Page 1 of To Wed a Witch
Chapter 1 - A Crumbling Keep
Bhaltair Ferguson satamidst the crumbling heap of what used to be a prestigious Great Hall and rubbed his forehead.He'd been going over the books for over an hour, trying every which way to re-calculate the sums, yet each time the figure spelled ruin.
He'd inherited a clan on the verge of collapse along with the Keep.His late uncle had done nothing to better their prospects except accrue mounting debts, and after years of mismanagement and neglect, the land wasn't fit to be cultivated.It was dead.The crops in the field would not keep them another winter.Bhaltair had stretched more than he could just to keep them above water, but instead they were drowning.
The clansmen were losing faith and becoming lax in their duties.Hopelessness followed those whose bellies were empty.It was difficult to remain optimistic when all around was nothing but despair.After another year of failed opportunities, there was nothing worth salvaging, not even his pride.
It was at this juncture that one of his most troublesome clansmen appeared in the doorway.
"What is it, Dugald?"Bhaltair didn't bother looking up from the ledger, his quill scratching irritably across the parchment as he crossed out yet another item the clan would have to forgo.
"I think I have a solution to yer problem, laird," Dugald replied and stepped into the hall.
"Do ye now?"Bhaltair finally raised his head.
"Aye, 'tis a lass ye should wed that can fix the predicament yer uncle left us in."
Bhaltair set down his quill slowly and leaned back in his chair."Dugald, the last time ye thought a lass would solve all our ills, ye nearly got me killed by her husband.So if it's all the same, I'd prefer ye turn right around and dinnae bother me for at least a sennight."He gestured toward the door.
"All right, perhaps that time was a mistake, but this time 'tis a far better plan we've stumbled upon," Dugald replied.
"We've?"Bhaltair asked.
"Aye, me and the men."
Bhaltair looked beyond Dugald to see several retainers hovering by the door.He tried not to wince.It was the usual suspects, men he'd come to trust except when they were hell-bent on some harebrained scheme to interfere with his life.Still, he could not begrudge them their eagerness to be helpful, if only they were not so foolhardy.
"Does it involve kidnapping?"Bhaltair asked.
"No!Of course not."
The men hovering at the door also shook their heads.
"Is she already married to a powerful laird?"He pushed back from the table and stood.
"No."Dugald grimaced, and Bhaltair caught it as he moved around the table.
"Then what's wrong with her?"Bhaltair crossed his arms over his chest, every line of his body radiating with suspicion.
"Nothing's wrong with her.Why are ye so damned suspicious all the time, laird?"Murphy, another clansman, declared from the doorway.He was Dugald's accomplice in most things.
"Because, based on past experience, Murphy, I dinnae trust any of yer judgment," Bhaltair glared at the men in frustration.A couple looked shamefaced, acknowledging that in the past they had often made things worse for their laird.But it was never intentional.
"There's nothing wrong with her, and in fact she's very rich.Her da cannot wait to be rid...I mean, he cannot wait for her to marry, and she comes with a dowry that could rebuild three keeps, 'tis so substantial."Dugald's words tumbled over each other in his eagerness.
Bhaltair gave him a wary look.He reached for the cup of ale on the table, taking a long drink before setting it down with a loud thud."Go on.I'm listening."
At this, the others came forward and gathered around the table."Ye see, her da wants her to wed, but there does not seem to be any suitors," Murphy said.
Bhaltair asked, "Why are there no takers?If she's rich, surely there must be men vying for her hand."
"Truth be told, 'tis because rumor has it that she is...um..."Dugald's confidence seemed to desert him, as he glanced at the others.
"She is what?Dugald, if ye dinnae get on with it, I'm going to punch ye in the face."Bhaltair's hand clenched into a fist at his side, and his voice dropped to that dangerous tone that made men nervous.
"She's a witch!All right; there I said it...and perhaps she's also a wee bit mad," Dugald replied.
"Wait.Ye dinnae mean the 'Mad MacKay Witch'?"Bhaltair's voice rose in disbelief.
