My Brave Highlander (16 page)

Aiden's green eyes dimmed. "He did not say much. He lay abed. Sometimes he would call me into his chamber and we'd discuss the clan. He reminded me again of things he'd told me a thousand times. I ken he feared I would not make a good chief. I have the same fear." Aiden stared dejectedly into the glowing coals, his expression proclaiming he felt unsure of himself, but also guilty for not being what his father expected. It wasn't his fault he was born with musical talent instead of leadership ability. He lifted a hopeful gaze to Dirk. "Are you here to take your rightful place?"

Dirk was stunned silent for a moment. Aiden wanted to give up the title and responsibility to him. "If that is what the clan wants." Dirk released a long breath, a small measure of relief flowing through him. Most of all, he hadn't wanted to hurt his beloved brother. "Aiden, I didn't come back here to oust you. I hoped father would still be alive."

"Do not fash yourself. Ever since I can remember, you were supposed to be the next chief. Naught has been right since you disappeared. Everything was off kilter. Da made me train with a sword, targe and dirk." He shook his head. "I disappointed him. He tried to reshape me into you, but nothing could make it so."

"I'm certain he was proud of you, anyway."

Aiden gave a short bleak laugh. "Nay, I fear the training did me no good. I'm a piper, not a soldier. If Da were alive, he'd be overjoyed to see you, and to know that you would be the next chief… 'tis what he'd want. You have the training and the natural skills for it."

"I'm grateful you feel this way. You are the same Aiden I remember… generous, intelligent and understanding."

"I thank you. But apparently it takes far more than that to be an effective chief."

That was true. A chief needed to be a warrior and a soldier first, and be willing to command many men and lead them into battle when necessary. A chief had to always consider the clan and their safety, as well as being harsh at other times.

"How is your mother?" Dirk asked, trying to hide his loathing of her.

"She is well and bossy as always." Aiden grinned. "She stays in the manor house at Tongue most of the time because it's warmer there."

"And she's there now?"

"Aye."

That was good. If she decided to come here, he'd have at least a few days to bring the clan to his side. Tongue was twenty or thirty miles away and a full day's ride through mountainous terrain. With the bad weather, it might take even longer. She would be as hostile as Haldane, except ten times worse.

"Have there been any clan feuds since I was last here?" Dirk asked.

"Nothing of importance. There's some cattle reeving now and again but no loss of life over it. I think 'tis a game to them, and Haldane relishes it."

"What about dealings with the MacLeods?"

Aiden shook his head. "I don't recall any for several years."

"They are still our allies, then?"

"Aye."

That was a good thing. Still, if they viewed his rescue of Isobel as stealing the chief's bride or taking a hostage, it could spark a clan war.

"What of marriages or new clan alliances?" Dirk asked.

Aiden's pale skin suddenly flushed in the candlelight. "Ma convinced Da that I should marry a lass from the Murray clan."

Dirk was surprised because he simply couldn't imagine Aiden married, young as he appeared. "Did you?"

"Nay. We are not even betrothed yet. I don't feel ready to marry. But Ma says now that I'm chief, I must. The lass and her aunt arrived right after Da's funeral and are now staying at Tongue with Ma. They stayed here for a few weeks so Seona and I could get to know one another. But if you become chief, I won't have to marry now. I can wait until I find a lass to my liking." Aiden gave a relieved smile.

"You don't like the Murray lass?"

Aiden shrugged. "She's bonny enough, but we have little to talk about. She has no talent for music or singing."

"I see." And he obviously wasn't attracted to her either or the music wouldn't have mattered.

"Haldane said he would marry her if I didn't want to. I believe he is smitten with her, but she ignores him as if he were a bothersome pup."

"Does he have his sights set on becoming chief?" Likely he did, but Dirk needed to know for a certainty. Haldane could become a great stumbling block.

Aiden shrugged. "He's never said so, but I do get the feeling 'tis what he wants. And I ken some of the clan members say he would make a better chief than I. They may be right about that. But you would make a far better chief than either of us."

Dirk felt humbled of a sudden and grateful for his forthright and caring brother. "I thank you for your confidence in me, Aiden."

"Haldane is too young and rash. He speaks or acts before he thinks. And he often provokes people's anger. We would have nothing but conflict with other clans if Haldane is chief. You are more diplomatic."

They talked for more than an hour about what had happened since Dirk had left. And Dirk filled him in on some of his exploits.

That night, Dirk insisted on barring the bedchamber door in the event Haldane did something impulsive, and he warned Rebbie to do the same in his chamber. Dirk neither understood nor trusted the lad as of yet, nor did he know what he was capable of. Terrible things, if his mother had tutored him.

Dirk was grateful that Haldane was still abed early the next morn while the rest of the men broke their fast. The last thing he wanted to do was argue during a meal.

Afterward, Dirk spoke privately with Aiden. "I thank you for your hospitality. You are most kind."

"'Tis the least I can do for my brother who's back from the dead. I hope you'll stay here until the hearing." He lowered his voice. "And after, of course, because by then you'll be chief."

"I thank you." Dirk hoped Aiden was right for he definitely wanted to make this his home once again.

He considered how to broach the subject of Isobel. She could not stay at Uncle Conall's home much longer, for his large family was already squeezed tightly into the cottage. "On our way here, we came across a lady from the MacKenzie clan and her maid. They would've frozen out in the snowstorm if we hadn't helped them. Do you have an extra chamber here where they might stay until I can return them to their home?"

"Of course. This old castle has many rooms. We'll find a place. Mother's bedchamber is not being used at the moment."

Dirk shook his head. "That's probably not a good idea. That chamber is for the chief's wife or mother. I wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong impression about Lady Isobel."

