skirts that would have picked up the hair, which is what led them to look fer the clothes,” Dougall pointed out with amusement. “’Tis no’ like it’s easy to see.”
“Hmm.” Laird Maclean kicked some of the rushes aside, revealing more hair. “This is how he slipped away, then. His head shaved and wearing a stolen plaid and shirt.”
“‘Twould seem so,” Aulay muttered, but didn’t sound convinced.
Conran couldn’t blame him. He had his own doubts on the matter. The men in the clearing had been looking for someone who had attacked their mistress. Surely, they would have been hyperalert and would have noticed anyone in the area who didn’t belong? After all, the attacker might not have been working on his own.
“Well, I suppose I’d best tell the men on the gate to watch for anyone coming and going that they do no’ ken, but especially a bald man now,” the Maclean said, and turned to head for the door. “I’ll have Tildy send some women up to clear out the rushes in that corner and replace them too so ye needn’t worry about lice or fleas and such.”
Dougall grimaced at the words and Conran chuckled as he turned to follow his father-in-law.
“I think ye should continue to have a guard on Evina,” Aulay commented as they left the room.
“I intended to,” Conran assured him, and then added, “Although I plan to ask Donnan to supply a dozen trustworthy men to watch her in two shifts of six, rather than continue to depend on Geordie, Alick, Dougall and Rory.”
“Ye don’t trust us to keep her safe?” Dougall asked sharply.
“O’ course I do,” Conran said with irritation. “But ye did no’ come here to play guard. Ye came as guests to attend me wedding. I’ll no’ trouble ye by making ye play guard while here.”
“And that is yer problem,” Aulay said with amusement.
“What?” Conran asked with confusion, pausing and turning to meet his gaze.
“That ye’d no’ trouble us,” Aulay said. When Conran just shook his head with bewilderment, he added, “Have ye ne’er noticed ye’re forever helping out one of us, but ne’er ask fer help in return, Conny? And that’s the way it has always been. Ye helped Dougall with his horses, and Niels with his sheep, Rory with his healing, and me with running Buchanan, yet ne’er asked fer our help in return.”
Conran raised his eyebrows at the suggestion. “Because I don’t need help.”
“Everyone needs help some time, Conran,” he said solemnly. “For instance, ye need it now with keeping Evina safe. Ye helped each o’ us keep our women safe when ’twas needed, yet now will no’ let us return the favor. Rather than ‘burden’ us, ye’d have strangers to guard the lass. And they’re men ye obviously do no’ trust with the task, else ye’d no ask for so many.”
Conran frowned and shook his head. “I thought ye’d be pleased to be able to relax and enjoy a visit rather than have to stand guard and—”
“And help ye?” Aulay interrupted quietly. “Has it ne’er occurred to ye that as much as ye like to aid us, we might like to help ye in return too? That perhaps we feel we owe ye that help even, and so long as ye don’t allow it, we’re left owing ye?”
“I—” Conran blinked, and then said with dismay, “Nay. I ne’er considered ye owed me anything. I offered me help freely. There were no demands attached, no expectation that ye’d help me in return. And I ne’er even considered ye might feel that way.”
“Good,” Aulay said solemnly. “Because I’d have been sore disappointed if ye understood the unequal footing ye were forcing us all onto, and just enjoyed feeling superior to us with all yer helping.” Smiling, he added, “But now that ye ken how helping us all the time without allowing us to aid ye in return affects us, I ken ye’ll accept our help in guarding Evina and leave off having soldiers do it.”
“O’ course,” Conran said at once.
“Good,” Aulay said with satisfaction, and continued forward saying, “Then we’ll take it in shifts, two brothers guarding Evina at a time.”
“Ye can count me in on that,” Cam announced, falling into step beside Aulay.
“Me too,” Greer growled, following.
“Thank ye,” Aulay said. “That means when Niels gets here we’ll have eight men all told. Four shifts o’ two men. Perfect.”
“Perfect,” Conran muttered, and shook his head as he followed the others. He had no idea how his brother had managed it, but