Leith did not question Parlan’s conviction of Rory’s guilt. “All I can do is speak to my father. He is the law.”
“It isnae enough.”
“What ye have done this night just might be.” Leith did not really want to think that Parlan might have done Aimil a favor.
“Nay. T’will depend upon how badly Rory wants her or what is to be gained through the marriage.”
“I cannae give ye an answer to either of those.”
Parlan swore and ran his hand through his hair, unable to conceal his agitation. “I cannae allow this marriage.”
“Ye cannae allow it?” Leith glared at the man. “Ye are a MacGuin nae a Mengue. ’Tisnae your place to allow or to disallow.”
“Aye, but ’tis I who hold her now.”
“She is to be ransomed. T’was said ye would send word to my father on the morrow.”
“Ransoming can be a difficult business,” Parlan drawled, quickly putting together a plan. “A lot of haggling may need doing. Could take a verra long time.”
“Rory may wait.” Leith found himself uncomfortably allied with Parlan to stop Aimil’s marriage to Rory.
“Aye, and he might weel expose himself as the depraved bastard he is. Surely your father would stop the marriage then?”
“I cannae say,” Leith reluctantly admitted. “Since she first showed signs of womanhood, he has been blind to her existence. I was meaning to speak to him on the marriage, but your brother captured Aimil and me. Rory’s uncle, James, and my father were like brothers. They both wanted the families joined in marriage. James died twa years back naming Rory as his heir. That could make my father all the firmer in his decision.”
“God, a promise to a dear friend now dead. They are the hardest to change. Does Aimil favor Rory?” Parlan asked.
“Nay, she says she doesnae even like him. T’was why I meant to speak to my father. The way things stand between Aimil and my father, however, it could make him push all the harder for the marriage.” Leith spoke with weariness weighting his voice for he did not have the strength to wrestle with such problems.
“Why? What did the girl do to turn Lachlan against her?”
“She grew up. Aye, ye may weel look puzzled but there isnae any other explanation. She was his favorite. He took the pair of us everywhere. Then, one night she wore a new gown that revealed her budding woman’s figure and he has turned a cold side to her ever since. None of us kens why, and my father offers no answers.”
“There must be a way,” Parlan growled as he started toward the door.
“Weel, I will be verra glad to hear of it if ye find it.”
“If there isnae another way, I will wed the cursed wench myself,” he snapped, and left abruptly, leaving Leith staring after him in stunned surprise.
Chapter Five
Lagan entered Parlan’s chambers after a terse “Enter” had answered his knock. He shut the door and looked at the bed with raised brows for Aimil still slept there. It was rare that a woman was in Parlan’s bed come the morning. Parlan would take his fill of the woman and then sleep alone. It was a habit Lagan could not recall the man breaking before without having had too much drink. Lagan leaned against the bed post and eyed Parlan who was shaving.
“Shouldnae ye at least give the poor lass a pillow for her head?”
Drying off his face, Parlan strode to the side of the bed. “I have put her head on a pillow three times, but she moves off it.”
“Strange she didnae wake when ye did so.”
“I think the bed could collapse about her and she would sleep through it. I even put her shirt on after I awoke and she never even blinked.”
“Sure she still lives?” Lagan teased.
Parlan grinned. “Aye, though I did wonder at first. Never seen a person sleep so sound. Only able to rouse her once during the night”—he ignored Lagan’s mockingly sympathetic noise—“and she was certainly with me in body but, after she fell asleep again so quickly and so deeply, I began to think she never really woke up. I will be curious to see if she remembers the incident.”
“Ye dinnae think something ails her, do ye?”
“I never thought on that. I will ask her brother,” Parlan said even as he strode from the room.
While he was gone, Lagan studied the girl. She was flat on her back with her legs and arms flung out. Her long fingers were lightly curled toward her upturned palms in a soft childlike gesture. Nearly obscured by her mass of hair which seemed to fill each empty space on the bed, her face was turned sideways. Lagan had reached the decision that she really was quite lovely when Parlan returned.
“When he could stop laughing, Leith said she does this when she has overworked herself.”
“Ah. Weel, she certainly had a busy day yesterday. I have never seen a woman sleep in such a position.”
“Nay?” Parlan frowned in thought. “I have never noticed.”
“Ye need to sleep with them to notice how they sleep,” Lagan drawled. “Once ye are done ye send them on their way.”
Not really sure why he had not done the same with Aimil, Parlan made no comment. “Weel? What is odd about the way she sleeps?”
“Aside from the fact that she looks as if she was dealt a sound blow to the jaw? Women tend to sleep on their sides, curled up a wee bit.”
Shrugging, Parlan began to dress, murmuring, “She is betrothed.”
“I am little surprised by that news. Are ye saying there will be an enraged fiancé coming to face you?”
“Nay, I doubt this man will come to face me though I would sore like it if he did. She is to wed Rory Fergueson at summer’s end.”
Lagan whistled softly, aware of Parlan’s hatred for the man. “Pity. He will break the spirit of the lass.”
“That bastard will break more than that. He will kill her in the end. I cannae let that happen. Aye”—he held up a hand when Lagan began to speak—“I ken the problems. Her brother and I chewed them over verra weel last night.”
“I would have thought all that lad would wish to say to ye is how and when he is going to kill ye.”
“Aye, but he is a practical lad and nae hotheaded. He also cares for his sister and doesnae want this marriage. For that goal, we have formed an alliance. I have given much thought on how to make the ransoming take a long time. I shall ask for coin, only coin and a lot of it.”
“There is a fair shortage of that. Aye, it could take a long time, a verra long time for it to be gathered. During which time?”
“I cannae be sure. T’will give the lad time to speak with his father and Rory Fergueson time to expose himself for the beast that he is.”
“Depending on how strongly he wants the girl or the marriage he could come after ye.”
“God’s teeth, I hope he does, but the man is a low coward. He scampers into a hole at the first scent of danger. He kens that I willnae risk outlawry by killing him without just cause.” He looked down at the sleeping Aimil. “I cannae knowingly hand him a lass, not when I ken what he does to them.”
“I feel the same, Parlan, but ye arenae her laird and ye cannae hold her forever. She is a Mengue.”
“I have no real quarrel with the Mengues. Weel, not until now.” He flashed a grin at Lagan who laughed and shook his head. “I could mend that and keep her from Rory