Page 56 of The Highland Heir

“We must do something,” Teague said.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Go talk to him.”

“You said we must do something.”

“I’ll see you properly buried afterward.”Teague winked, but Kieran couldn’t be so sure the man spoke injest. After all, he had ruined the chief’s daughter.

Kieran took a moment to consider his options.It wasn’t that his father would like him less for Kieran tacklinghim to the ground, but Kieran did worry his father wouldn’t needmuch reason to pull a blade on him to be done with him.

It would have to be reasoning, then.

“Father,” Kieran called out as he strodetoward the smaller man.

Right away, his father paused and turned hisglare upon Kieran.

“This is all your fault.”

“Of course, it is,” Kieran muttered tohimself. Clearing his throat, he spoke louder. “I’m sure we will beable to move on from this.”

“We can’t allow another clan to steal fromus.”

Steal? It only took Kieran a moment to recallthat the MacKenzies had taken half of the settled-upon cattle withthem when they’d left. And now that there would be no marriage,they would be required to return them.

“He’s sold off some of the cattle, and somewere taken in a raid. He says he’ll be unable to return them.”

His father didn’t care how Kieran might havebeen affected by losing his bride, it all came down to the cattleand his father’s integrity as a fierce and imposing laird.

“What is to be done, then? Do we go to war onthe MacKenzies for thieving our cattle in a more friendly mannerthan others have done in the past? It’s the Highlands; everyonesteals cattle from their neighbors. It’s a way of life.”

“We won’t be waging war on the MacKenzies.”His father let out a deep breath and turned to the messenger. “Tellyour laird we shall meet him, and he should ready his army to joinus as we wage war on the Campbells.”

“The Campbells? Why would we go to war withthem? They don’t have our cattle.”

“Nay. But they have your betrothed. The manwho married her will either have the marriage annulled, so you cango forward with the wedding, or risk war with two clans. He’ll seethe error and make it right.”

His father calmed down and pointed at themess on the floor.

“Have this mess cleaned up,” he snapped andrushed off toward his study.

Kieran turned to Teague, who shook his headand walked away.

Kieran gave a broken piece of wood a swiftkick and slumped onto a bench.

He couldn’t believe how horrid his luck was.He’d wanted a way to get out of this marriage, and it had beendelivered to him. Yet his father would not let it go.

Kieran was doomed to seek vengeance for agrievance he welcomed with his whole heart. He wondered what he haddone to be punished so. Was he to face judgment for his mother’scrimes and live a life of constant unhappiness? Even worse becausehe knew well what happiness felt like only to have it snatchedaway.

“Bloody hell.” He tossed another chunk ofwood and went to ready himself for battle to get back the woman hedidn’t want.

*

Ella was alerted that something was amisswhen the maids came in whispering and gathering food.

Salted meat and bannocks were saved forsoldiers if they were traveling for war.

She left the kitchen to find the hall broken.Had someone attacked them?