Page 30 of Rescued By the Highland Warrior
Malcolm hesitated for a moment, before clearing his throat to talk. “I’m afraid this year has nae gone as well as I’d hoped. The crop has been bad. The wheat has barely been enough tae feed our own.”
Roderick looked around the room, and it appeared as though he was the only one to be shocked by Malcolm’s words.
A bad crop?” he repeated, careful to keep his voice neutral. “I had nae heard of this ‘afore. Did the storms affect yer fields?”
“Aye,” Malcolm said, his tone curt. “The storms and some blight in the early spring. We’ve been struggling tae make up fer it ever since.”
“An’ why did ye nae bring this up tae us afore? It seems more than relevant tae this Council, daes it nae?”
“Aye, me laird,” Malcolm said. “I didnae wish tae burden ye wi’ it given all that has come to pass. I see now that was wrong.”
Roderick studied him, his instincts prickling. Malcolm’s demeanor was oddly guarded and his answer made little sense. It didn’t sit right with Roderick, but this was neither the time nor the place to press him. The room was tense enough, and Roderick was focused on finding solutions rather than making accusations for the time being. The time for solving this other little mystery would come.
“I see,” Roderick said finally, inclining his head. “If that’s the case, I’ll nae burden ye further.”
Roderick tried to think positively. Perhaps one of the other clans would trade—although he knew better than to rely on that. Most other clans were experiencing similar shortages, and even if they were able to get some crop with what they had to offer in return, it likely wouldn’t be enough to make up for half of what they’d lost.
“We need tae keep lookin’ at options,” Roderick said firmly, glancing around the table. “This is a challenge, but nae an insurmountable one. I’d like everyone tae think on it and come prepared with ideas ahead o’ our next meeting. That includes any smaller, unconventional approaches. Every bit counts.”
There were a few nods and murmurs of agreement from the councilmen, though the air remained heavy with the weight of the discussion.
“An’ we will continue tae trade wi’ clan Wilson as planned.”
As the Council members began to talk among themselves, discussing options and plans, Cameron leaned in close to Roderick, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Roderick, is everythin’ all right?”
Perhaps Roderick didn’t look as calm and collected as he had thought, but he didn’t mind Cameron knowing the truth– the situation had turned desperate.
“It will be” he responded. “We just need tae find a solution.”
Cameron nodded, “Aye,” he said. “An’ we will.”
Roderick excused himself from the table, leaving the councilmen to their discussions. He left the room with one person in mind – Moira.
-
My dear reader,
I apologize for the interruption…
But you just stumbled upon a SECRET GIFT!
You can download my very first novel,“A Bride for the Devilish Laird”, forfreeusing the link below.
Please note that this exclusive story is only available to you as a subscriber andhas not been published anywhere else.
It’s a gift for your support A Bride for the Devilish Laird.
Warm regards,
Lyla
Please click on the cover to download the book.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Moira sat on her bed, unfolding that morning’s events in her mind. At first, her thoughts were consumed with everything that had happened with Roderick, the way in which he held her, and how angry he had been when he found out she was lying.
