Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
R oland Munro was not just humiliated at the defeat. He was angry. Angry that he had not slaughtered Laird Mackay where he stood. Angry that he had not been able to take his daughter back. And angry at Elspeth’s last words.
“…I have never had a faither. Now, more so than ever. When ye leave here, I willnae grieve ye’re going, fer ye have never given me any reason tae grieve ye.”
He and his men had been riding now for several hours. During most of that time, his mind had whirled with raging thoughts of her lack of gratitude.
After everything I have done fer that child. I gave her everything she ever wanted. She had the finest food, clothes, and horses. Even the union tae William Gunn would have set her up fer life. And after all that, she has the audacity tae tell me that she doesnae have a faither? What an ungrateful little wench. Well, she will rue the day she talked back tae me.
When Laird Mackay had agreed to the duel, Roland had been more than delighted. He would have finally had a chance to defeat the man who had stolen his daughter from under his nose. The man who had ruined everything. Without Elspeth, there could be no alliance. Without the alliance, his clan was open to threat, or worse, defeat.
It had been an opportunity to rectify the situation. Once he got Elspeth back in his possession, the alliance could go ahead. It was the feeling of absolute certainty that he would destroy Mackay that had made him agree to the terms of the duel. Yet, things had not gone to plan at all. Clearly, he had underestimated Mackay’s strength.
Or, how much he wanted tae keep Elspeth as his prize.
Roland shook his head, trying to rid his mind of that thought. No. Mackay had fought only for himself and his own pride. For a certainty, he had not wanted to lose Elspeth, but only because of his obsession with possessing her as his own. He had shown that in his actions and words when he had been there. He would not even let Roland speak to his daughter alone.
Now, Roland was angrier than before he had arrived at the Mackay lands. He needed this alliance, and thus, he needed Elspeth. For that reason, he was not travelling back to his own clan lands, and his own castle. Instead, he and his men were journeying directly to Laird Gunn.
Two days later, Roland and his men arrived at the castle.
“What the devil dae ye mean, ye couldnae get her back?” Laird Gunn bellowed. He was glaring at Roland with such a rage, the man looked like he might explode. His sharp green eyes pierced into Roland’s like a knife, and yet, Roland had no answer.
The man he had arranged an alliance with was a fierce warrior. Roland was neither frightened nor intimidated by him, but nor would he want to come up against him in battle. Tall, with broad shoulders, Laird Gunn displayed a powerful presence wherever he might be. The scars from the many battles he had fought and won only added to his fierceness.
“This alliance was an opportunity, Roland,” he spat. “An opportunity for our united forces to tak’ whatever we wanted.” He balled his fist. “I destroyed Laird Mackay fer that very reason. Before that son of his became laird, the Mackay lands were there fer the taking. Me mind hasnae changed. I will have those lands, and I will trample on anyone who stands in me way.”
“Dae ye think ye are the only one who is angered at these turn o’ events?” Roland barked. “That is me daughter. However, there was little I could dae about it. They are man and wife now.”
“What?!” William shrieked, spinning to glare at Roland once more.
“Indeed, they are. He took her and married her. I had nay choice but tae leave empty handed.”
So furious was William, that he shook with rage and could not form any words to speak. For the longest time, he could only stand there, anger emanating out of every part of his body. His face burned red with fury, while he balled his hands into tight fists.
Wisely, Roland remained silent. He too, had been angry at the discovery. But while he had desired the alliance between the clans for his own benefit, he had never been as power hungry as William. The man was obsessed with uniting their clans for the sole purpose of destroying the Mackay clan and grabbing their land. He thrived on wielding power over others, which was the reason he had been so eager for their alliance to go ahead. It was also the reason he now stood in the middle of his study, shaking like a madman.
“I will destroy him!” The words burst from his mouth like a torrent of water bursting from a dam. “I will ruin her and destroy him like I destroyed his faither afore him. Nay one will defy me and live tae brag about it. Nay one!”
Roland remained silent for another moment, waiting for William to calm down. There was little point in speaking anyway, for the man would not hear his words.
