Page 39 of Plaid Attitude
But Doughall suspected the other man was still on Oliphant land because he wanted to see the outcome of what was becoming called The Heir Problem.
Him and every other person from here to the Minch.
“Aye, I’ll come with ye,” he sighed, sliding his sword back into his scabbard, knowing he should check on the castle’s goings on, anyhow.
Now that Leanna and Robena had joined their sisters and their husbands, Doughall knew they were meeting together to discuss the clan’s future. Laird Oliphant had made it clear what his requirements for an heir would be, and no matter how unfair they were, his family was honor-bound to respect them.
But since none had given birth to a boy yet—as far as Doughall knew, none of the sisters were pregnant—there wasn’t a clear choice. They were discussing that now.
The thought of a bairn, the thought of one of the lasses being pregnant—made him wince.
Even now, thanks to his irresponsibility, Coira could be carrying his bairn. He had Bessetta; he knew how these things worked. Aye, ‘twas unlikely, but possible.
And he’d botched the marriage proposal.
She likely thought he’d offered merely because of what they’d shared.
Nay, ye dobber, give her more credit. She understood what ye were saying the day before, when ye both spoke to Bessetta about marriage. Surely she did!
It took a moment to realize that Barclay was still speaking, relating a story about his amorous adventures the night before. He blinked, trying to focus on someone else’s problems for a change.
“So ye can understand why I’m avoiding her this morning. Mayhap I’ll track down yer daughter and get her to give me another tour.”
Doughall frowned. “A tour? Of her menagerie?”
His cousin chuckled and punched his shoulder. “Nay, I met yer motley band of roommates the verra first week. I’m speaking of the secret passages in the castle. Her maps are brilliant—I’ve never seen such detail.”
Reaching for his cousin’s arm, Doughall pulled them both to a stop. “I ken she draws, but what is this about maps?”
The other man looked surprised. “Ye havenae seen her maps of the secret passages? They’re verra detailed.”
Doughall shook his head, still not understanding. “Why would she need to map out the passages? Did Coira ask…?”
When his cousin’s expression turned pitying, Doughall scowled. He shouldn’t have brought up her name, especially since Barclay knew something was wrong between them. He’d been the one to tease Doughall into kissing Coira, and then had teased him for how fookinghappyhe’d been while the kissing had happened.
Then he’d apparently made the mistake of making love to her, and everything had gone to shite.
Nay, making love to her wasnae the mistake. Proposing marriage was. She wants to stand on her own feet, and views marriage as a crutch.
“Bessetta also showed me sketches she’s made of the castle walls.”
His cousin’s words sent a spike of ice into Doughall’s chest, although he couldn’t pinpoint the reason. “What?” he rasped.
“They’re really more of maps, because she doesnae add detail. I suppose they’re part of the maps of the passageways, because they show the entrances and exits of the passageways along the walls, as well as things like where the defenses are located.”
The ice spike in his chest melted slowly into a frigid pool in his stomach. Doughall swallowed, his hand tightened around his cousin’s forearm.
“She’s mapped out the castle’s defenses?” he repeated, uncertain he really wanted the answer.
But when his cousin nodded in confusion, Doughall closed his eyes on a curse.
Fook.
Fookfookfookshitefook.
By St. Berthwald’s withered cock,fook!
Bessetta had shown no interest in castle defenses or the secret passageways or aught involving the clan’s safety, so why was she now so interested?
