Part 7 (2/2)
Fergus looked shamed.
Shaking his head, Braden started for Lochlan's chair. But a big, burly Enos stepped out of the crowd to block him. ”Your brother isn't going anywhere until my wife is back inside my home, tending our children, warming my bed and cooking me some food worth eating.”
”Aye,” Fergus shouted. ”I say we kill the laird and take our women back!”
The men quickly took up Fergus's shout of ”Kill the laird, kill the laird.”
Lochlan held his breath, afraid of what the obsessed mob might do. d.a.m.n, but he should have grabbed his sword while he had the chance.
”Whoa!” Braden shouted over them, until he shushed them once more. ”Have you lost all your wits?
That's your laird you're speaking of. The man all of you have sworn to follow and protect with your lives.”
”He stands between us and our women!”
Braden took a deep breath as he regarded the sea of angry men. This was quickly getting out of hand.
And if he didn't stop it soon, there was no telling what they might do.
Sweet Mother Mary, what had Maggie started?
”Now let's be reasonable for just a moment, men,” Braden tried again. ”Killing Lochlan won't get your women back. They've sworn an oath to each other and that oath has nothing to do with his life.”
”Fine, then,” Fergus said. ”We'll kill him, send Ewan to the MacDouglas, and have our women home by week's end.”
”Aye!”
”Aye, h.e.l.l!” Braden roared. ”You kill my brothers and you'll have me to deal with.”
Fergus snorted as he raked a cold look over Braden's body. ”Is that a threat? You're but one man against all of us.”
Braden returned the cold glare with one of his own. ”Aye. I'm one man with a full garrison of troops sitting rather nicely entrenched on my English lands. Trained knights and soldiers ready to march at my command. You touch one hair on Lochlan's head and I can promise you, I'll see every one of you in your grave.”
That gave them pause. At last, Braden had found the one thing to reach through their stubbornness.
”You know, Fergus,” Davis said, ”he does have those lands that tie MacAllister loyalty to England, and the English king might not take it kindly if we attack him, especially now that the MacAllister is on peaceful terms with King Henry.”
”Then what do you want?” Fergus asked him and the others. ”We let the laird go and then just wait? I'm sick of waiting. Me bairns are screaming for their mother.”
”He's right about that,” Enos said. ”I've heard his brood crying myself.”
”Look,” Braden interjected. ”I was trying to work out a truce with Maggie.”
Enos spat on the ground. ”I say burn that witch.”
”Aye,” the men shouted in unison. ”Burn the witch. Burn the witch.”
”Burn the witch and her ugly shoes too!” Enos shouted.
Braden frowned at him.
”Well, they are ugly,” Enos said defensively.
”Would you stop!” Braden shouted. ”First you want to kill my brother, and now you're after Maggie.
And her shoes. Is there anything short of bloodshed that would bring this matter to a conclusion?”
The imbeciles actually paused to think. And from their faces Braden could see just how much effort they were having to give it.
”I swear by the eternal saints,” Braden muttered under his breath. ”If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to get Maggie for doing this to all of us.”
Now what was he to do? He'd come here to bicker a settlement with Lochlan, not the entire clan.
”Well,” Fergus said to him at last. ”What do you think we should do?”
Braden had absolutely no idea, but since one of the men still held a sword a little too close to Lochlan's throat, he didn't think this was the time to say that aloud.
”I'll go back and talk to Maggie.” Which would be like arguing with a wall.
Or these men.
And of course he had no idea what to say to her, since he already knew just where she stood on the matter.
Braden ground his teeth in frustration. How on earth would he ever get this settled?
And at this point, he was tired of walking back and forth to the castle and the kirk. Enough was enough.
Sighing disgustedly, he started back through the men.
”You better not tup our sister!” Duncan snarled at him. ”Or you'll be having us to deal with, Braden MacAllister!”
Braden paused midstride, turned back around, and looked at Maggie's brothers drolly. ”Could I please just deal with one threat of death at a time?”
Duncan pursed his lips as he strained against the ropes holding him down. But luckily, the boy held his tongue.
Braden paused as he regarded the five of them by the hearth. He couldn't walk off and leave them tied up like that.
He turned to face Fergus. ”Let them go and I'll-”
”We'll be doing no such thing,” Fergus responded, interrupting him. ”How do we know you're really going to talk to that she-witch and bring them out?”
”You have my word on it.”
Fergus snorted. ”If it didn't involve a woman, I might accept that. But as it is, we'll be keeping your brother tied where he is until you return with the women behind you.”
Now, why didn't that thought comfort him in the least?
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