THERE WERE SWORDS TO sharpen, arrows to check, bows to string, and shields to shine in the MacGreagor glen. While the men prepared to fight, the women baked still more loaves of bread to feed the men and take with them should they have to hide themselves and the children in the forest. As well, they put a second set of clothing on the little ones to keep them warm of a cold Scottish night. When that was finished, work went on as usual, while the Ferguson and Swinton guards helped carry more rocks to Lindsey’s bridge.
All the while, everyone asked the same question - who put the cross on Lindsey’s plot? So far, no one owned up to it. Still there wasn’t a soul who thought the cross was a bad idea, especially if it finally made Seona realize what she had done... if such was possible...which they doubted.
Kester and Birdie made their usual rounds, seeing what everyone was up to and hearing all the gossip and speculation, while Elena spent the morning with Meghan and made certain she would not be limping when they gathered for the noon meal.
In the MacGreagor Great Hall, Michael and Laird Ferguson spent the morning making battle plans.
At last, all that could be done in preparation for war, had been done.
SO FAR, THERE WAS NO sign of either the Kennedys or the MacKintosh and all was quiet when it came time for the noon meal. Laird Swinton finally arrived, and when invited, was happy to join the others in the dining hall. Balric, however, was missing and the children were being fed in the kitchen. This time, Elena chose to sit beside Meghan at the far end of the table from Michael.
His attention to her the night before was still on Elena’s mind – his concern, his kindness and most importantly, his touch. The urge to be in his arms had grown stronger and therefore, she felt the need to be as far from him as possible. It didn’t help much, and when she noticed him looking at her, it was all she could do to tear her eyes away.
“I must ask,” said Laird Swinton as Michael passed him a bowl of beef stew, “What might the purpose of such a large cross be in the middle of the village? ‘Twas not there yesterday.”
Michael had just enough time to confess he did not know before Seona graced them with her company. This time when she entered and found an empty place to sit, she was wearing her expensive square-necked purple gown, with angle wing sleeves that she had on the night of her escape. She looked at all the faces watching her and shrugged. “I grow tired of the clothin’ you wear. ‘Tis the cloth of common beggars.”
Kester was about to come out of her seat when Michael gave her that look – the one that meant she should ignore the insult. With her crooked fingers, Kester took a chunk of meat out of her bowl, thought to soil Seona’s gown with it, and instead fed it to Birdie.
Michael was relieved.
Mistress Ferguson was not about to let it pass, however. “Perhaps you...”
“Your father has been spotted,” Laird Swinton interrupted. “He comes to get you, I assume.”
Seona’s look of defiance quickly turned to one of fear. “Here? Does he know I am here?”
“He shall soon enough,” Swinton answered. “My lads have been instructed to tell him where to find you.”
“In that case,” said Meghan, “you are dressed quite appropriately, for he shall surely demand to take you home.”
Seona drew in a tortured deep breath and slowly let it out. She asked rather than demanded, “If Michael lets him have me, which he shall not?”
“Are you quite certain of that?” Ferguson asked. “I should let your father have you in a heartbeat. How many lads must die to keep you alive, I wonder?”
Seona avoided Ferguson’s eyes and had no answer, but Michael certainly had a question for Laird Swinton, “How far away do you imagine Dalldon to be?”
“Not but a few hours. My lads will notify us the instant he heads this way.”
Michael was still staring at his bowl when Elena whispered to Meghan and nodded to Seona. “Do you imagine those to be real tears?”
“Real tears,” Meghan said aloud. “I do believe you are with child after all. Tell me, do you mean to claim ‘tis Michael’s child?”
“‘Tis what she told me,” Elena said without thinking.
Michael reeled back and then he stared at Elena for a very long moment. “She lied, for not once have I touched her, nor would I ever.” He did not notice when Seona briefly glared at Elena and then at Meghan.
“Tell me,” Meghan asked Seona, “Have I spoiled your plans sufficiently yet?”
