Page 73 of Tempting the Highland Devil
“I protected ye, lad,” Laird Macmicking replied with a mocking smile teasing his lips. “I had naythin’ to do with yer wife’s disappearance, and I intercepted yer letter from the messenger and killed him. I dinnae ken who he was takin’ the letter to, and I dinnae need to ken because there is nay way ye would have found out. If that letter got delivered, he would have lured ye into a trap and killed all of ye.”
“Why would ye do that? Do ye think I dinnae come prepared?” Arran scoffed then Duncan blew his whistle to alert his men to fall out. Soon they were surrounded by over fifty MacGregor men, and Arran stared into Laird Macmicking’s eyes again. “Ye are the one who walked into a trap, Laird Macmicking.”
Laird Macmicking laughed this time and dropped his sword first, shocking Arran till he fell back one step.
“All right. Kill me if ye wish, lad, but ye will never find out why I have ridden out here meself, or why I intercepted yer letter.” Laird Macmicking had a daring look in his eyes, and it took some moments before Arran finally sighed and took a step back.
“What is it that ye want?” he asked after he put his sword away then signaled to his men to fall back. “Do ye think this is the right time to make requests? Why have ye intercepted me messenger?”
Arran had a lot of questions burning through the back of his mind, and he did not hesitate to ask them. Duncan and Killian came to stand by his side, and they all faced Laird Macmicking while being surrounded by MacGregor soldiers.
“I have more pressin’ issues right now than discussin’ non-important matters with ye, Laird Macmicking. What is it that ye want? Why have ye come all this way?”
“I trusted ye as an ally, Laird Macmicking, and so when ye showed interest in the competition for me sister’s hand, I agreed to let ye compete,” Duncan added.
“I wanted a wife, and so I competed in the games ye hosted, and I lost. I have nay reason to want yer wife dead or alive, Laird MacGregor. I have been married twice, and I have found great love twice. I wish ye nay ill if ye love yer wife, Laird MacGregor. I had me grievances with yer faither, and I vowed to make me revenge on ye because of my wife’s death, but this wasnae my doin’.”
His words were hard to believe because Yvaine had told him about Laird Macmicking’s threats to her in person.
“Then why did ye threaten me wife?”
“Because it was what I needed to do.”
“I dinnae understand.”
Laird Macmicking sighed then reached into his kilt’s pocket and took out a letter stamped with the red seal. “I have spies scattered across the Highland clans. It is how I stay informed on what me enemies and even me allies are plottin’. After yer weddin’ to the lady, I received news of plans of her kidnapping. The first time, she was saved by Laird O’Neil, and this time by an English lady. I ken all these thin’s through my spy. I also ken about yer letters through my spies, and I intercepted it to stop ye from walkin’ into a trap. I can help ye find the one tryin’ to harm her—all ye need to do is promise me somethin’ in return.”
Arran eyed Laird Macmicking closely, and Laird Macmicking finally added. “It is one of the northern clans, Laird MacGregor. Every letter I have intercepted that informed me about yer wife’s danger always came from one of the northern clans.”
“Can ye tell me which clan this is?”
Laird Macmicking’s smile only widened mischievously before he spoke. “Ye must do somethin’ for me in return.”
“What do ye need?”
“The trade route through MacGregor and MacLennan to the English borders is the most coveted passage in all of the Highlands. MacGregor doesnae have good relations with the English, and so they cannae make trades, but I have good relations and with me influence, yer clan can be successful again. What I am sayin’ is, I am ready to let the past feud between our clans to rest now, Laird MacGregor if ye grant me this wish.
“Laird MacLennan here is yer friend and ally. I need both of ye just as ye need me Laird MacGregor.”
Arran turned to Duncan. “This is entirely yer decision, Duncan. Do ye wish to agree to his terms?”
“Yvaine is my sister, Arran. Ye ken I will do anythin’ to save her.”
Arran was still weary of the laird, but he needed to find the one threatening Yvaine’s life now more than ever. He suspected there was more to Laird Macmicking’s reason for helping him, and he intended to find out what it was eventually.
“Truce,” Arran announced with an inward sigh before extending a hand to Laird Macmicking. “Tell me what ye ken.”
“There is a group of bandits called Laochra. They hide out amongst the northern clans, and every attack on yer wife has been carried by them. They killed my wife by the order of my enemy clan back then. Clan Campbell was responsible, and I will make them pay for it. I only found this after I threatened yer wife. Laird Campbell’s son who has turned against him confessed this to me and showed me proof of his father’s letters to the Laochra leader.
“I ken the Laochra is responsible for all the attacks on yer wife through the letters my spies have intercepted. They are the owners of the red seal on the letter ye hold right now. The leader of the bandits will ken who is behind every attempt to kill yer wife.”
“How do I find this leader?”
“Ye can lure him out. They have failed too many times, and I believe the next attempt will be carried out by the leader himself. I have encountered him once myself. He is responsible for me second wife’s death. He has a large scar running down the side of his arm, and he is blind in his left eye. It is rumored that he took it out himself after he was stabbed there and left to die.”
There it is. That is his real reason for helping me.
“This is the reason why ye have been spying on the Highland clans? Ye have been tryin’ to find the one responsible for yer wife’s death? Ye could have gone to Laird MacLennan here and called yer truce. Why did ye need to help me instead? And offer that in return?”
