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“What?” she prompted.

“An extortion?” Alisdair asked.

“Ye think me uncle is after ye for power and prestige?” Everyone looked at each other. “He is after yer land and yer cattle.”

Alisdair frowned, and something pained crossed his face. Isla felt for him in that moment. It was one thing to believe that your family was annihilated over power and prestige. It was another thing entirely to learn they had been murdered for coin.

“He will make the Chattans believe that an attack is imminent so they will fold,” she continued. “He will send Gunn men to attack a few villages on the outskirts of the Chattan territory.”

Alisdair and Duncan studied the map, while Ewan fixed her with an intense look that said he expected her to hurt his brother.

“Ride to the Chattans’ aid instead of attackin’, expose me uncle, and ye will have them at yer side.”

“Lies!” he barked.

“Why would I lie?” she shot back.

“To destroy us.”

“Ewan, I am trying to help. Yer information is wrong. Attack the Chattans now, and they will for sure side with me uncle.”

Alisdair looked at them both with a dark look in his eyes. He was about to issue an order when the door opened and a scout rushed in.

“Me Laird, our men came back from the Chattan borders. They saw Gunn men move toward the villages.”

The room fell so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Then chaos erupted.

“I suppose I bribed them too,” Isla drawled.

Alisdair looked at her, and she nodded.

He rose to his full height. “Gather the men!” he ordered. “We ride to help the Chattans.” Then he leaned closer to her. “Ye earned yer keep for now, Isla.”

“I am just keepin’ me end of our deal.”

He looked down at her but said nothing. Then he turned to his council.

“A spy would have let us ride into the wrong fight,” Ewan said, almost to himself. “Would have let us waste ourselves on the Chattans while yer uncle laughed from his castle. Ye didnae do that.”

“I told ye,” she said carefully, “I didnae marry yer braither to destroy him.”

He studied her for a long moment, an unreadable look in his eyes. Not hatred, not quite trust either, but something unsteady between the two.

Isla could live with that.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE RIDE

A Few Days Later

“It seems to me that everyone in the castle has accepted Isla except for ye,” Duncan drawled.

“Stop talkin’.”

“Even Ewan is now friendly with her. Ewan!”

“That is the exact opposite of stop talkin’,” Alisdair said through gritted teeth.