Chapter 5 #2
She frowned at the note in his voice. A shadow passed over his face and it was then she knew he was hiding something. “What do you mean?”
Dropping his hand, he hesitated a few minutes before he spoke again. “The clan is ready to shed blood to get you women back home.”
Maggie clenched her teeth in exasperation. Men! How insufferable they all were. It seemed to be the eternal plight of women that they were forever drawn to the unreasonable oafs.
“Does everything with you men have to come down to bloodshed? Canna one of you just sit down and have a conversation?”
He tilted his head in a beguiling, attractive manner that showed off those deep dimples. “If we did that, then we’d be women and you wouldn’t love us as much as you do.”
“Aye, but we might like you a lot better.”
He arched a questioning brow.
Rolling her eyes, Maggie didn’t understand how he could be so nonchalant about the matter.
“How can you make light of this? Are you not worried about dying in battle?”
“Nay, love,” he said gently. “None of us are. We’re Highlanders. Born to fight and to wench. Personally, I prefer the wenching part, but as you well know, I’ve never shirked from a fight.”
Irritated by his words, Maggie tried to think her way through this. How could she get Lochlan to end the feud? “Then what am I to do?”
“Surrender,” he said simply.
“And nothing changes.”
“It will change. Lochlan can negotiate peace with the MacDouglas.”
“But will he?”
She saw the uncertainty in his eyes. And the debate. She could almost see the workings of his mind and she wondered what lie he would devise to feed her.
Finally, he spoke, “Nay, even I am not such a beast that I’d lie to you about this. Not when it’s so important to you. Lochlan canna stop the feud so long as the MacDouglas is after Ewan’s life.”
Which was exactly what she suspected.
Still, she respected Braden for being honest. The man might be a scoundrel and a rogue, but he did draw the line at lying. It was nice to know at least one moral was still intact in his wicked body.
However, that didn’t help her for the moment.
How could she end this if...
Maggie paused as an idea occurred to her. It was ludicrous really, but no more so than the idea of getting the women to withhold themselves from their men. Surely, if she could get the Lady MacDouglas to follow her, she could get Robby MacDouglas to listen to her?
After all, the entire feud had started because of a woman, and now that he was married to another, why would he continue the feud over Isobail?
Perhaps he was even looking for a way to back out without losing face himself.
Aye, ‘twas a possibility.
Maggie let the idea loose in her mind. The more she thought it over, the more reasonable it seemed.
It really was a possibility. And if it were the truth, then maybe if she got to the MacDouglas, she would be able to make him see the futility of continuing the feud.
Right?
The very least she could do was try.
Making up her mind, she met Braden’s gaze levelly. “If I can’t get Lochlan to end this, then I’ll have to get to the MacDouglas and talk sense into him.”
Braden laughed aloud at her words. “Are you insane?”
“Nay, I am serious. If I explain it to him, he’ll—”
“Laugh in your face, then cleave your head from your shoulders and hang it from his walls.”
“I will make him see reason.”
Braden stared at her in numbed disbelief. Never in his life had he met her ilk.
She was something to behold, no doubt about it. Unfortunately, that something wasn’t sane.
And by the tilt of her chin, he’d say her mind was as fixed as Fergus’s had been. There wasn’t going to be any way to talk her out of this.
Still, he felt the need to try. “Is there anything I can say that would sway you from this madness?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Not even the fact that the MacDouglas will more than likely rip out your heart and toss it to his dogs?”
“It changes nothing. I have to try.”
“I thought you’d say that.” Braden sighed. “Can I add another thorn to your bramble bush, then?”
Maggie froze at his words, terrified of what he might say. Every time he got that look on his face, he tossed another formidable obstacle at her. And right now, she was tired of hurdling them. “What?”
“If you women don’t give up by the week’s end, the men will kill Lochlan and storm the kirk.”
Her jaw dropped at his words. Surely, he was jesting, but the sincere light in his eyes told her he spoke the truth. “What?”
“It’s true. Lochlan is at the castle even as we speak, tied to a chair.”
If the situation weren’t so dire, she’d laugh at the image in her head. But this wasn’t funny. Not in the least.
“Och, you men!” she snapped, angered over the thought of what they had done.
“Hate us if you must, but I canna let my brother die any more than you can.”
