Her father clasped her mother’s hand and said, “I’d like to hear Kyla’s reasons, Maddie. Let’s allow her to explain herself. She has rarely been defiant, so she must believe she had a good reason.”
Her mother took out her linen square, dabbed at her tears, and folded her hands in her lap. “Aye, I wish to hear your reasons, Kyla.”
She took a deep breath and began, hoping she could convince her parents she’d done the right thing. “After listening to Jamie and Uncle Logan talk about the mercenaries and their ill intent toward us, I could not just sit by idly and watch. We’ve been through too much, and so much of it is because of our quarrel with the Buchan and MacNiven. I could not watch my family be torn apart again.
“Papa, it was so hard when you fell in battle. We did not know whether you would see the next day.” Tears began to fall down her cheeks, but she managed to control them for the most part. She would explain her intentions and gain their support. “After our celebrations for Jamie and Gracie and Sorcha and Cailean, we got back some semblance of what we’d been before. You were home, and we were happy again. Our clan was functioning again. I was proud of how we all pulled together, of the fine job Jake and Jamie were doing as lairds, and I…I was willing to do aught I could to keep it that way.
“We must persevere.” Her tone changed and the anger she had about what her loved ones had been forced to endure seeped out. “Mama, I could not allow it. And why can I never go along on any missions? Connor is always left behind as well. ‘Tis not fair to him.”
Her father said, “We’re discussing your situation, not Connor’s. Your brothers have all been training for years in the lists to be able to protect themselves. You know how talented the Ramsay women are as archers, but you’ve never been interested in learning to fight. How did you plan to protect yourself?”
“There were plenty of guards with us. Finlay was assigned as my protector. I had a plan,” she insisted, looking back and forth between her parents. “I wanted to speak to Davina. I believedthat we could come to an agreement, woman to woman. My hope was that she would divulge what her sire was planning, and that I could convince her to help establish peace between our clans.”
“And were you successful?” her sire asked.
“In a way, aye. Davina told me something no one else from our group uncovered. And we have to help her, Papa. Please tell me you’ll help her.”
“What did she tell you?”
She gave her attention to her mother, who had been grossly abused before Alex had rescued her from her stepbrother’s keep. Her mama would want to help Davina; she was sure of it. “Mama, her sire gives her to whatever man he wants. She has no say in the matter. He wishes to give her to Simon de La Porte who will be arriving soon.”
Her mother gasped, just as she’d expected.
“And she has a bairn now, MacNiven’s daughter, and she only wishes to raise the wee lassie in peace. Her sire wanted me to convince her to do his bidding, I believe, but I would not do it. How could her own father treat her so poorly?”
“Is that the reason you were ordered off their land?” her sire asked.
“Aye, he was angry because I did not agree with him. He swung his sword over his head and struck a stone bench. Finlay pulled out his sword and protected me.”
“So instead of helping, you hindered the attempt to make peace.” Her father’s voice had turned into that quiet tone they all dreaded, that tone of judgment that could make her cry at just the sound.
“But Papa.” She sat on the edge of her chair, gripping the arms tight. “We must help her. Can you not see that? We must send an army back to get her away, take her and her bairn to a safe place. I promised her we would help her.”
“Did you see de La Porte?”
“Nay, but I would not know him if I saw him. Uncle Logan never saw him. We must save her before he is forced on her. Even if she has a babe, ‘tis still rape, is it not? Mama?” She had to make them understand.
Her sire got up from his chair behind the desk and moved around to the front. He sat on the edge and tugged her out of the chair, wrapping his arms around her and setting his chin on the top of her head.
The tears came and she could not stop them.
“Papa, am I not hurting you?” She sobbed into his chest, taking in her father’s familiar scent and the warmth of his embrace as she melted into her favorite place in the entire world.
“Nay, you’re not hurting me. The only way you can hurt me is if something happens to you.”
“Don’t you see I was afraid you’d never be able to hug me again?” She sobbed harder, her breath hitching as she swallowed her tears. “I must do something to prevent that from happening again. I just got you back, Papa. I cannot bear to lose you.”
“You are too soft-hearted.” He gave a large sigh as he rubbed her back. “Just like your mother.”
Chapter Eleven
*Simon de la Porte and Glenn of Buchan have Kyla…
Alex Grant sat in his solar, mulling over all he’d just heard. His eldest sons and acting lairds were there, along with Quade and Logan Ramsay, and the group that had returned with the news—his youngest son, Connor, and Roddy and Braden.
Logan had just returned from a journey intended to uncover new information about the mercenaries and Buchan’s plot—a mission that had proved unsuccessful. The man had started pacing the room the moment he'd entered it, and he nowturned to the younger men and barked, “What the hell were you thinking, taking Kyla straight to the enemy? I could order lashings for all five of you. And Finlay? I’ll kill him with my bare hands. You’ve given the enemy just what they wanted, something to use against us.”
“Admonishments will get us nowhere at this point,” Alex said. “They used the innocence and inexperience of our young people against us. Now, we must do what’s necessary to right the situation. The bastard has my daughter, and we need to settle on a strategy to get her back. Jake, make a call to arms. Three hundred men will march with me on the morrow. Get them ready. Get their mounts ready. Jamie, find messengers and send them to Menzie land and Drummond land. I would ask for one hundred guards from each of them. Micheil has likely brought Gavin and Gregor back to Drummond land with him, but we can send another messenger to Edinburgh to be sure. And someone should be sent to Cameron land telling them we’re coming and bringing our women for safety. Aedan’s to keep his guards at home to protect his land and the abbey. Dusk outside Buchan land on the morrow.”
