A Stockingful of Joy by Susan King Justine Dare Mary Jo Putney Jill Barnett Page A
Book: A Stockingful of Joy by Susan King Justine Dare Mary Jo Putney Jill Barnett
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paused, and saw Kenneth's hand tighten in the shadows beneath the hide. She saw Parian scowl, and saw her uncle slit his eyes toward her, waiting.
"I rule this hall," she announced. "And I shall send the bull out to graze." She gestured imperiously, earnestly. "Go now. Please. Go!"
Laughter rose around the hall. Parian chuckled heartily, and her uncle slapped his knee and pointed, imitating her.
The bull moved like lightning then, tearing off his disguise. Shoving Hugh facedown on the table, Kenneth twisted the man's arm and pressed a knee hard into his back. Then he touched the point of his dirk to Hugh's neck. Patrick dove at the same time, wrenching Parian's arm behind him, and holding a dirk to his neck as well.
Catriona gasped and jumped to her feet, backing away. Throughout the hall, men rose to their feet, shouting as they came toward the main table.
"Hold!" Kenneth roared. "Hold! If any man comes near, your laird will die at the point of a Fraser blade! And his nephew will follow, cut by one of your own pups! Hold now!"
Breathing hard beneath Kenneth's restraining hand and knee, glancing wild-eyed at the dirk near his head, Hugh managed to nod. "Listen to him!" he bellowed. He swiveled his eyes. "I know you! You are a Glenran Fraser! By God! Catriona, you sent that damned brooch to them! And look what treachery!"
"Catriona did not invite me here," Kenneth said. "I am Kenneth Fraser of Glenran, come of my own will, with something to say to you, Hugh MacDonald, and to all the MacDonalds of Kilernan. First, though, I ask your pardon for the blade at your throat, for we do not trust one another well just now. And I thank you for your hospitality." He smiled easily.
"Hospitality?" Hugh choked out. "What do you want here?"
"Peace," Kenneth said clearly. "And promises. I wish to remind you of a paper pledge you signed long ago, when you agreed to end the feud between our clans. Let it be newly agreed in words between you and I, and witnessed by all men here."
"
Ach, "
Hugh grunted. "You know I must agree to that, on pain of death from the crown. I have no choice, whether or not you hold a blade to my throat."
"I will not draw your blood," Kenneth said, sliding a meaningful glance toward Catriona, "if you will listen well, and give your solemn promise before all men here."
"Promise what?" Hugh growled.
Watching, Catriona fisted her hands at her sides, wondering what Kenneth meant to do. She glanced from Kenneth to Hugh, then from Patrick to Parian, who looked ill. Kenneth looked at her once, his dark eyes full of storm and determination. His presence, his intensity, swept through her like the pull of a lodestone.
"Tell me, Hugh," he said. "Who owns Kilernan? Who holds it by right of the Regent of Scotland?"
Hugh was silent, his face florid, his breath coming in gasps. "Catriona," he growled at last. "It is hers by right."
"And you have kept the property well for her, for which she surely thanks you. But now, I think, she is ready to manage it with her own hand and her own judgment. Tell her."
"A bargain," Hugh gasped out. "If Catriona promises to wed the man I choose for her, I will make this pledge. Kilernan must remain a stronghold for Clan Donald."
Catriona sucked in a breath and stared at Kenneth. His mouth tightened. "Catriona?" he asked, without looking at her.
She had no choice. For the sake of Kenneth's life after this moment, for the children, for Kilernan, she had no choice. "I—I promise," she murmured.
"Then I bestow Kilernan back into your keeping, now that you are old enough," Hugh said. "Before all men here, I pledge this," he added when Kenneth pressed the dirk point to his neck.
Kenneth looked at the silent, frowning Highlanders gathered nearby. "Catriona MacDonald is the owner of this castle. Your loyalty is owed to her now. She is her father's daughter, brave and strong and fair-minded. Follow her always, and show her your support."
Catriona watched him, tears glinting in her eyes.
"I rule this hall," she announced. "And I shall send the bull out to graze." She gestured imperiously, earnestly. "Go now. Please. Go!"
Laughter rose around the hall. Parian chuckled heartily, and her uncle slapped his knee and pointed, imitating her.
The bull moved like lightning then, tearing off his disguise. Shoving Hugh facedown on the table, Kenneth twisted the man's arm and pressed a knee hard into his back. Then he touched the point of his dirk to Hugh's neck. Patrick dove at the same time, wrenching Parian's arm behind him, and holding a dirk to his neck as well.
Catriona gasped and jumped to her feet, backing away. Throughout the hall, men rose to their feet, shouting as they came toward the main table.
"Hold!" Kenneth roared. "Hold! If any man comes near, your laird will die at the point of a Fraser blade! And his nephew will follow, cut by one of your own pups! Hold now!"
Breathing hard beneath Kenneth's restraining hand and knee, glancing wild-eyed at the dirk near his head, Hugh managed to nod. "Listen to him!" he bellowed. He swiveled his eyes. "I know you! You are a Glenran Fraser! By God! Catriona, you sent that damned brooch to them! And look what treachery!"
"Catriona did not invite me here," Kenneth said. "I am Kenneth Fraser of Glenran, come of my own will, with something to say to you, Hugh MacDonald, and to all the MacDonalds of Kilernan. First, though, I ask your pardon for the blade at your throat, for we do not trust one another well just now. And I thank you for your hospitality." He smiled easily.
"Hospitality?" Hugh choked out. "What do you want here?"
"Peace," Kenneth said clearly. "And promises. I wish to remind you of a paper pledge you signed long ago, when you agreed to end the feud between our clans. Let it be newly agreed in words between you and I, and witnessed by all men here."
"
Ach, "
Hugh grunted. "You know I must agree to that, on pain of death from the crown. I have no choice, whether or not you hold a blade to my throat."
"I will not draw your blood," Kenneth said, sliding a meaningful glance toward Catriona, "if you will listen well, and give your solemn promise before all men here."
"Promise what?" Hugh growled.
Watching, Catriona fisted her hands at her sides, wondering what Kenneth meant to do. She glanced from Kenneth to Hugh, then from Patrick to Parian, who looked ill. Kenneth looked at her once, his dark eyes full of storm and determination. His presence, his intensity, swept through her like the pull of a lodestone.
"Tell me, Hugh," he said. "Who owns Kilernan? Who holds it by right of the Regent of Scotland?"
Hugh was silent, his face florid, his breath coming in gasps. "Catriona," he growled at last. "It is hers by right."
"And you have kept the property well for her, for which she surely thanks you. But now, I think, she is ready to manage it with her own hand and her own judgment. Tell her."
"A bargain," Hugh gasped out. "If Catriona promises to wed the man I choose for her, I will make this pledge. Kilernan must remain a stronghold for Clan Donald."
Catriona sucked in a breath and stared at Kenneth. His mouth tightened. "Catriona?" he asked, without looking at her.
She had no choice. For the sake of Kenneth's life after this moment, for the children, for Kilernan, she had no choice. "I—I promise," she murmured.
"Then I bestow Kilernan back into your keeping, now that you are old enough," Hugh said. "Before all men here, I pledge this," he added when Kenneth pressed the dirk point to his neck.
Kenneth looked at the silent, frowning Highlanders gathered nearby. "Catriona MacDonald is the owner of this castle. Your loyalty is owed to her now. She is her father's daughter, brave and strong and fair-minded. Follow her always, and show her your support."
Catriona watched him, tears glinting in her eyes.
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