Kieran’s stomach rumbled as he realized he had not eaten a thing the entire day through. After piling his own plate with as much as he figured he could manage, Kieran took his seat at the head of the table.
“Ye were gone for ages, brother,” Tilly said, spearing a piece of pork on her plate slightly more aggressively than necessary.
“Aye,” Kieran shrugged, refusing to let her temper get to him.
“Were ye with that Sassenach?” Bailey asked, eyes glowing with excitement.
Kieran shrugged, taking a mouthful of food. His plan to keep his mouth full as much as possible so that he could hopefully avoid answering too many questions.
“She’s a Sassenach of all things?” Tilly exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.
“What difference does it mak’ Tilly?” Bailey threw her a look of confusion.
“We’ve had enough trouble from their kind, haven’t we?”
“I hardly think she’ll cause any problems. She’s a lady, not a warrior. She’s far too beautiful tae be a warrior, anyway,” Bailey said, laughing at his own words.
“Too beautiful, ye say? Is that what makes a lady? Being too pretty?” Tilly’s eyebrows all but shot into her hair, causing Kieran to snort into his hand. He knew that Tilly would deny she felt anything more than a sisterly-like love for Bailey until her dying breath. And while it was terribly obvious that Bailey wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to Tilly, Kieran and just about the entire clan knew that if Tilly were honest with herself, she would come to see that she cared so much more for Bailey than she thought she did.
That problem was not Kieran’s to solve. He refused to get involved; it was safer that way.
Kieran listened to Bailey defending himself for the next few minutes, trying his best not to laugh out loud at the man’s absolute distress. Having finished eating, he decided his friend had been tortured enough by Tilly for one day.
“Tilly, let poor Bailey off the hook, will ye? He didnae mean tae say yer not pretty, did ye, Bailey?” Kieran paused, looking Bailey dead in the eye.
The sigh of relief that he expelled was audible as he nodded emphatically. “Aye, I never said yer not pretty. Yer prettier than she is, by far.”
Tilly flushed, not saying anything in return.
“I wanted tae speak with ye both. The Sassenach brought me some interesting news,” Kieran paused for effect, ensuring he had both Tilly and Bailey’s full intention.
“Och, spit it out, Kieran,” Tilly said, clearly exasperated.
Kieran dug the necklace out of his pocket, placing it on the table in front of Tilly. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at it, a glimmer of tears beginning to form in her eyes. She picked it up gently, looking as though she was afraid that it might break apart. She finally looked up at Kieran, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
“Where did ye get this?” she whispered.
“The Sassenach – Lady Vivien, actually – brought it tae me. She found it in her husband’s things.”
“Excuse me?” Tilly all but shouted, interrupting Kieran, “She’s a married Sassenach on top o’ it all? Have ye nae pride or shame?” She slammed her hands onto the table, the necklace all but forgotten.
“I didnae say I did a damn thing with the woman, Tilly. Ye best mind yersel’ ‘afore I get angry with ye.” Kieran rose up out of his chair slightly, towering over his sister. He was not proud of the lie, but it was a necessity. A piece of news like that could spread like wildfire through his clan; for all he knew, it could reach Lord Stone’s ears. What would happen to Vivien then? But more importantly to him, it was none of Tilly’s business.
She nodded, looking abashed as she put her hands in her lap under the table, the necklace firmly clasped in them.
Kieran quickly explained the relevant parts of what he and Vivien had discussed to Tilly and Bailey.
“We were right, then,” Tilly said when he was done, “It is this new English Lord.” She shook her head.
“It appears so, yes. The question now is what tae dae abou’ it. Vivien will send word if she hears anything o’ any value, but I dinnae like sitting around like an old maid waiting for better days,” Kieran said, sighing heavily, “The other clans won’t stand with us, even if I show them the proof; they’re so busy fighting among themselves that they can’t be bothered with anything else. An’ I cannae risk moving against the man alone. I cannae risk the lives o’ our clan, nor the crown getting involved and meting out punishment on us for moving against an Englishman with nae real proof.”
“How dae ye even ken ye can trust this woman?” Tilly crossed her arms across her chest with a mulish look.
“I trust her,” Kieran replied, to which Tilly only snorted.
“An’ that’s all ye need? Yer hope that she’s not a traitor tae the very people her husband wants tae kill?”
“Tilly…” Bailey said softly.
