A man rounded the corner then, one who was in a kilt of his own; and though it was considerably more worn than the one Adam had on, it had the same pattern upon it.
“Adam!” he called out. “How do ye fare?”
“Just fine, Jack,” he said. “We have visitors from London with us today. They will be hunting tomorrow.”
The smile left the man’s face as he gave them a nod, then turned back toward the cottage. “Come, Molly,” he said. “Take the children inside.”
“No manners out here, then?” called out Vincent. “Is this how you welcome visitors, man?”
The Highlander said nothing as he turned his back to them, ushering his family into the house.
“Well, I never,” Rachel’s father said. “Heathens, all of them. These would be the sheepherders, then, McDougall? That would make sense then. They cannot properly know how to speak to other humans when they’re with the beasts all day. This has been quite entertaining, McDougall, but I think it’s time we be returning.”
Adam nodded, his jaw tight and the tick in his cheek back. The heat of embarrassment seared Rachel’s cheeks even hotter than they had been from her exertion. She could see Adam’s shoulders tense as if he were holding in the words he longed to exchange with the men.
She stepped forward. “I — I think the village is rather quaint,” she said hesitantly. “Thank you for the tour. It was lovely.”
He looked at her with so much disdain in his face that she took a step backward as if he had spoken words of fury.
“Lovely,” he repeated the word with disbelief, as though questioning her motives. “You are right, Trenton. We should go.”
He left them for a moment, opening the door of the cottage to say something to the family inside before returning, silently leading the way ahead, his strong back tall and proud. Rachel could only hang her head and follow along. She should never have said anything, she thought. She had only made it worse.
5
Adam paced in front of the long oak dining table at Galbury Castle, where his family had gathered for the evening meal. He was too agitated to eat, however, after his day with the English. This lot was even worse than the typical travelers.
“I am finished. I refuse to lead them tomorrow,” he said, his mouth in a set line. Finlay looked somewhat defeated, having been the one to agree to this, while the rest of them looked sympathetic, though all were at a loss.
“It canna be that bad, Adam, can it?” asked Kyla.
“It must be, for Adam to be complainin’,” Peggy answered for him. “He’s usually the most level-headed of all of you.”
“That’s not fair, Peg,” said Roderick with a grin. “Give your brothers a bit more credit than that.”
She rolled her eyes at him, and Adam sat down heavily. Clearly, his family did not understand the extent to which the tourists were affecting their people.
“They were rude to Molly and Jack and the family.”
“What?” Finlay’s head snapped around at that.
“They made comments that were not for the ears of women, let alone Molly herself,” he said softly. “I canna abide by that.”
“No, we cannot,” Kyla said strongly. “I’ll see to it. This was my doing, bringing them here originally.”
“Kyla—” Finlay began.
“I will come with you tomorrow, Adam,” she said, cutting off her husband. “Should any of them have any additional comments, they shall leave, and they can take their coin with them. It’s not worth it.”
Duncan nodded his approval from the head of the table.
“We invite them here to keep our people fed,” he said. “But if their spirit is broken, none of that matters anymore.”
They all soberly returned to their meals, reflecting on what was to come the next day.
As it turned out, Adam was accompanied by not only Kyla but Finlay as well for the day ahead, and he appreciated how seriously they were taking the threat these English posed. It was not quite like the days of old when they had fought for their land, as their country was now well under English rule, but what they held onto was their pride and their identity as Highlanders, and they would let no one, not even those who paid for use of their lands, take that away.
Today they had all dressed in their McDougall tartan, not to please the tourists, but rather to hold true to who they were. They rode up to Darfield Keep, the three of them abreast. When they arrived, Rory had already assembled the English in the yard, all of them now mounted and ready to depart. Kyla greeted her brother, and they stood a united front, as if ready to do battle.
“You are all in for a great treat today,” said Rory to the men before him. “For my sister will be one of your guides. She is well renowned for her prowess on a horse, by men and women alike, and knows the MacTavish lands better than any. Now come, follow us to the gaming section of the property. We would ask that you please only hunt within those fenced confines, and stay together to keep from shooting one another.”
Trenton, a portly man with the huge jowls, seemed to lead the travelers. He rode forward to join them as they left the yard.
“I have a favor to ask,” he said, sidling his horse in between Adam and Finlay. “I have promised these men a fine hunt today — it is why they accompanied me on this journey. You will ensure that the hunt is successful, will you not?”
“I’m not sure what ye mean by that,”
