“Iamnotinterested in the mon. Not in the manner ye infer.”
Robertsnorted. The sound was so full of scorn it made Sorcha curse. She opened hermouth to reprimand him only to frown when he tensed and stared out into theinner bailey. Looking in the same direction, she saw the too-thin figure ofRobert’s only son, Iain, hurrying toward them.
“Doye think something is wrong?” she asked Robert.
“Ithink we are about to have guests,” Robert replied even as he moved to greethis son.
“Father,”Iain cried then paused to catch his breath. “Three men wait outside our gates.They are English and they ask to speak to someone concerning Sir Dougal.”
“Theransom demand,” Sorcha murmured. “Give me a few moments, Robert, then bringthem into the great hall. Try to keep them from seeing our weaknesses tooclearly.”
“Iwill, lass,” Robert said. “Howbeit, if they have the wit to see our weaknesses,they will also see our strengths. Dinnae worry o’er that. Just think on gettingthat fool Dougal back.”
Sorchanodded and hurried back to the keep, cursing her brother with each step. Shedreaded dealing with these men. They would be scornful when they realized they hadto talk over a ransoming with a woman. She would have to be strong, to makethem believe she could take on the task as well as any man.
Asshe entered the great hall, she saw her aunts seated in a circle near the hugestone fireplace arguing with the newly arrived Annot over what color yarn wouldbest depict their father’s hair in the family tapestry they were working on.Sorcha hurried over to them, determined to enlist their aid. Although theEnglishmen might be scornful toward one small female, she knew they would findconfronting seven women a daunting experience. It was true that her nervousaunt Bethia and her shy aunt Eirie were not strong women, but when placedshoulder to shoulder with their more determined sisters, they were very skilledat pretending.
“TheEnglish have come to ask the ransom for Dougal,” she told them as she reachedNeil’s side.
“Ah,ye want us to leave,” murmured the tall, silver-haired Annot, the eldest of herseven aunts.
“Nay,I want ye to sit at the head table with me. Hurry now,” she said as she shooedthem all toward the long, heavy oak table set on a low dais at the head of thegreat hall. “I think even an arrogant Englishmon will be set aback whenconfronted with seven weelborn women.”
“Yewant us to look stern and forbidding,” said Grizel as she settled her shortround body into the seat to the left of the high-backed oak chair Dougalusually occupied.
“Exactly.”Sorcha took Dougal’s chair, smiling faintly as her aunts lined up on eitherside of her.
“Doye wish our help in the negotiations?” asked Neil as she sprawled in the chairon Sorcha’s right.
“Weel,ye may put in a word or two, Aunt Neil,” replied Sorcha. “I mean nodiscourtesy,” she told her other aunts.
“Nonetaken, m’dearling,” Bethia assured her. “Long ago I learned how imposing weseven sisters can be when we array ourselves as one against someone orsomething. Howbeit, Neil is the one who can hold onto that strength even whenshe speaks, putting hard steel behind her words. I fear the rest of us begin towaver when we talk.”
“Herethey come,” whispered Annot, who then clasped her hands in front of her andassumed a stony expression.
ThreeEnglishmen strode into the hall, followed by Robert and his son. Their stepsfaltered slightly as they caught sight of the seven women staring at them.Sorcha saw Robert quickly hide a grin and knew he understood what game sheplayed. She saw two more well-armed men take up the post of guards on eitherside of the wide door. Robert left his son standing behind the three Englishmenand moved to stand on Sorcha’s right. She was glad of his presence as she metthe cold, steel gray eyes of the tallest of the three men.
“Iam Sir Simon Treacher, and these are my men, Thomas and William,” announced theman, his voice as cold as his eyes. “I am here to discuss the ransoming of SirDougal Hay. He is your liege lord?”
“Heis,” replied Sorcha, fighting the urge to shift nervously beneath his steadylook. “What are your terms?”
“Youexpect me to discuss such a matter with women?”
“Ifye want your blood money—aye. I am Sir Dougal’s closest kin, his only sister.”
“Ah,you are the Lady Sorcha Hay.”
“Iam.”
“Hesaid I would need to deal with you, but I assumed he was jesting. In England wedo not allow women to play the lord of the keep, nor to take a part in suchmanly business.”
“‘Tisprobably why your twice-cursed country is in such disarray,” muttered Neil,glaring at the man. Simon ignored her, but the sharp lines of his long, narrowface grew noticeably tighter.
“SirDougal also mentioned a Neil Hay,” he drawled, hinting that Dougal had not saidanything he considered complimentary. “I believe I would prefer to discuss theransom arrangements with a man.”
“Yemay prefer it, sir, but I fear ye will be disappointed,” said Sorcha. She wavedher hand toward Aunt Neil. “This is indeed Neil Hay, Dougal’s aunt. Now, do yewish to discuss Dougal’s ransoming with his sister or his aunt?”
“Hissister,” the man spat. “M’lady”—his tiny bow was riddled with mockery—“shall webegin?”
