
“Ye seem like a reasonable man,” she told the captain slowly, hoping to bide her time. “I’m sure we can work this out. Even if ye took everything from this cottage, it still would nae be enough to cover the amount he owes ye.”
Graeme paused with his hand on the door and turned to look at her with a bemused expression. “And what do ye suggest?”
“There are other ways a debt can be repaid…manual labor perhaps? I could weave yer fishing nets, or repair yer clothing…”
The captain shook his head and frowned. “I have nae need of fishing tools, and as ye can see, my clothes are in fine repair.”
“What about this?” she asked him, pulling out a piece of jewelry from around her throat. It was a silver locket given to her at the age of nine–the most precious thing she owned.
“’Tis but a trinket,” he appraised.
Elspeth felt like she’d been slapped in the face after being told her most treasured possession meant next to nothing to men like him. If the silver necklace did not pique his interest, what else could she possibly have to offer?
Graeme’s eyes flicked to Hamish when he approached. “How old are ye, lad? My ship is always in need of useful hand. I could train ye to be a proper sailor.”
Elspeth stepped in front of her brother defensibly as he stared up at the man in terror. “He’s seven. It’s too young to be on a ship.”
Graeme shrugged. “That’s nae older than I was when I first took to the sea. Come on, lad. Pick up yer feet and let’s get going.”
Hamish cried out in fear and glanced up, wide-eyed, at his sister. The decision took no time at all.
“Nae! If ye’re looking fer ship hands then take me instead, I’d be far more useful.”
Graeme crossed his arms in front of his chest and sauntered back into the kitchen. “Women are nae generally allowed on board our ships. What could ye have to offer my crew if I took ye on?”
“I’m stronger than I look,” she informed him stubbornly. “And I’m a fast learner. Please, dinnae take this home away from us. It’s all they have.”
For an instant, Elspeth and Graeme made eye contact with each other and his smile flickered. He stroked his chin and considered her plea while glancing at the stitches on her father’s cheek. “Is that yer handiwork?”
“Aye...”
“Ye did a fine job of stitching up his cheek,” the pirate mused.
“Thank ye.”
“I’ve got nae interest in the other skills offered, but if ye’d be willing to join us as a surgeon… that might be something I’d consider.”
She swallowed the lump rising in her throat and nodded. “I’ll do it.”
“Then gather yer things.”
Elspeth blanched, holding Glen against her waist as she stroked his hair. “Nae so fast, we still haven’t discussed the terms. How long would I be sailing on board yer ship? Rather, how many months will it take to work off my da’s debt?”
The black-haired captain raised an eyebrow. “At least three months, maybe four. It depends on whether ye incur any damages yerself while on board.”
Three months, she told herself. Three months on a pirate vessel, living among them, sailing the open seas…
Elspeth couldn’t believe what she was hearing. To think she’d be separated from her family for that long made her stomach churn. Her body seemed to have broken out into a sweat and the room felt like it was spinning. She breathed out through her nose and gathered all her strength, then took a step toward him.
“Fine. I agree to yer terms,” Elspeth told him finally.
Graeme smiled, his stormy eyes glinting in the firelight. “Well, it seems that ye were right, we’ve come to an arrangement after a
ll.”
“Elspeth, what are ye doing?” Angus demanded, staring her in the face. “Ye dinnae ken a thing about sailing. The men out there are vicious beasts, without regard fer law or civility. Ye’ve got nae idea what they’re capable of.”
“It dinnae matter,” she snapped at him. “Glen and Hamish still need ye to take care of them. If I dinnae go with him now, the captain will send his men fer us. Imagine them coming up here to raid the cottage. What do ye think will happen then?”
“There has to be some other way! Ye cannae do this to me, Elspeth.”
“I can, and I am. Ye’re the one who got us in this position in the first place. Ye’ll have to make by without me.”
Graeme raised an eyebrow at her and tilted his head toward the doorway. “I suggest ye get yer things.”
“Can I at least have the night to say goodbye?”
The captain shook his head. “I’m afraid not. We set sail within the hour. Gather whate’er ye need fer yer trade.”
