To you, you bloody bastard! These are not the old days, my friend. I am not a subject, a serf, a servant. Im the law here, the bloody law.
He stared at the castle and the forest, the sun shining on the former, a shadow of green darkness enveloping the latter.
The bloody law!
A crooked grin split his lips.
Ymay be the MacNiall, the bloody great MacNiall, but I am the law. I have that power. And when its necessary for the law to come down, well friend or nae, I will be that power!
4
What are we going to do about tonight? Gina asked Toni.
They were alone in the kitchen. Gina had been the first up. Ever the consummate businesswoman, she had apparently been worrying about the tour they had planned for Saturday night since waking up. In fact, she might not even have slept.
Toni was still feeling fairly haggard herself. When she woke, she had found the chair empty and the dividing doors shut. Shed tapped lightly at the bathroom door, but there had been no answer. She had entered, locked the other side, gotten ready and unlocked it. She hadnt heard a sound and assumed that he was at last sleeping. The night seemed a blur to her now.
Even the absolute terror that had awakened her seemed to have faded. And yet something lingered. A very deep unease.
Toni, what on earth are we going to do? Gina repeated.
Maybe hell just let us have our group in, she said.
Gina folded her hands in front of her on the kitchen table, looking at Toni. We could have had our butts out on the street last night. You have to quit aggravating the guy.
Wait just a minute! I was actually in the right last night. How did we knowuntil the constable camethat he really was who he said he was.
You have to quit being so hostile to him, Gina insisted.
I talked to him again last night. And I wasnt hostile, Toni told Gina.
Gina instantly froze. You talked to him again? She sounded wary and very worried.
I told you, I wasnt hostile!
David, looking admirably suave in a silk robe, walked into the kitchen. Did I hear that Toni was talking to our host again? He, too, sounded very worried.
Hey, you guys! This isnt fair. When he came bursting in like Thor on a cloud of thunder, I assumed we were perfectly in the right, Toni said, exasperated. And we were. We did everything right.
Well, David said, opening the refrigerator, for being right, were looking awfully wrong. We have tourists coming in tonight. What are we going to do?
What else? Im going to get on the phone and cancel, Gina said. She laid her head on the table and groaned. Where am I going to get the money for refunds?
David smoothed back his freshly washed dark hair and shut the refrigerator. Wow, we sure have made this home. Do you think its still all right if I delve into the refrigerator?
Yes, Im sure, Toni said. It is our food in there. There wasnt a thing in the place when we arrived, except for a few tea bags!
Hey, I know. Im going to whip up a really good breakfast. Think Laird MacNiall will like that? You know, Toni, youre going to have to be careful when making things up from now on. This guy turned out to be real, and you have his ancestor being a murderer! From now on, invent characters that are noble and good.
Hey, Othello was noble, and he killed his wife, Toni said.
That breakfast doesnt sound like a bad idea, Gina said.
We should make Toni cook, David said.
No! Kevin protested, standing in the kitchen doorway. Well definitely get kicked out if we do that. He grinned, taking the sting out of his words, and surveyed the kitchen. Imagine this place if we had a few more funds! Id love to see bakers rows of copper pots and pans and utensils.
Its not our place anymore, Gina reminded him.
Soft yellow paint would bring in the sunlight, David mused.
How the hell can you be so cheerful this morning? Gina asked him.
Im eternally and annoyingly cheerful, you all know that, Kevin said. Things will work out. Hey, whoever made the coffee did a full pot, right? he asked, moving to the counter.
David closed the refrigerator door and leaned against it, looking at Kevin. Think that Scottish lairds like eggs Benedict?
Shouldnt we do something with salmon? Kevin countered.
Good point, David agreed.
Im glad you two can worry about breakfast, Gina murmured. What are we going to do?
Were going to sit down like the good friends we are and figure a way out of this, David said flatly. Wheres your husband, Gina?
She shook her head. He wasnt in the room. Hes out somewhere walking, playing in the stables, Lord knows.
