Page 31 of Highlander’s Ancient Vengeance

He took a deep breath. “But I also do not know if our people can accept that. We have been enemies with the Dunbars for so long...”

Margaret looked over to where Craig and Malle were tenderly looking into each other’s eyes, and it was clear at that moment that Malle would do anything for that man.

“If we give our blessing,” Kenneth said, as they all walked back to the dining table, “you know that this will mean the end of the feud. What will people say?” He sounded terrified.

“Indeed,” Malcolm agreed, nodding. “The Dunbars and the MacEwans at peace? It is not natural! Our people will not accept it, Craig. What will you do?”

Then Craig replied, “Shall we try it? This partnership will do a great deal of good not only to us but to our people as well. Working together we could achieve a great deal. Yes, it will be strange at first, but when people have their children fed and their houses prospering, they will forget all about the hate.”

Malcolm thought about this for a moment. “Indeed,” he said thoughtfully, stroking his beard. “I would like to see the fine ram you were telling me about Kenneth.”

“And you have the great bull who has sired hundreds of fine calves,” Kenneth agreed. “We could build up two fine herds between us. Our people will surely not oppose that.”

There was one more moment of hesitation from Kenneth. He looked at Craig and he knew that him and Malcom were both already old. The new Laird had decided their fate and he had a strong woman by his side. The responsibility was now on their hands.

“Why not Malcom?” he replied feeling like a huge burden was lifted off of his shoulders.

Both lairds had an excuse for each other, as they did it for their children. And they also had an excuse for their people. The clans would be much more powerful if they cooperated and most people would forget all about the freud if that meant better prospects and food for their children. For the ones that were still unsure there was Craig. Now with more power under his hand there would be hard to find a man to oppose him.

They reached across the table and for the first time in over two hundred years, a MacEwan and a Dunbar joined hands in friendship.

“Do you get the feeling that we are being regarded as livestock?” Malle laughed as they sat in the parlor drinking mulled wine before going to bed. “A ram and ewe breeding the next generation?”

Malcolm was giving Kenneth and Margaret a tour of the castle, but Craig and Malle were glad to be alone for a while. She was leaning her head on his shoulder, and the nightmare events of the past few days were so distant that they seemed to have happened to someone else.

“Hmmm…” Craig thought for a moment, then laughed. “Perhaps, but you cannot blame them, Malle. So many new opportunities have opened up for all of us now, especially since our fathers have started talking about building a bridge over the Cut. The future is bright for all of us.”

“And our children,” she murmured, then yawned.

“And a young Isobell must come as soon as possible!” Craig declared. “I am not a patient man!”

“What if it’s a Donnan?” Malle asked, laughing.

“Then we will send him back,” Craig murmured, laughing. “Come here, you gorgeous woman. I need to kiss you again or I will die.” Then he folded his arms around her and kissed her so gently it was as though a feather were blowing across her lips. He smoothed his big rough hand over her silky hair and she sighed into his mouth.

When he tried to draw away she put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him back again, and was rewarded with a moan of pleasure. This time it was deep, passionate, and fierce; their tongues stroking, lips caressing until they were both breathless. When she finally let him go he shook his head in disbelief.

“When I first met you I thought you had a fiery temper.” He laughed. “I didn’t realize you had fiery lips too. My mouth is on fire!”

She giggled, and buried her head in his chest again, inhaling the warm musk of his skin which was better than any perfume she had ever smelled before.

Presently the lairds and Margaret came back and sat with them, and after two hundred years of hostility, the Dunbars and MacEwans were at last finding out about each other, realizing that they had many things in common which they had never known before. For example, Malcolm had a sister who was also called Margaret. “In fact,” he laughed, “I have five sisters—Margaret, Mary, Minette, Maureen, and Mazey. And I am Malcolm, which is why Craig is not called Munro!”

“And what do you do in your free time?” Malcolm asked Kenneth.

“I play chess with Malle,” he replied. “And I tell Malle stories as if she was still a little girl. And please forgive me, but they are mostly about how we defeated the Dunbars.”

“She sat on his lap until two years ago!” Margaret laughed.

“Do not worry,” Craig said, smiling down at Malle, “I heard the same ones about the MacEwans, but we will not tell them anymore. We will make happier ones. Is she a good chess player?” Craig asked, as if she were not there.

“Indeed she is,” Kenneth answered proudly. “She wins most of our games.” He smiled at his daughter.

“I will have to challenge her!” Craig was laughing, and Margaret laughed too as she watched him and Malle together. It was quite obvious that they adored each other. Malle was everything to her, and the thought of giving her to a careless or cruel man terrified her. However, now that she had met Craig, Margaret needed no more reassurance. She had a feeling that the stories about the Dunbars would continue, but they would have a very different context.

19

The Letter