Chapter 1

"Och Grace. I didnae ever think I"d live to see the day!"

"Aye, doomsday."

Grace raised an acerbic eyebrow to Lissie as the pair sat at the head of the Duncan grand hall, waiting.

"Dinnae let oor Billie hear ye say that," whispered Fiona, sticking her dark head in between them. Nervously, she skimmed the corners of the room for any trace of William.

There were none. At least, not yet. Fiona shared a glance with her sisters. They were all there—Lissie, Grace, and Aileen—plus husbands and, of course, bairns.

"It"s William, noo," Aileen said, pushing into the conversation. "He doesnae want to be kent as Billie anymore."

In front of her, Lissie scowled. "Well, that will make things complicated." She pulled her perfect brow into a knot and harrumphed. "We already have one William in the family, an" I"m married to him. Why couldnae he just have stayed oor Billie?"

Lissie stared plaintively at Fiona as if she were somehow to blame, but Fiona just shrugged.

"I dinnae ken," she said, with a shake of the head. "He said it"s what he wants."

Aileen leaned in mischievously. She might be the mother of two children—the most recent arrival bouncing about on her knee—but she still could not resist a smart remark. Especially about Billie—William.

"Och, Fiona, it makes perfect sense." Aileen"s perfectly sculpted eyes scoped the other William, Lissie"s noble-born English husband. "As Billie, he has invaded half the Highlands, nearly started a war wi" the English, och an" eaten the Highland jewels."

The Highland jewels were the clan treasures won in battle years ago.

Aileen flashed pointedly at Fiona, who could not stop herself from a grin.

"Ach, come on, they came back clean in the end." She smirked, casting a quick eye about the packed dignitaries. It was true, she dropped her voice at this point so as not to be overheard.

"I think under the circumstances, I wouldnae want to be kent as Laird Billie the Bampot!"

"Wheesht! They"re coming." Fiona stopped them dead as William swept into the room.

"Ladies an" gentlemen," the croaky voice of McTavish, the ancient clan elder, crackled through the hall.

Fiona"s eyes flickered as she glanced at her brood. Her grip tightened on her youngest, Fionnula, who was beginning to giggle. Fionnula turned her light-brown head to her mother, pressing a quizzical face upward. Acknowledging her, Fiona smiled slightly at the same time as drawing a frown. The shake of her head meant business, and Fionnula fell silent.

They all did.

The low hum in the great hall muted as McTavish shuffled before them. Stooped with age, he clung desperately to the wooden lectern.

Suddenly, Aileen had a pang of conscience. She felt bad for the old man. No one seemed to know how old he was exactly, but he had been the clan elder since before forever.

"We are pleased to welcome ye here today for the o-official..." McTavish stumbled over his words as a sudden frog took his throat. For a moment or two, he spluttered, and a young servant raced in with a cup of water. Taking a sip, McTavish recovered himself, but not before his face had turned dark red and sweat poured from his unruly head. McTavish"s hair was even wilder than usual today, wiry sprigs bouncing everywhere. As he struggled, the sisters looked at each other, unsure.

"Welcome as oor new clan leader an" laird, William!"

There was a murmur, as from the side of the hall, William emerged. Clad in the distinctive brown and blue of the Duncan clan, his entrance drew excitement from the room.

Fiona watched open-mouthed. The Billie they knew was gone, and now there was a man in his place. The sisters gazed, dumbfounded, as the new William swept across the packed hall without even slipping on his plaid.

"Och," murmured Grace, more to herself than anything else. "Can that be oor Billie? When did he get so tall?"

Her hazel eyes rounded, confused, as she pulled Fiona toward her. It was like he had aged ten years overnight. But in a good way. The pair gazed as William made his way up to the lectern, smiling widely at the approving crowd.

