Chapter 2

Chapter Two

As arranged, Finn had met with the laird at first light in his solar. After sending a note off to Robin so he knew that Finn would be staying and to have his belongings sent, he joined the rest of the clan folks in the great hall to break his fast.

The laird sat at the dais with a bonny lass alongside him, speaking to a young man at her side. Based on her looks, she was no doubt the daughter they had discussed the night before. He remembered briefly meeting her when they'd visited a few weeks ago. She seemed either shy or proud when they spoke at the time.

Foster waved him over and he joined those at the head table. "Craig, I want ye to meet my daughter, Lady Alison, and my second wife's nephew, Brennan."

Lady Alison merely dipped her head and returned to her food. The lad was all smiles, food dripping from his mouth. He appeared to be about ten summers.

After taking the seat on the other side of the laird, Finn reached for sausages, eggs and cheese on the platter between him and the laird, placing the items on the trencher in front of him.

A young lass poured ale into the mug sitting in front of him. It was a different maid from the night before, but she smiled at him and asked if there was anything else he needed. It was obvious she didn't mean food or drink.

"Sorcha, get back to work!" Lady Alison snapped.

Both the young lass and Finn looked over at her. The lass flushed and after dipping to Lady Alison hurried off.

The laird ignored the entire exchange, so it was obvious his daughter's display was nothing unusual. A bit of a shrew, that one.

Once the meal had ended, Mackay leaned over to speak with Finn. "I want ye to go to the lists and make an assessment. We have two trainers right now, but, with neither of my sons there each day to make sure everything is as it should be, we must determine what needs to be done to make us strong again."

Thinking of some of Robin's troubles, he asked, "Are ye having problems at your border?"

The laird took a sip of his ale. "There are always problems at the borders, as ye well ken, but I believe there is a group inside our border who is causing problems with the smaller villages. We've had some reports of bothies burning and pillaging going on. The clan members who have family in the outlying area are concerned.

"As ye ken from the meeting of all the chieftains I had a few weeks ago, we need to be vigilant and make sure these small groups that we all seem to be experiencing are kept from banding together."

Finn nodded and, once he finished his food, stood. "If ye will excuse me, laird, I am headed to the lists. Who are your two top trainers, so I can speak with them before I start?"

"Albert Mackay, and James, who ye met when ye arrived yesterday."

Finn gave the laird a nod and left the great hall. The men were indeed training, but there was a good deal of sloppy swinging of swords and distractions. If these fools took the lack of skills he witnessed into a battle they would kill themselves or each other.

He was stunned that the Clan Chief had let his men become so lazy. This was another sign that The Mackay had almost lost interest in his clan. Finn would not be surprised, if, once Lady Alison was married, the Clan Chief would turn over all duties to his son by marriage.

He walked up to James. "I'm Finn Mackay from Dun Ugadale. I will be working with the laird."

The man he assumed was Albert Mackay nodded and reached out his hand. "I am Albert Mackay." Finn turned to James. "I remember ye from yesterday."

He looked at the two men. "Yesterday I was told to find the laird's solar, which I did." He looked at James. "Ne'er allow a visitor to roam the keep by himself." He held up his hand as the man began to protest. "I ken ye recognized me from our prior visit, but ‘tis still no' something that should be done."

James nodded and Finn continued. "The laird told me that ye two are the trainers. I'd like to take the time to assess each mon's skills. Ye will watch me and then apply whate'er ye haven't been doing with small groups of men."

Both men seemed to take his instructions well, which eliminated any problems he might have with taking over as second-in-command and assuming the duty of overseeing the training.

"How many warriors do ye have?"

Before James was able to answer, a great deal of shouting erupted from the men on the lists as they stopped training and smiled at Lady Alison who was strolling by the lists, with a basket of flowers over her arm. She dipped her head and smiled at the men like it was an afternoon garden party.

Finn turned on his heel and marched over to the lass. She lost her smile and her hazel eyes bored into him. Everything about the stance of her curvy body made it obvious she was not happy to see him.

The lass was truly a distraction with her long blonde hair tickling her face from the slight wind. She raised her chin and stared at him.

Placing his hands on his hips, he glared back at her.

She sighed. "What is it, Mackay?"

"Ye cannot stroll by the lists when the men are training. They doona need the distraction."

