Epilogue
One Week Later
Aileen looked around at the gathering on the slipway. Everard and Maxwell were there of course, along with Finn and Séamus, Ranald Dunbar and the men he commanded. It was a bright day, the sunshine and a hint of warmth in the air signaling the end of winter was not far away. These were good omens for sailors.
Raven, her long dark hair whipped by the breeze, hugged Aileen tightly. “I ken things will go well fer ye here.”
Aileen sighed. “I shall miss yer company. Mayhap ye will visit Kiessimul again soon, before yer bairn comes.”
Raven grinned, casting a knowing glance at Maxwell. “Ye never ken what celebrations might be in store before long.”
Aileen pshawed, her eyes automatically turning toward him. “We shall see, milady.”
Raven squeezed her hand. “Ye’d make a fine sister fer me, Aileen. I cannae wait fer ye tae meet the rest of Arne’s family. Our family.”
Arne walked over and took her hand. “I trust we will see each other before long,” he said to Aileen, placing an arm around his wife. The loving couple stepped along the gangway to board Laird Haldor’s lofty birlinn.
Arne’s brother Haldor, who had been deep in conversation with Maxwell, looked up in response to his brother’s signal from the ship. He and Maxwell shook hands and Haldor stepped lightly aboard his finest vessel.
This birlinn was the last of the MacLeod fleet that had arrived from the Isle of Skye only hours after Maxwell, Everard, Arne and Aileen had returned from their successful mission to Canna along with Barclay MacAlpin.
Once he’d learned of the Laird Andrew Sutherland’s fate, Haldor had sailed to Canna accompanied by Everard and Maxwell, only to learn that Sutherland’s entire fleet had already sailed and the soldiers’ encampment had been abandoned.
There would be no war with the Sutherlands.
Now, in the company of Arne and Raven, Haldor was taking his ship back to the Isle of Skye.
The ropes were untied and, as the ship turned and headed for the open sea, the crew took to their oars. All those on the jetty waved as the birlinn made its majestic way to the open sea, until they could no longer make out the figures standing in the stern
Maxwell slung his arm across Aileen’s shoulders as they strolled back along the slipway toward the castle. “I wish tae talk alone wi’ ye lass.”
“Hold it.” It was Everard. “I wish tae meet wi’ ye in me study.” He turned to Finn and Seamus who were also heading toward the castle gate. “I’ve something I wish tae say tae ye all together.”
They trooped through the gate and across the courtyard.
“What does the laird wish wi’ us?” Finn held her hands in front of her, nervously twisting her fingers together. “I’m afeared he may have us put tae jail.”
Aileen smiled. “Nae ye two. There’s naught tae fear from him. He’s a good man. But there are matters we all need to discuss.”
Once they were seated around Everard’s big table and tankards of ale had been poured, Finn and Seamus seemed more at ease, although it was clear to Aileen they were both wary of the discussion to come.
Everard spoke first.
“I’ve discussed this matter many times with milady Aileen MacAlpin, and her father Barclay MacAlpin.” He turned to Finn and Seamus. “I ken well that ye’ve all been carrying on the sweet trade of piracy over the years. I also ken that many years ago yer ships caused a great deal of trouble for the seafarers and fishermen in MacNeil waters.”
He turned to Aileen. “I believe yer faither and mine had reached an understanding that their ships would never harry each other.”
“Aye. Me faither had hinted at such a thing. He kent yer faither well.”
“And now that very same old pirate is sheltering under me roof.” Everard gave a brief laugh glancing at Finn and Séamus.
“Yer birlinn is moored at me slipway, and yer sailors are enjoying the hospitality of our villagers, so I believe it is time we turned our thoughts tae what ye intend tae dae next.”
Aileen glanced from Finn to Seamus. “Ye are me dear friends and have been loyal tae me fer many years. It is me wish, now, that ye should stay wi’ the birlinn we’ve sailed together so many times.”
Finn nodded, bouncing her long braid, and Séamus, arms folded, nodded, a half-smile on his lips.
“If ye wish it, I shall sign the papers tae make the birlinn yers.”
Smiles lit their faces.
“Daes this mean ye are nae intending tae sail wi’ us again, Captain?” asked Finn.
“Aye. That is what it means. I have much tae dae. I dinnae wish tae leave me faither and there is family I want tae meet again on the Isle of Canna. Me days of piracy are at an end.”
Everard broke in. “And that is exactly what I wish tae discuss.”
They all looked up, two faces growing anxious while Maxwell and Aileen shared knowing looks.
The door opened and Barclay MacAlpin hobbled in with his walking-stick and a smile on his face. He was much improved after his first few days of a warm bed and a full belly at Kiessimul.
Everard grinned at the old man. “Tis fer ye tae continue the story.”
Barclay took the seat nearest the fire. “’Tis true that I kent yer faither. He was a hard man who drove a ruthless bargain but we reached an agreement that none of the pirates from the Isle of Canna would plunder the MacNeils’ waters again. And that agreement held, even after his death. We were nae friends and he didnae have a good heart, if ye ask me, at least when it came to his enemies.”
“And when it came tae his family, when his interests were his priority,” added Everard, a grim expression on his face as he remembered how his sister had been married off to a cruel man and his brother had been sent away for many years.
Barclay looked somewhat surprised, but then continued where he had broken off. “But he kept his word, and we respected each other, so I kept mine.”
Aileen looked up. “Ye told me about this, Da.”
