A haze built in Lachlan’s head, crackling on the edges into flame. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here.” Neil raised his tumbler.
“You’re supposed to be in jail.”
“As you see, I no longer am.” Neil beckoned with his fingers to the dog. “Come here, Effie.”
Effie stayed by Lachlan’s side. She’d always been a good judge of character.
“What did you do now?” Heat hardened Lachlan’s voice. “Did you escape from jail?”
“Lads!” Father rushed into the room, his kilt swinging around his knees, his blue eyes large. “Please remember your mother and keep the peace.”
Lachlan fought to keep his voice calm. “Why is he not in jail?”
“That’s my doing.” Father stretched his big hands wide and made a patting motion. “They agreed to release him if I hired him at Mackenzie Salvage to do war work.”
Neil smirked and swirled his whiskey. “I tell myself it has nothing to do with the English War, only clearing the seas for Scottish fishermen.”
Flames licked at Lachlan’s vision, and he couldn’t look at that smug face. He turned to his father. “You didnae tell me he’d be here. How not?”
Mother entered the room in a white dress with a tartan sash. “Because we knew you wouldnae come.”
“Aye, I wouldnae.”
Mother tucked her arm in Father’s. “You are both our beloved sons. Somehow you need to forgive each other.”
Neil would never forgive Lachlan. When Neil was fifteen, he began sneaking out of the Royal Naval College to drink. For months, Neil had purchased Lachlan’s silence by appealing to family loyalty.
Then Neil had stolen a car, smashed it into a cottage, fled, and let a local lad be arrested for his crime. At that point, loyalty to justice prevailed, and Lachlan had told the police. Neil had been warned, fined—and expelled.
For that, Neil had exacted his revenge.
Lachlan pulled in a deep, burning breath and cut his gaze to his brother. “I understand your silence means no apology will be coming my way this evening.”
“Apologize?” Neil sipped his whiskey. “Apologize for my proudest moment?”
Fire curled Lachlan’s fists, fueled his tongue for battle.
“Lads!” Father’s voice slammed into Lachlan. “I will have none of that in my home. You will behave like gentlemen, for your mother’s sake.”
Silver had dimmed Mother’s red hair, but nothing dimmed the love in her brown eyes. The grief.
“Aye, I will.” Lachlan nodded to his parents. “As the Good Book says, ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.’”
As much as depended on him. And only for the sake of his mother and father.
6
Dunnet Bay
Even with the wind at her back, Cilla breathed hard as she rowed the rubber boat toward the thin white line of beach glowing under the full moon.
The U-boat had surfaced only high enough to launch the boat and for Cilla to climb in from the conning tower—and only long enough to send a wireless message to Germany reporting that they’d accomplished their mission.
Then Cilla had been left alone. Free, but alone.
She preferred company in her freedom.
