Amanda Scott (33 page)

“Red Colin is just trying to show that he is not soft on Highlanders,” Diana said with a sigh. “Once he was accused of that, his behavior got worse than ever. I’ll warrant that’s at the root of all this. If we can manage to hold the land until all the rumors of a new uprising die away, perhaps he will become more reasonable.”

“That is what James said,” Mary told her. “The man who advised him in Edinburgh suggested as much, and James has decided that we must all refuse to vacate our homes unless they threaten us with military force. He is willing to trust the Barons to set all the evictions aside when next they meet. The one he talked to in Edinburgh assured him that they will.”

“Unfortunately,” Rory said, “they do not sit again until mid-June.”

“No, James explained that,” Mary said. “He hopes that by confronting Red Colin with a formal protest presented by the effected tenants and other persons of standing in the county, we can make him back down for now. Allan says he knows several prominent men who will stand with us.”

Rory said casually, “Allan Breck is here?”

Mary glanced at him, then looked ruefully at Diana and Lady Maclean as she said, “Nay, sir, not now, but he was for an hour or so yester morning. He stayed with James over Monday night. He said James was in such a dither then he did not like to leave him, but once they had worked out what could be done, Allan said, James felt much better.”

Lady Maclean nodded. “It always helps to have something positive to do. I take it then that Allan means to speak to—” She broke off abruptly, shooting a grimace at Rory. “I, too, forget that we are foolish to speak of such things in front of you. Like it or not, young man, you are one of the enemy. The fact that you are fond of Diana does not alter that fact one whit. Don’t you have things to do?”

“I could help, ma’am, if you would let me.”

Diana watched to see if the earnest look of innocence would affect her mother, and when it looked as if Lady Maclean was softening, she said curtly, “Don’t fall for that look, Mam. It is one he has cultivated to a criminal art.” Glaring at Rory, she said, “I told you about our sist, sir. You invited my confidence, and I trusted you. Can you swear that you did not tell Red Colin just what he had to do to counter it.”

“I did not,” he said, his mouth tightening.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Now, look here, I’ve given you my word—”

“The word of a Campbell,” she retorted bitterly. “I’d be a fool in this instance to accept it. I cannot doubt for one moment that you would have advised Colin if he had asked you. Who else hereabouts would have the knowledge to do so? You seem to know much more than most folks do about the Scottish courts.”

“Well, I should, should I not?” he said as one goaded.

“Just because you are a man and have the advantage of a grand education, and even grander connections? Well, I have had an education, too, sir, and mine tells me not to trust anyone outside my clan. You have already heard more than enough of our conversation. I want you to leave.”

“Diana, don’t you know that I can help you, that I’m—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped. “There is nothing you can say that will convince me to let you hear more of our discussion. Why, for all I know, you wanted Mam to come back here just so Colin could arrest her again.”

“You know that is not so. I can protect her, Diana. If there is any trouble about that, I hope you will not hesitate to send for me.”

“Oh, go away, my lord. If you are so powerful, stop Colin yourself. You certainly have my leave to do that if you can.”

Glancing at the others, and realizing that they would not support him against her, Rory made his farewells rather curtly and mounted his horse. He had realized, to his dismay and chagrin, that Diana did not know he was a Baron of the Exchequer. Tempted though he was to explain at once and force her to listen, he decided he would have better success if he let her cool off a bit first.

He had assumed from the start that she did know, and nothing she had said had indicated anything else. Indeed, even now, he found it hard to believe that they had never discussed his position openly. It seemed as if they had, as if she had said things to him that made her knowledge evident. In any case, many people knew he was with the Exchequer. It was hard to believe that no one had told Diana, but the more he thought about it the more certain he became that he had not done so.

He could not recall just what things she had said to make him think she knew, but he decided it did not matter. What did matter was Glenure’s idiocy. How he or anyone else could expect to bring peace to Appin country or any other part of the Highlands by forcing people out of homes their families had inhabited for centuries he did not know. He would have to put a stop to it.

As he rode toward Balcardane, he considered the alternatives and found them limited. He could not act alone in the matter, certainly not now that an Edinburgh court had ruled in Glenure’s favor. Nor did he think he would have much luck confronting Glenure on his own.

