Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,9
and five, and train with my men. They are the best, so heed them well. In a couple of weeks, I expect to see vast improvement. I doonae want to hear any complaining. Ye need to toughen up. Yer men, so act like it!”
“This is not how we trained before,” Kane muttered as he shook his head. “They aren’t going to want to take orders from a Sinclair.”
“Good thing that I doonae give a damn what they want,” Alec said mildly. “What I care about is that they are able to protect their clan if there is an attack. Tell me, how often did Seth train with these boys?”
“They’re naught boys,” Kane said fiercely.
“Please,” Alec sneered. “Half of your army cannae even grow facial hair. I’ll be sending a missive throughout the clans to see if any MacKay wants to return, but I doubt it’ll do much good. Until I see improvement, ye’ll train as I say, as often as I say.”
He could tell that Kane was angry, but the man didn’t argue. Feeling almost sorry for the position that he was in, Alec relented just a little. “Pick a handful of warriors,” he muttered. “This afternoon, two of my men will take another handful out hunting. Yer welcome to join them.”
Kane looked surprised by the offer. “Aye.”
“I watched ye in battle. Yer impressive with a sword. Choose yer own group to train for today,” Alec ordered. Normally he reveled in the training, but today he wanted to watch to see who knew what they were doing, and who needed help. After a few days of observing, the real training would begin.
Catching Stephen’s eye, he pulled him away from the fights. “Did Innes Campbell say anything when he left?” he asked in a low voice.
“Aye. He said that ye were a fool for thinking that ye could take over the clan without his help. He said his offer to be a close ally wouldn’t last for long.”
Alec snorted. “The man doesn’t want to be an ally. He wants to gain my trust so that when he betrays me, I won’t see it coming. He knows that if I fail, he’ll get to step in, and I doonna even care how much this clan hates me. I wilnae see it fall into the hands of Innes Campbell.”
“He also says yer a fool for trusting the thief. What’s he talking about?”
Alec remained silent for a moment. He hadn’t told any of his men about Claire. “When I investigated the prisons, there was a woman strung up in chains. Guard says she’s been there for a few months, and I have a feeling she was Seth and Innes’s play thing. All they’ll say is that she was a thief, but she wilnae say anything, only that her name is Claire.” He paused. “She’s English.”
“English?” Stephen asked with a start. “She must be married then. No other reason for her to be here.”
“She flinches whenever men are near, so I doubt it. I put her in one of the chambers to heal. There are no marks on her that I can tell, but the daft woman won’t let a healer examine her. If she won’t talk, the best I can do is give her work in the keep.”
“Why not release her?”
Alec didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t ready for the woman to leave just yet. He wanted to pry her secrets out of her. “She could verra well be a criminal. I want to keep an eye on her.”
“Is she bonnie?” Stephen asked with a grin. “Perhaps ye just want to keep her close.”
“I’m not stupid,” Alec snapped. “Go train yer men.”
Stephen laughed openly and shook his head. “I can’t wait to meet this Claire. Anyone who has ye so vexed is worthy of my attention.”
“Ye will stay away from her,” Alec said fiercely. “I mean it, Stephen. Ye will not take her to bed.”
It only made Stephen laugh harder as he walked away, and Alec regretted opening up to his friend. No doubt the man would talk, and soon all of his friends would be teasing him.
After practice was over, he’d go back to Claire and make a decision about her. Maybe Stephen was right. Maybe he should just give the woman her freedom and be done with it. It would certainly make his life easier.
It was the first time that Cora had slept in a bed in ages, and while her stomach had growled at the full tray of breakfast, she