9
BAIT OR BESIEGE?
“Open the gates.”
Finn didn't bother to see if his men would follow his orders before he turned on his heel and strode back inside Glenkirk Castle. Seamus stayed put, as though the conversation had frozen him there. Flora and Errik exchanged glances, one that said the words neither of them dared to utter, and then she nudged her horse forward.
Stopping only once she had reached Seamus' side, Flora dismounted and stepped towards him.
“That did nae go to plan,” she muttered with disdain. “Are ye all right?”
Her hand went out to try to grasp his, but he pulled back almost as soon as she had touched him.
“Fine. I am fine.”
She stepped back automatically, the sharpness in his words as painful as though he had used his sword. Her face must have shown her hurt, as his eyes softened as soon as they landed on hers.
“Forgive me, love,” he whispered, stepping into her, placing his forehead on hers. “I find I am still struggling to contain my anger with him.”
“We should nae keep him waiting, lest he thinks we are conspiring against him,” Errik said a bit under his breath as he walked up to the couple.
Seamus straightened himself with a deep breath. Tugging his shirt into place and running a hand through his hair, he nodded.
“Aye. We have plans to discuss.”
“When Liam arrives, he will see to it that our men make it into the courtyard and are situated,” Errik offered. “Now, we must see what plans can be made with Finn.”
Flora didn't miss the note of sadness in Errik's last statement. She knew that he had once seen Finn as a long-lost son. To be treated as an outsider, and in some ways, the enemy hurt Errik just as much as it had hurt Flora and Brid.
Walking by Seamus' side, they went inside. Errik, along with the representatives of each village and a handful of other important men, came with them. Finn had stopped just inside the castle to give orders to the servants waiting there.
“Bring in the platters of meats and cheeses. See if ye can find a loaf or two of bread. And bring enough ale so that everyone can have at least one glass. Then find three or four others to help ye serve it all.”
The woman nodded and scurried off to do his bidding. Flora was baffled at Finn's newfound demeanor. It was one that came off as cold and callous and more than a little calculating. She hated to think that Finn's plan had always been to take over the clan, to rule as Laird himself one day, but seeing how comfortable he seemed to be in the role made her question everything she knew about the man.
“I think the war room will be best for our purposes. This way.”
Flora could feel the look that Errik was sending her without needing to turn around to see it. Nevertheless, she and Seamus,along with everyone else, trailed after Finn, staying a step behind him.
She took note of the castle passageways as they walked, surprised to see that the castle was in half decent condition. It lacked the gilded framed pieces of art and the rich rugs covering the floor that Campbell had in Murray Castle. There were no silver mugs or walls covered in swords. But the walls were solid and well-kept, as were the floors.
The war room was no exception. Little more than a long rectangle with a table in the center mirroring the shape of the room, there was no mistaking it for what it was. And it appeared as though Finn had already been making use of the space. Maps and papers and books were sprawled across the tabletop, nearly covering the dark brown oak. With only one window to light the room, they relied on candles to force the shadows away.
“Please, take a seat,” Finn offered with a sweeping gesture before sliding into a chair of his own.
Flora wasn't surprised that he had claimed the center most spot, the chair with the rich red cushions and the covered arms. It was clearly the Laird's seat and by taking it, he had made quite the statement. Seamus pretended not to notice as he took the spot opposite of Finn. Flora found her place to his right, and Errik took up Seamus' left. Her uncle, the Aberfeldy Village representative, slid in beside her, giving her a proud smile. She returned it, relieved to be so surrounded by the people on her side.
It took several moments for the group to get settled, with everyone in their chairs. The maids, as instructed, came in with trays of food and mugs half filled with ale, though no one touched it just yet. An air of tension had blanketed the room, keeping anyone from wanting to move or break the silence. She sighed through her nose and reached for a square of cheese, knowing she had to be the one to speak first.
“I must say, Finn, I am impressed with ye. I did nae think it possible to invade a fortress of this size with so few men. Though, ye always had a knack for doing the unexpected. How did ye manage it?”
She fought to keep her tone light and complimentary, though she was feeling the opposite of that. But she knew that if this meeting was to be a success, Finn would have to let his guard down, at least to some degree. And he was never one to shy away from spinning a story, especially if it were one about himself.
“It was nae easy, I will say. We came under the cover of night and attacked. Campbell's men are well-trained warriors, as ye well ken, but my men fought valiantly. I would nae stop until we were victorious. Ultimately, we were better prepared. The men did nae have time to ready themselves for the fight. In fact, many of them were roused from their beds. I doubt they had much time to so much as grab their swords before we stormed in.”
Flora nodded, acting to chew the cheese thoughtfully in her mouth, though really she was only trying to buy herself time to formulate her next question without saying the wrong thing. Taking their cues from her, Seamus and Errik also began to pick at the food that had been laid out. Slowly, the rest of the men did the same, making Finn smile, as though he was a proud and great host.
“And where are those men now?”
