“I have other sons. Two. I wouldnae be left without an heir. Rory Fergueson can find himself another bride as weel.”
Parlan ached to speak on that marriage but knew that the time was not right. He and Lachlan dickered over the price, Parlan staying icily calm and Lachlan fighting to keep his temper. Even though Parlan sympathized, he did not ease his stance. He had to drag the business out for as long as possible.
“At such a cost I can only buy one of my bairns back. I willnae have the coin for the other for months.”
“Then ye best choose which one ye mean to leave in my care.” Parlan intended to erect another obstacle if the man chose to free Aimil.
“T’will be my firstborn, my heir. He must take precedence. I will need some time to gather the coin.”
“’Tis as weel. The boy is best off where he is for a while longer.”
“I dinnae like leaving my daughter in your hands. She is a fair wee lass.”
“Your daughter will suffer no hurt at my hands or my men’s. Do ye wish to see your son?”
As Parlan had hoped, Lachlan did not press the issue of Aimil. The man was in a precarious position. No matter what Lachlan suspected he could not make accusations. If he offended Parlan, he lost too much. Parlan could see that the situation sorely annoyed the man, annoyed him to the point of fury.
“Didnae ye have any gowns for the lass to wear?” Lachlan burst out as they left the hall.
“Nay. She was found in lad’s clothes. Aye, we thought her a lad, your son Shane, until she was climbing down my walls and her cap was taken by the wind. We dressed her in the best we had. Feel welcome to send clothes for her of your own choosing.”
“All she owns now is her trousseau,” grumbled Lachlan. “I cannae send that. ’Tis held for her marriage.”
When they entered Leith’s chambers, Parlan was not surprised to find Aimil there. He had guessed that she would seek out one who loved her to ease the sting of her father’s apparent indifference. The warmth with which Lachlan greeted his son was salt in Aimil’s wound that even Parlan felt. He was sorely tempted to strike the older man. All that stayed his hand was the sure feeling that Lachlan did not feel as he acted, that some deep reason drove him to act as he did.
Aimil tried to lose herself in the shadows of the room. Slowly, she edged toward the door. That her actions were not unseen was attested to by Lagan being only a step away no matter how many steps she took toward the door. So too did she sense Parlan watching her. Neither mattered to her. All she was interested in was getting away from her father’s coldness.
“Ye will be coming home soon, son,” remarked Lachlan, his gaze assuring him that the youth was regaining his health.
“The ransom is too high,” Leith protested, wondering if Parlan’s plan had failed or, worse, if he had been a fool to listen to Parlan and to trust him.
“Aye, but I have talked him down a bit.” Lachlan moved to look out the window. “I am also paying only part of it.”
“Which part?” Leith whispered, yet dreading the answer for he suspected it would hurt Aimil.
“Yours.”
For a moment Aimil did not believe what she had heard. “Am I not to be ransomed?”
“Not now. The cost is too high.” Lachlan kept his back to her.
“When?” she asked in a small voice, not afraid to stay with Parlan but deeply hurt by her father’s actions.
“I dinnae ken.”
Knowing she was going to cry, she bolted from the room. Blinded to the startled looks that came her way, she raced through the keep and headed for the stables. She collapsed on the hay near Elfking and wept.
Her father had ignored her for years, but this was worse. To leave her in the hands of her captors was a blatant indication of how little she mattered to him. He could not know how she was treated. Even if he did, he was not so blind that he did not see the threat to her chastity, to the honor of the Mengue name. It was plain to see that he cared nothing for her, not even that she carried his name.
“Ye are a hard bastard,” Lagan growled before the door had even shut behind Aimil.
“Enough, Lagan. Follow the girl. Be sure she is all right.” Parlan stared at Lachlan after Lagan had left. “He is right, for all that.”
“I havenae the funds to ransom both of them. The heir is more important than the youngest daughter.” Lachlan eyed the Black Parlan with little friendliness. “Ye wouldnae take my word that the money will come and let me take both away now.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that your word is good, but I want the coin in my hand before I release either of them.”
“Aye, so I thought. I will bring the money for the lad in a fortnight. I cannae say yet when I will buy back the girl.” He paused at the door. “I trust her in your care. She must not come to harm.”
