Little oddities suddenly made sense: playing cards with Jamie in the room full of the king’s men, his anger at the mention of the MacGregors and the Lewis political situation on their ride that day, lurking in the dark corridor…
Her stomach lurched. When they’d had their first kiss. Had he kissed her simply to cover up his presence in the hall?
“Tell her the rest,” Rosalind said impatiently, obviously sensing Meg’s distress.
Her father sighed and continued reluctantly, “The information that Alex uncovered at court enabled the Island chiefs to ready their assistance, secretly, to the MacLeods of Lewis. When the Fife Adventurers landed and occupied Stornoway Castle a couple of weeks ago, we were ready—in large part because of Alex.” Her father seemed inclined to stop, but Rosalind nudged him along with a piercing stare. “And Alex has joined Neil MacLeod in leading the resistance on Lewis.”
“Alex? Fighting on Lewis?” she echoed softly. She’d guessed what he was going to say, but it still came as a shock. Her mind was racing, trying to put together what she’d just learned with the conversation with Lord Huntly. Why would Alex be agreeing to fight for Huntly?He wouldn’t.“But how? For how long?”
Her father shrugged. “He’s been there for over two weeks, arriving just before the Adventurers. He probably left court about the same time you did. Neil and Alex have been organizing raids on the settlement at Stornoway, intercepting food and supplies meant for the Adventurers—wearing them down, much like last time. Small skirmishes thus far, but that will soon change.”
“I knew he was up to something, I just never suspected—” She jerked back as if she had been slapped. The second betrayal hit nearly as hard as the first. Her father, the man she’d fought desperately to please, to convince that she could manage Dunakin, had not confided in her.
Acute disappointment formed a solid, bitter lump in her throat.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why was I not informed that you intended to help the MacLeods of Lewis? How could you keep something so important from me?” She choked on her last words, unable to control the emotion strangling her voice.
Her father was in league against the king, and she’d been kept in the dark.
“You are many things, Meg,” he said gently. “But you are not chief. That is a position I hope to hold on to for a few—nay, many more years to come.”
Her father did not trust her.
“Lachlan, you are doing an atrociously poor job of this,” Rosalind warned.
Her father glanced over at Meg, noticing her distress. “It’s not like that, lass. I’m proud of you. You’ve acquitted yourself admirably in the face of difficult circumstances, with your brother…” He fiddled with some loose parchment on the table, flustered as he always was when discussing Ian. “Perhaps I rely on you overmuch. Your mother accuses me of demanding too much of you. I never thought so, but perhaps she is right. If you want to marry Jamie Campbell, do so becauseyouwant to, not because you think that is what I expect of you. Often the best solution is not the most obvious. Trust in yourself.”
“Yet you do not trust me,” Meg accused, still hurt that he had not confided in her.
“Nonsense. You must realize that you are not privy to all the decisions made around here.”
In fact, Meg hadn’t realized that.
“It was safer for you not to know. The fewer people who know of this, the better. We don’t want to risk the king getting word of our involvement.”
“I would never—”
Her father held up his hand. “I know that. If I’d known you were going to become involved with Alex, I would have warned you. And then when you came home, you spoke only of a proposal from Jamie. I wasn’t convinced, or I refused to let myself be convinced, that what your mother told me about your feelings for Alex MacLeod were true.”
Her cheeks grew hot. She heard her mother make a “humph” sound that saidI told you so.
“If you wish to wait for Alex MacLeod to return before you answer Jamie, I do not object. But you must understand that the situation on Lewis is extremely volatile—and of course very dangerous. There is a chance—”
He stopped abruptly when Meg paled.
“I’m sorry, Meg, but I do not want you to suffer under any false illusions. Alex may not return. And even if he does, the king will hardly be pleased with him. With rumors circulating in London of a plot to overthrow the Fife Adventurers, Neil has already been put to the horn. The same could happen to Alex.”
There were thousands of questions running through her mind. She didn’t realize that she’d voiced them aloud. “What’s the nature of our involvement? What chiefs are involved? Does the king suspect us? When do they plan to take the castle? What news have you had from…”
“From Alex?” Rosalind finished for her.
Meg nodded.
“We are in daily communication with the men fighting on Lewis. In addition to the MacLeods of Dunvegan and the Mackinnons, the MacDonald of Dunyveg, MacLean of Duart, MacLaine of Lochbuie, MacLean of Coll, and the MacQuarrie of Ulva are all party to our plans. We have provided men and supplies, of course, but our primary aid is information. If the king suspects our involvement, he is not yet ready to move on his suspicions other than to forbid travel to the Isle of Lewis—which is why our messengers travel at night.”
Meg took a moment to digest this latest information. Then she asked, “But what about the MacDonalds, are they not involved?”
“Ah, you noticed the omission of our mercurial ‘friends.’ Yes, they are involved. But the MacDonalds think they can straddle both sides by forming an alliance with the chiefs while secretly providing information to Lord Chancellor Seton. They sent a spy of their own to court, but Alex discovered who it was and we are feeding him false information.”