Once more, Seona picked up her meal and ran out of the door.
“My dear,” said Ferguson after she was gone, “are you not being a little harsh?”
“Not as harsh as I shall be if one single Ferguson dies because of her.”
There remained an uneasy silence in the dining hall. Elena dared not look at Michael, and he did not look at her. Swinton remarked on the fine meal and Ferguson agreed, but after that, each of them simply continued to eat.
AT FULL SPEED, FIRST one and then another MacGreagor raced his horse up the glen. Both quickly dismounted at the castle door, ran inside, and burst into the Great Hall.
“The MacKintosh are comin’,” said the first.
“How many,” Michael asked rising out of his chair.
“Fifty by my count.”
The second guard had barely caught his breath before he blurted, “Kennedy brings seventy.”
Michael sighed. “The Kennedys are closer and shall arrive first. Tell the lads to prepare and I shall be there shortly.” After they were gone, he turned to the other lairds. “‘Tis upon us, it seems.”
“What do you mean to do?” Swinton asked.
“I mean to wait to see what they shall do,” Michael answered. He opened the door, waited for his guests to go out, and then followed them through the foyer and across the inner courtyard. By the time they arrived, the Ferguson, Swinton, and MacGreagor warriors were scrambling to form a double line just beyond the edge of the village. As they had been instructed, the women armed themselves, gathered their children and food, and went to stand near the edge of the forest. As soon as the warriors were assembled, the three lairds took up positions in front of Murran, Owen, and Rory. Meghan, Elena, and Kester stood just inside the outer courtyard, while Beitris took Samuel and Brenna to be with the other women and children.
No one particularly cared where Seona was.
In the forest, two MacGreagor guards hid behind trees and watched as an astonished Osgar Allardice quietly dismounted, crept closer, and crouched behind bushes to watch. He was still gawking when one of the guards went to ask Michael what to do.
After that, everyone simply stayed where they were and waited.
THE SUN WAS WELL PAST the mark of midday when Dalldon and his guards turned up the road to the Swinton village. Dressed in his finest green silk robe, white tights and brown tunic, Laird Dalldon carried himself with the air of superiority he felt himself entitled to, even when sitting on his horse. When he arrived just outside the Swinton village courtyard, he expected to be met by heavily armed warriors. Instead, only one man stood in front of the Keep and the rest of the village looked completely deserted.
Dalldon halted his men.
Fearing an ambush, he slowly and carefully viewed his surroundings, but he saw no arrows pointed at him or any swords drawn. He signaled his men, waited for the ones in front to clear a path between them, and slowly walked his horse forward. “Tell Swinton I shall have my daughter back!” he bellowed.
Fraser thought himself as brave as any man, but he had never seen Dalldon before and was taken aback by his imposing size and stance. He supposed he should bow to a laird, but he feared taking his eyes off Dalldon even for a moment. At length, he managed to say, “Laird Swinton is not here.”
“Not here?” Dalldon shouted. “Where is he?”
“In the MacGreagor glen.”
“Then ‘tis you who shall give my daughter to me.”
“She is not here either. Laird Swinton has taken her with him.” Never had
Fraser seen such evil in a man’s eyes, and found himself forced to lower his gaze.
Dalldon had not counted on having to deal with anyone other than Laird Swinton. Still, there was nothing he could do, so he commanded his guards to turn around and made his way back to his position in the middle.
The Swintons were ready. They spent the entire morning preparing and had their weapons positioned just right. In excited anticipation, they waited until Laird Dalldon rode into view – and then let it fly.
At the same exact instant, four baskets filled with wet, slimy mud were catapulted directly at Laird Dalldon and his men. The first squarely hit Dalldon, and splattered him and his horse from head to toe, while the other three splashed mud all over his men.
Enraged, Dalldon screamed his rage, and ordered his men to attack. However, half were busy wiping the mud out of their eyes, while the others found drawing their slippery swords difficult at best. Moreover, they knew not in which direction the enemy fled. Frustrated, Dalldon gave up the attack, and tried to wipe all the mud off his face while he gathered his wits.
