Something made him suspect the man was telling the truth, that these were not hirelings, might even be men from Cathan’s own clan. “If one pauses to think, killing isnae needed,” he said. “There is a good fourteen years ere the boy would be ready to lay claim to anything.”
“Ye keep talking of killing,” the man began.
“And why shouldnae I? I just buried the child’s mother. Since I got the boy there have been several attempts to kill me. His father was murdered.”
“Nay, he wasnae.” The man shook his head and Callum began to be certain he was actually speaking to relations of Cathan’s father. “Weel, aye, he was, but t’was by her. And I figure she must have had help. Mayhap the mon who just killed her.”
“Weel met, Cousin Duncan.”
Callum quickly grasped hold of Cathan’s hand as the boy stepped close to his kinsmen. He was beginning to question what he had been told and his own assumptions concerning Cathan’s kinsmen but he was not ready to trust any one of them near the boy. It was interesting to see that Cathan had no fear at all of the man he called Cousin Duncan.
“Weel met, Cathan, me lad. I have come to take ye back to your uncle Wallace.”
Cathan shuddered then vigorously shook his head and kept shaking it as he climbed up Callum’s body. “Nay! Callum said he would keep me here. Aye, ye did. I cannae go back there. I dinnae want to die like my da!”
“What do ye mean, Cathan?” Callum asked as the boy buried his face in his neck.
“Uncle Wallace came to see Da and they were fighting then he hit him and hit him and hit him.” Cathan started crying. “He kicked him too. A lot. So did the other men.”
“Where were ye, love?” asked Bethoc as she stepped closer to rub the boy on the back.
“Hiding in a wee hidey-hole,Mamancalled it, over near the fireplace. I left Tippy there.”
“Tippy?”
“My toy. It was supposed to be a dog. It was my favorite toy too, becauseMamanmade it for me. But the men looked for us so we had to stay hiding then we ran and ran until we came here.Mamansaid we would be safe here but she died because she left. Aye?”
“I fear so, love. But ye willnae do that, will ye?” Cathan vigorously shook his head.
“What did those other men look like, Cathan?” asked Duncan.
Callum looked at the man and almost smiled. He, as well as his companions, looked coldly furious. These were definitely kinsmen and ones who kenned nothing about what the current laird had done or had planned to do. He was certain they intended to deal with it and he wished them luck.
“If ye would be so kind as to tell your men to nay skewer me the moment I step down, I would like to have a word or two with the lad,” said Duncan, but his attempt to keep his voice pleasant was not good, the hard tone of his anger leaching into it.
“Nay too far from us,” Callum said as he signaled his men, who then let the man dismount but disarmed him.
“Agreed.”
“Are ye certain?” asked Bethoc quietly as she watched the man walk Cathan a few feet away before crouching in front of him to talk.
“Aye. These men are his kin and they didnae ken the truth. They didnae like it either. I suspicion he is trying to get more information, such as what the other men looked like. I will ken what was said soon enough.”
“How?” She looked where he nodded and sighed as she saw all her boys and Margaret standing close to the man. “Oh.” She grimaced as Margaret marched over and took Cathan by the hand.
“My wee spies.” He kissed her cheek, causing her to blush since there were so many people seeing him do it.
Several moments later the man delivered Cathan and Margaret back to Callum. His face was stern but there was laughter in his eyes. “Nay verra private.”
“Ye could have shooed them away,” Callum said.
He glanced at Margaret and then at the boys. “Och, nay, I dinnae think so. I will let ye ken how it falls out,” he said as he collected his sword and remounted. “Ye should hear from me within a fortnight. If nay, then ye can assume it didnae go weel and continue to guard the lad. And watch that wee lass. She will be trouble,” he called back as he and his men rode away.
Callum glanced at the fierce face Margaret was making as she stood next to Cathan and just laughed.
“What did he mean?” Bethoc asked as she watched the men ride off.
“About Margaret?”
