“Fair enough,” Angus grunted.
The group of men proceeded to the Great Hall, with Katherine trailing behind. She braced herself, expecting her father to taunt and belittle her further, but he did not afford her so much as a backward glance. It seemed he had said everything he needed to, and now dismissed her utterly.
A red wave of sudden anger crested sharply within her.I should not have tae marry a man I do not love simply to appease the ill humors of this wretched old goat!she thought.It is not fair! I wish…
But she could not allow herself to finish that thought, for what would she wish for? That her father would lose his temper after all, and force Bryan and his guardsmen to kill him where he stood?
That would end the matter decisively enough, wouldn’t it? And then her clan would no longer be a threat to the Oliphants—she was certain that no other McGregor would take up the banner against the Oliphants as recklessly as her father had—and she would be free to marry whomever she pleased. It was a dark chain of thought, to be sure. She felt nauseated for entertaining such a despicable notion, even for a moment.
He was a dreadful old viper, she knew that much to be true. A menace to the clans that neighbored his lands, and a prideful monster who endangered the lives of his people by provoking a far larger and stronger clan.
He was all of these things, yet he was still her father. She could not bring herself to wish for his death, not when there might be some other way to resolve this.
When they reached the Great Hall, Bryan motioned for his men to follow McGregor and his guards inside. Then he lingered in the corridor with Katherine for a moment, speaking in a hushed tone, “Ye cannae be present for these discussions.”
“But why not?” Katherine balked. “It is my future being decided in there as well. ‘Tis only right that I am at least allowed tae listen.”
“Aye, that’s true enough,” Bryan agreed patiently, “but yer presence at the table might draw more ire from yer father, and prevent our talks from being as fruitful as they might be. Better for ye tae wait out here.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Ye have another reason for keeping me out, don’t ye? Ye believe there might be violence.”
“I wouldnae have thought so before I saw Laird Angus step off that carriage,” he replied fervently. “But now that I see what he has been reduced to, I think it might be best if I remained ready for the worst in there.Notthat I truly think it’s likely tae come tae that,” he added quickly. “Just in case, I’d see ye spared such a terrible sight, and kept away from the danger of an errant sword or dagger.”
“I understand,” Katherine assured him.
Then she stood up on her tiptoes and planted a furtive kiss on his cheek, much to his surprise.
Bryan gave her a bemused smile, and for a moment, it seemed as though he might put his arms around her, but then he remembered himself. His smile faded, and he went into the Great Hall without another word.
The heavy oak door swung shut, and she began to pace in front of it.
Within the Hall, Alex, Kirk, and Angus took their seats. Angus’s soldiers remained standing against the stone walls, and Bryan and his men did likewise.
“So,” Angus began, steepling his bony fingers, “ye would propose tae marry my daughter tae a bloody Oliphant, eh?”
“Not just any Oliphant,” Alex pointed out, gesturing to Kirk. “My cousin, and one of my most trusted advisors. ‘Tis a worthy match, Laird Angus, and one that will allow us tae spare ourpeople a great deal of needless bloodshed and hardship. Our clans would be united. We could help each other in many ways, and forge a lasting peace.”
“I will see myself, and every member of my clan, consumed by maggots before I allow my bloodline tae mingle with that of the Oliphants,” Angus spat. Then a cagey look came over him, and he added: “However, that does not mean it need come tae that.”
“Ye have an alternate proposal, then?” Kirk inquired. “One that leads us down a path other than war?”
“Aye,” the laird replied. “Just because I dinnae wish tae marry my daughters to Oliphants does nae mean I dinnae wish tae marry them tae members of other, more respectable clans. I cannae very well do that if one is in yer dungeons and the other has made some other arrangement.”
The insinuation in the old man’s voice turned Bryan’s stomach, but he forced himself to remain silent. It seemed they might be on the verge of terms, and he did not wish to ruin that.
Even if he was not overly fond of the direction the conversation was taking.
“Yer daughters’ return, then, in exchange for a lasting peace between us?” Alex pressed. “I’ll have yer oath on that, before witnesses? For if ye believe this is yer chance tae fool us into letting them go, only for ye tae plot more foul attacks upon our clan…”
“Nothing of the sort,” Angus assured him. “Ye snatched up Katherine, right out from under my nose. ‘Tis clear ye are brazen enough tae do so again if I dinnae hold up my end of the bargain. Nay, better tae have an end tae it. Not allies, but no longer enemies.”
“I would want tae have one of my people there for one year,” Alex said.
“We shall tolerate no Oliphant steward telling us our business,” the laird hissed, banging a fist upon the table.
“Nay, not a steward, nor an overseer,” Alex hurriedly went on. “Merely an observer. He will have no say in how ye rule over yer clan. He will merely be furnished with lodging in yer stronghold and allowed tae be present for meetings of any importance. We will have an oath from ye that he shall be safe among ye and yer people, and he will be permitted tae send and receive messages. All of this will simply be tae satisfy us that ye are done scheming against the Oliphant Clan for good.”
Angus considered this for a long moment. “That sounds sensible enough,” he finally agreed grudgingly. “In selecting the man for the job, I have three conditions of my own.”
