Part 37 (1/2)
”Their new chieftain didn't come himself,” he said in what for him was a low voice. ”But it was too much to hope a chieftain would take ye, after the shame ye brought upon yourself. One of these others will have to do.”
Glynis swallowed against the lump in her throat. Having her father blame her for her failed marriage-and believe she had dishonored her family-hurt more than anything her husband had done to her.
”I did nothing shameful,” she said through clenched teeth. ”But I will, if ye force me to take another husband.”
”Ye were born obstinate as an ox,” her father shouted through the six-inch crack in the door. ”But I am your father and your chieftain, and ye will do as I tell ye.”
”What man will want a woman who's shamed herself?” she hissed at him.
”Ach, men are fools for beauty,” her father said. ”Despite what happened, ye are still that.”
Glynis slammed the door shut in his face and threw the bar across it.
”Ye will do as I say, or I'll throw ye out to starve!”
That was all she could make out amidst his long string of curses before his footsteps echoed down the spiral stone staircase.
Glynis blinked hard to keep back the tears. She was done with weeping.
”I should have given ye poison as a wedding gift, so ye could come home a widow,” Old Molly said behind her. ”I told the chieftain he was wedding ye to a bad man, but he's no better at listening than his daughter is.”
”Quickly now.” Glynis picked up the small bowl from the side table and held it out to Molly. ”It will ruin everything if he loses patience and comes back to drag me downstairs.”
Old Molly heaved a great sigh and dipped her fingers into the red clay paste.
Alex stretched out and closed his eyes to enjoy the sun and sea breeze a little longer. It was a long sail from the Isle of Skye to the MacNeil stronghold on Barra, but they were nearly there.
”Remind me how Connor convinced us to pay a visit on the MacNeils,” Alex said.
”We volunteered,” Duncan said.
”Ach, that was foolish,” Alex said, ”when we know the MacNeil chieftain is looking for husbands for his daughters.”
”Aye.”
Alex opened one eye. ”Were we that drunk?”
”Aye,” Duncan said with one of his rare smiles.
Duncan was a good man, if a wee bit dour these days-which just went to show that love could bring the strongest of men to their knees. Alex had known the big, red-haired warrior since they were bairns. They and Alex's cousins, Connor and Ian, had been fast friends all their lives.
”I swear,” Alex said, ”since Connor became chieftain, he grows more devious by the day.”
”Drunk or sober, we would have agreed,” Duncan said. ”We couldn't let Connor come himself.”
A chieftain didn't travel the Western Isles without war galleys full of men-the risk of being taken hostage or murdered by another clan was too great. With Connor's uncle Hugh Dubh still threatening to take the chieftains.h.i.+p, Connor had to keep most of his warriors at home to defend Dunscaith Castle.
The four of them-Alex, Duncan, Ian, and Connor-had returned from France to find Connor's father dead, his blackhearted Uncle Hugh living in the chieftain's castle, and their clan in a dire state. While they had succeeded in driving Hugh Dubh from the castle and making Connor chieftain, Hugh Dubh had escaped. Worse still, Hugh had returned to pirating with his brothers. Now, at a time when their clan was badly in need of allies, Connor's uncles were hara.s.sing clans all over the Western Isles.
Alex and Duncan's task, as Connor's emissaries, was to a.s.sure the other chieftains that Connor's uncles weren't raping and pillaging their sh.o.r.es on their new chieftain's orders.
”Ye could make this easy by marrying one of the MacNeil's daughters,” Duncan said, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
”I see ye do remember how to make a joke.” Not many men teased Duncan, so Alex did his best to make up for it.
”Ye know that's what Connor wants,” Duncan said. ”He has no brothers to make marriage alliances for him-so a cousin will have to do. If ye don't like one of the MacNeil la.s.ses, there are plenty of other chieftains' daughters.”
”I'd take a blade for Connor,” Alex said, losing his humor, ”but I'll no take a wife for him.”
”Connor has a way of getting what he wants,” Duncan said. ”I'll wager you'll be wed within half a year.”
”Ye must still be drunk.” Alex sat up and grinned at his friend. ”What shall we wager?”
”This galley,” Duncan said.
”Perfect.” Alex loved this boat, which was smaller and sleeker than a war galley and sliced through the water like a fish. They had been arguing over who had the better right to it ever since they had stolen it from s.h.a.ggy Maclean.
The MacNeil castle, which sat on a rock island in a bay off the coast of Barra, was in sight now.
”You're going to miss this sweet galley,” Alex said, as he guided the boat into the bay.
A short time later, a large group of armed MacNeil warriors were escorting them inside the castle's keep.
”I see we've got them scared,” Alex said in a low voice to Duncan.
”We could take them,” Duncan grunted.
”Did ye notice that there are twelve of them?” Alex asked.
”I'm no saying it would be easy.”
Alex laughed, which had the MacNeils all reaching for their swords. He was enjoying himself. Still, he hoped he and Duncan wouldn't have to fight their way out. These were Highland warriors, not Englishmen or Lowlanders, and everyone knew MacNeils were mean and devious fighters.
Almost as mean and devious as MacDonalds.
But the MacNeils had more dangerous weapons in their a.r.s.enal. Alex heard Duncan groan beside him as they entered the hall and saw what was waiting for them.
”G.o.d save us,” escaped Alex's lips. Three twittering la.s.ses were sitting at the head table. The girls were pretty, but young and innocent enough to give Alex hives.
One of them wiggled her fingers at him, then her sister elbowed her in the ribs, and all three went into a fit of giggles behind their hands.
It was going to be a long evening.
”Quiet!” the chieftain thundered, and the color drained from the girls' faces.
After exchanging greetings with Alex and Duncan, the MacNeil introduced his wife, an attractive, plump woman half his age, and his young son, who sat on her lap. Then he waved his arm toward the girls, saying, ”These are my three youngest daughters. My eldest will join us soon.”
The missing daughter would be the one they'd heard about. She was rumored to be a rare beauty who had been turned out by her husband in disgrace.
She sounded like Alex's kind of woman.