Dunstaffnage Castle

Spring, a little over two years later…

Olafsson’s defeat had for some years put a stop to the constant waging of war, but for every day that he remained alive, he grew more powerful, and the MacDougalls feared retaliation, for Dirk still held his son prisoner.

Until now.

By the birth of Dirk and Lilias’s second son, two-month old Cameron, named for her father’s clan, the King of Norway was dead, and his hold on Scotland relinquished to the Scots King. Olafsson had given his fealty to King Alexander of Scotland, in order to gain his son’s freedom. By all accounts, he had sworn to uphold the peace, under threat of being charged with treason, and sentenced to death by his new king. Begrudgingly, he agreed, and it was a sweet notion to think he might somewhere in the back of his foul mind think that he owed his life and the life of his son to Dirk MacDougall.

Today was a massive clan gathering at Dunstaffnage Castle. The clans who’d formed an alliance and pledged fealty to Dirk previously as Lord of the Isles, and he in turn had pledged his loyalty to the rightful king of Scotland, were reaffirming their bonds of allegiance.

Men, women and children, all dressed in various colors of plaid had lined up to meet with them, offering gifts and praise. Outside the castle walls, bonfires were lit and people danced and feasted with joyful abandon. The harvest had been good, giving them even more to celebrate. They expected the revelry to go on for at least two days or more, and then they were promised a tournament. Even King Alexander was planning on making an appearance soon, and rumor had it he planned to enter the joust.

Included in the gathering were Lilias’s father and brother, whom she’d not seen since the previous Yule.

By all accounts, it seemed at this very moment in time, that all was right in the world. The only thing that would have made it more perfect was if her mother had been there to see just how wonderful life was for Lilias. She missed her everyday, but knew when she looked up at the stars, or the perfect white, fluffy confections centered in a brilliant blue sky, that her mother was looking down on her with a smile.

“Lass are ye listening? There’s been trouble at Cameron,” her father was saying, leading her to sit at the dais table. “The books have been a jumble and its only just now been discovered.”

Lilias raised a brow and glanced at Dirk who miraculously kept the smile in his eyes from coming to his lips. She’d wondered how long it would take for her father and brother to figure out there was something wrong with their own bookkeeping, but she’d not thought it would take this long. Dirk winked, then returned his attention back to their eldest son Ewan, nearing a year and half, who was running around the great hall with his arms wide, dark hair flying and the biggest smile on his face that Lilias had ever seen. Her children were both mirror images of her husband in everything save their eyes. They had her deep blue eyes, soulful eyes filled with mischief.

“Ah,” Lilias kept her face serious as she spoke. “Might I suggest that my good brother finds a wife soon?”

“A wife? How will that help with the books?”

Lady Fenella and Lady Elle had the good sense to keep their smiles hidden behind their hands, though their eyes danced as they met Lilias’s gaze.

Rauld scowled. “I dinna see how that will benefit any of us.” He’d been resistant to marriage for years, and Lilias couldn’t blame him. The lass he’d fallen in love with had married someone else when their father refused to agree to the union. Of course, his refusal made sense as far as advantages went. The lass had been the miller’s daughter. Buxom and beautiful, and friendly with all the lads. Lilias suspected it had been more about lust than love on the lassie’s part. But for her brother, he’d been truly and deeply wounded by their father’s rejection of the idea.

“A wife who is good with numbers,” Lilias urged.

Her father stroked his chin, looking at her as though she’d grown a giant boil on her forehead. “I dinna catch your meaning.”

She rolled her eyes. “Surely, Da, ye do. Ye must know I kept the books at Cameron for years. Rauld, is good at so many things, but numbers seem to…” She trailed off, not wanting to insult her brother overly much.

Rauld frowned, and there was a dark look in his eyes, but she stared at him with all the confidence of a woman who knew she was right. His shoulders slumped, and just at that moment, sweet Ewan ran up behind his uncle, head-butting him in the back of the knee. Rauld laughed as his leg buckled, lifting up his nephew and tossing him up in the air.

The wee lad squealed his delight and then wiggled free when Rauld tried to tickle him. Off he went giving one of the hounds a merry chase.

Chaos. That’s what life was like. Beautiful chaos. Dirk slid his hand over her shoulders and kissed her temple, then bent to coo and kiss their bairn, Cameron. He was such a good da. Sweet, loving, and playful. Both the lads loved him so much. Ewan loved to play with his da, and Cameron ceased all wails as soon as his father lifted him, as if the sheer power and love flowed from Dirk right into the infant.

Rauld cleared his throat as their father still sat forward, looking baffled.

“I let Lilias help me with my tutors,” Rauld finally admitted. “She had a knack for it, and seemed to enjoy it, so I didna see a problem, and when our books turned out all right, I had assumed I was doing them well, until I noticed my handwriting didna match up. I guessed she was coming behind me and helping still.”

“And ye didna tell me this?” their father asked, incredulous. “Well over two years ago when she left the castle to marry?”

Lilias shot her husband a pleading look. Dirk nodded then called for their best uisge-beatha to be brought out when neither Rauld nor Lilias seemed inclined to answer their father. Lilias chewed on the inside of her cheek, pretending to be overly absorbed in her bairn until the whisky was poured. And Rauld had suddenly grown quite fond of the hounds he tried to avoid. Luckily, Lady Fenella and Lady Elle were able to keep her father distracted with talk of clan gossip that seemed to have garnered his attention, specifically about the recently widowed Lady MacAlister.

“Let us celebrate,” Dirk said, passing out the spirits at last. “For we have been so blessed.”

Her father grumbled his agreement, drinking his dram of uisge-beatha and then holding out his cup for another round.

By the time a nursemaid came by to change and feed the bairns while their guests were seated for dinner, her father was in a much better and more jovial mood, laughing about the books now.

Wistfully, Lilias watched her children be swept away, already her arms feeling empty. Normally, she took pride in caring for her children herself. But on occasions like this, it was nice to be able to enjoy her family without the added stress she supposed.

Lilias patted her father on the shoulder. “I should have told ye afore I left. But I didna want Rauld to feel inferior, for he isna. That is what family is all about, aye? Helping where help is needed. We all have our talents. Rauld is exceptional with a sword, father.”

“He is that.” Her father eyed her closer. “Will ye help Rauld find a wife then? One who is good with numbers?”

Lilias laughed. “It would be my pleasure, Da.”

Lilias glanced at her husband, grinning at the way he stared at her as though he’d like to take her upstairs right then and there. They’d made a beautiful family already. What pride she had in this family of hers. What love.

And best of all, they’d broken the curse. Two healthy bairns, both male. Both robust. Through the line she and Dirk had lovingly created, the MacDougall Legacy would be unstoppable.