Despite the thick snow, half the clan had turned out, packing the rafters of the Duncan Great Hall. The other half were outside, pressing in through the narrow windows and blocking the corridors. Every conceivable person was present, young and old, pressed together in a maelstrom of flesh, eager not to miss this most important of days.

The heat in the room skyrocketed as the sea of cheering faces blurred into one. A pang of nerves shot through new Laird William Duncan as he approached the lectern, smiling. But beneath his serene exterior, he was unexpectedly emotional. Eyeing the faces, William"s stomach tightened. They were all there, peasants who tilled the land, old women smiling, bairns on their mothers" knees. Not to mention the visitors, nobles and lairds, who had traveled from afar.

All of them, distilled into that one moment, to be there today. It was with some trepidation that William addressed the crowd.

"Hoo there," he called impetuously, making the entire crowd laugh.

From the front bench, Fiona glanced meaningfully at Grace.

William waited a while for the room to quieten down before continuing.

"Thank ye all for coming here today."

Another rousing cheer broke out. William waited, a firm grin on his features; but inside, he was a mess. Nevertheless, he was the happiest he had ever been. Heaven knew it had been a long time coming.

"I am verra proud to be yer new laird," he said simply, as the crowd erupted in cheering.

William"s crazy red curls exploded around his head, drawing out the azure in his eyes. Steadying himself on the lectern, he cast his eye across the hall.

In the front row were his sisters, all with their bairns and men. To their left were the elders, counselors, and dignitaries from other clans; Kennedy, Anderson, Ferguson, and of course, Douglas.

William"s eyes flashed at the pale counselor, who was the sole representative of the Douglas clan. The laird and his daughter could not make the ceremony, and William had to steel himself, with an air of foreboding, not to take this to heart.

There will be time enough to make relations with the Douglas clan, he thought. For now, there was this.

"An" I swear," said William, with a glance at McTavish. The elderly counselor looked as if he needed to sit down, which he probably did, but he did his best to cling to the lectern. Consequently, William had to take care not to elbow him off from it. The last thing he wanted was the oldest clan member being knocked unconscious in front of everyone.

Not long ago, that was exactly the type of thing that he might have done, albeit unwittingly. William"s rosy cheeks colored at the thought of his many past indiscretions.

"I swear to work hard an" to nae let ye doon, the people o" Duncan."

A huge cheer was raised as peasants and nobles alike brayed and stomped their feet. William grinned. This was the moment he had waited for. If only he did not mess it up!

"An" I hereby do swear nae to abandon ye to oor enemies..."

Just the swiftest of glances off toward the Douglas counselor was given as William proudly smiled at the pale elder, reassuring him that they and their clan were now firm allies, if not exactly friends just yet.

Clearing his throat, William continued. "An" nae to eat the clan jewels. Again..."

William looked up. There was a bit of a pause as silence struck the packed crowd. For a moment or two, William wondered if this had gone down wrong, but then an uproar of laughter swept the hall. At the front, his sisters, Aileen and Grace, were in stitches as Fiona looked disapprovingly ahead.

But this was the only slight glimpse of the old Billie. As soon as the hall quietened, he took a different tone. More considered, quieter, outlining his vision for the future; the expansion of the clan, the improvements to the farming, and their hopes for greater land.

By the end of the speech, even his most conservative of counselors was nodding along. Well, at least the ones who weren"t nodding off.

Looking across at McTavish, now finally seated at the side of the hall, he saw he was reclined, head back in his chair, snoring for all the worlds.

If William was a more sanctimonious person, he could feel offended. As it was, he just smiled.

"An" so, ye"ve clearly had yer fill o" me blethering on, so wi" nay more ado, l invite ye all to charge yer cups"—William lifted his goblet up high and beamed—"an" mak" a toast. To the clan!"

A loud cheer rang up from the packed hall, with general slurring and shoving as all tried to find a dram at the same time. Looking around at Fiona, William smiled. From the front row, she smiled back, then busied herself tending to her bairns.

