Page 89 of Sighs of the Highland Wind
Cameron sighed and paced the room for a moment or two. Davina watched him, wishing that he could be hers. He was everything she could ever have wanted in a man. He was kind, generous and caring, while still having the strength of character to stand up for himself, and to stand up for those he cared about. Moreover, although it was not a requirement in a husband, he was quite devastatingly handsome! His next words came as no surprise, however.
“I am sorry, Davina, but I cannot marry you,” he told her regretfully, turning back to her.
Davina nodded and smiled at him sadly. “I know. I think I knew from the first moment I met you that your heart was not in that sham of a marriage. You love Ava, and it is quite obvious every time you look at her. I knew that somehow I would be thrown aside and never become your wife.”
“Not ‘thrown aside’” Cameron protested. “I like ye, Davina, an’ I am sure ye will make a man a very good wife someday, but that man will no’ be me, because I love Ava wi’ all my heart an’ soul.”
“And she loves you in exactly the same way,” Davina remarked. “Her eyes shine every time she sees you.”
At that moment, the door opened and Ava stepped inside. Her eyes widened when she saw Davina, but Cameron came up and put his arm around Ava’s shoulders, then kissed her on the forehead.
The way they smiled at each other sent a shaft of envy through Davina as she looked at them. They had each other and a family who all loved them, and what did she have? She tried to smile as she gazed at them, even though she felt like blinking back tears.
“Davina?” Ava saw her expression and knelt down beside her. “I think I know a wee bit o’ what ye are feelin’. Don’t worry. We know ye are no’ like your father, and we will look after ye.” She looked up at Cameron, and he nodded and smiled warmly.
“We will have a big family,” he confirmed, laughing. “An’ there is no reason ye cannot be part o’ it.”
“Thank you.” Davina let her tears fall, but they were not tears of envy or anger, but of happiness and relief. “I was not looking forward to being by myself.”
“How would you like to be our sister-in-law?” Ava suggested.
“I would like that very much!” Davina was a little shocked, but happily so, as she looked from one to the other. “But you know my history - are you sure?”
Ava and Cameron exchanged glances.
“Very much so,” said Ava, grinning. “Welcome to the family, Davina!”
21
Cameron gritted his teeth and squared his shoulders. This was not a gathering he was looking forward to. A meeting had been called to discuss who now had ownership and who would run the Kilcarron Estate. Cameron knew that many of the clan elders would be hostile towards him because he was illegitimate and they did not approve of him.
There was another reason, however: jealousy. There were those members who had a more distant relationship to the former Laird but they were not bastards, even though their bloodline was not as direct as Cameron’s. They reasoned that because his mother and father had not been married at the time of his birth, their claim was stronger.
However, Cameron had his supporters too. They were slightly outnumbered, but there was still a considerable number of them. Now, looking around at the assembly, Cameron was afraid. There were twenty four men here, and all of them had a say in his future. It was up to him to persuade them that he was the best choice.
Most of them were older than he was, although there were a sprinkling of younger men, and those looked to be the most hostile, since they had most of their lives ahead of them and Kilcarron Castle was a rich prize. He was relieved to see Hector Lewis, the man who had first welcomed him into the castle, come out of the Great hall to meet him. He smiled at Cameron, but it was a grim smile, since he too knew that there was a battle ahead.
“M’Laird.” He bowed politely then addressed the company. “Gentlemen, for those who have not yet met him, this is Laird Cameron Dalziel-Lewis. As you know, his father, the former Laird Ross Lewis left him this estate and the Lairdship, but there is one condition here that has not been fulfilled. First, however, let me tell you about another matter that has a bearing on this case.
Laird Ross left instructions that Cameron would only take possession of the estate if he married the daughter of his steward, James Henderson. As you know, he has been a good and faithful servant to Ross for many years, but it seems that he was not the man we thought he was. He had plans to take over the Lairdship by fair means or foul.”
Hector took a moment to sip his ale and look around the table. Most of the men knew James Henderson, and he had a good reputation as a hard worker and a competent man who knew his job, so what was Hector Lewis talking about?
“Two days ago, James Henderson tried to violate one of the sisters of the woman he is promised to. Fortunately, he was stopped by the intervention of our current Laird and Henderson’s own daughter. James Henderson is now occupying the dungeon at this castle as we speak, and is likely to remain there for a very long while.
This leaves us with a problem. Gentlemen, Cameron Dalziel-Lewis will only inherit if he marries Davina Henderson, and he swears he will not do that. She does not want to wed him either.”
There was a murmur of discontent from around the table.
Presently, Andrew Wilkie, son of a powerful elder who had not been able to attend that day, spoke up. “Then the situation is clear. Let one of his cousins inherit. This man,” he glanced at Cameron, “is a bastard anyway. He should not even be here.” He raked Cameron up and down with a withering glance of utter contempt before sitting down again. There was a murmur of agreement.
Cameron flushed bright red with rage. He stood up, squared his shoulders, and took a deep breath. “So you all think ye are much better than me because your mothers an’ fathers were wed? Which one of you carries Ross Lewis’s blood?” He looked all around the large table, spearing each man with a pointed glance as he went. “Any o’ ye? Well, I do. Ye only have to look at me to see that. So when ye all go back to where ye come from an’ ye have thrown me out o’ here, which one o’ ye will be Laird?” He pointed to one man. “You?” he pointed to another, and another, and another. “So who is goin’ to claim the estate? Who will decide? Will I tell ye who?”
All of a sudden, a dagger seemed to leap into his hand, a collective gasp of shock went up, and the men instinctively drew away from Cameron. “This is who.” His voice was almost a snarl. “You will a’ start to fight among yourself for possession an’ while a’ that is happenin’ there will be nobody to look after the place an’ it will go to rack an’ ruin.
Tenants will starve. Land will be overgrown wi’ weeds. I will leave without complaint if that is what ye all desire, but think onthis; Kilcarron is worth nothin’ unless the land is producin’ food, an’ whoever wrests it out o’ my hand will have to keep it goin’, an’ many o’ you have no idea how to do that.” He took a deep breath and looked around at them again.
“I do know how, although I admit to all of ye that I have much to learn, an’ if ye let me I will do my best to keep the estate runnin’, but I cannot do that without the support o’ the woman I love. Davina Henderson does no’ want to marry me, an’ James Henderson will be spendin’ a long time locked away, so Ava Struthers an’ I are free to marry. Gentlemen, it is your decision. I have given ye a’ the facts, but it is for you to decide.” He turned to Hector Lewis, who nodded to him politely.