“I shall see to Swinton later,” he vowed. “First, I must have Seona back.”
LAIRD KENNEDY WAS SHAKEN when he and his seventy warriors entered the glen. Never had he guessed he would face three lairds and easily three times the number of warriors he brought with him. Halfway up the glen, he halted his men and then came the rest of the way alone. He stopped not far from Michael and dismounted.
Michael stood with his hands clasped behind his back and intently studied the expression on his opponent’s face as Kennedy came near. “Why have you come?”
Kennedy glanced at the other two lairds and decided to lie. “To tell you the MacKintosh are coming.” It was obvious none of the three lairds facing him found the news surprising.
“Why might the MacKintosh be comin’?” Michael asked.
This time, Kennedy squared his shoulders and decided to tell the truth. “We mean to take Seona to her father and collect...”
At the sound of thundering horse’s hooves, Kennedy spun around just in time to see the MacKintosh ride up the glen.
Laird MacKintosh was livid. He too left his men behind and rode his horse the rest of the way alone. His raised ire was directed at Kennedy, who was just as happy to return with his own expression of outrage. Yet neither of them spoke until MacKintosh dismounted, looked at Michael, and pointed at the top of the castle. “Is that Dalldon’s daughter?”
In unison, Ferguson, Swinton, and Michael turned to look. In her purple gown with the wind blowing the skirt and angel wing sleeves, Seona brushed aside her tangled red hair and enjoyed all the eyes looking at her. Her smile was that of one who adored having so much attention.
Michael kept his irritation in check. “Aye.”
“You admit you have her?” Kennedy asked.
Michael brought his hands from behind and defiantly folded his arms in front. “I do.”
“Shall you give her up?” asked MacKintosh. “We...I... am in desperate need of the reward.”
Swinton spotted his man riding at full speed into the glen and nodded toward him. “I fear you are too late, for the lad comes to tell me Dalldon is on his way here.” Both Kennedy and MacKintosh turned to watch the man slide off his horse and run to Swinton.
“He comes now,” Swinton’s second announced
“Were the lads successful?” Swinton asked.
The second grinned and nodded. “Aye. Might I stay?”
Swinton’s grin was wide when he answered, “You may. You have earned it.”
“Successful at what?” Michael asked, as Swinton’s second went to join the other Swintons.
“My dear Michael,” Swinton answered, “give it time. You shall see soon enough.”
“Dalldon is comin’ here?” a confused MacKintosh asked. “He means not to pay a reward?”
“Are you surprised?” Ferguson asked. “Know you not of his malicious character?”
“I...” MacKintosh started.
Just as the Kennedys and the MacKintosh had been when they arrived, the Dalldons were astounded by all the warriors awaiting them in the glen. Even so, Dalldon kept coming, forcing the Kennedys and the MacKintosh to make way for him and his one hundred man army.
The closer the Dalldons came, the harder the members of the other clans began to laugh. Dried and streaked mud coated nearly all of them, even Barra who found his appearance the most embarrassing one of his life. Laird Dalldon tried his glower on several of the laughing warriors to no avail, and at length, decided to ignore them all. Ignoring the grins on the faces of the other lairds was much harder, but he managed to keep his unyielding expression.
Thinking himself supremely superior to them all, Dalldon remained on his horse, spotted his daughter on the castle wall and in a rage, shouted, “Come down here at once!”
Seona did not move. However, her arrogant smile had disappeared and her eyes held a look of terror. She looked at him and then pleadingly in Michael’s direction, but Michael did not turn around and look up.
His anger increasing, Dalldon turned his hot glare on Michael. “She is my daughter and you’ve no right to keep her.”
“Perhaps,” Michael admitted. “Yet I have always believed a lass is free to make her own decisions. If she wishes to go with you, I shall not...”
“She is but a lass,” Dalldon bellowed. “What right has any lass to decide her own fate?”
