Chapter Sixteen

Thane

Thane's response was quick. "Do not allow the bastard inside. I will come to him."

Tamsin had bolted from her seat, frantically twisting her skirt, her thumbs wiggling again. Thane set his hand on her arm, hoping to calm her. "I'll handle it. Do not come out, or you will be giving in to his need for show. I will return in a wee bit to let you know how I handled the situation."

"Should I not come with you? He is looking for me."

"Nay," he replied a bit too sharply. "Unless you wish to be dragged out by your hair. I'll remind you that his intent was to kill you. I doubt that has changed." Then he spun around and followed his guard outside.

"Artan, the situation update, if you please?"

"Aye, Chief. He came on a small birlinn. Our men watched him approach. Four oarsmen, and he has two men with him. Each with a sword."

"Size?"

Artan arched a brow at his chieftain. "Men or swords?"

Thane snorted. "Appropriate question. Both."

"Raghnall is the type to be all talk, his two men are larger, beefier, more muscular. Her husband has no muscles that I can see. Soft in the belly, eats too much, talks incessantly about nothing. He carries no visible weapon. The other two have one sheathed sword each that are not as fine as ours. Easily taken, my guess."

Thane pulled on the bottom of his short beard, a habit he had when he entered into unexpected situations. He had a vague memory of scratching his chin when he was young, and an older man, he guessed his sire, would slap his hand away, telling him not to be indecisive.

This was his small form of rebellion. The man did not deserve the title of father. He left the three siblings long ago with their harsh mother, who deserted them not long after.

Neither one deserved bairns. Both were the reason he would never have any of his own.

He scratched his neck beneath his beard, an act of defiance he didn't deny himself. It did lessen his anger to a low simmer, so he didn't stop it. He was actually looking forward to looking the man in the eye.

He strode through the gates and across the bridge, marching up to Tamsin's husband, because he knew exactly which one he was, thanks to Artan's thorough description.

Stopping directly in front of the man who backed up one step, he looked down at him with derision. "You are Raghnall Garvie?"

"Aye. Who the hell are you?"

He pulled his fist back and landed a hard blow on the man's cheekbone, nearly knocking him off his feet. Both his guards attempted to grab Thane, one placing a dagger at his throat, but Thane took the dagger from him with one smooth move. He drove the flat of his hand into the swine's chin, snapping his head back and sending him to the ground.

The third man dropped his weapon and held up his hands, stepping back.

Raghnall rubbed his cheek and said, "What the hell was that for?"

Thane's hands went to his hips, where he liked to keep them in case he had to unsheathe his weapon quickly. "For trying to kill an innocent lass."

"Innocent? The wee bitch is far from innocent. She burned my dinner among many other offenses." Raghnall didn't reach for his weapon, but the fury in his eyes made Thane wonder how Tamsin had survived living with this arrogant fool. "She is to give me a son, and she can't even do that. The one thing a woman is expected to do for her husband, and she's failed."

"Then why do you want her back if she displeases you so?"

"Because she belongs to me. I was told you brought her to your castle. I left her on the rock to think on her failures. I would have retrieved her."

"Before the tide came up?" Thane drawled.

"Aye. Return her to me. I own her."

Thane took a step closer, lowering his voice, one of his favorite tactics to get his point across. He found yelling to be a waste of time. "And did punching the lass before you left her in the middle of the loch to ‘think on her failures' make you feel like a strong man? Did it make you feel powerful to beat someone who has no chance of fighting back?"

The fury increased in Garvie's eyes, but he hadn't moved. Thane watched for any twitch in the man's demeanor that would give away his next step.

"She's my wife, and I'll do with her what I please. Return her to me."

"So, you can beat her again? Do you think your dick will grow if you beat a woman? Is that why men with small penises like you beat women?"

Garvie lost it, reaching for his paltry weapon, but Thane was faster, taking a step back and withdrawing his sword, the point at Garvie's throat before the man could raise his dagger.

Lazy arse that Garvie was, Thane was not going to kill him yet. "You live on Ulva?"

"I own Ulva."

Thane laughed at this boast because he knew it wasn't true, but the man was full of lies. Evil ran thick in his veins.

Brian and Artan both stood in front of Garvie's men with their weapons drawn to keep them from interfering.

Thane continued, "Get off my land. Take yer arse back to Ulva and keep it there or I'll slice your neck right now."

He pushed the point in, drawing blood, but not too much. Garvie paled.

"I'll go with him!" Tamsin's voice carried from the bridge, if he were to guess. "Do not kill him, my lord. I will return. I've caused you enough trouble."

Thane pulled his weapon back and Garvie rubbed his neck, wiping the blood on his tunic. Garvie shouted, "Answer me this first, wife. Did you whore for him?"

Another fist shot out so fast, Garvie never saw it coming. Thane couldn't help himself. How could he treat a lass as beautiful as Tamsin the way he was? Burning his dinner was hardly a crime punishable by death.

"I did not touch your wife except to get her to a healer." Then he turned to Tamsin and said, "I would advise against going with him. You know he'll beat you again."

Garvie looked at his wife, the hatred for her evident in his face. "If you wish to see Alana again, wife, get your arse in the boat. Otherwise, I'll send her bones to you."

Tamsin ran down the bank toward the boat. Before climbing in, she turned back to Thane and gave him a small bow of thanks.

Thane wished to beat the smug look from Garvie's face, but he kept his hands to his side as the fool turned around and headed back to the vessel.

He was nearly at the ship when Thane couldn't stop himself from calling out, "You have not seen the last of me, Garvie."

