Ceci Giltenan(80)
Malcolm chuckled, “Ye are ruthless, my dear. Niall’s only crime against ye was being born first.”
“Until he left me destitute in Edinburgh.”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, wouldn’t ye say? Twas nearly the other way round, ye tucked Alastair’s money away for years, creating crushing debt instead.”
“I had to build my own wealth. Otherwise Alastair could have forced me to return to the Highlands whenever he wished, just to save a few coins. You wouldn’t have had me in your bed then. Not to mention the fact that you needed to weaken them in order to successfully lay siege.”
“Aye, that I did. It almost worked, but who would have thought King David capable of finding Niall a copper? I should have married that rich bit of goods myself.”
“What of me, then?”
“Don’t pout, it doesn’t become ye. Besides, marriage has never been an obstacle to either of us. No matter, it will be resolved soon. His bonny heiress has become a greater weakness than any I could have hoped for.”
“Aye, with Niall chasing after the bitch, we should have been able to ride into Duncurra unhindered. What will you do now?”
“Never fear, my devious little vixen. All may not be lost. Do ye see who is riding with Fearghas?”
“Why, it is my own dear son, Fingal. What makes you think he will be of any help? He has had his head up Niall’s arse from the time he could toddle.”
“Aye, but darling, just as I planned, Niall believes all his recent ills can be laid squarely at Fingal’s feet. My messenger said Niall was ready to kill him last night. Hopefully, he injured Fingal’s pride enough to finally dim his radiance in Fingal’s eyes. Perhaps the lad can be tempted now. I think it is time we had a chat with him.”
A sly smile spread slowly across Eithne’s face. “You could be right, my love. He stands ultimately to gain both Duncurra and Brathanead by joining us. How could he not choose that over being second to a brother who hates him?”
~ * ~
Fingal and Fearghas watched Malcolm’s army halt well to the south, on the western shore of Loch Craos. “It looks like we have spoiled Malcolm’s plans. I suspect the cur is too cowardly to actually fight for something he wants,” observed Fearghas.
When the MacLennan army made no further moves, Fearghas chuckled. “I wonder how long he will sit there until he turns tail and runs.”
Then they saw two riders break away from the stationary army and ride towards them. “Who is riding with Malcolm?” asked Fearghas.
“Damnation,” swore Fingal. “I suspect it is my mother.”
Fingal rode out to meet them in the open area between the two armies.
Eithne said sweetly, “Fingal, dear, what are you doing? Niall asked Malcolm to come to his aid, surely you know that. Have Laird Chisholm’s army stand down and we can discuss this in Duncurra.”
“Duncurra is closed to all of us, Mother.” Fingal turned to Malcolm, “Ye are looking well, Malcolm. Ye seem to have recovered quickly from the grave injury ye received at Matheson’s hand.” Fingal shook his head in disgust. “Niall trusted ye above anyone else. How could ye betray him?”
“I did it for ye and your mother, Fingal.”
“For me and my mother? You’re not serious.” Turning to his mother, he said, “What were ye thinking, Mother? Did ye believe if ye got Niall out the way, ye could manipulate me more easily than ye did him or Father?”
“Fingal, you wound me. I only want the best for you, and it is time you knew the truth. Alastair was not your father, Malcolm is.”
“The hell he is!”
“Darling, it is true. Malcolm and I met before I married Alastair. He and his wife were guests at Currancreag. He felt trapped in a loveless marriage, and I missed my husband so desperately. We didn’t intend for it to happen, but in a moment of indiscretion, we turned to each other for comfort.”
Fingal snorted. “Comfort? Is that what ye call it? I guess one woman’s comfort is another woman’s adultery.”
Ignoring his comment, Eithne went on, “In just two weeks I suspected I was carrying. Malcolm and I loved each other, but he was already married. I talked Fearghas into arranging a marriage to Alastair. Neither of them knew.”
“Stop your lies, Mother.”
“These are not lies, Fingal. You need only peer into a looking glass to see how like Malcolm you are. He knew the first time he saw you as a boy. I feared others would notice it as you grew, but no one at Duncurra ever guessed Alastair wasn’t your father.”
“That is because he was my father,” Fingal ground out angrily.