When Michael’s guard came out of the forest and began to make his way around the Kennedy warriors to his laird, Michael held up his hand to put off any further discussion. Dalldon’s horse spotted an unfamiliar dog, and began to dance around a little, so Dalldon had to rein him in and then calm him down. Still, he did not dismount.
Michael listened intently to what his guard whispered and said, “Keep him until I give the signal.”
“Aye,” the guard said, hurrying back into the forest.
OSGAR WAS CONFUSED.
Hundreds of horses nibbled on tall blades of grass in the glen, while warriors from six different clans waited to see what would happen. Most, he realized, were not even certain with whom they were expected to fight and often glanced from clan to clan expecting a surprise attack. Had it been any other time, he would have delighted in seeing his uncle covered with mud, but he was too perplexed to enjoy it.
He could hear nothing, and greatly envied those who could, but he dare not come out of hiding. It was then he spotted Seona and rolled his eyes. “The lass has not the wits of a cow,” he muttered. Just then, he felt the tip of a sword in the middle of his back. Slowly, Osgar turned to see who it was and when the MacGreagor guard motioned for him to walk forward, Osgar could do nothing but obey. As instructed, he went to the edge of the forest, stepped out and stopped. Fully exposed for all to see, he prayed neither, Laird Swinton, Barra, nor Laird Dalldon would notice him. For now, none of them had.
Dalldon was still trying to get Michael to give Seona up. “Dare you go against the wishes of the king?” he shouted at Michael. “She is promised to a Marquis in return for an alliance between the French and the Scots,”
Michael sighed. “So I have heard and I greatly pity the Marquis who agrees to have her.”
“Do you intentionally slight me?” Dalldon asked raising his voice.
“I do, and I slight her as well. Furthermore, so long as she does not desire it, I shall not force her to go with you.”
Dalldon glanced at all the eyes watching him, tried to calm down, and thought to use a more man-to-man approach. “Be reasonable. I am her father and I alone say whom she is to marry.”
“And I say you do not,” Michael shot back.
“Shall you fight me for her?”
Swinton grinned, “Let me fight him, Michael.”
Dalldon ignored Swinton and meant his words for Michael only. “My best against your best?”
Michael shook his head. “When one MacGreagor fights, we all fight.”
“With the help of the Fe
rgusons,” said Laird Ferguson.
Swinton was still grinning at the prospect of being able to kill Dalldon. “And the Swintons.”
Once more, Dalldon took a hard look at all the men facing him. Then he turned to Kennedy and MacKintosh. He was about to ask with whom they would fight when behind him – he heard the sound of the king’s trumpets.
CHAPTER 19
KENTIGERN MANOR, 1911
“We must stop reading now?” Sarah complained.
Jessie pretended to be just as put out. “If you care to eat supper, we must.”
“I do not mind missing a meal now and again, especially now,” Sarah argued.
“Aye, but children cry when they are not fed.”
“Jessie is right,” McKenna admitted. Besides, Dugan and Malveen should be here by supper time. She took the book from Sarah and put it on the shelf.
“In that case,” said Sarah getting to her feet, “I intend to take that long, hot bath I have been longing for.” She hurried up the stairs and disappeared.
NICHOLAS AND ALISTAIR spent hours making a copy of the first book. At last, they were finished and hurried off to see about getting it printed. As well, in the shop where Gavin worked, Nicholas found a glass case in which to preserve the remnants of Kester’s hourglass and instantly bought it. Next, they called to see what supplies Charles would soon need, and then gave Gavin the order to fill with a promise to be back the next day.
That done, it was time to go to the train station and pick up their new arrivals – Egan and Malveen. Alistair was especially eager to see a friend he had not seen in years and paced up and down on the boardwalk, until at last the train pulled into the station. Even then, Egan and Malveen were the last to get off.
“She dinna wait,” Malveen explained as she lifted the blanket off her baby’s face and showed Alistair.
Beloved Ruins, Book 1 Page 31