Page 76 of Claimed Highland Brides

The man had the grace to look uncomfortable. “Well, to be frank, I am faced with few choices at the moment. My father put me out to seek my own way, and having found myself adrift in the Highlands, I thought to come to this festival in the hopes of hearing something to my advantage. By happy accident, I came upon your family on the road to the festival and have struck up a friendship.”

Daividh looked to Simon with narrowed questioning eyes. His cousin shrugged. “He walked wi’ us from the inn and he helped us tae fight.”

Daividh looked skeptically back at the man. “What can ye do?”

“I am able to read and write. I speak and write three languages—English, French, and Latin. I am also quite adept at doing the accounts.”

“So ye want tae be a steward?”

“I think I would make you a very good steward if you are in need of one.”

Daividh exchanged glances with Jamesina. Her eyes were wide and glassy, as if she was in shock. “Are ye alrigh’?” he asked with concern.

She nodded jerkily. “I am fine.” She cut her eyes to the Englishman. “Perhaps ye should gi’ him a chance. He really did help us.”

Daividh sighed. “I shall think on it.”

To his credit, the man simply bowed and stepped back. He walked over to Ùna and picked her up. She was shaking the slightest bit. “Are you alright little one? Too much excitement for you?”

She leaned her chin against his shoulder and nodded.

“Well, perhaps tis best if you return to the Inn,” he said with a nod to Daividh. “The men will watch over you all night.”

Daividh added, “In the morn we shall return home.”

She laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes as she clung to him.

Jamesina sighed as he watched how gentle Delwyn was with his sister. She looked to the others. “Let us go.”

Delwyn kept his dirk in one hand even as he walked with the little girl in his other arm. Jamesina stayed at his side, glancing at him now and then.

Delwyn noticed all the men kept their swords at the ready as they followed Daividh. Nevertheless, they reached the inn without further incident.

* * *

Delwyn was torn between relief and guilt. He was relieved that nobody had been hurt but also guilty that it was down to him that they’d even been attacked in the first place. It turned out that he did not have to find Neacel Hunter because the man had found him.

It had begun as they approached the village for the ceremony. He was quite enjoying his conversation with Simon Campbell. So much so that he had delayed turning it towards the goldmine as he did not want to make the soldier suspicious of him. He could feel the eyes of the girl, Jamesina, on him and he was in two minds about how he felt about that.

On the one hand, her clear interest in him would make it easy for him to institute the marriage plan should he fail to find his sister. On the other hand, he did not want her to fall in love with him as it would make his inevitable betrayal that much worse. But his sister was a priority. No doubt.

As they had met with other people coming to the square for the ceremony he had been temporarily separated from the Douglass party when a group of men jostled between them. Simon and his group were taken up with making sure they formed a wall between the sisters and the new group of men while Delwyn found himself manhandled into the midst of the men.

A strong hand closed on his arm and a voiced hissed in his ear, “ Did ye think we wouldnae ken ye? Do you have the money? Explain yersel’ or yer sister dies.”

He turned to look at the man threatening him and found that he was holding a knife to Delwyn’s kidney. He barely refrained from gasping or jerking away as the man’s hold on his arm tightened.

“Be still!”

Delwyn stiffened at once. “I came here…to get my sister. My father will not pay the ransom you asked for.”

“Aye, he wilnae. But ye will. Right? The letter was for you! So where is the money?”

Delwyn’s heart sank.

“I have no money, my Father has money. And he will not pay. He thinks my sister left on free will. ”

“Yer sister says that unlike her father, you love her. Ah’m giving ye one week and then ye will never see yer sister again. I see you will get your hands on that gold mine. The girl dowry right? That money can save yer sister’s life. ”