“My condolences to ye on yer father’s passing.”
Her eyes filled at once with tears. “He was a good man, laird. And he will be sorely missed.”
Any previous doubts he possessed as they pertained to her truthfulness began to wane. No one could fake grief as well as what the lass was displaying.
“I ken my father still owes ye a good deal of coin,” she said, wiping away her tears with her fingertips. “That is why I give ye all the gold in our coffers.”
“So ye wish to pay yer father’s debt?”
She nodded before answering. “Aye, laird, I do. My father always spoke highly of ye. He often remarked at what a smart and good man ye are.”
He watched closely as the maid handed her a bit of linen with which to dry her tears. Nay, no one can fake this kind of grief.
“’Twas often my father said he was glad for his alliance with ye. Ye are a much bigger, stronger clan than the MacCulloughs.”
That was nothing short of the truth. His clan outnumbered the MacCulloughs four to one at the moment. It would require very little effort to just take what he wanted.
But it wasn’t just the MacCullough lands and holdings he wanted. How delightful it would be to see Black Richard hanging from his own courtyard, with his beautiful wife watching on? Or hearing on, as the case might be.
The deviousness of it made his heart feel light. Finally, he would not only have what his father wanted, but he would be able to exact his own revenge. He would be able to avenge his father’s death in a glorious way!
The excitement began to build, and he couldn’t help but to smile at the images of Black Richard’s lifeless body swaying in the wind. But there was still the matter of the babe Aeschene MacRay carried. Upon Black Richard’s death, the child would be the rightful heir.
“What about yer babe? What assurance do I have that he will nae come back twenty years from now and try to claim his inheritance?”
“This babe will be raised as a MacRay. He will never ken who is real father is, I will make certain of it.”
A thought struck then, so profound and wonderful he nearly leapt out of his chair. “I will agree to yer plan on one condition, m’lady.”
She quirked a pretty brow and asked him to explain.
“Upon Black Richard MacCullough’s death, ye shall marry me.”
Not so much of a flicker of deceit or disdain could he find in those pretty blue eyes hers.
“Verra well, laird,” she said, standing a bit taller. “Upon Black Richard MacCullough’s death, I shall marry ye.”
Lachlan knew they had been followed back to the keep. The fools made it quite obvious. It didn’t matter, of course, for Aeschene’s plan had worked. Randall Chisolm was going to bring Richard, Rory, and Colyne to the keep at dawn on the morrow.
Were it any other day, any other circumstance, he would have killed the three men who followed, simply because they were Chisolm’s. They had to be seen returning to the keep, in order to make the plan more believable.
The sound of gallows being built, hammers against wood, floated on the late evening air.
“Ye are havin’ gallows built?” he asked bewilderedly as they rode through the gates.
“We had to make it believable,” Aeschene told him.
Truly, he didn’t know how much more his heart could withstand.
“And why in God’s name did ye agree to marry him!” His jaw was beginning to ache from clenching it so tightly.
“I could nae verra well say ‘nay’,” she replied. “I would have agreed to marry his horse if he had asked me to. There is naught I wouldn’t say or do to get my husband back.”
He had to admire her doggedness. But lord above, if things did not go as planned on the morrow, if the McDunnahs and MacDougalls didn’t arrive in time, she might very well have to marry the Chisolm. Nay, he would die before he allowed that to happen.
After helping the Aeschene and Marisse from their mounts, he went to help Keevah. She hadn’t spoken a word in hours. When he lifted her down, he could feel her tremble. “Are ye well lass?”
She nodded her head and held on to his arms for balance. “I cannae believe we did that!” she exclaimed breathlessly. There was a slight blush to her cheeks and her eyes fair sparkled with what could only be described as delight.
Never had he seen a more beautiful woman, nor had he ever met one as fierce or brave. The only woman as brave as she was Aeschene. Of course, he could be mistaking insanity for bravery, ’twas difficult to tell. Mayhap he was the one who had lost his grip on reality. He had, after all, allowed his lady to talk him into taking her to meet with the Chisolm.
Chances were they had all gone mad.
God’s teeth, but Keevah was a striking beauty!
He was quite tempted to take her into his arms and kiss her soundly.
Now is nae the time to be thinkin’ such things, he cursed inwardly.
Without uttering another word, he spun on his heel and walked away. There were far more important things to attend to at the moment. Such as making certain Randall Chisolm got everything he deserves.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lachlan was quite certain he wouldn’t live to see another sunset. Either he would die in battle against the Chisolms, or Richard was going to kill him. Either way, he was a walking dead man.
He didn’t know Caelen McDunnah or Angus McKenna, at least not as well as Richard did. He had only met them once and that was years ago. A lot could change over time.
’Twas the middle of the night, and as yet, they’d not seen hide nor hair from either clan. He did his best to keep his faith in the two men Richard called his most trusted friends. But with each passing hour that faith began to wane and his hope began to fade.
He was walking the parapet, taking care of last minute details. If the McDunnah and MacDougall clans didn’t arrive soon, ‘twould all be for naught. Where are they? They should have arrived hours ago.
Soft footfalls along the stone wall were heading in his direction. “Lachlan?” ’Twas Keevah calling out to him.
“What is it? Have we heard from the McDunnah?”
“Nay,” she replied. “Aeschene asked that I find ye.”
“Is aught amiss?”
She smiled, a warm, sweet smile that made his heart feel constricted. What was it about this woman that made him feel so odd? “Nay, all is well. She worries ye have nae eaten.”
He let out a loose breath. “With everything that has happened this day and what could happen on the morrow, she is worried I have nae eaten?”
“Well, have ye?”
“I have far more important things on my mind than food,” he told her. He didn’t mean to sound as short tempered as he did. Women are such confoundin’ creatures!
She folded her hands together and scrutinized him for a short time. “Ye must understand that making certain her people are fed is important to Aeschene. Because she cannae see, she feels she must do somethin’.”
“For God’s sake, woman! She marched into an enemy encampment only hours ago. I would say she has had plenty to do.”
“I think ye would feel better if ye ate something,” she said with a knowing smile.
“Och! Dunnae get cheeky with me, lass.”