Chapter 23

Cam patted her hand as they stepped into the dimly lit tavern. The room was lit only by the firelight in the hearth and the single candles on the tables. Men sat at various tables, but for the most part, they were passed out from drinking too much. Except for one table that held four men, with one pretentious-looking asshole who sneered at their appearance. He was wearing some sort of puffy-sleeved shirt that looked to be silk, with a fitted silk vest and pants that only went to his knees, some sort of stocking, and a short boot. It looked ridiculous to Jen.

Jen immediately felt her back stiffen at the look on the man"s face. If she had her way, she"d take the prick out with a good kick to the groin. Cam must have picked up on her emotions because he squeezed her hand on his arm.

"Sir Kellen. I trust your journey to Ballygrant was uneventful," Cam said as he moved toward the table.

Sir Kellen sneered, his green eyes narrowing as he took in Cam"s attire, turned his look to Jen with derision, and sniffed as though he found the surroundings distasteful. "As expected from a clan of squatters, I suppose."

Cam"s jaw tightened, but he maintained his composure. "Squatters? We"ve dwelled upon this land for centuries. We are the guardians of these moors; nae, the Isle of Islay. And squatters do not pay taxes."

Sir Kellen scoffed, dismissing Cam"s words. "Regardless, your presence here is an offense to Laird Campbell, who owns Islay, not you heathen MacDonalds. He sees the Donald clan as nothing more than savages, imposing yourselves upon rightful Campbell land."

Cam"s eyes flashed with a hint of defiance. "We have our traditions and ways, but we are no savages. We live in harmony with this land, respecting its bounties."

Sir Kellen sneered again. "I care not about your traditions nor your ways as they"re not the Campbell clan"s. You are only allowed to stay because of the taxes you pay. If I had my way, we"d run you MacDonalds out of Islay and all of Scotland. The Donald clan should have died off years ago. You wretches deserve everything you"ve gotten for siding against our Scottish king."

Jen arched a brow and stared at him. "And yet clan Donald holds to Scottish traditions while you dress yourself in British finery?"

"You allow your whore to speak to me in such a manner?"

Jen saw red and nearly leaped at the man, but Cam grabbed her before she could. He turned her, blocking her view of the man whose balls she wanted in a vise. He caught her gaze and held it, giving his head a slight shake and Jen backed down, but she was seething.

"I will not stay here while he insults me," she muttered.

"We won"t be staying long, lass. Calm down," Cam said quietly.

"Feisty one, is she? Did you bring her for me?" Sir Kellen chuckled. "I have to admit that she"s appealing in a way, but I"ll have to pass. I don"t lay with whores who lower themselves to bed the likes of you MacDonalds."

Jen felt her temper blaze, but she held her tongue.

Cam turned back to him with a glare. "You risk your neck by speaking of her in such a way."

"Is that a threat, MacDonald?"

"Nae, 'tis a warning. Willnae be me at your throat, but her."

"This whore is no threat to me." He laughed.

"Perhaps you should hear how she spent her afternoon. It might change your mind."

"You"re saying it wasn"t in bed with you?"

Jen put her hand on the sword at her hip and took a step toward the pompous ass, but Cam quickly grabbed her arm and held her back.

"I"m sure you"ve heard of the bandits that plagued the road between here and Ballygrant, and the surrounding area."

"Aye."

"This woman is a highly skilled swordswoman and fighter. She took out several of the bandits on her own today."

Sir Kellen"s expression shifted, a flicker of surprise and intrigue crossing his face. "Did she?" He arched a brow. "Feisty indeed, then."

"I"d remember that the next time you plan to insult her."

"I shall."

"I should warn you, those thieves were encouraged to pillage and plunder this area by my estranged cousin, Malcolm MacDonald. He escaped, but I have men after him."

"Surely, you do not think I nor the laird had anything to do with his actions," Sir Kellen scoffed.

"Nae, I believe that Malcolm was acting under his volition, wishing to discredit me and the clan in the eyes of the laird."

"This is troubling news indeed. Your cousin has acted against the interests of the Campbells as well," Sir Kellen acknowledged.

"He will be banished from Islay once we"ve apprehended him and the traitors who joined him in his actions."

"Aye, those are acceptable terms." Sir Kellen gave him a regal nod.

Cam"s voice held a note of warning as he added, "Malcolm might seek to cause further trouble in these lands before we can catch him, so be wary on your travels back to the laird. Malcolm was advocating we not pay our taxes. I wouldnae want to see you come to harm if he chose to rob you of the tax you are here to collect."

"I will be cautious upon our return trip and relay this information to the laird. We must remain vigilant and united against any further attempts to disrupt the peace."

"Aye, that we should," Cam agreed. "The cart with the grains awaits your men. Here is the gold." He unthreaded the heavy sack on his hip and handed it over.

Sir Kellen took it and opened the pouch, looking inside. He hefted it and then gave Cam a nod. "My men will bring our cart around." He gave the men a nod and they stood without a word and left the room.