Page 5 of Once Upon a Haunted Horn and Hoof

Chapter Two

“Wait a minute,” said Keithen, slowly lowering himself atop a wooden bench, still trying to catch his breath. “Ye mean to tell me I’m marryin’ the ghost’s granddaughter, and he doesna like it?”

Callum shrugged. “Mayhap no’. But once we have an alliance, he’ll settle down I’m sure.”

“Well, I’m no’ sure,” snapped Keithen. “How do ye ken this isna what has him upset in the first place?”

“I dinna,” said Callum. “So, that is why ye’ve got to get rid of Lennox now, as well as marry his granddaughter for the alliance. I dinna want him scarin’ off my customers or stoppin’ this weddin’.”

“I will no’!” Keithen’s anger grew. He didn’t like his life being planned by a madman.

“Ye are a MacKeefe now, and need to prove yer worth,” Callum reminded him. “Ye will do what I say, or I’ll make ye an outcast and no’ welcomed back here.”

“Ye dinna want that,” mumbled Gavin.

“Bein’ an outcast isna a good thing. We ken from experience,” added Cam.

“Callum, isna Lennox MacNeil the man ye killed, thereby makin’ our clans enemies in the first place?” asked Gavin.

“It wasna my fault. I didna kill him. No’ really. It was an accident,” said Callum, taking another swig of whisky, looking the other way.

“What happened? I mean, how did the man die?” asked Keithen, having to know this answer.

“Lennox and I were friends at one time,” explained Callum. “He surprised me one day when I was makin’ whisky in my still out in the woods. While sittin’ atop his horse, he tried to find out my secret recipe. When he leaned over to see what I was doin’, I pushed him away. Well, the horse reared up on him. The bloody fool Lennox—who had drunk too much in the first place—fell and broke his damned neck. Honestly, I think it was his fate, since I found out afterwards he was only tryin’ to steal my secret recipe to sell it to our enemies.”

“That’s just speculation.” Gavin shook his head. “Nothing has ever been proven.”

“I say it’s true, and that is enough proof!” Callum seemed to be angered by Gavin’s words.

“Either way, I’m no’ marryin’ the man’s granddaughter, and neither am I goin’ to get rid of a ghost.” Keithen reached over and snagged the bottle from Callum, taking a swig to calm his nerves. “That ghost wants me dead!”

“Ye have to marry the girl to make peace,” said Callum. “It’s more important now than ever.”

“Make peace with who?” Keithen’s eyes opened wide. “It is no secret Lennox doesna want peace. He wants my head.”

“The betrothal is set and the girl is en route,” Callum reminded him.

“He’s right,” agreed Gavin. “If ye break the promise, our clans will have a bloody battle on our hands. It is the last thing we want or need.”

“And if I go through with it, it’ll be my blood that’s spilled instead,” Keithen ground out, wondering if anyone really cared what happened to him.

“Ye need to find a way to make Lennox leave my tavern,” said Callum. “If no’, I will be ruined. Ruined, I say! He has already scared away all my customers.”

“I agree,” said Cam. “I dinna think anyone will return after what they witnessed here tonight.”

Gavin put his hand on Keithen’s shoulder. “The MacKeefe clan depends on the sales from Callum’s Mountain Magic. It is our main source of income. Without it, we’ll really struggle. It’s up to you now to save the clan from failing.”

Keithen didn’t want the clan to struggle. Neither did he want the clan to fail, since he and his sister were now part of the family. Since he was a MacKeefe now, he wanted to do whatever he could to help out. And earning favor in Callum’s eyes couldn’t hurt him any, either.

“How do ye suggest I get rid of a ghost?” Keithen’s head spun with concern, and he desperately needed suggestions. After all, this wasn’t something he had ever encountered before.

Callum shrugged his boney shoulders. “I dinna care how ye do it, but just dinna let yer betrothed ken that the ghost of her grandda is trying to ruin the marriage. If she finds out, she might be the one to break the alliance instead. I warn ye, only trouble will result in either side breaking the betrothal.”

“Ye think so?” Keithen felt his heart racing. He needed this marriage to work out more than the rest of the clan, because he was the one with the most at stake.

“Ye’ll do it, then?” asked Cam.

“I dinna see that I have a choice,” mumbled Keithen, taking another swig of whisky. “But how the hell do I kill a ghost?”