As William"s eye wandered along the first row, he saw the same story. Grace, Aileen, Lissie, all of them chatting away or embroiled in children. Besides them, their men were all laughing and joking.

William sighed, relaxing his tensed shoulders. He did not realize how hunched he had been. It would take some time before he was entirely comfortable with a crowd.

Not that anyone had noticed it. William"s speech had gone over extraordinarily well, and from the back of the hall, his advisor and friend, Alasdair, came over to say so.

But watching his sisters, a ripple of something passed through William. He could not be more content, but he envied them slightly. There was Fiona, laughing and gay, the weight of the clan no longer upon her.

Just as he was thinking, Alasdair tapped him from behind.

"Billie!"

A hand appeared on his shoulder. William gave it an acerbic glance. Then he glared at Alasdair. Immediately, Alasdair removed the hand.

"Ach, I mean, William," he corrected hastily.

William smiled.

"That"s better. Go on." For a moment, he looked at his advisor quizzically, a glint in his sky-blue eyes.

"A very bonny speech," said Alasdair directly. He smiled unevenly, awaiting William"s response.

William, for his part, patted Alasdair on the back.

"Ye have got the right instinct for the crowd," said Alasdair encouragingly. "But there"s always one o" two wee things to master. But that"s nae for noo."

Alasdair cast his blond head about as he surveyed the room glassily. "An" there"s one or two wee things about the clan"s security, as well."

As he said this, William"s heart sunk. He knew only too well the border securities and other issues which may be targeted by outlaws. Taking Alasdair aside, he shunted him away from the murmurings and into the tiny cabinet at the back of his bedchamber.

Only when they were alone did William finally say what he had first thought to.

"Alasdair, I need to strengthen the clan. The borders are treacherous. At any point, we might be invaded. I need to strengthen the existing alliance with all the main players."

Beside him, Alasdair nodded sagely. "William, ye should speak wi" the Douglas representative. He is?—"

Alasdair stopped dead as William laughed out loud,

"Speak wi" him? The man barely looked at me, just before," said William. He was surprised to find himself almost in a rage. Trying to dampen himself down, William took time to compose himself. "I mean, I dinnae ken his problem, but so far, I grow fearsome that the entire Douglas clan are nae keen onthis planned union."

Alasdair opened a small blue eye. Now he looked at his friend.

"What do ye mean?" gasped Alasdair. But it was clear what he meant.

William fixed him with a look. "I mean, I think they have cold feet. Worse, that they are using oor union for their advantage, using oor farmland, an" some o" the men are saying they"ve stolen their sheep too!"

William looked at Alasdair gravely.

"We must stop them," he said seriously. "Afore they take full advantage. An" then, the next week, we strengthen oor alliances elsewhere."

"Aye, of course, sir, but how shall we do that?" asked Alasdair, his cool blue eyes spinning at the speed of it all.

William looked at him like he was simple. "It"s about time I called in their side o" the deal. I need to take a leaf out o" oor Fiona"s book."

Alasdair looked blankly. Frustratingly, William continued.

"A marriage, Alasdair. I need to get wed to this one. I dinnae ken her name." William fiddled uncertainly with plaid on his shoulders, then, catching himself in the act, stopped abruptly.

Such weakness would never do now he was a ruler.

"Wed?" said Alasdair, a light shining in his eyes. "Ye want to get wed?"

With a heavy sigh, William placed his hand on Alasdair"s arm.

"Aye, lad, that"s it. I need to get wed. Whatever it takes to strengthen the clan."

There was a pause as Alasdair"s pale eyes absorbed this information, then a smile spread across his thin face, and he nodded. "Aye, I will send the message."

A ripple of pleasure ran through William. It was strange to think that, as laird, William was now the master of his own time. But looking at his sisters, he wondered. Their marriages had turned out alright, so why not his?

Did he want to wed? It could be arranged just like that. Happiness, however… That was another matter entirely.