Spinning to glare at Roland, he spat, “And ye will help me dae it, Roland. This alliance will come tae pass one way or another. I will mak’ yer daughter regret her decision tae choose Keane Mackay fer the rest o’ her days.”
“I understand yer fury,” Roland replied. “But I gave me word I wouldnae return.”
William’s brow furrowed as he growled at him. “Yer word?”
“Aye. I battled with Mackay. The arrangement was, if I won, I tak’ Elspeth with me. If he won, I would leave, and neither ye, nor I, would bother them again.”
William sneered as he continued to glare at Roland. “Are ye really that weak o’ a man, Roland, that ye will let another steal yer daughter from under yer very nose? This is yer only child. Does she really mean that little tae ye?”
Roland struggled to answer that question, and floundered.
“Daes our alliance mean that little tae ye?” William snarled, his voice growing angry again.
“O’ course, it doesnae,” he replied hurriedly.
He could not lose this opportunity. With a man like William Gunn as an ally, no other clan would dare come against him. It would bring him and his clan all the security he needed. Besides, William had offered to give him deeds to some of the Mackay lands when they finally destroyed Mackay and ran the people off the land.
“United, we are undefeatable, Roland,” William declared, as though reading Roland’s mind. “Think o’ all we can achieve together. Think o’ the refuge the united clans can achieve. I will be there by yer side in battle, as ye will be fer me. We are stronger together.”
Even at those words, Roland struggled. He had always been honorable, at least where agreements were concerned. And as much as he had hated it, he had given his word that neither he nor Gunn would return. And yet, William was now making very valid points. Surely, the safety of his clan and his people overruled any promise he had made. And particularly a promise to a man who felt no remorse at kidnapping his only daughter. Besides, Laird Mackay had now humiliated him twice. First, by taking his daughter without asking. And second, not only matching, but defeating him in a duel.
“Ye have tae mak’ this right,” William pressed. “It was yer daughter who betrayed us, after all. Yer own flesh and blood.”
Roland shook his head. “They say she had nothing tae dae with the kidnapping.”
“And ye believe her?” William’s eyebrows hitched in utter disbelief. “Dae ye nae think the whole thing wasnae just a little too organized fer that tae be true?”
After what Elspeth had said before he left, Roland had already begun to doubt her earlier denial. Now, with William’s pressing, it was clear she had been a part of it. His daughter had betrayed them both. It angered him even further that he had been fool enough to believe her words when she had denied it. Not only had she betrayed them, but she had lied to his very face about the treachery she had committed. Why else would she be so eager to stay?
“Dinnae be so na?ve, Roland. She was part o’ this. Ye just dinnae want tae admit it tae yersel’.”
Roland heaved a sigh. “Aye, well. We both ken she never wanted this union in the first place.”
“Exactly,” William snapped. “And thus, she worked in cohorts with Mackay. They were likely planning this fer weeks. He has promised her refuge, and the only reason they were married was tae ruin what we had planned.”
William paced back and forth, before turning back to Roland.
“Think about what she has done, me friend. She has humiliated ye. I am certain word is travelling across hill and glen as we speak. What dae ye think others will say if ye dae naething? If yer own daughter can outdae ye, how much easier will it be fer a laird with an army o’ men? They’ll target ye, Roland. See ye as weak. Ye’ll be open tae attacks, and without our alliance, I cannae help ye. Are ye really going tae let her get away with all o’ that?”
The more Roland heard, the angrier he became. Nothing William had said was untrue, and he knew it. Elspeth had not just defied him by escaping a marriage to William. She had opened a floodgate of possibilities that could ruin him and his people. Concerned about herself only, she had now made him look weak.
The selfish little wench.
Staring back at William, Roland said, “I willnae let her get away with this.”
William nodded eagerly, clearly delighted that his words had had the desired effect. “Nay, Roland. Fer the sake o’ yer clan’s survival, ye cannae.”
Roland thought for a second, and then sneered. “I’ve been inside Mackay’s castle. I ken the layout. I ken exactly what we’ll dae.”