Thayer came walking into the kitchen, bearing the newspaper from Stirling, the nearest major city. He set it on the table, offering them all a grimace. Good morning, we can at least hope.
Maybe, but only if we start over with the coffee. Gina, did you make this? Kevin asked, tasting the brew. What did you use, local mud?
Its strong, thats all, Gina protested.
So, what do we do? Thayer asked.
Well wait for Ryan and then figure out what we can do. Of course, we have until Monday before we need to worry about where well sleep! Gina sighed. I should call the travel agency in Stirling and start canceling the arrangements for tonight.
Sixty people at twenty-five a poppounds sterling, Thayer said woefully. My place in Glasgow is small, but if we buy a few pillows well be fine.
We all quit our jobs, Kevin reminded him.
And we can get new ones, David said.
There has to be some recourse here, Toni said.
Toni has been talking to Laird MacNiall again, Gina warned, trying to keep emotion from her voice.
I wasnt fighting with him! Toni protested.
Well, you didnt exactly offer him warm and cuddly Southern hospitality, David reminded her.
Im not Southern!
You could have faked it, Kevin said.
Actually, you are from the souththe south side of D.C., David offered.
She glared at him. Look, I had a conversation with him, and he wasnt miserable at all, Toni said.
David gasped suddenly and walked around to her, looking down into her eyes. He squeezed her shoulders. You didnt I mean, Toni, were in trouble here, but you dont have to you dont have to offer that kind of hospitality, no matter how dire things are looking!
David! she snapped, feeling a flush rise over her cheeks. I didnt, and I wouldnt! How the hell long have you known me?
Gina giggled suddenly. Hey, I dont know. In the looks department, hes really all right.
What she really means is, Kevin teased, if it werent for Ryan, shed do him in a flash.
Gina leveled a searing gaze at him. The breakfast better be damned good.
Look! Toni said. I talked to him but I didnt sleep with him. He was in my room, but
What? David demanded, drawing out the chair at her side and looking at her, his dark eyes very serious.
What? David demanded, drawing out the chair at her side and looking at her, his dark eyes very serious.
It seems that I was in his room, so I moved into the next one, she told him. We had to talk and we were both cordial, okay? she said.
You just talked to him without
Being bitchy? Kevin asked bluntly.
Dammit! I was polite.
Okay, okay! David said.
That was it. She was offering no further explanations of how she might have gotten into a cordial conversation
with the laird. And now Im thinking that if we ask really politely, maybe hed let us do tonights performance so that we can recoup some of our losses.
Shes got a good idea there, Thayer said.
Omelettes! Kevin said suddenly. Salmon and bacon on the side. So who gets to ask Laird MacNiall if we can do the tour tonight?
Toni, David said, suddenly determined. She has to ask him. Shes the one whos talked to him.
Toni? Oh, I dont know about that, Thayer protested. He looked across the table as she glared at him. Sorry! But you seem to have a hair-trigger temper with the guy. Its kind of like sending in a tigress to ask largesse of a lion!
Toni groaned. I dont have a hair-trigger temper. Ever. He was very aggravating last night, and I thought that I was defending us.
You were, David assured her.
All right, Gina said. Toni, you ask him.
Ask him what?
They all jolted around. Bruce MacNiall was standing in the kitchen doorway with Ryan. This morning, he was in jeans and a denim shirt. Apparently, he hadnt been sleeping. His ebony hair was slightly windblown and damp.
Ive got to get dressed, David said. Excuse me.
I might have left the water running, Thayer murmured. Ill be right back.
Got to plan the menu! Kevin said, hurrying for the door. Mr. MacNiall Laird MacNiall, were going to cook a great uh brunch. In thanks for your hospitality, whether intended or not.
Ryan, staring at all of them as if theyd lost their senses, came striding in, heading for Gina and Toni. The countryside! My God, I thought Id taken a few good rides, but you should see the sweeping hills! There is nothing like seeing this place through Bruces eyes! Ryan loved both horses and free spaces. His work the last several years as a medieval knight at the Magicians Court right outside Baltimore had seldom allowed him a chance to spend time with his beloved animals that wasnt part of training in closed-in spaces. He must have been happy.
