“She asked what you said, and I told her,” he answered. “Then she asked what you were expecting to eat—fillet of beef or a leg of mutton? I told her I understood how she felt but that you were here to help. She said Sassenachs are not welcome here, and she had never heard of any of you doing any good for anyone.”
“That word again,” Adam said, puzzled. “What does it mean?”
“Saxon, Englishman,” the priest replied. “It often means ‘stranger’ or ‘foreigner.’ Do not take it to heart. They will change when they get to know you.”
They went upstairs into the dining room. There was wine there but the priest would not drink it. “Not when people are starving,” he said quietly. He poured them each a glass of milk that he had brought from the kitchen.
“I am afraid these people will never get to know me,” Adam said heavily.
“What do you mean?” Father Gordon asked with a dangerous note in his voice that Adam missed.
“I mean that without gold I cannot effect repairs,” he replied. “I do not even know if it exists. I have no clue how to farm or build, Father. I have been trained to do nothing except indulge in dissipation, but my worst sin is that I am English. They hate me, and quite frankly, I hate them too. I cannot help but feel that they are not worthy of my assistance, even if I had any to give. Get someone else, Father. This is too heavy a burden for me to bear and I do not want it.”
Father Gordon looked at his pouting, sullen face, and exploded. He thumped his fist so hard on the table that Adam almost jumped out of his seat.
“Now listen to me,” he growled. “This is your burden and no one else’s and youwillbear it, do you hear me? I promise you, Adam, that if you do not help these people you will not get out of this village alive. I will see to it!”
“But you cannot do that!” Adam protested, shocked. “You are a priest. You will be damned!”
“Then I will go to hell,” the priest replied grimly, “but I will not let my people suffer because you are too cowardly to do anything to help. I will do my part. Step up and do yours. Or are you not man enough?”
Adam opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment a housemaid came in to interrupt their conversation.She looks scared to death, Adam thought. This was borne out when she addressed Father Gordon in a rapid torrent of Gaelic with tears streaming down her cheeks. He replied to her in soothing tones and she wiped her eyes and nodded, then ran from the room.
Father Gordon had gone pale.
“What has happened?” Adam asked.
“Laird Robert McElwee is here,” the priest replied heavily.
“Why is everyone so scared of him?” Adam was puzzled and a little afraid.
“Because he is one of the wickedest men ever born,” Father Gordon replied grimly.
4
Dammit!Emmanuel Gordon thought.Could he have picked a worse time to visit?For a moment he debated with himself about whether he should tell McElwee about Adam’s inheritance. On one hand, if he told Robert McElwee, he would likely swoop in with a strong force of cavalry and foot soldiers to challenge Adam and who knew what would happen then? Very likely it would amount to complete and utter devastation, and no one wanted that.
On the other hand, if he kept the news to himself he could keep control of the situation...and Adam. The priest could see that Adam was quite a weak character, and left to himself he could make things even worse for all concerned. It was better that he, as a man of God, kept a tight rein on things, both material and spiritual.
“Wait here,” he told Adam. “And do not let that man outside see you under any circumstances. I will be back to talk to you in a moment, once I have seen this villain off the premises. I cannot tell you how important this is. Do you understand?”
Adam nodded, a little confused as to what was going on. He watched Father Gordon walk out the door then turned to one of the maidservants, Mhairi, he knew could speak a little English.
“Who is Laird McElwee?” he asked, frowning. He looked formidable enough for the maid to answer him quickly.
She pointed north and spoke hesitantly. “Laird. Next clan doon the valley,” she said, in her soft Highland lilt.
Then I must speak to him!Adam thought, smiling. The servant girl had stopped, turned away, and was saying something less than complimentary about him in her own language to her friend.
Adam opened the door and went out into the courtyard where the priest and the Laird were talking in hushed but heated voices.
Adam watched the two of them for a moment, taking the measure of Robert McElwee. He was not too tall, considerably shorter than Adam, as most people were, but quite a lot bigger than the priest. He had short light brown hair but his thick beard was darker, and as he came closer Adam could see that he had intelligent brown eyes. He had an upright military bearing and well-defined, craggy features.A man of substance and strength, Adam thought, and liked him at once.
As he strode towards the two men they looked around, and Adam could see the priest’s face darkening with rage.
Adam went up and bowed to Laird McElwee, then held out his hand, which the other hand gripped in a tight, warm grasp.
“Adam Cameron,” he said, smiling. “Malcolm Mackintosh’s heir. And you are Laird Robert McElwee?”
