Page 46 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander
Slowly, the arguments rose again, and Brodrick palmed his face. Silence punctuated by brief murmurs ensued.
He knew his men didn’t dare start another argument. Instead, he studied their faces, the way their eyes flickered at his words. He then turned to Darach, who was simply watching the commotion.
“What do ye think?”
Darach leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear. The men watched attentively, stillness and complete silence dominating the atmosphere.
Darach leaned away, and Brodrick took a heavy breath. “Here’s what we’re goin’ to do. And it will serve ye well to listen attentively,” he said finally.
All eyes turned to him.
“We continue to look for the culprit,” he started.
As the murmurs of the men started to grow, he raised his hand, cutting them off.
“But in secret. We will nay longer make a spectacle of the villages. If we have to burn and pillage, we’ll only do it when it is extremely necessary. Am I understood?”
“Aye, M’Laird,” his men chorused, almost like something had wound around them and made them say it at the same time.
“We shall also use the cèilidh Flora is hostin’ to our advantage.”
Brodrick watched confusion crease their brows.
“I plan to invite as many lairds as I can,” he continued, before turning to look at Darach. “Ye will start workin’ on that, I suppose?”
“Aye, M’Laird,” Darach whispered, nodding in agreement.
“If we are goin’ to draw them out, we shall do this properly. Invite as many as ye can to the cèilidh. Then, we shall all watch them carefully. One of them is bound to give something up, and we will no longer need to destroy more villages.”
“That is quite brilliant, M’Laird,” Darach said, an excited smile spreading across his face.
“And we will all be at the cèilidh,” Brodrick added. “Just in case something goes wrong. Am I understood?”
Murmurs broke out among his men.
“Am. I. Understood?” he growled.
The room filled with low grunts and reluctant “Aye, M’Lairds,” before they all fell silent.
Brodrick let out a slow breath, enjoying the reprieve. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly, and that meant using every other weapon in his physical and mental arsenal. If the last thing he did was find this culprit, then so be it.
“We need more weapons,” Darach called, “if we’re goin’ to start thinkin’ of attackin’ the enemy when they least expect it. We need to prepare for any kind of ambush as well.”
Brodrick nodded in agreement. “Send word to the blacksmith. We need as many weapons as we can get. We need food as well. I want strong men, nae men runnin’ on just bread. Are ye goin’ to arrange for that?”
“Aye, M’Laird.”
“Send word to the men at the other edge of town as well. We need them to come back so we can put the new plan into motion. I dinnae want us to waste any time at all. I dinnae want the enemy to get wind of our new plan before he’s caught, ye ken?”
“I agree, M’Laird,” Darach responded.
Brodrick nodded and rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Was he missing something else?
“Och, and get the maids to bring more food for the men. They will gather in the dining hall in a few minutes.”
“Aye, M’Laird. And what about the weapons in the armory? How shall I distribute them?”
Brodrick turned around and looked out the window into the courtyard. His eyes narrowed as he took in the new sight below.