Elspeth trembled, retrieving her wooden chest off the shelf in the kitchen which carried all her tools. She tucked it beneath her arm and grabbed a cloak off a hook by the door. The captain reached out to lead her by the arm and her brothers’ cries grew louder. “Elspeth, dinnae leave us!”
“We love ye, Elspeth!”
“Dinnae worry, lad,” Graeme told Hamish with a grin. “If yer sister behaves herself, she’ll be back before ye even ken she was missing.” Turning his attention toward Angus, the man said, “I’ll be back in three months, until then, yer daughter will stay with me.”
“And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”
Graeme shrugged and clenched his hand around Elspeth’s wrist. “’Tis nae my problem.”
Hamish and Glen reached out to her when Graeme pulled her toward the door. She glanced back at them from the doorway and said, “I’ll make it back to ye, I promise. Take care of Da when I’m gone.”
The door fell shut behind them and Elspeth and Graeme disappeared into the night.
CHAPTER TWO
Graeme scowled as they left the cottage, dragging Elspeth along behind him. She stumbled along the path and part of her skirt got caught on a fallen branch. A small gasp escaped her lips when she paused to right herself, and he gripped Elspeth by the wrist to pull her up facing him.
“Ow! Ye’re hurting me.”
He stopped in his tracks and glared at her, saying, “Ye best keep up then. My crew and I have a schedule to keep.”
Elspeth frowned while cradling her hand against her chest to massage the place where he’d been gripping her. Her blonde hair glistened in the afternoon sun and she stared at him with large brown eyes. “I already agreed to yer terms, ye dinnae have to be rough with me. I’m coming fast as I can.”
They stared each other down and Graeme took in her appearance for the first time, letting his eyes rest on the freckle above her lip. As he observed her fully, Graeme admitted to himself this particular lass was something of a mystery. She was not like the women from his past.
It was not often that a person would impress him, let alone one such as her, but Elspeth had done just that. She displayed courage when he least expected it—that meant something. To Graeme, it meant more than most. He knew how rare and precious courage truly was. Knowledge could be acquired with time, but grit…that was something a person had to be born with.
She was also undeniably attractive—too attractive, in fact. He was going to have to do something about that, and soon if she was going to sail with them. Too many days on the open sea would test any man’s restraint, having a woman on board would complicate the situation further. There would have to be ground rules for her protection, otherwise the men would be on top of her like a pack of wild dogs. Most of them had wives and children back at home, but that never stopped them in the past, and it wouldn’t stop them now.
The lass’s eyes narrowed when they met his and Graeme cleared his throat, saying, “Elspeth, wasn’t it?”
Graeme liked the way it felt against his lips to say it. The shape his tongue would make while forming the word was pleasing, and it almost brought a smile to his face. Almost.
“Aye,” she responded with a frown.
“Good. Ye may call me Graeme. I apologize fer hurting ye, but this turn of events has put me in something of a foul mood. One thing I can promise about being on board my ship is there will be nae special treatment. Can ye live with that?”
Elspeth scowled at him and nodded, clutching the wooden chest hard against her ribcage.
He exhaled in frustration while tilting his head back toward the harbor. “Come on, the crew will be waiting fer us.”
They headed off down the path again, stepping over rocks and uneven terrain as the harbor stretched out before them at the bottom of the hill. Smoke rose from the chimneys of cottages along the hillside, and the smell of bannock and herbs came wafting out to greet them.
When they reached the market, buildings clustered together, and the cottage they’d left from grew farther and farther away. People stopped what they were doing as he and Elspeth passed by, whispering to one another, but Graeme didn’t pay them any mind. He was focused on getting back to his crew and led Elspeth down the road toward the village port.
Beyond the shops laid a bay of ships, stretching out into the Argyll Sea. The dock was lined with merchants and the smell of fish was thick in the air around them. Situated on the coast, Oban was an ideal location for commerce and trade. Graeme and his men had stopped there on their way down the western coast of Scotland in hopes of raiding some merchant vessels.
