“Damn, I should have moved quicker while I had the chance,” Camden prompted them all to laugh again just as they descended the path from the cliff into Fort Contin.
“Is a weddin’ on the cards then now?” Erskine asked, earning Tam’s gaze.
“She has said aye,” Tam nodded, then winced, “but her faither hasnae said aye yet.”
“What?” Erskine asked, alarmed.
“Why nae?” Camden’s voice came with as much shock.
“He had another offer for her,” Tam explained. “A man with more money to his name than I have.”
“Surely he would respect her wishes?” Erskine said, thinking of his own situation. He had been so caught up in his own mission, trapped in his own excitement that tomorrow he would finally be able to introduce Laura to his father, he had not even considered how Laura’s father would react.
Aye, it is a good alliance for him in Scotland…but what if he says nay?
“Apparently, nae.” Tam shook his head. “We are nae givin’ up that easily, though.”
“Give it time,” Camden’s voice neared them as he pulled the horse up alongside Tam.
“What do ye mean?” Erskine asked before Tam could.
“I ken I like to jest about Lennox, Tam, and with good reason, had ye nae asked her, I would have soon enough,” there was honesty in his face for the first time, rather than any jest. “But ye two are right for each other. Ye fit together. Give it time, and he’ll come round to the idea.”
“Thank ye, Camden,” Tam smiled in response. “Let’s hope we daenae have to wait too long.”
Nae too long now.
Yet Erskine was only thinking of Laura.
Tomorrow and everythin’ will be sorted. I have to make sure of that.
* * *
As the sun began to set, Erskine sat around the table with Dearg and his father. There had been much celebration, with the Laird particularly happy that Erskine’s proposed strategy for catching the Brigands had been so successful. The sun had now gone down beyond the castle windows, and Erskine found himself walking toward them as he listened to the chatter of this father and Dearg. His eyes traced the stars in the sky and the roofs of the houses in Fort Contin that were lit by the moonlight. Among them was the roof where Laura was staying.
Tomorrow mornin’.
“Well, I must retire,” the Laird’s voice came suddenly, urging Erskine to look back into the center of the room. “I have drunk far too much and am in need of some sleep.”
“Faither, stay a little longer,” Erskine pleaded, but his father was shaking his head with a smile.
“Drinkin’ to this length is a young man’s game, so I’ll leave ye two to it,” he gestured between them. “Good night to ye both.”
“Night, faither,” Erskine said in return, lowering his eyes back down to Dearg, who was sat at the table, his face downturned. Once the door had closed, Erskine felt compelled to address the problem in the room. Dearg had barely said a word to him since his return. “Well, ye goin’ to tell me what is wrong?”
“Nothin’,” Dearg shook his head sharply.
“Nothin’? Ye havenae said anythin’ to me this evenin’?”
“Just thinkin’ things,” Dearg affected a smile. It was one of those charming smiles Dearg liked to wear when talking to their friends. “Here, let’s have a toast before we go to bed.” He picked up two glasses from the table and filled them from a new bottle.
“A toast?” Erskine was surprised by the sudden change between somber to joy.
“Aye, to yer victory,” he explained as he crossed the room. “Here,” he pressed one of the glasses into his hand. Erskine leaned back on the stone wall beside the window and thanked him with a nod. “Congratulations, brother,” Dearg said with charm, raising his glass, “it cannae be denied ye have done a fine job these last two weeks.”
“Thank ye, Dearg, it means a lot to hear ye say so,” Erskine couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his cheeks. After all the tension and teasing that had been between the two of them recently, it was a relief to see Dearg smile at him and be back to something much more amenable.
“Let’s hope the next battle is just as successful,” Dearg chinked his glass against Erskine’s, then turned away and faced the center of the room, walking back toward the table where they had enjoyed their feast.
