A Hellion for the Highlander

Me parents! He murdered them! I’ll kill him!

But Cicilia’s hand clamped around his other arm, pulling him back. “Alexander, stop,” she commanded, and she said it with such authority that he froze in place. “Stop. He’ll face a trial an’ everyone will ken what he did. An’ then, his miserable life can end properly. But nae here. Nae now.”

The fog of red anger faded slightly, and he lowered his sword, though he did not sheathe it yet. “Why did ye let him in here?” he asked her in a choked-up voice, trying desperately to think of anything other than his parents. “He could o’ hurt ye. He could o’ hurt yer siblings.”

“We hid under the bed,” Annys told him. “Because Cicilia told us to. An’ then when he came in, she chatted to him a bit, then as soon as he tried to move towards her, we hit him!”

“Hit him with what?” Alexander asked roughly.

Jamie and Annys simultaneously pointed to the heavy metal poker that was sitting by the mantelpiece. They must have both hefted it to wield it properly. Alexander could see on the end where Thomaes’s blood was still damp on one end.

Good. I’d like to beat him wi’ it a few times meself.

But Cicilia was right. Thomaes would be punished, but it needed to be in the right way—not out of vengeance, but by following the law of the land.

“So ye killed me parents, managed to manipulate me into coldness, an’ turned me people against me,” Alexander accused, ice in his voice as he turned back to the accomptant once more.

Thomaes’s expression had shut down almost entirely. He sounded utterly indifferent as he said, “Aye. An’ it was nae hard. Yer people are fools an’ beggars, every one. They’d have believed anythin’ I told them for a bit o’ coin.”

The pain threatened to overwhelm him, but he stood firm. “An’ Cicilia’s farm?” he asked quietly. “Ye planted men when I sent ye to observe, aye?”

A cruel smirk. “Aye. They slaughtered the animals. It was supposed to be enough to put a stop to it, but ye an’ yer noble idiocy ruined that plan, too. So I had the fire set. I was hopin’ to catch ye all in the blaze an’ be done wi’ it—but then ye brought them back here!”

Cicilia gasped, covering her mouth as the full realization hit her. “Ye threatened me in me bed. Ye nearly killed me wee siblings!”

Thomaes shrugged as best he could while tied up. “Me only regret is nearly.”

That was when the door opened again behind him, and Nathair walked in, limping heavily, supported between two men. There were three in total from the clan, that Alexander knew were highly respected amongst the people.

Are they the leaders o’ this fightin’?

“I kent ye were nae to be trusted,” Nathair said with sarcastic brightness, though Alexander could hear the thick pain in his voice. “Well, men? Are ye satisfied?”

The three clansmen looked at each other, then one stepped forward. It was Ronald, the baker, who Alexander knew had been most vocal about the need for change in the Castle village. “I heard enough,” he said. Disgust colored his voice. “It seems I owe ye an apology, Miss O’Donnel. Laird.”

He bowed his head to each of them in turn, then spat in Thomaes’s direction. “Fools an’ beggars, are we?” he demanded. “I’ll spread the word. I’m sure we’ll all be glad to see ye hang.”

Thomaes wheezed out a bitter laugh. “Aye? When I get to the devil, I’ll be sure to tell him to wait for all o’ ye. I still won, can ye nae see? The O’Donnel girl’s secret is out. Alexander is broken. I still win.”

Alexander’s hackles raised once more, but Cicilia said mildly, “I don’t see how. In fact, all ye’ve done is made things better for everyone. Nathair, did ye hear back from Jeanie yet?”

Nathair nodded. “Aye, she told me this morn. The Humphries are all for it if ye’re sure. Sorry I dinnae let ye ken sooner, but I had a few wee matters distractin’ me.”

Cicilia smiled, while Alexander looked against them, once again confused. What twist was this now?

“Ye see,” Cicilia said, “Me friend Jeanie is due to wed Chieftain Mr. Barcley here, but she wanted to let her parents ken first, an’ also make provisions for her grandfaither. So before they sent out the message, I had an idea. I asked Jeanie to ask her faither and grandfaither if they would nae do me the honor as servin’ as custodians o’ me farm.”

Alexander went still.

What? What is she talkin’ about? She’s been so against givin’ the farm away this whole time, so what is this?

“O’ course, it’ll be under me supervision. But technically, the farm will belong to George Humphries an’ his faither-in-law Ewan McCaul until me brother Jamie comes o’ age,” Cicilia went on. “We’ll need to sort the papers wi’ the Laird, but I imagine that will nae be much hassle.”

Alexander blinked. “Ye’re handin’ over the farm? What will ye do? Or will ye go back an’ do as ye were but just changin’ titles?”

Cicilia’s eyes sparkled. “As I said, I’ll supervise as much as I can,” she agreed. “But the Castle’s at least a seven-day ride from there, an’ once we’re wed, I imagine me duties will keep me from goin’ as often as all that.”

The room went very, very quiet, and Alexander could hear his own heartbeat thundering in his ears as he processed what she’d just said. “Once we’re wed?” he repeated.