Barr nodded. An offense you canna take lightly.
According to the messenger, twas both King David and Englands king who took offense you did not marry the first Englishwoman, Guaire, Talorcs seneschal, quietly inserted, earning himself a sulfuric glare from Osgard.
The old man, who had stood in Talorcs fathers stead as advisor since his death, deliberately turned so Guaire was no longer in his line of sight. Some might care about offense to the Sassenach king, but there are those of us that know better than to trust the English. Especially one who seeks to be wife to our laird.
I am concerned about neither kings displeasure, but merely point out that they were offended first and that might explain our own kings unpleasant request. Guaire stood his ground, but it was clear the young soldier was bothered by Osgards comment.
Osgard harrumphed and Barr kept his own council, but Talorc nodded. No doubt. I had no intention of marrying the Englishwoman Emily, and tis clear my overlord realized that after the fact.
You did not go to war when the Balmoral took and kept her, Barr said.
A Chrechte does not go to war over the loss of a Sassenach , Osgard spit out, disgust lacing every word.
Guaire frowned. The Balmoral would.
Talorcs seneschal was right. The leader of the Balmoral clan, now married to the Englishwoman his king had first bid him wed, would no doubt go to war over her. As impossible as it might be for Talorc to understand, all indications led him to believe the other Chrechte laird loved his outspoken wife.
Osgard spun to face the younger warrior and would have knocked him to the ground, but another warriors hand stayed him. The big, battle-scarred Chrechte stared impassively at the old man. As big as Talorcs second-in-command, Barrs twin, Niall, could intimidate without effort. His hard features were made more imposing by the scars that marred the left side of his face.
Killing a Chrechte was no easy task, but Niall had almost died in the same battle that had claimed his older brother Sean, Talorcs former second-in-command and brother-in-law.
Osgard flinched, even though no threat had been spoken from the massive warrior.
Talorc had to bite back amusement. Little intimidated the old Scot, but Niall did it without effort. In fact, besides himself, the only other member of the Sinclair clan that did not tremble in Nialls presence was his twin, Barr.
Opening and closing his mouth like a fish, Guaire stared with wide eyes at Niall and Osgard.
I see you decided to join us, Barr said to his twin.
I heard a messenger from the king had arrived.
You heard correctly, Talorc
the older woman had meant exactly that. It was possible, not probable.
Finally, Abigail found the letter from the king and read it with growing panic.
It could not be possible. Her mother would not be so cruel. But the missive from the king said otherwise. Sybil, damn her avaricious soul, had said nothing of the true reason for the upcoming journey, but the letter laid out her mothers greed and treachery in ink, sealed by the king himself.
How could a mother plan something so nefarious for her blood offspring? Worse, how could she do so without warning Abigail of what was to come?
A hand grabbed her shoulder, fingers that felt like claws digging into her. Her heart stopped and then began beating faster than a rabbits.
She was spun violently around and came face-to-face with her livid mother.
Sybil demanded, What do you think you are doing?
She could not hear the words, but Abigail had no trouble reading the anger or the question coming from her mothers lips.
At first, shock and fear at being discovered paralyzed Abigails thoughts. She tried to speak, but could tell no sound had made it past her throat from the disgusted expression twisting her mothers features.
That disgust sliced through Abigail, leaving a bloody trail of inner pain behind. However, instead of the shame she usually felt at her inabilities, fury at her mothers betrayal boiled up inside Abigail.
More than two years had passed since the first edict from the king that had torn Abigails world apart for the second time. Because of Sir Reubens miserly response to the kings call for soldiers from his landed knights, the king had demanded his vassal provide a marriageable daughter. He and Scotlands monarch wanted to intermarry English nobility with the hard-to-control Highland nobles.
Emily had been sent to Scotland to marry Talorc, Laird of the Sinclairs. Only she had ended up kidnapped and wed to his rival, the laird of the Balmoral clan.
When Abigail had learned of this situation, she had assumed that would be the end of it. Scotlands king should be happy one of his Highland lairds had taken an English wife. Naïve as that thought might have been, she was certain she had been right.
According to the kings letter, Abigails planned upcoming marriage to the original Highland laird was the result of Sybils petition for redress, not the Scottish kings. Her mother had petitioned her king, knowing the outcome would be that her deaf daughter would be given in marriage to a stranger in a foreign land.