She tilted her head and gave him a tight smile. "I have been called many things in my life, Finn Mackay, but a distraction has ne'er been one of them."

"I doona care what you've been called before. Ye are a distraction now and could cause one of these men injuries."

Her face flushed. "Are ye ordering me no' to walk by the lists in my own castle?"

"Aye. Now ye have the right of it. Doona walk anywhere near the lists when the men are training. I canno' believe ye dinna already ken that."

She leaned forward. "I doona take orders from anyone, Mackay."

He also leaned in, until they were almost nose-to-nose. "Aye. Ye will take orders from me when it concerns the safety of my men."

"They are no' yer men."

"Aye. They are. And ye will obey my orders. If ye have any doubt in yer brain, ye can speak with yer da. Our laird."

He became aware that all the men who had been training along with James and Albert had been watching the exchange between him and the laird's daughter. It was not the best way for him to introduce himself to the men.

"We will discuss this further after the evening meal."

The lass looked angry enough to spit. In fact, she reminded him of a hissing kitten who wanted to strike with its nails. Instead of continuing the exchange, she pulled her basket of flowers closer to her body, turned and stormed off.

The nerve of that man, telling her what to do. No one gave her orders. She did know it was not a good idea to walk that way back from her garden after she'd collected almost the last of the fall flowers, and she rarely did. But being ordered by the man like she was some bairn was outrageous!

Finn Mackay was a bully. She knew the type. Always in control, always shouting orders and demands. Well, he might be her father's new second-in-command, but Lady Alison Mackay was not one of his warriors.

Even though he'd angered her with his surly attitude, she couldn't help but feel a strange attraction to the man. When he stormed over to her, his muscles flexing, his strong legs eating up the distance between them, fluttering began in her lower parts.

His dark brown hair, shorter than most men, along with his crystal clear blue eyes mesmerized her to the extent that at first she didn't understand that he was chastising her.

She was prepared to smile at him until she realized that the sound of his deep voice carried to the lists where the men watched them. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin. She hated that she noticed his handsome face as he ordered her about.

His blue eyes deepened as his annoyance grew. She hated the man but he brought out feelings that were new and strange. Anger she knew, but not this.

‘Twas best to stay as far away from Finn Mackay as possible. She would be married in a fortnight.

Married to a man who had no interest in ordering her about. She huffed. Her betrothed, Archie Sinclair, had no interest in her at all. That was what she'd wanted, she reminded herself. He would live his life—with his lemman—and she would live hers.

Alone.

Continuing to feel restless after her encounter with Finn Mackay, she returned to her bedchamber to add to the pile of clothing she would bring with her when she moved to Castle Sinclair Grinigoe.

She picked up a chemise she'd begun folding and sat on the bed. Would she truly be happy with a husband in love with someone else who he did everything with except marry?

She remembered the story of Laird Robin Mackay breaking his betrothal with Lady Lorena Gunn and how the woman had felt rejected.

But Robin's brother, Craig, had stepped up and married the lass and, from what she'd seen when Craig and his wife were here a few weeks ago, they both seemed very happy.

Would she be happy? Bah. Happy was for fools because it could disappear in a flash. She would be well provided for, have a place of honor in the Sinclair clan as well as her own clan when Archie took her da's place.

Her mind wandered. Would she be respected by the staff at the Sinclair keep who she would be dealing with should they know about her husband's preference for his mistress?

She shook off the somber thoughts.

Children. There would be little ones to cuddle, nurture, and watch grow into strong lads and bonny lasses. Yes, her life would be full.

She continued to fold her clothes.

Finn found himself glancing across the dais during the evening meal watching Lady Alison. The woman was a shrew and it was a good thing she would be marrying soon because she drew his attention too much.

How could someone so difficult to get along with be so bonny? The perfect pale skin of her beautiful face with her hazel eyes drew him to her too many times. Besides a warm and welcoming smile—never for him—those lips were made for kissing.

If Sinclair could temper her down and move that passion she showed when angry into the bedchamber, he would have a hard time getting out of bed each morning.

"She's bonny, eh?" James said who sat alongside him and most likely watched him ogle the lass like an untried lad.

Finn took a sip of his ale. "Aye. ‘Tis too bad her temper comes along with it."

