Page 30 of Highland Renegade
“Only because he wants to sniff around the Sassenach’s skirts,” Devon said. “Too bad he didna take the lot of them with him.”
Alasdair gave him a reproving look. “The lasses are nae so bad.”
“Speak for yerself.” Rory snorted. “Juliana could make a fishwife blush with her language.”
“Juliana?” Alasdair flashed a grin. “Ye are on first name terms, then?”
“Nae!” Rory’s voice might have been a bit too loud. “I just…I just doona like calling herLadyCaldwell orMissCaldwell, however they call themselves.”
Devon nodded. “Damn English and their titles.”
“Titles aside,” Broderick intervened, “we need to use Campbell’s interest in the countess to our advantage.”
“I agree,” Donovan said.
Ian wasn’t sure he did. When they’d talked about it earlier, it had seemed a good idea, in theory. But he hadn’t known Henry was in Inveraray or that Gavin would show up in his stead. The fact that Emily was English was supposed to be common ground for establishing a peace of sorts, not apersonalinterest.
“We canna just throw the countess to the wolves.”
“Do ye meanwolf?” This time it was Carr who grinned. “As in young Campbell?”
“Doona tell me ye are going daft on the Sassenach!” Devon glared at Ian. “Ye are completely barmy if ye favor that bloody woman over your clan!”
“I never said that. Ye are daft if ye think I would favoranyoneover clan.” Ian glared back. “And ye need to keep a civil tongue in your head.”
“Can we return to the subject at hand?” Broderick cut off the argument. “If Gavin Campbell intends to come calling, we can use that.”
“Do ye have a plan?” Carr asked.
“Nae a completely hatched one,” Broderick replied, “but Henry will nae doubt want to support the countess’s claim on Strae Castle.”
Devon glowered. “That doesna help us, does it?”
“It might nae seem so, but if Argyll thinks our holdings are firmly in English hands, he will nae oppose the petition that Mount Stuart will bring to Parliament.”
“The duke doesna ken that Bute and Mount Stuart will be asking to restore lands as well as the MacGregor name,” Donovan added.
“Nor does the countess,” Ian said. “If she has the support of Argyll—and the Crown—we may nae get anything restored.”
“’Tis Parliament that will decide,” Donovan said. “Doona forget, since Bute was prime minister, he still holds sway with both the Lords and Commons. King George favors him as well.”
“It could mean clan war with the Campbells, though, if the countess loses her deed to the land and they support her.”
Rory snorted. “Are ye forgetting how many of the clan are still in hiding? We are nae called ‘Children of the Mist’ for nothing. All MacGregors will rally to us.”
“And doona forget the large numbers that fled to Ireland,” Alasdair added. “Once the petition had been proposed, we can send word they should make ready to return.”
“If Argyll wants war because of that bloody”—Devon stopped as Ian shot him a warning look—“thatSassenach, then we will have our men ready.”
“It might be good if one of us traveled to Ireland to explain the plans,” Carr said. “Sending a missive can be misleading, or it could fall into the wrong hands.”
“’Tis true.” Ian looked at Alasdair. “Ye speak Irish Gaelic better than the rest of us so ye could blend in best. Only MacGregors would ken why ye are there.”
“That would take some time,” Alasdair answered. “Our clansmen are scattered throughout the counties.”
“Hmmm.” Carr knit his brows. “Parliament will convene in late October and Bute plans to present the petition as one of the first items. ’Twould be good if ye could leave as soon as ye can.”
Alasdair widened his eyes. “Nae before the harvest festival, though?”
