Eddard heard, reluctantly moving his face away to look up. High above them the Laird and Lady had stepped out onto their balcony, Caroline alongside them. They were cheering and applauding.
Others stopped to look as the Laird called down. “You see before you the two people that saved this clan. Darkness swept over us like a blanket of evil but it has gone forever thanks to Eddard and our daughter who is returned to us after too long away.
“Tonight we feast in celebration of the return of Morag and to praise her companion, Eddard MacGregor, my new steward.”
Chapter Fifteen
It had been a long time since anyone had heard noise coming from the dungeon. The steward was still down there awaiting trial but his vitriolic curses and threats faded into silence as the days went by.
Life in the castle slowly returned to normal. Philip was on his way back from the monastery. Training sessions began to find new guards, urgent work as without them, the castle was undefended. The place often rang with the noise of swords hitting shields.
The enormous sword master, Garett, had his work cut out with some of the recruits. Many of the staff saw learning to fight as a chance to move up in the world. Garrett took them all on, though that led to shortages in the kitchen and the nearby farms.
Cam spent day after day in the great hall, Eddard by his side, along with the few other advisors they had been able to find. Many had died in exile, others refused to return, fearing that the clan was doomed. Enough made the journey back to make it possible to start again.
Dealing with the financial situation was the biggest headache. They could train all the guards they wanted. They could advertise for replacement staff from the peasants. The issue was finding the money to pay them.
“The clan’s running on empty,” Eddard said, running his eyes down to the bottom of the parchment laid out before him. “It cannae go on like this. You must stop paying them.”
Cam shook his head. “I cannae do that. They would starve.”
“We could feed them.”
“There is little enough grain in the stores and no dried meat at all. It wouldnae last a month. They must have coin to buy from the markets. You’re my steward. What do I need to do to resolve this?”
“Persuade the King to give you a little relief on the back taxes?”
“I can try but I doubt he’ll listen. He has a war to fund.”
“Aye and your clan saved the money that went to paying for it.”
Cam leaned back in his chair. “We have been at this long enough. Clear the tables and prepare for his arrival.”
The King was due that afternoon. The messenger had arrived the previous day with the missive day. There was no reason given for the visit which gave rise to speculation all over the castle.
Eddard rose and nodded to the Laird before withdrawing. If he was lucky he would be able to catch Morag on her way back to the castle. He left his scrolls in the muniments room before making his way outside to the courtyard.
There was a bite to the air. Summer was over and winter was coming, though slowly. He made his way out the gate, greeting the guards as he went. Outside people were making their way back and forth, coopers, blacksmiths, traders, all of them busy with getting the clan back on its feet.
It would take a long time. Ronald had years to bleed the place dry. It would take more than a few weeks to fix things.
He put the thoughts out of his head. It was too nice an afternoon to think about the past. The wind was light, bearing the last of the summer warmth with good grace. The leaves on the trees were turning golden, the mountain tops dusted with the first of the snow.
It was almost possible to stop thinking about the upcoming winter, how hard it would be with no money for extra food. The farmers were doing their best to maximize their crops but there would be a lot of hungry people before the year was out.
Turning off the main track, he descended along the slope of a hillside toward the loch at the bottom. He saw her long before she saw him.
It had become a tradition of theirs. While he dealt with the Laird and the clan, she would swim. He could see her head bobbing as she made her way through the water. Caroline was beside her, the two of them talking as they swam.
The girl had blossomed since she’d first arrived, taking to life in the clan as if she’d always been one of the family. The same could be said of Morag.
Her memory had almost completely returned. She would be able to give evidence in Ronald’s trial. He would have to explain not only why he spent all the clan’s money but also why he sent a little girl away from her parents for the entirety of her childhood.
He stopped at the edge of the loch and waited for them to emerge. It was hard not to smile at the peace he felt in his heart. It had been so long since he’d felt this way. All the time during his exile on Kirrin Island he had dreamed of being back home. He never really thought he had a chance.
She was the reason why. It was because of her that he was part of the clan. Not just part of it, steward to the Laird. When he thought of that his smile broadened. The impossible had come true thanks to her.
She saw him and waved, making her way through the water while Caroline continued swimming in lazy circles.
