Highland Chieftain Read Online Free Page B

should be prepared for the possible arrival of bad men.
    â€œI ken who he is, aye,” Bethoc said quietly.
    â€œHow? And how do ye ken he is hurt?” Colin asked.
    â€œBecause I found him. He was barely on the riverbank, half in the water, half out. And his leg was broken. He had also been severely beaten before being tossed in the river to drown.”
    Cathan had also been beaten, she thought. If those men came to the house looking for Cathan she did not want to think what they might do to her boys. How could her father have put them all in such danger? She was certain he had some grand scheme to make money but he was ignoring the danger he risked, a risk they now all shared.
    â€œAre ye going to take the laddie to him?” Bean asked.
    â€œNay yet. It wouldnae do to suddenly have him go missing. Yet he must go soon. I think these men he speaks of would be a great deal of trouble for us.” She idly tucked the covers more firmly around the sleeping child. “They were harsh in their handling of him, leaving bruises, and appear to be after some inheritance he has come into. They nearly killed a mon over it. They have already killed his father and frightened his mother into running off. What will they do to us? Nay, I need to be verra careful in what I do next.”
    â€œDinnae forget us,” said Colin. “We can help.”
    â€œI dinnae wish to tangle ye up in this problem,” Bethoc said.
    â€œI think we are tangled up in it now. Father brought the lad here and I think he kenned he wasnae one like us, alone or with no one who would care much if he went missing. Men after the lad dinnae ken that, do they? They may see us and think we are part of it all or ken more than we do. Seems to me they would be seeing us as a means to make Da do what they want.”
    She wanted to tell him he was wrong but feared he was not. Colin was too clever not to have seen the risk this boy brought with him. Bethoc was reeling from the truths she had learned about her father in the last day. She was having difficulty thinking of any plan, any clear direction to take.
    â€œI wish I had the courage to just demand some answers from the mon,” she muttered, and was surprised when Bean patted her on the back.
    â€œBest thing is to speak as little as possible and ne’er ask questions,” he said. “’Tis how we all deal with the mon. I think ye need to talk to that fellow Callum. It would help to ken who the men are and how badly they want the boy. If they were willing to kill the mon with him, I suspicion they want the boy verra badly indeed.”
    â€œTrue.” She sighed and stood up. “I need to get some sleep and shouldnae leave Margaret alone any longer. It would be best if I sleep on it, decide what to do on the morrow.” She looked at Bean and Colin. “And I thank ye for standing for me at supper.”
    â€œTime he ceased beating on you,” Bean said. “Does it too often and has gotten fierce in the doing of it. Kicking ye like that. He could have broken something.”
    She was rather surprised that he had not, but simply patted both boys on the shoulder and went down the stairs. Leaving a small lamp lit for her father, she got ready for bed. She had a tiny alcove and needed to share it with her sister. Slipping in as gently as she could so as not to wake her sister, she tucked the child up against her. Then she reached out to unhook the material that hung over the opening and let it fall, enclosing them both in darkness.
    Bed was a hiding place. It was just not very secure. Her father had yanked her out of it before. When he was out she would sleep but she always woke when he came back, snapping into full alertness at the sound of the door opening. Then she would lie still, listening as he moved around the room. Just lately he had taken to stopping right outside her alcove and standing there for several minutes. She could feel his stare and it