Page 196 of The Highlander's English Bride

“Just like that?” she skeptically asked.

“Jackie says we canna stay here anymore. But Dickie and me? Well, Dunlaggan’s our home, ye ken. My mam is here, and . . .”

His gaze flitted to Patty, who commenced a vigorous polishing of the bar. Apparently, the girl had discovered a new object for her affections.

Magnus grimaced. “Jackie ain’t a good man, my lady. He dinna care about anyone but himself. I’m right afeared of what he might do if he canna get his way.”

Sabrina was afraid, too, for Graeme and for everyone here who’d suffered from the Clearances and the years of neglect. In his own way, her father was as much to blame as Jackie Barr for the current state of affairs.

It was up to her to fix it.

“If you help me rescue Mr. Kendrick,” she said, “I promise you and Dickie can stay at Lochnagar. I’ll see that your crofts are restored, and that you are able to take care of your mother.”

Magnus stared down at her, clearly thunderstruck. “That . . . that would be grand, my lady. And Mr. Kendrick said ye’d be happy to go into business with us, too. We’d work as hard as can be, ye ken. I promise.”

Sabrina felt her mouth sag. “Um, what business?”

“The whisky business.” He gave her an encouraging smile, which made his swollen eye all but disappear. “It’s legal now, ye ken.”

Royal softly laughed. “Well done, Graeme. That’s brilliant.”

Sabrina threw him a questioning look.

“I’ll explain later.” Royal pulled a chair over and sat next to Chattan. “If it’s the right shed that I’ve got in mind, it’ll be hard to get a jump on Barr. There’s barely a tree for miles around.”

Concerned mutterings sounded from the other tables.

After glancing around the room, Sabrina pinned Chattan with her gaze. The old man held the key. He was the closest thing Dunlaggan had to a village elder. He was also a member of her clan, and his support could mean the difference between success and failure.

Chattan—and the villagers—would have to trust her. And she would have to trust them.

“Well, sir?” she asked. “Will Dunlaggan come to my help?”

He removed the unlit pipe from his mouth. “Yer our lady, are ye not?”

She smiled. “Aye, that.”

“Then just say what ye need, and ye shall have it.”

* * *

The days were long this time of year. Even so, dusk had fallen by the time they were in position. That should have made things easier, but Sabrina’s nerves were still taut as an overstrung harp.

“You don’t have to do this,” Royal said. “I’m sure Barr would take the money from me.”

She shook her head. “Magnus said Jackie blames my father for everything. Humiliating me is one way for him to exact a measure of revenge.”

Royal made a frustrated noise. “Graeme will kill me if anything happens to you.”

“Barr won’t hurt me. He just wants to embarrass me.”

She sounded more confident than she felt. Pistols and criminals made for a bad combination. As Graeme said, things could quickly go sideways.

“I have to do this,” she added. “Graeme needs me.”

Royal’s flinty gaze grew soft. “Aye, he does. All right, then. Just stick to the plan, and we should be fine.”

Chattan, who was standing beside them on the hillock overlooking the shed, waved a hand. “Barr’s a right bastard, but he’s nae stupid. He won’t hurt Musgrave’s daughter. Not worth it.”

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