“He claims Laird Matheson didna send him, but now we ken of two Mathesons and some of their extended family trying to kill me.” Magnus was glad his mind was no longer fuzzy, or he wouldn’t have been able to follow the convoluted tale.
“I wish to ken that too.” Monty shifted to look at Liam. “The women are with me. I can return home with them and punish them. Or I can hand them over to ye to do as ye wish. Or we can take them back to the Mathesons. Which do ye want?”
“I want to see them.” Saoirse rose. “I want ma friends to look at me and tell me how they could kill the mon they ken I love, how they could think I would choose a mon so reprehensible as they believe. They owe me an explanation.”
“Dinna go in anger,” Magnus said as he stood.
“I’m nae angry. Shocked, disgusted, and curious. But I’m nae angry. I reserve that for after they tell me why.”
“They’re with the rest of ma men aboot a half a league from here. I’ll have them brought here,” Monty offered. Saoirse nodded and took her seat again. Magnus did the same.
“What now?” Seamus asked. He’d listened silently, watching Monty for any signs of duplicity. He found none. For all their disagreements, he knew Monty to be honest, even if he was cunning.
“Ye can send me home with or without the women. Or I can ride to the Mathesons with ye and stand beside ye.”
“Ye’d do that? We are feuding.”
“Mayhap we were. But yer ally is now yer enemy, and this has made them ma enemy twice over. That makes us more allies than adversaries. Besides, with Magnus Óg marrying into the Sinclairs, and the Sinclairs and Sutherlands practically being one, it’s like ye’re ma family now, too. Family doesnae harm family.” It was a steadfast rule with Monty. There’d been too much time when his family had been at odds with his sister Laurel. It was in the past, but once Monty became laird and earl, he’d threatened to disown his other sisters in favor of Laurel if they continued to be cruel to her.
“And our borders?” Seamus asked.
“Remain as they are. Ma father wanted that land more than I ever did. Besides, we’re at war again with the English. I dinna need to lose men fighting ye when I’m expected to send them to fight King Edward and Balliol.”
“And the Roses?” Seamus pressed.
“I’ll call them off. They willna harass ye without our support.” Monty rose and thrust his arm out to Seamus, who stood and shook it.
“Who kenned trying to kill ye would make us friends.” Seamus looked at Magnus before gesturing between Monty and him. Magnus scowled at his brother’s poor humor before shaking Monty’s forearm, too.
“And ye didna even have to be in the middle, Uncle Hamish,” Saoirse whispered to the older man who sat beside her.
Magnus and Seamus exchanged a look before Magnus nodded. “Ride with us.”
“May God guide the Matheson to the right choice,” Tristan spoke up. He’d been silent too. “If he doesnae make the right choice…” He shrugged. “He canna be so stupid to think he can take on the Mackays, Sinclairs, Sutherlands, and Rosses along with the Mackenzies. We’re the five largest clans this far north. His clan is a mere fraction of ours.”
“Hamish,” Liam looked at his brother-by-marriage. “I ken ye chose yer alliance with us over the one ye have with the Mathesons. If ye wish to ride home, I—”
“I will thrash ye, auld mon, if ye finish that thought. Ye ken I dinna give a wit who else I’m allied with.Everyonekens ours is what unified the Highlands. The Bruce kenned it was us, nae him, even if everyone gave him the credit. Matheson has the chance to make this right. If he doesnae, our alliance is over. The Macraes, Mackintoshes, and Donalds canna protect them from our five clans. They canna get there in time, and they dinna have the numbers. Nae if we call upon the MacLeods of Lewis and of Assynt, along with the Camerons.”
“Vera well. I was just offering.” Liam shrugged. He knew Hamish would never choose another clan over his, but he’d felt compelled to offer since this caught his brother-by-marriage in yet another clan triangle.
“Are ye still riding out in the morning?” Caroline’s voice was soft as she leaned toward Seamus. He covered her hand with his, where it rested on the arm of the chair in which she sat.
“Aye,mo ghràidh.”
“Then I have more to prepare if the Rosses are joining ye.”
“Lady Mackenzie, we brought our own supplies. We dinna wish to inconvenience ye,” Monty reassured her.
“Aye. But I still need to see to beds for ye and the evening meal for so many more men. Excuse me.”
Once she left, Saoirse looked at Monty. “I want to see them.”
“I’ll bring them.”
CHAPTER21
Saoirse stood outside the keep’s gates with Magnus, Alex, and Liam. She watched the Ross riders approach with three women among them. She could tell from a distance that the women’s hands were bound around the waist of the warriors with whom they rode. They were prisoners. Liam stepped forward when the entourage stopped.
