Chapter 30
Archer and Eileen walked back to the castle side by side after Calum had gone ahead to announce that they were on their way.
“I feared it was O’Gunn,” Eileen admitted.
“Nay, he willnae set foot in me lands for a long time, especially nae when he has nothin’ to offer. I’ll expect correspondence in time, but only to inform the clans that he’s nay longer in charge.”
“Aye,” she breathed.
“Are ye feelin’ well?” Archer asked. “Ye’re holdin’ me hand tighter than usual, and ye look a wee bit pale.”
“Aye, I’m fine,” she replied. “It’s just been a lot to deal with, and it’s all affectin’ me.”
“Aye, it has been a lot, but I’m glad to have gone through it with ye.”
They crossed the courtyard and stepped into the keep, heading for the council chambers. With the recent removal of two council members, they needed to find replacements.
Eileen slowed down as they approached the chambers and stopped in the doorway when she spotted their visitor—her brother.
Thomas Kilmartin rose from the chair beside Reid. Eileen smiled broadly as he approached Archer first.
“Laird MacLennan, it’s a pleasure to see ye. We have a lot to talk about, and a lot to thank ye for.”
Archer shook the man’s hand firmly. “We’re glad to have ye here, Laird McFair. Ye’re welcome to stay in me castle for as long as ye like. Is it just yerself or has Lady McFair made the journey with ye?”
“Thank ye,” Thomas said. "Nay, me wife isnae here. Our castle is a busy one, and she’s needed there.
’Tis nae a place or time for her to be travelin’ up here after what happened to Reid.
We cannae be too careful." He turned to Eileen, and his smile grew wider. “Sister, it’s great to see ye again. How are ye doin’? ”
“All the better for seein’ ye,” Eileen replied.
Thomas stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. He stroked the top of her head before letting her go.
“Ye’ve been through a lot, from the little Reid has told me,” he murmured.
“Well, ye ken how he is,” Eileen scoffed. “Ye cannae believe half the things he says.”
“Och, that’s nae fair!” Reid shouted from the table. “But possibly true, too.”
Eileen laughed.
“We’ve got ourselves a family reunion here,” Thomas drawled. “I’d like to catch up, but I have to wrap up some business with Laird MacLennan first. We have some things to discuss.”
“About O’Gunn?” Eileen asked.
Thomas looked at Archer before looking back at his sister with a smile. “Aye, him and some other things.”
“She’s far too brilliant to let anythin’ slip by her,” Archer noted.
“I should leave ye men to it,” Eileen said. “I’ll be in the solar.”
“I’ll come find ye when we’re done,” Archer offered.
Eileen smiled and was about to leave when Thomas called, “I spoke to Piper—she’s packin’ yer belongings as we speak, although I ken ye didnae leave with much. Did ye, lad?”
She smiled, then her lips tightened. “We’re leavin’?”
“Aye, that’s why I came,” Tomas said. “I promised Maither that I’d come here to escort ye and Reid back home. I willnae let anythin’ else happen to ye. Ye are both too important to me.”
“Aye,” Eileen muttered. “When?”
“Most likely in the morn,” Thomas replied. “Reid insists that he’s strong enough to leave now, but ye ken how he is.”
“Aye, I do,” Eileen said tersely. “I’ll leave ye both to it.”
She quickly left the room.
“Go grab yer sword then,” Reid challenged their brother. “A wee bit of sparrin’ and we’ll see who’s fit to ride home.”
“Good sirs, I would ask for nay quarreling in me castle,” Archer interjected, “but when it comes to braithers, there’s often nay stoppin’ it.”
“Aye, Reid kens how the fight will end, but he has his injuries to blame when it does.”
Reid laughed and stood up when his brother got back to the table. He clapped Thomas on the shoulder, and they both laughed together.
Archer enjoyed the candor.
“Ale!” he called to the footman. “And a bottle of whisky from the cellar.”
The footman nodded and hurried out of the room.
“Gentlemen, we have a lot to celebrate,” Archer declared as he made his way to the table. “I ken this is a new togetherness between the clans, especially ours. O’Gunn’s been a threat for a long time, but he willnae be anymore.”
“On that topic, I’d like to talk about yer betrothal,” Thomas said. “I ken these are tryin’ times, but I’d have liked to receive a letter about it. I’ve nay quarrel with ye, but I needed to get that off me chest.”
“Aye, that’s fair,” Archer conceded. “Truth be told, the betrothal was a sham from the beginning.”
“Aye?” Thomas asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Aye. And we couldnae tell anyone what was happenin’, or it would have weakened us.”
Archer thought about how much he should tell the two brothers. Looking back on it now, it seemed a little selfish to ask Eileen to pretend so he would look for her brother. It had made sense at the time, but it felt a little unfair, now that he knew her better. Still, another reason had emerged.
“I needed time to look for Reid after I discovered he’d come to speak with me, and I assumed O’Gunn was behind it, which turned out to be true.
