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  Her father shrugged. “He’s been there for over two weeks, arriving just before the Adventurers. He probably left court about the same time you did. Neil and Alex have been organizing raids on the settlement at Stornoway, intercepting food and supplies meant for the Adventurers—wearing them down, much like last time. Small skirmishes thus far, but that will soon change.”

  “I knew he was up to something, I just never suspected—” She jerked back as if she had been slapped. The second betrayal hit nearly as hard as the first. Her father, the man she’d fought desperately to please, to convince that she could manage Dunakin, had not confided in her.

  Acute disappointment formed a solid, bitter lump in her throat.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? Why was I not informed that you intended to help the MacLeods of Lewis? How could you keep something so important from me?” She choked on her last words, unable to control the emotion strangling her voice.

  Her father was in league against the king, and she’d been kept in the dark.

  “You are many things, Meg,” he said gently. “But you are not chief. That is a position I hope to hold on to for a few—nay, many more years to come.”

  Her father did not trust her.

  “Lachlan, you are doing an atrociously poor job of this,” Rosalind warned.

  Her father glanced over at Meg, noticing her distress. “It’s not like that, lass. I’m proud of you. You’ve acquitted yourself admirably in the face of difficult circumstances, with your brother…” He fiddled with some loose parchment on the table, flustered as he always was when discussing Ian. “Perhaps I rely on you overmuch. Your mother accuses me of demanding too much of you. I never thought so, but perhaps she is right. If you want to marry Jamie Campbell, do so because you want to, not because you think that is what I expect of you. Often the best solution is not the most obvious. Trust in yourself.”

  “Yet you do not trust me,” Meg accused, still hurt that he had not confided in her.

  “Nonsense. You must realize that you are not privy to all the decisions made around here.”

  In fact, Meg hadn’t realized that.

  “It was safer for you not to know. The fewer people who know of this, the better. We don’t want to risk the king getting word of our involvement.”

  “I would never—”

  Her father held up his hand. “I know that. If I’d known you were going to become involved with Alex, I would have warned you. And then when you came home, you spoke only of a proposal from Jamie. I wasn’t convinced, or I refused to let myself be convinced, that what your mother told me about your feelings for Alex MacLeod were true.”

  Her cheeks grew hot. She heard her mother make a “humph” sound that said I told you so.

  “If you wish to wait for Alex MacLeod to return before you answer Jamie, I do not object. But you must understand that the situation on Lewis is extremely volatile—and of course very dangerous. There is a chance—”

  He stopped abruptly when Meg paled.

  “I’m sorry, Meg, but I do not want you to suffer under any false illusions. Alex may not return. And even if he does, the king will hardly be pleased with him. With rumors circulating in London of a plot to overthrow the Fife Adventurers, Neil has already been put to the horn. The same could happen to Alex.”

  There were thousands of questions running through her mind. She didn’t realize that she’d voiced them aloud. “What’s the nature of our involvement? What chiefs are involved? Does the king suspect us? When do they plan to take the castle? What news have you had from…”

  “From Alex?” Rosalind finished for her.

  Meg nodded.

  “We are in daily communication with the men fighting on Lewis. In addition to the MacLeods of Dunvegan and the Mackinnons, the MacDonald of Dunyveg, MacLean of Duart, MacLaine of Lochbuie, MacLean of Coll, and the MacQuarrie of Ulva are all party to our plans. We have provided men and supplies, of course, but our primary aid is information. If the king suspects our involvement, he is not yet ready to move on his suspicions other than to forbid travel to the Isle of Lewis—which is why our messengers travel at night.”

  Meg took a moment to digest this latest information. Then she asked, “But what about the MacDonalds, are they not involved?”

  “Ah, you noticed the omission of our mercurial ‘friends.’ Yes, they are involved. But the MacDonalds think they can straddle both sides by forming an alliance with the chiefs while secretly providing information to Lord Chancellor Seton. They sent a spy of their own to court, but Alex discovered who it was and we are feeding him false information.”

  “And who is this spy?” Meg asked, though she’d already guessed.

  “Dougal MacDonald. Your mother said he was a suitor of yours at court?”

  “Odious man,” her mother said. “You never can trust a MacDonald. I never would have sent him after you in the forest had I known.”

  “None of us knew, Mother,” Meg said consolingly. “But I never seriously considered his offer.” Not after what he’d done to Alex. Refusing his offer of marriage had been easy; the hard part had been doing so politely. She turned back to her father. “With Alex no longer at court, how are the chiefs getting information from Edinburgh?”

  “Spies. Informants. There are always people willing to talk for the right price. I believe Alex also recruited one of Seton’s personal servants.”

  Oh no. No wonder he’d been so angry when he thought she was spying on him. “A maid, by chance?” Meg asked numbly.

  Her father quirked his brow. “Yes, I believe so.” He looked at her for a moment and then continued. “Rory MacLeod is still at court. He sends messages in duplicate, one to his brother on Lewis and one to me. It is my duty to keep the other chiefs apprised of the changeable situation.”

  “I believe Meg will be most interested in the latest missive you received from Rory Mor,” her mother said.

  Her father cleared his throat. “Yes, of course. The latest report of the next supply shipment two nights hence is the one we’ve been waiting for that should enable Alex and his men to take the castle and send the Adventurers running back to Fife.” In case Meg missed the implication, he added, “If the MacLeods take the castle, this will all be over. And Alex will return to Dunvegan.”

  A hero, she thought. Despite his betrayal of her, Meg felt a wave of compassion for Alex. A victory on Lewis might help erase some of the pain of the loss of his cousins. She hoped so, for his sake.

  Meg didn’t know what to say. This new information had explained many things, but it did not change what he’d said to Lord Huntly. Or did it? He’d lied to Huntly about fighting for the Lowlanders. Had he lied about everything else? But why?

  Her father stood up and began pacing before the large stone fireplace. “What I don’t understand is why Alex would become involved with you, knowing the danger a connection with him would pose for you.”

  Meg didn’t hear what he said next, because for the second time in the space of a few minutes she had been given a wicked jolt. Danger. Her mind worked quickly. A connection with Alex would be dangerous. He knew that. He also knew the danger he would face on Lewis. That he might never return, and if he returned, he might be imprisoned or killed. Had he known she was listening to his conversation? Had he merely been trying to protect her?

  Her heart soared. A bright beam of sunlight broke through the oppressive darkness that had shrouded her soul since that morning in Edinburgh.

  For the first time in three weeks, Meg allowed herself to hope. Perhaps when he’d finished his quest on Lewis, Alex would come for her?

  Like an omen, a clansman shouted from the barmkin below, “A birlinn is approaching.”

  Her heart jumped. Could it be?

  Chapter 19

  Meg dashed to the window and peered down into the small barmkin above the sea-gate. She could just make out the figure of a man climbing swiftly up the stairs. He was certainly tall and broad-shouldered enough….

  Yet somehow she