This had been the day from hell for Ambrose Ruthven. Had it not been for Laird Carr and his men…he shuddered to think of how much worse it could have been. After Vida was settled, he played host to them until they were bedded down for the night. Then he retreated to his solar and poured himself a glass of whisky.
He was between the proverbial rock and hard place. When he became Laird Ruthven, he’d owned a fledging shipping business that, from the start, was much more profitable than the Ruthven holding, so that was where he put his time and effort. As long as the land was at least modestly profitable and no one starved, he was happy.
In the last ten years, his business had burgeoned. The huge guilds that had dominated the shipping industry in northern Europe, known as the Hanseatic League, were in disarray. Outbreaks of the plague in Europe had claimed the lives of a large number of sailors. It opened the door for smaller merchants from England, Scotland, and Ireland to seize a larger portion of the market.
Thus, the bulk of his shipping business involved trade with northern Europe and the Baltics, along the Hanseatic routes. However, he knew the real wealth came from the Mediterranean. Over the last few years, he’d seen several men turn huge profits sailing to ports in Spain and Italy. However, in the amount of time it took for a single ship to sail to and return from Italy once, the same ship could have made four trips to Baltic ports. On the other hand, the profit from one ship returning from the Mediterranean was ten times what could be earned from trade with northern Europe. As with everything, the greater the profit, the greater the risk. Not only were the voyages longer, they were more dangerous and required a major financial investment up front. It could take anywhere from four to six months for a ship to sail to Genoa and return and even longer for a ship bound to Venice.
Although worried about the risks, he had toyed with the idea for ages. Finally in late June, he’d made the investment. He had sent one of his ten ships, the Mermaid Queen, to Genoa. Then in July, he sent the Merry Mistress to Venice. It tied up a huge amount of his funds, but he believed it would pay off.
In fact, he was so confident that when he incurred a large gambling debt to Naughton Lindsay, a younger brother of Laird Lindsay, he’d secured the debt with his Genoa shipment.
“You know I’m good for it, Naughton. When that ship returns, it’ll bring four times what I owe you, or more.”
Naughton had agreed. “Yes, I’ve found my Mediterranean-bound ships to be golden. The increased risk is worth the enormous profit. I’m sure you’re good for it. And never fear, if something goes awry, you can give me your daughter’s hand in marriage instead.”
Everyone at the table that night had laughed about it, including Ambrose. He had no intention of giving Vida in marriage to Naughton Lindsay. Thankfully, it wouldn’t be necessary.
He incurred the debt because he was certain he could repay it. Just before Michaelmas, Naughton inquired about what Ambrose’s intentions were regarding repayment. Ambrose responded by saying Clan Ruthven was in the midst of the harvest. He would visit his shipping office in Dundee very soon and would know more then.
That’s where he and Vida had been earlier in the week. Unfortunately, there had been no word of either ship.
To make matters worse, while in Dundee, Lindsay stopped by to collect his debt. “I thought I’d save you the trouble of seeking me out. I had a ship heading for Genoa that left shortly after yours. Mine returned earlier this week, so surely yours has as well.”
Ambrose was certain the cur knew the Mermaid Queen, hadn’t returned, but he remained congenial. “Now, Naughton, as you’re aware, we agreed the debt would be paid off by the end of December. I suspect it just took a little longer for my captain to sell his cargo and buy goods. After all, it is his first time to Genoa.”
But Ambrose was worried. He had the bulk of his money tied up in those shipments. If he dipped into clan funds, he’d probably have enough to pay his debt if it came to that, but doing so might not leave him with enough to keep Clan Ruthven going through the winter. He had left Dundee early this morning, wanting to put this worry behind him. After all, he did have until December and even if something had delayed the Mermaid Queen, there was still the ship bound to Venice, the Merry Mistress.
Then his carriage had been attacked on the road. Attacks happened from time to time, that’s why noblemen traveled with guards. But when his guards were forced to fight, they made a pitiful showing. If the Highlanders hadn’t arrived when they did, his men would have all been killed.
And Vida…
He took a swig of whisky. It was unbearable to think of what might have happened to her. By contrast to the Highlanders—hell, by contrast to the thieves—his men had been an embarrassment.
Then, as if all of that weren’t enough, when he reached Cotharach he’d learned that there had been another raid on his land. Just one more in a series which his men had been unable to stop. Together with his guards’ poor performance, he could no longer ignore how badly trained his men were in general.
He sighed, drained his glass, and headed towards his bedchamber, stopping to check on Vida as he went. To his surprise, she was still awake.