Diana was right about one thing, and that was that Glenure was determined to show that the Barons had not made a mistake by confirming him in his post. That he had realized Rory had been checking on him grated now. Bad enough that Glenure had seen his visit as an incentive to take a more adamant posture, but the factor’s determination now to see the evictions through argued a stubborn nature far beyond what Rory thought anyone could have anticipated.

He doubted that either Balcardane or Argyll would side against Glenure. They were kinsmen, after all, so it was a good thing that Argyll was away and would not interest himself in the matter unless someone drew it to his attention. Even then, he decided, Argyll was likely to prove far more interested in Rory’s increasing preoccupation with a young woman from a clan his grace thought obstreperous than in anything one of his factors had done.

Rory grimaced, anticipating the interview that would likely follow Argyll’s learning of that preoccupation. First things first, however. He had to think of a way to help, and a way to explain himself to Diana. At this juncture, although he was certain that her feelings for him matched his for her, she was not likely to listen to anything he might say. Therefore, his help must come first.

By the time Rosinante topped the densely wooded rise above Balcardane Castle, and Rory saw Ian striding uphill toward him, he had decided that his best course was to be present on Friday when Glenure presented his eviction notice and tried to enforce it. The “prominent men” Allan Breck had promised to produce would no doubt stare to see him there, but they would accept his assistance. He doubted that even Glenure would insist on pressing the matter then and there with a Baron standing against it. As for Mistress Spitfire, it would not harm her to stew a bit in the meantime, since she would doubtless be pleased with the result and quite willing to hear him out afterward.

Ian shouted a greeting. “You’re back! We wondered when we should expect you. Duncan will spit horse nails when he sees you, too, for he said we should not look to see you before Term Day, but I bet him you would return today.”

“You must have neglected to tell him Lady Maclean had to swear the oath to retain her tenancy,” Rory said mildly. “Glenure can hardly be expected to know she has done so if no one is here to tell him.”

“Is that why you are looking so cheerful? Is it all arranged? I haven’t seen Mary for days, but she must be pleased about that.”

Realizing that Ian had seen him smile at the thought of making Diana stew as mild punishment for her failure to trust him, Rory said ruefully, “It’s not settled yet because Glenure’s making more trouble. That man is a menace to peace.”

“He’s not really, you know,” Ian said, turning to walk beside Rosinante. “He just flares up whenever anyone pokes at him. What’s he done now?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard. He went to Edinburgh and overturned the sist that your Mary and the others presented to him before I left.”

“That was clever,” Ian said thoughtfully. “I wonder who advised him.”

“Your irritating brother or your father, most likely.”

Ian glanced up at him. “Are you at outs with Duncan again? He was gone for several days about the same time you left, and he’s scarcely said a word since he got back, except to warn me to choose my friends more carefully. He is always saying such stuff though. I scarcely heed him anymore. Are you vexed with him?”

“I’ve yet to see him,” Rory pointed out, seeing no reason to make Ian choose sides over the incident at Spean Bridge. “I’ve been away for nearly a fortnight, after all, but if he did advise Glenure to seek countermeasures, he did no one any good. Colin is making far too many enemies. Since it’s my duty to see that he manages his lot of forfeited estates without undue strife, I could wish that he had sought my counsel before he dashed off to Edinburgh.”

“Can’t you just tell him to stop being a fool?”

“According to Mistress Maclaine, he’s gone to Maryburgh to get proper eviction notices. Moreover,” Rory added, “he seems to have announced his itinerary to all and sundry, for she told us he sent word to the landlord at the Kentallen Inn to hold rooms for his party tomorrow night. By now, half of Appin must know when he means to return, and anyone who tries can predict his route with near certainty, because he’ll have to take the ferry across the narrows.”

Ian frowned. “Are you suggesting that someone might interfere with him?”

“He’s irked a lot of people, lad. Someone might try to teach him manners.”

“Should we send someone to warn him?”