“Nay, and I couldn’t live with myself if they killed him.” Leaning her head back, Maggie closed her eyes and shook her head. She was weary and tired and frustrated.
When had things gotten so complicated?
Well, it didn’t change anything. It just gave her less time to work a miracle. And by God’s will, she would have her miracle. Or die in that effort.
At least four days gave her time to reach the MacDouglas.
She hoped.
“Here, take this.” She pulled the ring from her little finger that her father had given her on her tenth birthday. It was a thin gold band that had the impression of tiny wild flowers on it. All the women of the clan knew it to be hers and in her absence, they would know it spoke for her.
“At week’s end, give my ring to Pegeen and tell her to take the women home.”
Braden held the gold band in his hand. Her warmth still clung to the metal. It was such a tiny piece of jewelry, so frail and delicate, yet at the same time strong and unbending. It reminded him much of its owner.
He remembered a time, long ago, when he and Maggie had been friends.
When she had actually saved him from being ambushed by a group of the clanswomen who had been lying in wait to mob him on his way to her house.
Honestly, he couldn’t remember a time in his life when he hadn’t known her and her stubbornness.
He’d never before thought about just how much of his past she was. Not until he thought of her marching off to the MacDouglas and getting herself killed.
For some reason, the thought of her death stung him far more deeply than it should.
Braden handed the ring back to her. “Do you honestly think I’m going to stay behind and let you brave the MacDouglas on your own?”
“Of course. They would be suspicious of a man they didn’t know, but a woman—”
“Would stand out mightily, since all of their women are in hiding. Is that not right?”
Maggie opened her mouth to speak, then snapped her jaw shut. She’d forgotten all about that. Her journey to MacDouglas lands wouldn’t be so easy this time. They would be suspicious of any stranger, and as a lone woman in their midst while their own women were shunning them...
It didn’t bear thinking on.
“And might I point out that if they ever figure out who you are, your life will be worthless. No doubt, they all know your name by now and curse it with every breath they take.”
“Very good points.” Her mind whirled as she sought to think of an alternative.
There wasn’t one.
She would merely have to alter her original plan of reaching the MacDouglas. “I shall have to dress as a lad, then.”
“A lad would never be traveling alone. You’ll need someone to go with you.”
How she wished she could have an escort, but if anyone found out Braden’s identity... Well, she didn’t want to think what the MacDouglas clan would do to the brother of their enemy.
She had started this alone and she would finish it that way. “Braden—”
“Nay,” he said firmly. “I doubt the MacDouglas will listen and when he demands your head for it, you’ll be needing someone to get you out of there.”
“You can’t fight all of them.”
He snorted dismissively. “You’d be amazed what I can do when my life is at stake.”
Actually, she wouldn’t. She had seen him train enough to know quite a bit about his abilities to protect himself and others.
Still, the fact that he was willing to risk his life for hers meant quite a bit to her. Braden might be an arrogant male, but he usually wasn’t a foolish one.
“Why would you risk your life for me?” she asked.
“I have no idea. But, come, we need to find you some clothing and give Ewan your ring and instructions.”
“Are you mad?” Ewan asked after they had found him outside the kirk, putting the ladder away in a small shed.
“Is who mad?” Sin asked as he joined them.
Ewan turned to Sin with a disgusted look. “Braden is going to take Maggie to see the MacDouglas so that she can talk the MacDouglas into stopping the feud.”
Sin whirled to face Braden. “Are you mad?” he asked in disbelief. “He’ll have you impaled before you get halfway to his castle.”
“Nay, he won’t.” Maggie quickly laid out the plan for them.
When she had finished, Sin shook his head. “It’ll never work.”
“Forgive me,” Maggie said softly. “I don’t mean to be rude, sir, but I don’t even know who you are, and I have no idea how this matter even concerns you.”
“He’s my brother Sin,” Braden said softly in her ear.
Maggie’s eyes widened and she formed a small O with her mouth. Everyone in the clan knew the terrible tale of how Sin had been taken forcibly from the castle.
And even worse, the story of how, as the king’s men were struggling to force the youth on a horse, his father had turned his back to them, then coldly closed the door and left his son to his enemies.
The instant the door had shut, Sin had stopped struggling, stiffened his spine, and ridden off with the promise that he would never return.
Anghus had been there when it had happened, and the tale had always haunted her. How could any father just turn his back on his blood and let him go?