James shook his head. "'Tis strange, that. Lady Alison is generally verra easy to get along with."

Finn nearly choked on his drink. "Easy? My encounter with her at the lists today was anything but easy."

"Aye. Maybe so, but ye did come on quite strong with the lass."

He felt his stomach muscles tense at the criticism. "‘Twas verra foolish of her to parade herself in front of the men like that. Injuries and death can result from distractions."

"I agree. I'd ne'er seen her do that before. She generally takes a different path from her garden to the keep."

"Hopefully her wedding is soon and the distraction will leave with her. Let her husband keep her busy in bed instead of getting herself in trouble."

James shook his head. "Nay. ‘Tis not well known, but I caught wind of the fact that part of the betrothal agreement was that Sinclair will continue to have his lemman in his bed and Lady Alison in the bedchamber next to his. It seems that Lady Alison will only be used to beget heirs and then hand Archie the Clan Chief when her da dies."

"Nay, nay!! What say ye?" Finn jumped to his feet, but, realizing he had drawn attention to himself, he quickly sat down. "I doona believe the laird would allow such a thing."

James shrugged. "I doona understand it, either. No one besides those involved kens about it except me and now ye. The laird let it slip one day when he had enjoyed too much whisky and then said ‘twas no' something everyone should ken since it would embarrass his daughter."

Finn looked over at Lady Alison as she smiled and spoke with one of the maids. Aye, at ease she was a near perfect specimen of womanhood. He looked back at Finn. "Why would she allow that?"

James shrugged. "But doona repeat the story."

"Nay. I doona think anyone would believe it anyway." He took the last sip of his ale. "Why did ye tell me, then?"

James just smiled at him. "I have my reason."

Finn left his seat and walked over to where Lady Alison sat. She looked up at him and immediately scowled. He didn't know whether to laugh or scowl back. He decided to merely hold out his hand. "Lady Alison. I believe we have a conversation to finish?"

At first he believed she would refuse, but then she smirked and, after standing and shaking out her skirts, took his hand. His eyes flew to hers. A strange feeling slid up his arm. Her eyes had grown wide also, and they both stood and stared at each other for a moment.

Then he shook his head and gave her hand a tug. She stepped away from the table and joined him. He placed her arm in his and they walked out of the great hall.

"‘Tis quite chilly out, lass; do ye prefer to speak somewhere else? Mayhap yer da's library?"

She raised her chin. "I prefer no' to speak with ye at all, but since ye made an announcement at the dais back there I had no choice."

Finn sighed. He really wanted to keep this pleasant. He never had a problem with the lasses, but this one was proving a challenge. He decided to allow the woman her pride since she would be leaving in a short time anyway.

Just thinking about what James had told him concerning her marriage soured his stomach. But ‘twas no' his business.

She led him to the laird's library next to the man's solar. He waved at a comfortable looking settee for her to sit. After glowering at him—did everything he do and say cause her anger?—she took the seat and he sat next to her.

"I doona want problems between us, Lady Alison. I apologize for speaking to ye in the manner I did back on the lists, but, frankly, ye scared me. I've seen men seriously injured both on the battlefield and off the battlefield from being distracted."

"Then ye need to take a stronger stand with yer men. If they are so easily distracted then ye are no' doin' yer job."

Finn ran his fingers through his short hair. "It happens I agree with ye, lass. However, I have just arrived and haven't had a chance to even assess the men, never mind fix all the problems."

"Then I suggest ye get yer men to a point where they are no' distracted by someone passing by."

He hadn't intended to, but nevertheless his voice rose. "Ye are no' just a distraction, lass. Ye just have to walk by and any mon with red blood would be pulled from his duty."

She sat silent, her mouth in a very small ‘O' shape. After a moment, she cleared her throat and rose. "If that is all ye need from me, Mr. Mackay, then I will be retiring. I have a great deal to do to prepare for my wedding."

He grinned. "Aye, yer wedding."

She placed her hands on her hips. "What does that mean?"

"No'hing." He stood, preparing to leave, feeling as though he'd been able to impress upon the lass that she was not to go near the lists when the men were practicing. At least he thought that was what had been decided. He found her distracting himself.

Lady Alison studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "A pleasant evening to ye, Mr. Mackay."