“I know…”
“Weallhave an important role to play here.” Kali looked at each of them. “The future of Clan MacKay, of all of us, depends on what we do now. Do ye want to be the mistress of this clan?” Kali asked her sister.
“Do ye want to be a countess?” Ariana shot back.
“Never.”
“And for yer part, Heather?” Yvaine asked. “If me father catches ye aiding these women, ye might be executed for treason against the clan.”
Heather didn’t hesitate to answer.“I serve Lady Kali now.”
“And what of ye, Yvaine?” Kali asked. “If yer sire finds out ye have assisted me in any way, he might send ye away or marry ye off to the worst sort of husband any girl could have. A man like me sire.”
Yvaine squared her shoulders, her head held high. “Adam and me brothers would never allow me father to do such a thing. I think we have all agreed that the risks are worth it.”
“Aye,” Kali agreed, “For if we do nothing, we will all suffer greatly.”
…
Heather waited another hour before leaving her mistress. Then she slunk down to the great hall in search of the twins. Kali had provided her with a new dress, one of high-quality wool, and braided her hair in such a way to entice any man she came upon. Acting as if she had indulged in too much ale herself, Heather weaved her way between the trestle tables, giggling as several men touched her arse as she passed by.
As she reached the captain’s table located near the high table, several men were passed out, their heads resting upon their hands on the table or stretched out on the benches. She sighed in frustration as she failed to find James or Joseph. Where could they have gone? They weren’t the type of men to not drink some, though she had never seen them passed out at a celebration.
Next, she set her attention on the largest of the three hearths that graced the comfortable hall. Chairs and benches had been arranged in front of the fire to accommodate the men. Several guards were sharing wineskins, and two sat at a round table, playing dice, a pile of silver coins between them.
“Heather, lass,” one of the men at the table called her out. “Come here.”
Afraid to cause a scene by ignoring him, Heather greeted him enthusiastically and approached the table. “Good eve.”
“Good eve,” he said, smiling at her. “Who are ye looking for, lass? Is that a new dress?”
Heather knew Kenneth MacKay well enough. He was an honorable man. “Aye, a new dress.”
“And who are ye wearing it for?” He looked hopeful that she might pick him.
“James MacKay,” she quickly chose one of the brothers.
Kenneth slapped the tabletop and bellowed with drunk laughter. “Me pathetic wee cousin, James?”
The other men near the fire all joined him in laughter. Kenneth MacKay was a man to both fear and behold, of course. But she would never tell him that. Instead, she perched her hand on her hip and said, “If ye were half the man of James, perhaps it’d be ye I was seeking instead of him!”
Kenneth’s drunken grin quickly disappeared as he studied Heather’s face. “Ye question me virility, lass?”
Now she folded her arms and blew out a frustrated breath. “I doona care one way or the other. It is James I seek.”
The other guards chuckled, returning their attention to whatever they had been doing before.
“It seems we are having our first lovers quarrel,” Kenneth said, puffing out his chest. “Come and sit on me lap and we’ll discuss the first thing that pops up.”
“Ye churlish swine!” Heather admonished him.
“Aye, well, ye canna blame a man for trying.”
“Heather.”
Someone called her name from the corridor leading out of the hall and to the kitchens.
Kenneth heard it, too, and stood up. “Another admirer?” he asked, stomping to the passageway.