Aiden eyed him with speculation. "Ah. Lady Isobel MacKenzie, aye?"

A slight shock went through Dirk. "You know her?"

"I remember her from when I was a lad." Aiden smiled. "And I recall how you and your friends could not take your eyes off her when we visited her clan. Is she still as lovely as she was?"

Dirk shrugged, hoping to hide his true thoughts. "Aye, I suppose." If one considered seductive dark eyes, long lashes, lush rosy lips and voluptuous curves to be lovely. Which he sure as hell did. His body quickened when he imagined her the way she'd been two nights before, wearing naught but a thin smock as he carried her back to the bed. He drew in a deep cooling breath, hoping he could resist her once he brought her here to the castle.

Chapter Nine

Isobel paced before the small window of the cottage.

"You're nervous as a cat, Lady Isobel," Dirk's Aunt Effie said with a smile. The woman had sent her daughters to help finish cooking the midday meal along with their one servant. Isobel suspected Effie might want to pry some information from her, but she was not sure what.

"Pray pardon, Mistress. I am a wee bit anxious," Isobel said. She knew not if she would spend the next night here or elsewhere. Since Dirk and the other men hadn't returned the night before, she knew naught of what had happened at the castle. Had they been attacked or welcomed? She wished Dirk would hasten back and bring news. Aside from that, she missed him.

"Please call me
Aunt Effie
."

Goodness, she could not be serious. That implied she was family.

"Very well, Aunt Effie." She forced herself to sit on a stool near the hearth.

"I can understand how you're feeling, being away from home and all."

Isobel nodded.

"And I'm certain you're wanting to see that big strapping lad again."

"Lad?" Isobel asked.

"Aye, Dirk. I can see you already have a fondness for him. He's easy to like, that one."

Heat rushed over her. Effie thought she held a fondness for Dirk? Well, she did, of course. But she didn't want anyone else to know that. She would have to be more careful.

"I'm thinking he's a wee besotted with you as well, lass." Effie winked.

Isobel was sure her face glowed brighter red than the coals in the hearth and her heart pounded loud in her ears. "Nay. I hope not." Well, that was a flat out lie but surely it would disguise her attraction to him.

Effie blew out a doubtful breath. "I ken you're wanting to keep it a secret but 'tis clear to me."

She almost told Effie she was betrothed to a MacLeod, but she should probably keep that information to herself. The fewer people who knew the better.

"I only want to return to my brother's home as soon as the weather permits," Isobel said.

"Dirk will keep you safe in the meantime. Once they inaugurate him as chief, he'll be needing a wife."

Heavens
, would the woman not stop with her matchmaking talk? Certainly the ruse of being married to Dirk had been a pleasant diversion, but it was not true. It could never be true. Her brother would have to negotiate again with the MacLeods and determine if and how he could remove her from the contract. If he couldn't, she'd run away to her aunt's home further south.

But she couldn't marry Dirk, the neighboring clan chief. Surely that would cause a feud between the MacLeods and the MacKays. To imagine violence and bloodshed, perhaps even loss of life, because of her was unthinkable. Besides that, the MacKays would have a dim view of both her and Dirk if they made him chief and then he started a war over her.

"It near broke my heart years ago when he had to leave us. We've all missed him sorely."

"Why did he have to leave?" Isobel asked, hoping Effie would give her more information than Dirk had.

"He didn't tell you? Someone came mighty close to murdering him."

A shock went through Isobel. "Who would do such a thing?" Dirk was so likable and respectful that she couldn't imagine anyone hating him enough to murder him.

"Well, who do you think?" Aunt Effie raised a brow as if Isobel should know good and well who'd want him dead.

"I have no inkling."

"His stepmother, of course."

"But Maighread Gordon is his stepmother." And she had been Isobel's mother's best friend for many years.

"Aye. You have the right of it," Effie assured her.

Though Isobel didn't know Maighread well, she had always seemed decent and friendly. "Why would she do such a thing?"

"So one of her sons could inherit."

"I see." Isobel didn't know whether to believe this news or not. But what reason would Effie have to lie? Mayhap they had it all wrong. "How did she try to kill him?"

"She hired someone to knock him off a cliff at the headland that juts out into the North Sea. The cliffs out there are a fright, around three-hundred feet high. Dirk fell several feet down the side of it and landed on a small outcropping. Conall rescued him. One of Conall's other nephews was killed that day by the same man."

"Dear heavens!" Isobel gasped. How could the Maighread she knew instigate such a tragic and violent event? Why would her mother befriend such a woman? She couldn't have known about her murderous side, surely. And it was no wonder Dirk was always on edge and vigilant for danger.

"Some people will go to great lengths in the service of greed," Effie said.

A horrid thought occurred to Isobel, sending icy fear through her veins. "Since he's come back, do you think she will try to kill him again?"

"'Tis what I've lost sleep over." Effie nodded. "I only pray Dirk is careful this time. Of course, he would never admit to fearing a gray-haired woman now that he's such a fearsome warrior, but she is sneaky. A lot of the clan members are loyal to her. She could hire anyone to do her dirty work."

Isobel had to do something. Of course, she wasn't strong enough to protect Dirk from an assassin, but she could watch his back. She would keep her eyes and ears open and learn if there was a plot against him.

"Where is his stepmother now? I wonder if she knows he's back."

"'Tis unlikely as of yet. She lives in a manor house at Tongue most of the time."

"And she is in good health?"

"Aye. She was a few years younger than Laird Griff when he married her."

Even if Maighread didn't travel to Dunnakeil herself, she might send an assassin.

"Please don't tell Dirk I told you any of this," Effie said. "He and Conall like to keep it quiet, considering who Maighread is. She's the sister of an earl and her family is powerful."