Garvie retorted, "Oh, you can count on seeing me again, and next time I'll be in control, not you. I'll have you drawn and quartered on Ulva if you dare to come for her."

Thane had the odd feeling he'd just been given a dare he had to meet. But another part of him knew the truth of the situation and hoped Tamsin would survive long enough to locate her daughter.

The birlinn left shore, and Thane turned around, knowing it would be best if he didn't watch Tamsin.

Instead, he headed back across the bridge, just now noticing that every person in his clan stood outside the curtain wall or on it, watching the show. A small round of applause started. It was something he'd never heard before.

Mora ran at him, launching herself and throwing her arms around her big brother. "Thane, you were wonderful. Thank you for trying to protect her, but she must do what her heart tells her. Even if she is foolish."

He gave his sister a squeeze and then set her down, striding through the gates and into the courtyard while the others all returned to their work. He'd never felt so powerless.

That was untrue. The time he'd felt the worst in his life was when his own mother had instructed a man to throw the three of them on a ship and leave them on an island somewhere far away.

And he had naught but a dagger to take care of himself and his brother and sister. When they stood on the rocky coastline with one sack of belongings as they watched the birlinn depart, then he'd felt powerless.

The surprise was that he and his siblings were stronger than he would have ever guessed. How he wished their mother could see them now. Someday, he'd show her. He'd prove to her how wrong she was to leave them to die.

But it had been a challenge, something that had humbled and given Thane the drive to be the best he could be.

Brian, Mora, and Artan followed him inside the keep, straight into his solar. "What are you going to do about it, Thane?" Brian asked.

"I've got to think on it."

Artan said, "May I offer a suggestion?"

Once they were seated in the solar, the door closed, Thane nodded to the leader of his guard. "Go ahead, Artan." He trusted the man because he used common sense and strategy instead of emotion, which Brian used too often. Artan also knew the isle much better than Thane did.

"Since you are no longer interested in capturing Duart Castle …"

"Because we couldn't. It's an impossibility in view of the new inhabitants. According to Tamsin, another dozen people have arrived to fill their chambers. Finish your thought, please. Forgive my interruption."

"Then may I suggest taking over Garvie's castle on Ulva? He claims to own the isle, which I don't believe, but how many inhabit the isle? It is so close to us, yet we know naught about it."

Thane leaned back and steepled his fingers in front of him, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair. Artan had made a good suggestion, and Thane would give him credit for it, even though he'd been considering the same objective. If he wished to build Clan MacQuarie, he needed to take on land somewhere, and Ulva was one of the closest isles.

"The isle is close and small."

Brian seemed bothered, his head shaking. "But why an island? Why not land close to us?"

Thane considered Brian's questions, giving him confirmation on his thoughts about his brother. Just two years younger than Thane's nine and ten, his thoughts never demonstrated any true understanding of his actions and the possible repercussions. His suggestions were often instantaneous, showing no real thought to the consequences of his plans.

"Brian, there is no land that has been inhabited close to us. You know this. Forests, rugged coastline. We need land where we can plant and harvest our food. We cannot subsist on meat and fish alone. We need grains and vegetables. A place to plant more fruit trees. When your number grows larger, you must have food to fill the bellies. I'd like sheep from the mainland for the wool. Highland cattle. Warhorses. A field to sow our beans and oats. We need so much more."

"And lasses," Brian said, avoiding Thane's gaze on this one. "You know we need lasses, Thane. They are not all like Mama. I'd like to marry someday."

Thane had heard this from many of his men. Perhaps it was time for him to reconsider. They'd never survive without bairns. It was a fact he could no longer deny. "I've been considering your thoughts, Brian. But give me more time to think on it. Beyond the lasses, Ulva is a better consideration because I believe they have been there long enough to live off the land. But this is something else we need to study before I decide."

"You've considered it already, have you not, Chief?" Artan asked.

"I have, but I'm pleased to hear you believe it to be a wise consideration. I'll agree to researching the possibility, but first we must discover how many guards he can mobilize and how many other large groups are on the isle. Are there fertile fields on the isle? That's where I would start, Artan. Research, then we'll gather the information and consider where to go from there."

Mora did that little wiggle she did when a new idea popped into her head, the wiggle lasting for as long as she had to hold it inside. "What is it, Mora?"

She clapped her hands and stood. "While you are there, please check on Tamsin. I think you should marry her, Thane," Mora said with a grin. "She's beautiful. Do you not agree? Do you not think you should have an heir? Would you not like some bairns? I'd like to be an auntie."

"Tamsin is married, Mora, or have you forgotten this?"

Brian chuckled. "Not if you rid the world of the evil bastard. Besides, he tried to kill her. That should serve as a reason for her not to be required to serve as his wife any longer."

"I agree she is a beauty, but I'll not be marrying Tamsin or anyone else. You know why, Mora."

Brian's face lit up. "Then you'll not mind if I go after her? If you decide to save her, I'll have her, brother. She is a fine beauty."

Thane did something without even thinking on it. He shot up from his chair and gave his desk a shove toward his brother, not hitting him but coming close enough for Brian to jump out of his chair. "You cannot have her, Brian."

No one said anything until Mora wrinkled her nose and whispered, "He likes her." Then she nodded and waggled her brow.

Thane couldn't deny her supposition. Damn it all to hell and back, but she was speaking a truth. He'd never admit it, especially because they both knew he held a certain belief, a certain rule in his life, that wouldn't allow such a possibility.

Other than his sister, he hated women. Then how had he allowed this unlikely event, this mysterious but browbeaten woman, to crack his granite heart?

He was drawn to Tamsin. But he didn't like it one bit.