“If we must,” Alasdair answered for both of them. His voice was resigned and weary. “Although I thought it would be a task more suited to you, Janice.”
“I thought you two might jump at the task,” the laird said, a tone of surprise in his voice. “You will be able to seat yourselves next to the prettiest girls in the place.” Then he said thoughtfully, “Of course, we can always decide the lairdship another way. I could have all the elders of the clan come and sit around a table and then take a vote, but I thought this would be the most enjoyable for everyone. It may be the last ceilidh I attend before I die.”
“Don’t say such things!” Janice cried desperately. “You may have years to live yet, Da!”
The laird shook his head sadly and patted her hand. “Sweet girl, you know that is not true. We all know it, but I will be content knowing that what I have built over the years will be in good hands.” He studied his sons for a moment. “One of you will officially inherit my title, but I expect the same amount of dedication from both of you.”
“And her?” Andrew pointed at Janice as though he were pointing a weapon. “She will run off and marry then do nothing.”
“The samenothingthat you are doing now?” Janice could not keep the bitterness out of her voice. “I have no plans to marry, Brother. I could stay here and set up a home of my own in the east wing of the castle, and there would be absolutelynothingthat you could do about it.”
Brother and sister glared at each other before Andrew dropped his gaze. Both of them knew that it had been written into their father’s will that Janice had the right to stay in Howdenbrae Castle until the day she died. She would also have the option to settle with a husband and family there if she wished.
They talked for a long time after that, with Janice and the laird making most of the conversation. Andrew and Alasdair chipped in from time to time, but mostly they looked bored and only spoke when directly addressed. At last the meeting ended, and they left the laird poring over his ledgers as he usually did in the late afternoon.
Once they were in the passageway outside, however, Alasdair grabbed Janice by her upper arms, squeezing so tightly that she winced in pain.
“One dayIwill be in charge here,” he growled, “and if you know what is good for you, you will never speak to me so disrespectfully again. I may not be able to throw you out of this castle, but the turrets are high here, and I can certainly throw you off…accidentally, of course!” His usually handsome face was an ugly mask of rage, and his voice was a snarl.
“Are you threatening me?” Despite herself, Janice was terrified and could not keep the tremor from her voice. Her eyes were wide with fear, which she could not hide from Alasdair.
“Take that any way you like,” he answered, his grey eyes black with rage.
“And the turrets will still be there if I am laird,” Andrew asserted confidently.
“Pfft! That will never happen!” Alasdair’s voice was contemptuous, and Andrew backed off a little. They could argue about who would be top dog later. It was no concern of hers.
Janice shook herself free, then raised her chin in defiance. “I will fetch your clothes.” Her voice sounded confident and contemptuous, but as she marched away, she hoped that neither of her brothers could see that she was weeping with sheer terror.
2
Bernard looked out at the green spring grass all around him and smiled. The landscape reminded him of that around Castle Benlieth, where he had been born and raised and where he still lived. The hills there were gentler, but a feeling of peace rested upon him as he lay on the ground around the fire they had made to cook their evening meal. He knew he was with friends; indeed, he and William had been close since his mother had taken the position of cook at the castle when they were both only three years old.
In fact, they were, for all intents and purposes, brothers since William did not have a mother and Bernard did not have a father. Although Laird Ballantine and Moira Taggart were on different rungs of the social ladder, they were firm friends because of their children. This meant that in effect, Bernard and William had a family that was both fragmented but held together with bonds of friendship and love. It was all Bernard had ever known, and it suited him. As well as that, he had received a first-class education, even though he knew he would never be counted among the upper echelons of society, being merely a guard at the castle.
Now, as he watched the night creeping in, he sighed with contentment. He expected the next few days to be intensely exciting and entertaining. As well as that, he hoped that as a red-blooded male he would meet plenty of the kinds of young women who would give him some “carnal pleasure,” as William had so delicately put it.
* * *
Initially, when Laird Ballantine had received the invitation, his son had been none too pleased. “Damn!” he said irritably as he crumpled up the parchment after reading it. “Andrew and Alasdair Stewart have invited us to be guests at their home for a week of festivities and competition between the brothers to decide who will inherit the lairdship of Howdenbrae.”
Bernard picked up the invitation, straightened out the paper, and read it. “It sounds like a fine piece of entertainment,” he observed. “Why are you unhappy about it?”
“Have you ever met Andrew and Alasdair Stewart?” William asked gloomily.
Bernard shook his head.
“How can I put this politely…” William stared into the sky as if for inspiration, then he made a moue of disgust as if something rotten had crossed his tongue. “They are…oh, to hell with politeness. I have heard from one of my good friends, Lady Georgina Bell, that they are both spoiled and stupid, and quite frankly, the world would be better off without them. She says she has never met two people she dislikes more, and she is not one to speak ill of people as a rule.”
“So will your father refuse the invitation?” Bernard asked.
The two young men had been sitting eating their midday meal together, and he looked over at William while chewing a chicken leg.
“My father will go, and he will frog-march me there if he has to. And I will frog-march you.” He grinned, then suddenly perked up. “There is one ray of sunshine, though.”
Bernard raised his eyebrows in a question. “Please tell me,” he ordered, grinning. “I have a feeling that this is going to be interesting.”
“They have a sister. Her name is Janice, and she is said to be a beauty,” he answered. “Not only that but she is said to be clever and knows how to handle people no matter who they are.” He took a sip of ale. “I will wager you a sovereign that she has done everything to organize and host this event because the brothers can barely be bothered to do anything more strenuous than get out of bed in the morning.” His voice was so scathing that Bernard was astonished.