With all of that goin’ on, I couldnae hand over Eileen to O’Gunn after I kenned he wanted her hand.
I thought it was the best way to keep her here.
And I willnae lie—it also kept me maither and council off me back. ”
“Aye, maithers can be persistent,” Reid said.
“To be honest, I dinnae care for yer reasons; I only care they ye saved me life. And ye might have put Eileen in danger by keepin’ her here, but ye saved her life when it was threatened.
Who kens how O’Gunn would have treated her if he got his hands on her? ”
“Aye, Reid is right,” Thomas agreed as the ale and whisky arrived. “Ye did what ye thought was best, and under the circumstances, it was. So, what’s bein’ done about O’Gunn?”
Archer gestured for the footman to pour the drinks—the ale into tankards and the whisky into small cups.
“Me opinion is that he willnae last long where he is,” he began.
“When news reaches his clan and makes its way down to the common man, they willnae trust him anymore, and when they find out what I did to his spies, he willnae have enough support to start any sort of uprising or rebellion. He might nae even make it out of his castle.”
“Laird MacLennan killed two of his council members—spies,” Reid added.
“They’d been on the council since me faither was Laird,” Archer explained. “He was murdered by them, and they meant to do the same with me. If it werenae for Reid and Eileen, they might have succeeded.”
“And the traitors have all been dispatched?” Thomas asked.
“Aye,” Archer replied.
“Good.” Thomas let out a long breath. “I’ll talk with me clan, and we’ll decide what’s to be done with O’Gunn. He captured and tortured me braither, and I cannae let it pass.”
“Aye, that’s fair,” Archer said, taking a swig of whisky.
“Our clans are connected now,” Thomas continued. “We’ll make an alliance, whether through marriage or nae, but I like yer character, Fleming, and if ye were to take me sister as yer wife, I’d only see that as a good thing.”
“I appreciate the sentiment,” Archer said, “but that’s nae what I want. It’s nae the right place for Eileen. However, our clans should unite. The first weapons comin’ out of me forges will go to ye. I assume we can count on each other if the time ever comes?”
“We’re bound together now,” Thomas affirmed.
“I can drink to that,” Reid piped up.
The three men raised their tankards and clinked them together, sloshing some ale into the whisky cups. They slammed their tankards down on the table, sending foamy sprays in the air, before draining them.
Archer wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I didnae expect to have two McFairs at me table under such circumstances, but I’m glad ye’re both here.”
“Aye, the same back to ye.” Reid smirked.
“If ye’re leavin’ in the mornin’, then tonight should be one of celebration,” Archer said. “Goodness kens that me castle and clan could do with that. Will ye both join us?”
“Aye, we will.” Reid nodded quickly.
“Aye,” Thomas confirmed. “For now, I’d like to freshen up and get changed after hours on the road. I look forward to drinkin’ with ye this eve.”
The three men rose together, and Thomas shook Archer’s hand again. Archer gestured for one of the footmen to show Thomas to his quarters and draw him a bath.
Reid lingered behind as his brother left. He was well enough to wear a shirt over his bandages, and he walked a little straighter than he had the previous day.
Archer made a mental note to keep an eye on him that evening, in case he hurt himself when he was in an already fragile condition.
Reid took a swig of whisky before approaching him with a smile. But that smile turned serious when he got close. “I saw ye with Eileen today when ye left for yer walk.”
“Aye.”
“I saw the way she looked at ye,” he continued. “And I hear the way she talks about ye. If I didnae ken any better, I’d think she’s developin’ feelings for ye.”
“Aye, I worried she was,” Archer sighed.
“Ye were worried about that?” Reid asked. “She’s a braw woman, is she nae? Most men would dream of a woman like that developin’ feelings for them.”
“Aye, she’s a braw woman, there’s nay doubt about it.
But I put her in danger by keepin’ her here.
I managed to catch up with Millar, but if I hadnae, she would have been lost to both of us.
Aye, it worked out fine this time, but what about next time?
I do care about her, and that’s why I cannae put her in that position.
If somethin’ happens to her here at the castle, it’ll be me fault because nay one would want to hurt Eileen just to hurt her. ”
“All right.” Reid patted his shoulder. “I owe ye me life, Laird MacLennan. “I trust ye to do what’s best.”
“Thank ye,” Archer said.
Reid left the room, and Archer went back to his whisky, draining the last of it. He’d told some of the truth, just as he had when explaining the betrothal, but it wasn’t the full truth.
He didn’t want Eileen to be hurt, but he didn’t want to hurt either.
Six years ago, he’d let his father die, and only a few nights ago, he’d almost lost Eileen.
If he’d arrived a minute late, or if they’d taken a different route or had more men waiting, he might not have been able to save her.
With the way he felt about her, he’d have felt that pain for longer than six years.
He couldn’t go through that all over again.