Twenty One
Tadhg hoped any confrontation about Eara Fraser could be delayed, preferably until Rowan regained consciousness. If it came to Meriel's word against the daughter of a powerful laird, things would become difficult. Still, he believed Meriel and would support her. He hoped Niall was as staunchly behind her and drew him away from the crowd to find out. “Niall, ye know this could get very ugly if it comes down to Eara's word against Meriel’s.”
“Ye needn’t tell me that. I hope it doesn’t come to it.”
“But Niall, if it does, I need to be sure that ye believe Meriel. Any doubt on your part—well, Eara is the daughter of a powerful laird.”
“And Meriel isn’t. I know. Still, ye said ye believe her.”
“I do. But ye have rather a well-known reputation of mistrusting women.”
Niall chuckled. “Katherine changed that, but aye, I didn’t have much faith in them before her. As fate would have it, for much the same reason Rowan might not in the future.”
“I remember hearing about a betrothal years ago and the wedding was cancelled at the last minute.”
“Aye, her name was Ceana. I was young and she was a clanswoman whom I had adored for years. Finally, my father agreed to let us marry.”
“He didn’t seek a political match?”
“Oh, aye, he did. Ye needn’t tell your wife this, but he wanted a betrothal with Annag MacKenzie.”
“Annag is lovely. She would have been an excellent wife.”
“She might have been, but I refused. I only had eyes for Ceana and my father finally relented. I was over the moon.”
“Until ye found out she was unfaithful?”
“Aye. It was days before my wedding. Malcolm MacLennan was here, as were a few other clan leaders. It was Malcolm who discovered her with her lover. She admitted to him that she didn’t love me. Apparently, she only wanted to marry me to become Lady MacIan. That is one of the reasons I was so willing to trust him for so long and fully believed he was a staunch ally.”
“I’m sorry, Niall.”
“Don’t be. If it weren’t for Eithne and Malcolm, as despicable as they were, I would never have married Katherine.”
“Still, I can see how it would sour your opinion of women. Rowan is a good lad, but he was only doing his duty by his father in marrying Eara. He has no strong affection for her. He might have come to love her one day, but I think he will emerge from this with his heart intact.”
~ * ~
By late afternoon, Lady MacKenzie brought word of Rowan’s condition to her husband. Cathal sought Tadhg and Mairead out immediately.
“Brigid tells me Rowan has become agitated occasionally and called out several names, including ‘Eara’ and ‘Meriel.’ Weren’t ye talking earlier with one of your clanswomen named Meriel?”
“Aye, Cathal, I was.”
“What does she know about this?”
“She knows nothing about how Rowan was injured.”
“Damn it all, Tadhg, ye wouldn’t have been questioning her if ye thought she knew nothing. I want to talk to her.” Cathal slammed his fist on the table.
Mairead put her hand on his arm. “Da, if Tadhg says Meriel doesn’t know what happened to Rowan, she doesn’t.”
“Then why did he question her?” Cathal demanded.
At the sound of Cathal’s raised voice, Lachlan Fraser interrupted. “Who are ye talking about, Cathal? Who was questioned?”
“A Matheson clanswoman,” answered Cathal.
Lachlan sneered. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? What are ye hiding, Matheson?”
Niall stepped in. “Lairds, the Matheson lass knows nothing about what happened to Rowan, but if ye will all calm down, we do have things to discuss.”
Tadhg motioned to Hamish and whispered to Mairead, “This may get unpleasant. I want ye to stay with Hamish and do as he says.”
She nodded and he gave her a quick kiss. She joined Hamish, who also had an ashen-faced Meriel at his side.
As the room fell silent, Niall said, “Lairds, it would be better if we discussed this privately.”
“Better for whom, MacIan?” asked Lachlan. “Anything ye need to say, ye can say here, in front of my allies.”
“Not here, Lachlan. I am telling ye, ye don’t want this played out in front of an audience.” Niall leaned closer and quietly added, “It concerns your daughter, Lachlan.”
“What about my daughter?” he demanded through gritted teeth.
Tadhg said, “Laird Fraser, please, it would be better to discuss this in privacy.”
“Matheson, I have had enough of ye. Tell me what ye know. Now!”