Iain wasn’t surprised when Graham showed up at his door after escorting Cait home. He’d expected the older chief to come back. The revelations of the night had rocked Iain, and he suspected that they had rocked Graham as well. He wondered what the discussion had been about as Graham and Cait rode back to her cottage. No doubt Graham had warned Cait against Iain. And Iain was about to give Graham more reason to convince his granddaughter to steer clear of him.
“I suspect ye did no’ ask me to dinner to reintroduce me to my granddaughter,” Graham said when the housekeeper showed him to Iain’s study.
A fire burned merrily in the grate, enough to stave off the slight chill of a Highland night. Iain had already poured two fingers of whiskey in tumblers and handed one to Graham as both men settled into matching leather chairs facing each other.
“You suspected right,” Iain said.
Graham chuckled after taking a sip. “The look on yer face when you found out Cait was a Graham.” He shook his head and chuckled some more, although Iain saw the sadness in the old man’s eyes. Graham cleared his throat and sat straighter. “So what did ye feed me for? What were ye fattening me up for, lad?”
Iain took a deep breath. He hated this. More and more he just wanted to be a Highland chief, not embroiled in English or Scottish politics. He wanted to work his land, meet with his people, and live his life. But it must be done. He set his glass down on the small table beside him and contemplated Graham. “Since Culloden, things have not gone well for the Scots.”
Graham snorted. “I should say no’. The bloody bastard Sassenach.”
“I don’t believe fighting is the answer.”
Graham looked at him sharply. “So ye say we roll over and let the English bugger us up the arse?”
Iain bit back his smile and shook his head. “I’m saying it’s time to try a different approach. You’re respected in these parts. I’d like your help.”
Graham’s expression turned wary and concerned. “How?”
Iain sat forward. “I’ve recently come across some information that if the Scottish people don’t start cooperating, bigger sanctions will be held against us.”
Graham tensed. “What could be worse than rounding up the Jacobites? Killing our men and raping our women? Damnation, Campbell, they’ve already weakened our forces. People are leaving Scotland in droves. Just ask—” Graham bit off his sentence, but Iain could finish it for him. Just ask Sutherland. Sutherland, who was sneaking the wanted out of Scotland under the noses of the British.
“It can be a lot worse.”
The two men stared at each other for long moments. “Ye fecking Scottish spy,” Graham said quietly.
Iain suppressed his wince and held his gaze with Graham. He didn’t deny the accusation.“They will take away your guns, your weapons. They will disband the clan system—”
Graham surged out of his chair and pointed a shaking finger at Iain. “The hell they will! You’re a fecking turncoat, Campbell. An English lover. I’ll no’ listen to another word of this from ye.”
“Please sit down, Graham, and hear me out.”
Graham stood before him, chest heaving, eyes flashing, then he ran a weary hand down his face and fell back into the chair. “I’m getting too old for this shite, Campbell. I never thought I’d see the day when Scotland would cower to England. I never thought I’d break bread with a traitor.”
“I want what’s best for Scotland, and I think we need to compromise before things get out of hand.”
Graham snorted. “As if they’re no’ out of hand now. They’rekillingus.”
“And we’re killing them, and killing isn’t accomplishing anything. We need to compromise—”
“Hell no!”
“It’s the only way for Scotland to survive.”
“Ye don’t get it, lad.” Graham sounded weary, and for the first time Iain regretted bringing the older man into this. However, Graham was so highly respected that Iain would need him in order to convince the other chiefs.
“Youdon’t get it,” Iain said. “This is a different world from the one you were brought up in. The English won’t go away this time. They’re here to stay, and we have to find a way to live with them.”
“So a Campbell can fill his coffers even more? Ye should be ashamed of yerself. But then ye’re only doing what every Campbell before ye has done.”
Iain pressed his lips together. He should be used to these accusations, because he’d heard them his entire life. But Graham was wrong. Iain was fighting for Scotland. He wanted what was best for Scotland. Unfortunately, no one would believe him.
“This isn’t about me,” Iain said. “It’s about preserving Scotland.”
“By giving it to England so we can become just like them? Ye’re daft if ye think England will give us anything. Ye say they’ll take away our weapons? They’ll do it anyway, lad. Doesn’t matter if we work with them or no’.”
