Page 71 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
“We found him close to the border between O’Gunn’s land and yers, Me Laird,” Bracken started. “They told us about O’Gunn’s men crossin’ back into their land, and seein’ as they usually dinnae roam here, we found it highly suspicious.”
“Ye thought they crossed into MacLennan lands to abduct Reid?” Archer asked.
“That makes sense,” Bracken said. “Maybe they kenned he was comin’ to see ye and got to him afore he could. They must have smuggled him back to O’Gunn Castle. So, we set up camp on the edge of their land and sent regular scoutin’ parties close to the castle at dawn and dusk to watch for any signs of his presence.
“We didnae see heads nor tails of him until yesterday evenin’. We were hidin’ beneath the ridge when we heard shouts. I went to look meself, and when I got close, I found O’Gunn’s men fightin’ with Kilmartin. He was a man possessed. We assume he escaped the castle somehow and was chased by the castle guards. I barely got there in time to see him kill the last guard.”
Eileen didn’t like bloodshed, but her chest swelled with pride upon hearing about Reid fighting to escape with his life. He’d been through the wringer, but the one thing he hadn’t stopped doing was fighting. Archer could hardly have sent men into the castle on a rescue mission.
“Thank ye again,” she told Bracken. “I ken he felled the men by himself, but if ye werenae there, he wouldnae have made it back here. He wouldnae have made it anywhere. Me braither is alive, and I owe ye a debt.”
“Nay, ye dinnae,” he assured her. “We’re loyal to Laird MacLennan, and he’s loyal to us. There are nay debts to be paid.”
“Ye all did a fine job,” Archer praised. “We cannae have this news gettin’ out yet, but ye’ll all gain yer weight in ale after yer success. Now, go and get some rest. I dare say ye deserve it.”
Bracken nodded curtly, then got up from his chair and left the council chambers.
“Is Mack still in his bedchamber?” Archer asked Calum.
“I believe so, Me Laird.”
“I want to speak to him now. Me men will keep their mouths tightly shut, but news like this has a way of gettin’ out. I dinnae want him sendin’ word back to O’Gunn.”
“We dinnae have proof yet,” Calum reminded him.
“We have enough. When Eileen woke up after collapsin’, she told me more about Mack. When she was on her way here, she heard him and some others. They were smugglin’ weapons. If they were between MacLennan, O’Gunn, and McFair, there’s one more likely destination.”
“Aye, the McFairs wouldnae deal in stolen and smuggled weapons. They must have been headed to O’Gunn’s castle. So, he’s the one behind all of this.”
“Mack is one of them,” Archer said. “A man on me own council plottin’ against me. I wonder how much O’Gunn is payin’ him and how a man can turn against his own clan.”
“What of McDoon? The man we found hangin’ from the tree,” Calum asked.
“Who told ye about McDoon leavin’ the funeral?” Archer asked.
“Henry Millar,” Calum replied. “But he didnae see McDoon himself.” He sighed. “Mack passed the word, and Millar passed it to me.”
“Maybe McDoon was part of it, or maybe Mack thought he could make him a scapegoat. Do ye remember Mack stickin’ around after ye heard about McDoon?”
“I didnae see Mack after that, but there were a lot of people at the funeral, so he might have been there.” Calum sighed again. “I should have listened to ye when ye told me to lock him up.”
“Nay,” Archer said. “I spoke in anger, and I need someone by me side to be the voice of reason. Ye’re that voice of reason, Calum. Go see to Mack privately. Take him to the dungeons for now, far from anyone he can whisper to. Nay one is to visit his cell except ye and me. When I speak to him, it’ll be out of the castle. If blood must be spilled, I dinnae want it staining me halls.”
“Aye, Me Laird.” Calum nodded once before turning on his heel and walking out of the council chambers.
“I’ll walk ye back to yer braither,” Archer said.
Eileen took a deep breath. She wanted to know what had happened to her brother, but she had not been prepared for how treacherous people could be. Plots of smuggling weapons,double-crossing councilmen, kidnapping, scapegoats, and too much bloodshed.
“Will ye really kill him?” she asked.
“Aye, I will,” Archer replied plainly. “He is in league with O’Gunn. I’d like to hear what he has to say, but it willnae change anythin’. He put our clan in danger, and he must pay for that. Three men are dead because of him, and O’Gunn would have killed yer braither eventually or kept him locked up for the rest of his life. This is how it is in the castle, Eileen.”
“I ken, I ken,” Eileen muttered. “What has to be done has to be done, and Mack deserves to be put to the sword. I dinnae want to be there when it happens, but I ken it must happen.”
“Ye never cease to surprise me,” Archer said, puffing out his chest in pride before offering his hand, which she gladly took.
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