Page 43 of Highlander’s Beautiful Liar

“I will plan accordingly.”

As he walked away she realized, startled, that this wasn’t a ploy. No one would be watching them have an intimate dinner. Maybe he did want to spend time with her.

More than anything, she hoped that Innes would realize the error of his ways and stop.

Just because she wasn’t joining the clan dinner tonight didn’t mean that she wasn’t supposed to look after it. Heading to the kitchens, she approached Louisa. The large woman glared at her. “I know what ye and Mary are doing, and I doona like it one bit.”

“It’s just a message,” she insisted as she glanced around. “And not so loud. Alec will be furious if he finds out.”

“For good reason. Ye of all people should know what kind of man Innes Campbell is. He isnae going to negotiate with ye. He isnae going to stop until he gets what he wants. Ye want my advice? Tell Alec so yer husband can put a sword through the man’s belly.”

“Louisa!” Inhaling sharply, Cora shook her head. “You know what will happen if Alec kills Innes. His brother will retaliate, and there will be a bloody feud. There has to be another way, and I am going to find it.”

“Ye are hoping that Innes wants money? Ye doona have any money.”

First she needed to know what Innes would settle for. Then she would figure out the answer. “Haven’t you heard?” she teased lightly. “I am a thief. I am told that Laird Sinclair will be here in a couple of days with some men. How does our food storages look?”

“I see no reason that we cannae handle a few extra guests although we will need to share with one of the outlying villages. I got a message today that some of the crops are failing. The laird is looking into it tonight.”

“How often does that happen?”

Lousia shrugged. “Occasionally, but ’tis awfully wet for a brush fire.”

Cora’s head snapped up. “A brush fire? In multiple fields?”

“Aye.”

Cora’s stomach clenched. It was far too wet for an accidental brush fire. “I will speak with Alec tonight. I will coordinate with you in the morning on solutions.”

First Alec was targeted and now one of the villages. Innes wanted the clan, and he didn’t care who suffered.

Alec’s arm ached, but the fury of seeing the barren fields overrode any pain. The little boy in front of him looked almost terrified. “’Tis alright,” Alec assured him as he knelt down in front of him. “This isnae yer fault. Just tell me what ye saw.”

“I was playing on the hill up there. My dada gave me a wood sword and told me if I got good ‘nuff, I could be part of yer guard. I am not good ‘nuff yet.”

Tousling the boy’s hair, he grinned. “Ye have some time to practice. Maybe I can have some of my men to work with ye. See what ye are made of.”

The fear disappeared, and the boy’s eyes brightened. “Aye?”

“Aye. So what happened while ye were practicing?”

“I saw three men in the fields. I thought they were working, but then I saw the flames. They didn’t shout an alarm or anything, so I ran to my dada to tell him. They were gone when we got there. My dada said brush fires happened, but I saw the men! I did!”

“I believe ye. Can ye tell me anything about the men?”

The boy shook his head solemnly. “Nay. I was too far away.”

“’Tis alright. Ye did well. Go to yer father now.” When the boy ran off, Alec straightened and clenched his jaw. If the boy was right, this happened just shortly after he and Cora had been attacked. It was almost as if someone knew they had failed and headed to the closest village to exact their revenge.

He didn’t have enough trained men to patrol all of the MacKay villages. Any one of them could be a target, and then it would seem like he couldn’t protect his people.

“Kane, I heard rumors that some of the original guard members left when Seth took over for his father. Do ye know roughly how many?”

“I would say about two dozen.”

“Do ye know where they are now?”

“Several took refuge on McNab’s lands. They may know the rest.”