Her father continued. “What I’ve never discussed with anyone else was that Laird Brendan…” he nodded briefly to Maxwell and Everard, “…yer faither, was petitioning the king on me behalf tae grant me a privateer’s license.” His eyes clouded for a moment, as if he recalled a distant, painful, memory. “That was greatly tae his benefit, as I pledged tae allot a certain amount of our booty tae him, tae add tae his coffers. But it was a good thing fer us all. It meant I could never be hunted by our own country’s ships, and could plunder and intercept any foreign vessels. Of course, some duty would have had tae be paid tae our regent, but we’d have been safe under his protection.”
“What happened? ‘Twas a good plan,” Aileen shook her head. This would have meant her life would have taken a far different path. “It would have kept ye out of Sutherland’s clutches.”
“Aye.” Barclay nodded solemnly. “But before the plan could come tae fruition, Laird Brendan died and we became prisoners of that black-hearted devil.”
Aileen’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “If only that plan had come to pass.”
Everard offered a kindly smile. “It is what I am proposing now. If ye wish it, Aileen, I can petition the king on yer behalf fer the license.”
She shook her head. “I thank ye, milord. But I wish the ship tae belong tae me two loyal friends. If ye can petition on their behalf…” She took in Seamus’s and Finn’s smiling faces. “…that would make me heart glad. I would be full of thanks fer such a kindness.”
Everard nodded his agreement. “Once the papers are in order, I shall go ahead with the petition then. I am certain he will agree. Finn and Seamus, can ye attend me here fer a while longer so that I may ken yer details fer the petition?”
Aileen got to her feet and curtseyed to Everard. “Thank ye from the bottom of me heart.”
Maxwell rose and took her arm. “Come, Aileen, let us walk in the garden while these arrangements are made formal.” She nodded and followed him out to the garden.
“It has been a long week since that terrible night on the Isle of Canna.”
“Aye. I’ve had little time wi’ ye. I’ve missed yer company greatly, but I have been tending tae me faither.”
“And he’s all the better fer it. His cheeks are blooming, and he’s regaining his strength.”
They strolled along the passageway, down the stairs and continued through the courtyard, to the garden. Aileen couldn’t help noticing that once or twice Maxwell twitched his shoulders, and not once but three times adjusted the buckle on his kilt. He loosened the tie at his throat and breathed in deeply, exhaling noisily.
“Daes something ail ye, Maxwell?” Aileen looked at him with concern. She was not used to seeing this big man anything but composed. Even when he had been facing a horde of hostile soldiers in Sutherland’s camp Maxwell had been calm, alert and focused only on the job at hand. Yet today he seemed jumpy. If she didn’t know him better, she might suspect he was nervous.
He shook his head, guiding her by the elbow along the path into the walled garden. “Nay lass.” His voice sounded a tad croaky and he cleared his throat. And there was that twitch again.
She led him to the same pretty bower she’d occupied with Raven all those days ago and they sat together on the old bench. A tiny robin red breast alighted on a branch only a few feet away and she watched it with delight.
Turning to Maxwell she whispered, “D’ye see that wee fellow?”
But Maxwell was too busy fiddling with his neckerchief and straightening his kilt shawl on his shoulder to take notice of the tiny bird.
There was definitely something on his mind.
“What is it? I’ve never seen ye in such a state.”
He huffed and thumped his fist on the timber arm of the bench. Aileen looked at him in alarm.
“Are ye in pain?”
“Aye.” He groaned loudly. “I am in pain. ‘I cannae think straight.”
Aileen jumped to her feet and smoothed down the pale-blue linen of her skirt. “We must seek the healer. Is it yer head that aches?”
“Nay, lass.” Springing to his feet beside her he was shaking his head. “Naught is wrong wi’ me head, me belly, me limbs, my arse or me manhood.”
She giggled a little at that. “Then what is it pray? What part of ye is suffering?”
He slumped on the seat again and pulled her down to join him, giving a sharp little laugh as he did so.
“’Tis me heart, Aileen MacAlpin. Me poor heart.”
She looked at him in alarm as he slipped off the seat to bend one knee and rest the other on the grass before her. “Yer heart?”
“It feels like I’m dying. And I will die ...” He straightened, taking her hand in his and pressing it to his lips. “I will die fer loving ye Aileen MacAlpin, if ye dinnae agree tae marry me.” He blurted out the words so that she almost missed what he said.
“What did ye say? Ye’re dying, and then?”
“Ye’re a wicked woman. Ye heard me full well.”
“Then tell me again about yer impending death.” Now she was laughing.
“Will ye marry me, Aileen MacAlpin?” He roared. “Fer the love of our good Lord Jesus Christ, put me out of this misery and tell me yes.”
Still laughing, she yelled, “Yes, MacNeil, ye silly goose. I love ye truly. Of course, I’ll marry ye.”
His heart bursting into song, he stood, shook off the grass from his kilt, brushed his knees, wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into his arms in an embrace that would have done any giant bear proud.
“I cannae believe it.” He kissed her face all over: her forehead, the tip of her nose, her eyebrows, her eyelids, her long dark eyelashes, her cheeks. At last, he came to her lips and he moaned into her mouth as she toyed with his lower lip and opened to his tongue, winding herself tighter, her hands in his hair, and the whole world disappearing as they shared their lovers’ kiss.
But there’s more…
Eager to learn what the future holds for Aileen & Maxwell ?
Then you may enjoy this extended epilogue .