It wouldn’t be long until they returned to Kisimul, and before they did he needed something of value to show for it. Laird MacNeil would not be pleased if he returned home emptyhanded. His best hope was the lead he picked up from a server at the tavern—winning his hand at cards was not the only thing he acquired the night before. With any luck, the tip would be good enough to make up for the loss in time.
He could have forced Angus to make good on his debt, but Elspeth’s skill at stitching and her offer to work on his ship intrigued him. Graeme knew it was a risk to surprise his crew, but they were in desperate need of a surgeon. It was a delightful coincidence that he happened upon one during their voyage. Occasionally, he would hear her footsteps quicken behind him, but she didn’t speak a word.
Graeme strode forward without so much as looking back at her and he cast his eyes toward the ship—his ship. The clinker-built vessel was secured to wooden posts along the harbor where his brothers-in-arms were waiting. The men were scattered along the dock preparing to sail, bringing food and supplies onboard for the days they’d be at sea.
All together, they would number forty-six—forty-seven, now that Elspeth was joining them. Twenty-two men on either side, with two men at an oar and sitting together on a bench. Another man was needed to steer the rudder, and then the captain.
The birlinn had a single square sail hanging from its mast and was powered by oars. There was no lower deck, just an open row of benches that left them exposed to the wind and elements. The design was reminiscent of the Viking drakkar, and ideally suited for a raiding party. While it may have been smaller than other ships, that was a small consolation considering Clan MacNeil’s line of work.
When they approached, Alistair walked toward them and eyed the lass distastefully. “That is nae a sum of gold we discussed.”
Graeme forced a smile, saying, “I’m well aware of that, Alistair. Our plans have changed. It might interest ye to learn, however, that I picked up a valuable lead that could aid us on the way back home.”
The quartermaster placed his hands on his hips and scoffed. “Ye’ve got to be kidding me. We’ve been docked here fer three days and after all that, ye come back empty-handed?”
“I am nae empty-handed,” Graeme shot back as he gestured toward the girl. “As ye can clearly see, I brought collateral.”
Alistair’s eyes flickered toward Elspeth in disbelief and hi
s expression fell. “Ye’re jesting....”
“Nae a jest, my friend. She’s coming with us to Kisimul.”
The red-haired man inspected Elspeth carefully, and didn’t appear to be convinced. “Who is she?”
Graeme grunted in response as the rest of his men came pouring out onto the deck. “Men, I’d like to introduce ye to our new surgeon, Elspeth MacDougall.”
The crew erupted in peals of laughter, but Graeme remained silent and stared at them defiantly while waiting for them to finish. After a moment, the crew must have realized he was serious because they immediately hushed and a few of their jaws fell open in surprise.
“Ye cannae be serious…”
Graeme raised an eyebrow at the challenge and said, “Deadly serious, Bartholomew. I trust ye’ll give her a warm welcome and strive to make her comfortable.”
Seamus shook his head while wrapping his arms around his chest. “I dinnae like it, Captain. It’s bad luck to have a lass on board. Terrible things happen when they’re around.”
Graeme scoffed at the superstition. “Ye dinnae honestly believe that nonsense, do ye?”
“It isn’t nonsense,” Iain insisted. “We should nae risk falling to treachery on the open seas. What do we ken about her anyway?”
The murmuring grew louder as they voiced themselves in protest.
“I said she’s coming,” Graeme boomed in his voice of authority. “Anyone who has a problem with that can take it up with me. In the meantime, I suggest we finish getting ready to sail. We’ve been docked in this village fer long enough.”
After the bickering of Graeme’s crew had been silenced, Bruce grinned at their new arrival. “Ye’re looking at it all wrong, men. It will be a pleasure to have the lass on board. I fer one would be more than happy to keep her company…she’s got a pretty mouth. What do ye say, love?”
Graeme bristled at the implication and slapped Bruce’s hand away before he was near enough to touch her. “That is out of the question. She’s here to work.”
Taken by Graeme (The Pirates of Barra: Highland Raiders Book 1) Page 2