Highland Rake (30 page)

Cameron said gruffly, "She is already married to Dougald MacNeill."

Alana swore a ghost of a smile appeared on Turi's face, but the expression vanished so quickly if it had been there at all, she thought she might have imagined it.

"MacDonald and his men willna be pleased," Turi warned.

"We shouldna have returned so soon," Alana said, but she knew as soon as she spoke, she should not have said such a thing. Not to a bunch of Highland warriors.

Both her uncle and Dougald cast her an annoyed look.

She stiffened, irritated with them. What if fighting broke out between the men? What if Dougald was injured or worse? She just married him, for heaven's sake!

"'Tis best we get this over with as soon as we can," Cameron said. He steeled his expression and rode into the inner bailey.

There, stable hands quickly took the horses in hand as the men and the maids dismounted. Dougald strode beside Alana, flanked by his cousin and Gunnolf. The lads trailed behind.

"I would have you retire to your chamber, Alana," her uncle said. "Wash up and rest. I will arrange for you and the maids to have your meals sent up to you. When we are assured you will be safe, I will have someone fetch you, but no' before then."

She glanced at Dougald to see how he felt about it. In the past, had her uncle told her what he expected of her—except with regard to Odara and her being ill—she normally trusted her uncle's decisions.

Dougald nodded his agreement, a hint of pleasure in his concerned expression making her believe he appreciated she would seek his approval. She didn't do it because she felt she owed it to him now that he was her husband, but because she trusted his judgment also. Her uncle seemed to approve of her actions, which she was grateful for. She wanted him to like Dougald as much as she cared for her husband.

Niall said, "I will go with the lass and her maids."

"I will stay with you, Dougald," Gunnolf said, and Alana was pleased that he would do so and safeguard her husband should he need protecting.

"All right." Dougald smiled at Tavis and Callum who stuck close to Niall, making their preferences known. "Go with Niall and the lasses, both of you."

As they entered the keep, Cameron directed four of his men to accompany Alana and the maids as well, and the remainder of his men and Dougald's accompanied them into the great hall as a united force, while the ladies and their escort headed up the stairs to her chamber. Her skin tingled with dread as she thought about that day so long ago when her da fought in the woods. She prayed she would not hear swords clanging against each other in a real battle before long.

***

"Hoel MacDonald is the man on the far right," Cameron said to Dougald as they entered the great hall, "the one with the sandy red hair. The one next to him is Evnissyen, his brother, and believe me his red hair only gets brighter red when he is angry. Their father, Laird Uisnech MacDonald, is the dark-haired man with the red beard. All are fierce fighters. Watch yourself, Dougald." He glanced at him. "I wouldna want to lose my nephew by marriage so soon."

Dougald gave him a half smile. "I intend to watch my back and yours as well if the MacDonalds dinna like the way of things." He dipped his head with respect.

Cameron gave him a hint of a smile.

Dougald believed he might have won Alana's uncle over after all.

When they drew close to the head table, Cameron motioned for them to take seats.

"Did you find the lass?" MacDonald asked, sounding concerned.

"Aye, that we did," Cameron said. "Lady Alana left Cameron lands to aid someone who was supposed to have been ill."

The MacDonalds did not even look in Dougald's direction, most likely assuming he was one of the Cameron's men and of no importance.

"Sit." We have ridden a long way today, and we need food and rest. And then I will tell you what I know." Cameron took his seat and motioned for Dougald to sit on the other side of him in a place of honor, which made MacDonald finally take notice.

Ducks and grouse were soon served and Cameron began to relate what had happened concerning Alana, the shepherdess, the shepherd, and the ill niece.

The whole while, as Cameron spoke, none of the MacDonalds sitting at the head table ate any of their food. Dougald was happily enjoying his meal, while Cameron ate bites in between relating the story.

"But you found her safe, I take it, though she isna at the meal," the MacDonald chief said, his brows knit together in a tight frown. "Which I hope means 'tis only because she is so weary."

"Aye. She is tired and is taking her meal in her chamber with the maids. My niece was riding her mare on the MacNeill lands without an escort, I must confess," Cameron continued, stopping to eat a few more bites of his fowl.

MacDonald stiffened. "She had no
escort
? No
maid
? No one with her at
all
?" He glanced at Hoel, who was frowning just as deeply, then turned again to speak with Cameron. "If she has been compromised, the bride price will have to be much more than we agreed upon if my son is to take her off your hands. We will also have to delay the marriage to ensure she is not breeding."

Dougald fought smiling. MacDonald would
not
take Alana off anyone's hands and he was dying to say so. And if she was breeding, all the better. But this was the Cameron's business to deal with at the moment. He waved his empty tankard to a servant who quickly refilled it.

"Dougald MacNeill discovered her on their lands and took her to see his brother Laird James MacNeill of Craigly Castle," Cameron said, as he held his tankard out for more ale and the servant quickly obliged.

"Dougald MacNeill…," MacDonald said, his voice turning dark.

"She wed Dougald MacNeill, owing to the circumstances and because—"

MacDonald rose from his chair so suddenly, he knocked it on its back.

His men abruptly stood, Hoel finally coming to his feet as if he was so in shock to hear the news that he no longer had a bride-to-be, he couldn't fathom it and was struck dumb.

"You have married her off to one of the MacNeill's kin?" MacDonald roared, his face red with rage.

Cameron and Dougald remained seated, but the rest of the men—Cameron, MacNeill, and MacDonald men were standing, ready to do battle.

"You have gone back on your word," MacDonald said, his voice hard with condemnation.

