Page 49 of The Eagle

Obviously, the man and villagers were not aware of his father’s death. Stuart considered that perhaps now was not the best time to inform them of the fact.

He looked from the self-appointed leader to the men that had arrived on foot. “I do not come to take anything from ye. I come to settle on my land where I will farm and raise livestock. There will be work for those needing it.”

At his words, the men’s expressions became eager, and they showed great interest.

“We do need work,” one said.

“Will ye pay?” another asked.

“Yer father made us work without recompense. I do not trust ye,” another added.

There were murmurs of agreement. Ewan gave Stuart an urging look.

“My father, Laird Ross, is dead. My brother, Darach Ross, is now laird of Clan Ross. Ye will find him to be a good and fair leader.”

Two younger men turned and raced away, no doubt wishing to be the first to take the news to the village. They would have plenty to share, Stuart mused.

There was a strange interchange between the constable and the gathered men. It was as if they were fearful.

“Return to the village, I will deal with this,” Torridon ordered, his voice held a menacing tone. “Do not trust anything ye heard.”

Ewan along with two guardsmen guided their horses around the group, blocking them from leaving. Once again, the men looked to the constable for guidance.

“Ye are no one to give orders,” Stuart said. “I am of a mind to imprison ye for yer insolence.”

“Ye have no such authority.” The constable glared at him. “We are our own people now.”

It was a turn of events Stuart had not expected. Guiding his horse closer to the constable, he lowered his voice and met the man’s gaze. “What do ye hope to achieve by goading me? I can have an army triple the size of the village here in two days. Do not try me on this.”

The constable’s gaze slipped away first, his brows lowering. “I only state the truth. Ye can try to do what ye wish, but soon ye will discover that the people here do not trust ye and will never respect ye.”

The man turned his horse around, effectively ending the conversation. “Come,” he called out to the men, who hurried past Ewan and the guards to walk back to the village.

“Should we stop them?” Dougal asked coming alongside Stuart. “That is going to be a problem.”

“Aye,” Stuart replied. “I will need able men to help clear the land and to work on the house. My brother will be sending the animals in a fortnight and we’ll need help with them as well.”

Ewan motioned to the house. “First priority is fortifying the house. Worry about the village once the work here is completed. Meanwhile, we can send a message back to Darach to send more men to help clear the land.”

The outer structure of the house was in good shape. A few windows had to be replaced and mortar added to some bricks to ensure it was weatherproofed, but it would not be a lot of work.

The interior was another story completely. Only a couple of the walls and hearths were usable. They would have to rebuild walls, stairs, doors, and furniture. The front entrance was flanked by two large windows, quite rare for homes of the time. There was a large main room that led to a second room of about the same size. There was an archway that led to a kitchen and a second corridor where three smaller rooms were. Stuart guessed they’d been used for servant sleeping quarters. Off the kitchen was a back exit to what he assumed used to be a garden.

To the right of the main room was a corridor that led to three bedchambers.

He turned to Ewan. “Who lived here?”

His brother shrugged. “After our grandfather died, I do not think anyone has for at least twenty years.”

He believed it from the looks of it. Rats scurried from the hearth when they entered what looked to be a good-sized kitchen. Of all the rooms, this one would have to be dealt with first.

Pushing on the thick support wooden posts, he was glad to note they remained strong.

“There is much to do,” a feminine voice said, and they turned to see that a pair of women accompanied Dougal’s wife, Bree.

One of the women straightened her cap and gave Stuart a straight look. “I am Maisie, this is my sister, Grace. We will have this kitchen set up in no time at all.”

Grace’s face brightened with a smile that showcased missing teeth. “We worked for yer grandfather, bless his soul.”