Chapter Eighteen
Mairead entered the great hall to see if she could learn more about what was happening. Every day Hamish left early and came home late. He would grab something to eat and ask her about Selah. She would lie and tell him things were much better between them and then Mairead would try something new to get him to reveal anything about his plan. She could not decide whether she was pleased or frustrated that her attempts to get Hamish to admit even snippets of what was going on continued to fail. She knew Hamish enjoyed it immensely and was probably the main reason he would say nothing. She would have been angry, but she was having quite a bit of fun trying to get him to divulge his secrets as his wife. So far though, none had been successful.
Her best source of information came not from Hamish but others. During the day, she would listen for snippets of information from the soldiers who were coming and going, but what she heard was usually more confusing than illuminating. And the few times Hamish had been around, he had done nothing to keep her from blatantly eavesdropping. The frustrating man knew she would not understand, only that something was definitely being orchestrated.
Mairead went to stand by Hamish, who glanced down briefly at her but did not stop Ian, who was talking, or suggest that she leave.
“We moved that stretch of rocks three feet, just as you ordered,” Ian stated. His tone, as usual, flat and impossible to read.
Hamish nodded. “Wait a day and then move them another three feet into Mackay land.”
This time Ian arched a brow but said nothing. Mairead would have thought she had misheard, except that she had been hearing similar instructions all week. He had told Amon to have the fishermen come in just a little farther up the bay. Not to actually violate where the Mackays moor their boats, but to make it uncomfortable.
Every Highlander, especially those clansmen who lived on the border of their territory, knew every stone, tree, road, and stream of their area. Encroachment changes like the one Hamish was ordering were blatantly incendiary.
“Amon, have Jaime partially block the stream where it bends near his farm. Tell him not to block it entirely but to just impede its flow. And make sure the stones can easily be removed, but only from MacBrieve lands.” Every word Hamish spoke was of a request for another provocative activity. It was like he wanted a fight with the Mackays.
Knowing Hamish would only give her an innocuous, empty answer, she elbowed Amon and gestured for him to follow her to the other side of the room. Once there, she whispered, “Can you tell me why Hamish is seeking to start a war with the Mackays?”
She held her breath, afraid that Amon would tell her to ask Hamish, but instead he beamed with pride. “A war with them was going to happen regardless. When Ulrick joined the Mackays, it became inevitable. What was impossible to predict was when Donald Mackay would decide to attack. That left Hamish, our laird,” he said with pride, “a choice. He could wait for Donald Mackay to choose a time to attack that was optimal for him—probably spring, giving him enough time to gather men from Durness as well as Strathnaver—or Hamish could accelerate that timeline to one that won’t allow Mackay the time to amass his full force, making it much more favorable to us.”
Mairead’s mouth hung open. “Hamish is actually goading the Mackays into attacking us?”
Amon nodded, his grin still in place. “If they don’t, their laird looks weak. Donald Mackay cannot afford that.”
Mairead was not sure that they could afford a fight any sooner than spring. That precious time was needed for Hamish to train at least a few more men. Even then, based on what Hamish had told her, they would lose. Mackay had twice the numbers they had, plus, unlike the Mackays, most of Hamish’s soldiers had never seen battle.
She was about to mention this fact to Amon when Abe and a lookout came in, each clearly arriving with news.
Hamish advanced toward them. “Speak,” he said, looking at the soldier.
“The Mackays are starting to mass their forces near the western border.”
Abe pressed his lips together, knowing his news was even worse. When Hamish looked at him, the farmer swallowed. “Ye’ve got another army coming from the south and it be almost on top of Foinaven. They’re riding from where them mercenaries went. I rode as fast as I could to tell ye,” he said, hoping this was a sign that he had meant his allegiance.
Mairead felt her heart begin to pound. She was finding it difficult to breathe. The mercenaries had returned in force?
She turned to ask Amon a question, but he had left to rejoin Hamish. There was a flicker of concern on his face, but nothing like what should have been there considering they were not facing one but two armies. Even if they had been able to scramble the numbers to fight Mackay on one front, there was no way they could defend themselves against two.
Seeing her distress, Hamish came to her side and pulled her into his arms. He slid his hand up and down her back soothingly. “Where did your faith in me disappear to, aingeal?”
Mairead pulled back, but Hamish would only let her go so far. “You have it all and always will, you know th—”
Before she could finish her sentence, both doors of the great hall swung wide open and with such force one of them banged on the stone wall. Mairead snapped her head around to see just which soldier was announcing his arrival in such a brazen way.
But the man was no mere soldier. He was enormous and at his side was an incredibly beautiful woman.
The man was very muscular and taller than every man in the room, including Hamish. Next to him was the most stunning woman Mairead had ever seen. Tall and thin, she walked with a gracefulness Mairead longed to have but knew she never would. Her hair was the color of moonlight and it cascaded all around her shoulders down to her waist in harmonious waves.
Mairead was about to ask Hamish for explanations when he moved from her side and walked over to greet the couple. The first thing he did was gather the gorgeous woman in his arms and hold her in a long embrace that could not be mistaken for anything but what it was.
Whoever this woman was, she loved Hamish and he also loved her.