"Lady Alana was with the MacNeill men for two days without a chaperone. Though Dougald was a gentleman when it came to the lady, he and his brother felt they must do right by her. They couldna have returned her home without the same difficulty. 'Tis best for all concerned. I will still concede paying what I promised as a bride price, but without the bride. Dougald has said he only wishes the bride."

"He does, does he?" MacDonald eyed Dougald, who was eating a chunk of cheese. "Is this the man?"

"Aye," Dougald said. "'Twas the only decent thing to be done under the circumstances."

"He canna have her," Hoel said. "You said she would be mine! He canna have her."

MacDonald ground his teeth. "Have you lain with her?" he asked Dougald.

"The marriage has been consummated, though as you well know 'twas no' necessary to make the marriage official in the Highlands," Dougald offered.

"We will give up the bride price in order to have the bride," MacDonald said, looking as though it killed him to concede the payment. Particularly when he thought he could coerce Cameron into paying him even more.

Why did he want Alana so badly? So his son, Hoel, could someday rule the Cameron clan if they should vote him in as their laird? But how could he even consider such when Dougald had wed the lass?

Cameron cocked a brow at MacDonald. "From the way you spoke before, you were conceding overmuch by allowing your middle son to wed Lady Alana in the first place. Then you stated you wished even more in payment for her having been without chaperone."

"'Tis a prudent man who bargains well. Hoel had his heart set on wedding the lass." MacDonald's jaw tightened. "Who perpetrated this charade to draw the lady away from your lands and onto the MacNeills? Are you led to believe that the MacNeills had not planned this all along? Had they word of the lady's marriage to my son and sought to stop it at all costs? Even going as far as having one of James's brothers wed her?"

"'Tis done," Cameron said wearily. "It canna be undone. You will keep your bride price. Sit and enjoy the meal with us if you wish."

Dougald expected MacDonald and his men to stalk out of the place in anger. They were vastly outnumbered if they thought to fight the combined forces of the Cameron and Dougald's men so Dougald did not believe MacDonald would start a fight.

To Dougald's surprise, MacDonald resumed his seat, and then he motioned to the rest of his men to take theirs again. Cameron did likewise with his own men as Dougald bowed his head to his kinsmen.

Gunnolf stayed near Dougald, eating, but ever watchful in the event MacDonald or his men decided to do away with the troublesome MacNeill.

***

Alana tried to concentrate on eating after she had bathed and hoped that she would not hear fighting break out down below. Twice she'd peeked out her chamber door and saw Niall and the two lads and her uncle's men all looking at her to see what she wanted. She wanted nothing but peace of mind where Dougald was concerned.

Niall smiled at her. "Tavis checked a while ago, Lady Alana. Everyone is eating the meal, though he said when Cameron told MacDonald that you were wed to Dougald, MacDonald was angry. Then he settled back down to eat."

She took a breath, glad to hear they were not fighting.

"Think you he has accepted my marriage to Dougald?" Alana asked, hopeful, though she could not imagine that they would like that this had changed their plans.

"He has no choice. For now, he seems to have accepted it. Your uncle said he would still pay the bride price to MacDonald as Dougald said he doesna need it."

"Dougald said that?" She shouldn't have been so surprised since her uncle had not made arrangements for her to marry Dougald. But still, it did sweeten the pot, and she couldn't believe he'd want her just for herself especially since he hadn't planned any of this.

"Aye. Dougald said he wanted only you." Niall smiled. "I would say you have bewitched the poor mon. So then MacDonald said he would forgo the bride price to have you wed to his son anyway."

She snapped her gaping mouth shut and glanced at the others in the corridor guarding her. They all smiled at her as if she was a treasure anyone would want who had his wits about him.

She again looked at Niall. "But I am already wed to Dougald."

"Aye. But MacDonald still wants you for his son."

Tavis spoke up, "He asked if you had…" His ears turned red as if he realized his mistake in bringing the matter up to the lady. "Uhm, you know. And Dougald said aye, and MacDonald said he still wanted you for Hoel."

Alana felt her face heat with mortification. She knew in noble English manors the whole household would be made aware of when the husband and wife consummated their marriage. But in a Highland marriage, they didn't even have to have anyone perform a ceremony. Just declaring they wished to wed each other was enough. Even if the marriage wasn't consummated, they were still married to one another. They didn't even require witnesses.

But she and Dougald were married and
had
consummated the marriage. Still, she hadn't wanted all of her kin and neighboring clans to know about it at a meal. She knew they'd realize it when Dougald joined her tonight. It was just something she hadn't expected anyone to speak about out loud to her assembled clansmen. At least she had not been at the meal when the discussion was going on.

Niall cleared his throat and tilted his chin down as he gave Tavis a vexed kind of look, saying to mind what he said in front of the lady.

Tavis's ears turned a bit red.

"It seems odd to me that he would still want me," Alana finally managed to say, pondering the matter. "Even though Dougald and the rest of you were perfectly honorable, and I had enough witnesses to say so while we journeyed to Craigly Castle, I doubt MacDonald would have been so enlightened to feel that everything would have been fine in his estimation had I not married Dougald and still been betrothed to Hoel."

To her consternation, she saw Seana and Connell coming toward her, both highly agitated with each other. Connell was looking down at Seana and saying, "You didna have to practically sit in his lap."

"I had to get close enough to hear what he had to say," she snapped back.

"You were practically falling out of your
léine
, you were leaning in so close to him."

She stopped in her footsteps, placed her fisted hands on her hips and scowled up at Connell. "Who was to see? Huh? Any of the men?"

Alana couldn't believe it when her brother's face actually flushed crimson. He folded his arms across his broad chest. "Me."

Seana's mouth gaped, then she copied his stance and defensively crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "Well, then you are no' a gentleman if you were looking, though I should have known this already."