Rory thought for a moment. He was, after all, teaching Diana a lesson, and Glenure deserved one more than she did. If one or two Highlanders attempted to frighten the wits out of him, who was Rory to interfere? “He’ll be traveling with an escort, so I doubt there’s any real danger,” he said comfortably.

“Aye, Colin of all people knows better than to travel alone anywhere in Argyll. Like as not, they’ll be armed, too, so he’ll be safe enough.”

Diana did not worry in the least about Red Colin’s safety. If she thought about it at all, it was to hope he would fall into the narrows and drown before he could carry out his horrid evictions.

No one wanted to talk about them. Even Lady Maclean changed the subject when Diana tried to bring it up at supper that evening; and the following morning, when Neil said he was going to walk up the glen, and Diana begged him to stay and talk about what to do, he snapped at her in a way that was most unlike him.

“I’ve no wish to talk about absurdities,” he said. “I’m going out because I’ve naught to gain by staying and I’m sick to death of fretting about what might come. If Colin wants to evict us, he will, and there will be no mending it.”

“Neil, really—”

“I’m sick of talk, Diana. If it isn’t you begging me to talk about what I’ve no control over, it’s Allan telling me I’d like being a soldier in France, which I’m very sure I would
not
like. I just want everyone to leave me alone!”

Lady Maclean said, “Has Allan tried to talk you into joining his regiment?”

“Aye, and he was at it again last night at the inn till I just up and left with Kath—Never mind that,” he added hastily, looking from his mother to Diana. Then, belligerently, he added, “If you go for me over her, I just might sail with him after all. Now, leave me be, everyone. I’m going up the glen.”

Diana said tartly, “Have a care that her father doesn’t take a whip to you.”

“Even if that were where I was going, Maccoll has too much respect for my rank to touch me,” Neil said scornfully.

“You can’t expect him to respect it more than you do,” she retorted.

He left without another word.

“So he is still seeing his dairymaid,” Lady Maclean said, stifling a cough. “Well, perhaps it may prove a blessing if she can keep him here when Allan sails.”

There was nothing to say to that, and after her ladyship indignantly rejected a suggestion that she spend the day coddling her cold, all three women busied themselves through the morning with their usual chores.

By eleven even Lady Maclean seemed to find the work senseless. With a sigh, she said, “Put the kettle on, Morag. Some tea and a bit of that mutton we had last night will do us more good than pretending things are normal today, when we may be put out of this house altogether tomorrow.”

Diana put down the rag she had been using to polish the sitting room mantel and moved to help Mary and Morag fetch out the food. They were setting plates on the table when Neil walked in.

Smiling, he said, “Is there enough for me?”

“Of course,” his mother said. “Take down my tea chest, will you, please?”

As he reached to take the chest from the high shelf where it lived, Diana put a mug out for him, saying, “Your walk seems to have done you good.”

He made a face at her over his shoulder and said, “I told two women to keep their cattle off Ardsheal land and sent a fellow about his business who was creeping through the woods above Kentallen. Nasty piece of work, he was. Must have been a Campbell. It gave me great pleasure to chase him off, I can tell you.”

“I’m going to take some fresh-baked bread to Granny Jameson this afternoon, and perhaps visit Bardie,” Diana said. “Would you like to come?”

“Can’t,” Neil said, avoiding her eye as he took his seat at the table. “I’m meeting someone.”

Lady Maclean had unlocked the tea chest. Glancing up as she lifted the lid, she said, “Who?”

“Just some friends,” he said. “In point of fact, Diana, I can walk part way with you, because I’ll be going toward Kentallen

Inn. If you like, I can ask the innkeeper to join us tomorrow when we meet with Red Colin.”

“Yes, please do,” she said. “The more people we can gather, the better.”

“Tell me more about your visit to Glen Drumin,” Mary said.

Diana knew her cousin had changed the subject so no one would press Neil to tell them more about his plan for the afternoon. Mary disliked contention unless she stirred it herself, and she doubtless wanted to keep Neil in good humor. Certain that he meant to visit Katherine Maccoll and fully intending to winkle a confession out of him while they walked toward Kentallen Inn, Diana soon excused herself and went upstairs to change into a rust-colored walking dress more suitable for the afternoon ahead than the old frock she had worn to do her chores.