“Papa, you look worried.”
“I’m just tired, pet.”
She smiled the smile that never failed to melt his heart. “Papa, I know you’re tired, but you’re worried, too. What’s the matter?”
Vida ran the household perfectly. She knew every detail of what happened at Cotharach. She also understood much of his shipping business. She was bright and good with numbers. But she didn’t know about his debt to Lindsay, and he had no intention of sharing that with her. Still, he could tell her part of what was on his mind.
“Vida, my darling, what happened on the road tonight…I’m sorry, lass.”
“It wasn’t your fault. And everything ended well. Laird Carr and his men saw to that.”
“But that’s what I mean. Our men were nearly worthless.”
Her brows drew together. “Aye, I must admit I expected better. But then I know nothing about your garrison.”
“I thought you knew everything that went on around here,” he teased.
She smiled, “Oh, I know all the boring details. How much they eat, for example. But I don’t know anything really important like what skills they have…or lack.”
He nodded. “Aye. It appears I don’t either. And there was another raid while we were gone.”
“I heard. Ten sheep and seven head of cattle.”
“That’s just one more sign my men don’t know what they’re doing.”
“Honestly, Papa, I thought the same thing.”
“I just don’t know what to do about it.”
“Those Highlanders made short work of the thieves.”
“Aye, they did. But, of course, there were a lot of them.”
“I know, but Sir Tomas faced one man alone. Like I told you in the carriage, he gave the thief two chances to surrender and when the man refused, well, the fight was over almost before it had started. It happened so fast. I’d never seen a man killed before. I’ve been thinking about it all evening.”
“Oh, Vida, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine, Papa. It’s not the dead man that drew my thoughts. I’ve been thinking about how skilled with a blade Sir Tomas is. And I also was wondering if…maybe…maybe you could talk to Laird Carr. Perhaps he’d allow you to hire Sir Tomas and a few of the others to stay here, even if only for a few months, in order to better train our men.”
Ambrose thought about that. Ask the Highlanders to stay? He wanted to bring his men’s skill levels up to a reasonable level. Based on what he’d seen and what Vida told him, these men might very well be able to do far better than that. And if his men could learn to fight even half as well…
“That could be the answer, Vida. If it becomes known that my men are a force to be reckoned with, the raids will stop and the clan will be safer in general.”
“So, you’ll ask Laird Carr? First thing tomorrow?”
“Aye, I will.”
She took his hand. “Papa, first thing. If you delay, Carr and his men could be gone on their way back to the Highlands.”
“I promise. First thing.”
~ * ~
Vida said goodnight to her father and watched him leave. She loved him with everything in her, but she was not blind to his faults. He could lose his temper at the slightest provocation, but never in her presence. From an early age, she had learned how to use this to the advantage of the clan. If she could foresee that a situation might anger him, she made sure she was with him when confronting it. If she couldn’t foresee it, she stepped in as soon as possible.
She had gone with him to Dundee for that very reason. She knew he worried about the risk he’d taken by sending not one, but two ships to Italian ports. If he received bad news when she wasn’t with him…well, she didn’t like to think about it.
And over the years, she believed he had mellowed. He generally didn’t lose his temper over small things and didn’t become quite so angry over bigger things. Of course, their clan members also made every attempt not to do the things that set him off. Still, peace reigned at Cotharach much more often than it once had.
She also knew that her father was an exceedingly proud man. He’d be unlikely to have ever thought of asking Laird Carr for help. And even if it had occurred to him, he’d probably refuse to consider it because it would mean admitting his failings and the clan’s vulnerability to another leader. He only listened and accepted it because it had been her idea. That’s why she had extracted the promise she did. She could imagine him going to bed, talking himself out of it and then claiming to have overslept to avoid the issue.
But, just in case, she intended to be downstairs at first light. If her father “overslept,” she would take matters into her own hands. That might be less embarrassing for him anyway. She’d have to bind her ankle and use a walking stick, but she wouldn’t let the opportunity pass.
She smiled to herself, wishing that Sir Tomas could be pressed into duty to carry her back downstairs in the morning. He was exceedingly handsome and although the way he’d dealt with her kidnapper had initially scared her, it didn’t take long for her to recognize his honorable nature. She’d heard of men going berserk in the heat of battle, but he had been in complete control throughout the whole thing. At no time did he lose his temper. In fact, he had calmly offered the man his life—twice.
She sincerely hoped Laird Carr would consider their request and she prayed that if he did, Sir Tomas would be among the men he’d leave at Cotharach.