Why dont you tell me about it upstairs, sweetheart? Gina said, rising.
Why upstairs? Ryan demanded.
Toni wants to talk to Laird MacNiall, Gina said. She rose, caught hold of his shirtsleeve and dragged him along with her, smiling awkwardly as she passed Bruce MacNiall.
Toni was left alone at the table. Bruce was aware that his arrival had caused an exodus, and he was evidently somewhat amused. Especially since it had been so very far from subtle.
Theyre afraid of me? he queried.
Toni inhaled. Well, it seems that were all realizing that you do actually own this place and that we have been taken.
Good, he said, striding toward the counter.
Toni winced. The coffee is a bit
Hed already poured a cup and sipped it.
Like mud. It will do for the moment, MacNiall said. He turned and leaned against the counter, looking at her. What are you supposed to ask me?
Well
Well?
He might be in jeans and tailored denim, leaning against a counter with a coffee cup, but she could well imagine him in something like a throne room, taking petitions from his vassals.
She stared at him a minute, determined that she wasnt going to be so intimidated. They werent living in the feudal ages, after all.
We had booked a large tour group for tonight. We dont want to have to cancel.
What? His question was beyond sharp. It was a growl.
Maybe she shouldnt have been quite so blunt. He had slept in a chair in her room last night, but that hadnt made them bosom buddies.
Look, she said impatiently, wondering what it was about him that goaded her own temper so severely. You know that were really in a mess here. And if you take a good look around, youll have to admit that you owe us.
I owe you? The words were polite, but it was quite evident that he found the mere idea totally ludicrous.
So they were right! she thought with a wince. She was quick to become defensive and then offensive with the laird. But she had gone this far with a brash determination. There was little to do other than play it out.
Yes, she said with conviction. Weve worked on walls, done masonry, fixed electric wiring scrubbed on our hands and knees! Quite frankly, were more deserving of such a placeat least weve put love and spit and polish into it. How you could own such an exquisite piece of history and let it go like this, I cant begin to imagine.
She could see the outrage and incredulity slipping into his eyes. Though he didnt move, every muscle in his body seemed to tense, making his shoulders even broader.
Inwardly she winced. Great, she thought. So much for playing it out!
She was supposed to be talking him into allowing them to operate their tour, not offending and angering him.
So now youre an expert on maintaining a Scottish castle, he said.
She stared into her cup. A sudden and vivid recollection of falling into his lap came to mind. Her fingers against his flesh, pressing into his lap. The easy way he rose and simply deposited her down
Last night his behavior had been courteousand kind. She realized then that she was attracted to him, and somewhat afraid of him, as well. And her hostility toward him had everything to do with her inner defense mechanism.
Ryan suddenly burst back into the kitchen. Toni was certain that he hadnt been far away, that hed been listening in.
Toni isnt explaining this very well, Ryan said, turning toward her with a fierce frown. We really did do a lot, and not just cosmetic work. We did some structural work, as well. Honestly
Yes, Bruce said, staring at Toni.
Her heart quickened.
Pardon? Ryan said.
Miss Fraser wasnt particularly eloquent in her plea, but I do see that youve done a lot of labor here. And I quite understand that youre in a bad position. Your group can come. Apparently youre going to need the money. He poured his coffee down the drain and exited the kitchen.
Ryan stared at Toni in amazement. Then he bounded toward her, drawing her from the chair, grinning like a madman. Yes! Yes!
Gina came in behind her husband. They hugged one another, dancing around the kitchen.
In a moment Thayer was back in, and then David and Kevin. They were so pleased, Toni wondered if they realized that they hadnt gained anything but a single night. And though it would keep them from sleeping on Thayers Glasgow apartment floor for the next week, it would far from recoup their investment.
Were going to cook up the best breakfast in the world, David said.
We might want to start by brewing a new pot of coffee, Toni told them, and she couldnt help a grimace toward Gina. Laird MacNiall just dumped yours down the sink.