“Like a windmill to pump water? How would you propose to harness the wind for power?” Roderick asked in disbelief.
“Aye, like a windmill. ’Tis simple, really, when it comes down to it,” said Adam. “You make the wind move something. If whatever it moves can go fast enough, it can take the energy from it and generate power. It’s then a matter of storing it for future use.”
Roderick shook his head. “You’ve gone beyond me, brother,” he said. “Though I am impressed, I will say. Come, you canna do anything more tonight with it so near darkness. The family’s waiting for you.”
Adam sighed in frustration. He loved his family, truly he did, but they spent so much time in the company of one another. Sometimes he longed for solitude, when his mind could run freely.
Begrudgingly, however, he followed his brother into the main keep, where the wide entrance of his home greeted him. The walls were warmly covered with the McDougall plaid, and the smell of roast chicken wafted toward him, making his tongue water. As Roderick said, the family was gathered around the hearth in their usual seating arrangement, and he gladly accepted his plate from the cook and began to shovel in the food. He was hardly listening to his family, his mind still back in his workshop, until he heard his name.
“Adam?” said Finlay. “Are ye paying attention?”
“Of course he’s not!” laughed Peggy. “You know his head is up in the clouds or in some latest invention, tinkering with a device.”
She wasn’t far from the truth, but Adam refused to acknowledge the fact.
“I’m sorry, Finlay, what did you say?”
“Just that Dougal, our lead gillie, has injured himself. His back is afire again, and I dinna think he’ll be able to lead the hunters who are set to arrive later this week.”
Adam inwardly groaned. He hated the hunters, the Lowlanders or the English who came from the south to have a “wild adventure” in what they felt were the untamed Highlands. He could see the practicalities, and he was grateful that, to this point, they had been contained to the MacTavish lands, which had previously been Kyla’s family’s holdings. Since the marriage of Finlay and Kyla they had amalgamated, but Adam would always hold his family’s own land dear.
“Have ye told them not to come, then?”
“Of course not,” said Finlay with a frown. “You know I do not enjoy having them here either, Adam, but the truth is they bring in quite the profit for our clans. There should be near twenty of them arriving this time from London.”
“Twenty?” he repeated. “That’s a fair number to take out on a hunt.”
“I dinna believe they should all be hunting, and they are bringing a few of their own serving men,” said Finlay. “Besides that, I believe there are a few women accompanying them, who willna be on the hunt.”
“Women?” said Adam, realizing he sounded rather daft, continuing to repeat his brother’s words. “You canna mean it, Finlay. The Highlands are no place for fancy Englishwomen. Do you remember the last one that came up?”
Unfortunately, they all did. She had tripped before she had even left the yard, turning her ankle in a hole. It was her own fault, Adam felt, for wearing delicate little slippers in this terrain, and yet she had blamed them all and cursed the land.
“The Highlands are no place for a woman.”
At that, he had three heads swivel toward him, and he looked up from his plate to find the eyes of his mother, sister, and Kyla bearing down on him.
“Oh, not you women,” he said, which only served to cause them to stare harder at him. “I mean the Englishwomen. The princesses.”
“They are not all like that,” Peggy said, exasperated with him. “It would be like saying all the Highland men are large warriors wearing kilts every day.”
“I like my kilt,” said Adam, with a wink, and his sister rolled his eyes at him.
“Oh, Adam,” she said. “You’ll never learn.”
“Actually, Adam, you will have to be nice to the fair princesses, for I’m going to need you to lead the hunt.”
“What?” He jerked his head toward Finlay. “Not again, Fin. Tell me you’re not serious. Can Roderick not do it?”
“I am serious. The man who is organizing this one, his friend was the one you led last. He was quite appreciative of your knowledge of the land and requested that you accompany them. They’ll be staying at Darfield, so you’ll have Rory’s help, and we’ll send some lads with you as well. It should be no issue, and they will pay well. After the last time, Roderick will nae be doing it.”
“What was wrong with my tour?” Roderick piped up.
“You fed them all lies and stories that are simply fables from years ago!”
“They enjoyed them,” he countered with a shrug.
“Even still. You are only adding to the untrue myths and legends,” said Finlay, shaking his head. “No, it’s settled. Adam will do it.”
Adam stared broodily at the now-cleaned plate before him and sighed. His wind energy system would have to be put on hold while he led the Englishmen around. He cursed aloud, and his mother tapped him on the arm and eyed him with a look.
His life was many things, he thought, but as much as he wished it, dull it was not.
2
Rachel Trenton gritted her teeth in frustration as she paced back and forth in front of her father’s office. She had been here an hour now, not that it mattered to him. He saw her time as dispensable, not worth noting. Her father’s business partner, Sullivan Andrews, gave her a sympathetic smile as he approached her once again.
“Is there anything I can do for you, Rachel?” He had known her since she was a girl and still called her by the childhood name which her father felt she was too old for, though she didn’t mind it. She
