“And now,” David said in a hard voice, “he plays much the same game with our sister.”
“Which would leave Andrew with no one,” said Niall.
“And there he finally makes his mistake,” said Harcourt.
“What do ye mean?” asked David.
“The lad is nay alone. He has the Murrays.”
“And the Camerons,” said Sigimor. “Nay, the boy willnae be alone. He will also have his sister back soon.” Sigimor looked at the MacFingals, who made a noise that indicated insult over not being included. “And I guess he has these fools, too. Sweet Mary help him.”
“An impressive guard for a small lad,” murmured Niall, obviously moved by the show of support. Then he grinned and looked at the MacFingals. “I think he would really like the MacFingals.”
“Not if he has a horse he favors,” drawled Harcourt.
Ned tossed a piece of bread at him, but he caught it. Then Jolene started to lecture them on table matters. Gybbon watched Mora’s two brothers calm and held his hand out to them.
“May I see the letter?”
“Why?” asked David even as he held it out.
“To see what trouble she has gotten into, her view of it all.”
“How can that help?”
“She is inside. We are not. She has spoken to the old mon. We have not.”
When David frowned and nodded, Gybbon took the letter and looked at it. She had a very neat hand, he thought as he began to read:
Greetings! I am in the dungeon in my uncle’s keep.
The bed is hard and the blanket is thin. Uncle is
better in body, but I worry about his mind. He is
very angry and he refuses to believe any wrong about
Robert. I pointed out that several questions should be
asked, that the answers would prove Robert was
lying, even asked them myself, and answered them,
questions that show Robert’s tale is nonsense, but he
bellowed at me that I lied just as my mother had.
That made me angry, but I could see then that he
will just not listen. And so, I am locked up and
Manus has the keys. Robert came by to gloat and
sneer and tell me I am to be hanged and said that he
will be in the fore of the crowd watching it. Hilda
believes this letter will help, but I cannot see how.
