Page 76 of The Lady of Her Highland Clan

Clyde patted her shoulders. "I should have kent. He was sent tae see if we had already found the gold, an' if we hadn't, tae put us off from trying...whilst Fraser looked for it first!"

Fiona shook her head. The memory of the brigands pulling her came rushing back. Reassuringly, Clyde squeezed her hand.

McTavish squinted uncertainly at the two of them. Fiona coughed.

"But it's alright, sir, an' we got it all back in the end!" she announced, smiling. She could hardly blame him for being confused, although the rest of the clan seemed to have gotten the news alright!

"All ye need tae ken is that Fraser has been banished from the lands, an' he wilnae bother us again!"

At this point, McTavish gave up.

Fiona leaped in.

"The clan gold, we got it, that's all ye need tae ken. Och, an' I have made an alliance wi' the Andersons over it. They are sharing some o' the gold, as are the Greenocks," she promised him. "We'll work out all the details later, but we restored the Greenock clan tae its rightful leader."

Here, Fiona's hand went to Clyde. She smiled broadly into his eyes. "Which means peace in the clans, an' nay warlords taking o'er!"

Eventually, McTavish nodded, impressed. All around them was cheering. Already, there was some dancing starting up.

The noise in the room was growing, but Fiona could sense there would still need to be some serious discussions.

Signaling that they needed to talk more fully, McTavish gestured to the other senior elders to follow him, and a small counsel of them headed for the chambers in the side of the hall.

Dutifully, they all filed in, with the revelries still filtering in from the main hall. Tensely, Fiona waited as the last of the elders shuffled in. Then, they were joined by Grace and Aileen, who embraced her as they entered.

"I kent ye could do it," murmured Grace, hugging her warmly. Fiona felt joy flood through her, but although the mood in the packed chamber was positive, she still felt a residual twinge of panic.

What would the elders say? Had she done enough to please them?

Just as she was waiting for their reply, the door to the cloistered chamber opened, and in came a courtier. He was tall, lanky, and with a haze of blond hair. Perched at the side of him, an apologetic Duncan servant followed, carrying a small, but heavy-looking chest.

Every eye was upon him as he entered the closet. Even the feasting from the hall behind them seemed to subdue.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, ladies." The timid servant nodded. With the glare of the elders upon him, he seemed diminished and almost to fade beneath their eyes. "But Laird Anderson sends his envoy, with word an' greetings!"

As soon as the blond man entered the chamber, Clyde's demeanor altered. Now he was watching with amused curiosity. It was clear from his face that he knew something Fiona didn't.

This piqued her interest. Tapping his shoulder, she looked at him.

"Sir Bruce McDowling," announced the excited servant. He immediately set down the wooden chest he had been carrying, attracting the attention of the entire room.

"Aye, aye, it's Anderson's spy," he said in a low voice.

Fiona instantly looked at him. "Spy?" she gasped, but Clyde bade her to keep quiet. From the look on his face, he was not more tickled than anything else.

"Aye, the wee clipe." Clyde smirked. By now, he was whispering so quietly, it had to be straight into her ear. And his closeness was drawing looks from the elders. "He was the one reporting back tae Anderson about the gold. That was how Fraser found out."

"Ah," muttered Fiona. She, too, was aware of the glances of the elders. But for once, she did not care. Feeling this closeness to Clyde made her come alive.

Taking advantage of the closely packed chamber, she came a little further up close to him, sitting close enough for his hand to become entwined in hers.

Now they both looked at Bruce, who had continued speaking. "Laird Anderson sends his regards, an' a copy o' the treaty signed between the clans. He also sends the clan gold, back tae its rightful home."

There was a murmur of excitement through the room. Solemnly, Bruce presented the treasure. Packed into a small wooden chest, the Duncan servant unveiled the missing bounty.

Laboriously, Bruce's tapering fingers unpicked the lock on the chest. Then, it flung open.

A gasp came up from the elders. Inside the coffers, the gold gleamed brightly.