She opened her mouth to respond, but she paused. Should she reveal the truth, and tell her hostess that her clansmen were in danger, and that they needed help? Likely if she gave the actual reason why she was at Tancraig Castle, they would dismiss her request. And what more, she would appear as if she was stark mad. However if she lied, and said that her father had sent her, they would consider her petition, and would think upon her appeal with all seriousness. Many years ago, Tevon MacGill had formed a strong alliance with the MacGregons. From what she knew, clans didn’t turn their backs on their allies.
“I — my da sent me here for a different reason,” Adrina said finally.
“I see,” Mairead said, leveling her gaze at her. But then she smiled, understanding that Adrina didn’t want to discuss the matter further. “Will ye be staying long? I believe that ye have never visited Tancraig Castle.”
“Nay, I’ve nae been here, although I’ve met the chief when he came tae Dunnvie Castle years ago. I wonder if he will still remember me.”
“Perhaps,” Mairead said, shrugging. She looked over at the maid. “All done?”
“Aye, milady,” Ana said, securing the last pin in Adrina’s hair. “’Tis done.”
Adrina had no desire to converse, and Mairead seemed to sense that. So as they made their way to the great hall, Adrina had an opportunity to formulate what she planned to say to Eanruing MacGregon. For now she wasn’t getting any help from her inner guidance. The guidance had led her here, but it was up to her to win the sympathy of the chief, and obtain immediate aid for her clan members. But she knew that it wouldn’t be easy. A cold sweat ran down her back. What was she going to say to Eanruing, and how was she going to present her plight?
Only too soon, they entered the great hall. Adrina looked up, and took in the grand wooden arcs that lined the ceiling. She noted that there were a half-dozen jackdaws roosting on the beams. They peered down at them as if they oversaw the comings and goings of the great hall. What she would give to have the life of those black birds. She would be free from worries, sorrow, and the responsibilities that weighed down upon her shoulders would be gone.
“This way,” Mairead said, maneuvering her around the crush of servants who were rushing around to ready the hall for dinner.
Mairead took Adrina to a small group of people who gathered at the side of the dais. The tall man bore a striking resemblance to Mairead. It was obvious that he was one of her older brothers, but Adrina didn’t know the identities of the two women who were with him.
They were almost at the raised platform when a voice rang out. “What is MacGill’s offspring doing here?” he said.
Adrina turned her head slightly, and her steps faltered when she saw Eanruing MacGregon sitting at the trestle table. The years had not been kind to the laird. The sallow skin around his face sagged, and the hair on his head and eyebrows were frosted with gray. Although his eyes were sunken, with deep lines etched around them, he looked out at her with keen observation that was not yet dimmed by old age.
She searched her befuddled mind, reaching into the past and remembering a fierce highland laird. It was difficult to fathom that the pale stranger that stared down at her was the same powerful chief. Her heart sank. Was this the man who would save her people?
“Chief MacGregon,” she said slowly.
“Nay,” he said, shaking his head. “Rory is the clan chief now.”
She glanced over at Rory who was coming toward her.
“Mairead told us just now that your father sent ye,” Rory said.
The Highlander stood an arm’s length away from her, and when she looked up at him, she had to resist the urge to step back. She had the distinct impression that somehow she had walked into a room of giants. Still, the expression on Rory’s handsome visage, though friendly, held a note of curiosity and puzzlement.
“Aye, that’s right,” Adrina said, clinging to the lie she had told his sister. Saying a quick prayer, she straightened her shoulders, and made herself as tall as possible. “On behalf of Clan MacGill, I’ve come here tae procure your assistance.”
A thoughtful look appeared on his countenance, and he exchanged a brief glance with his father. When he noticed that she witnessed their shared look, he merely smiled.
“And what is it that ye need help with?” he asked, one brow raised while he waited for her to continue.
Adrina took a deep breath. The only way to obtain their help was to tell as much of the facts as possible. “A great and evil curse has been placed on my clan, and I need help in breaking it.”
A silence descended upon the group, and for a fleeting moment, she wondered if it was a good idea to reveal this information after all. Adrina found herself the focal point of each of the MacGregons. Their faces were impassive, and she couldn’t determine whether they believed her or not.
“Why would you say this?” the golden-haired beauty at Rory’s side asked. Adrina looked at the woman quickly, surprised to hear a distinct English accent.
“This is my wife Lady Darra, and her mother Lady Venora,” Rory said, answering her unspoken question.
“Miladies,” Adrina said, giving a quick curtsy.
“Aye, tell us what has happened,” Venora said, her tone mild. She was an older version of Darra, her appearance striking despite her age. There was also intelligence behind her eyes, and Adrina sensed that she possessed a wisdom that was far beyond the ordinary.
As Adrina recounted the long list of peculiar occurrences that her people experienced, the older woman studied her. She placed one hand underneath her chin while her finger tapped rhythmically against the side of her cheek. Her scrutiny seemed almost as if she was searching for any signs of madness in Adrina. It was one thing to claim that a specific person was placed under a spell. It was an altogether different matter to profess that an entire clan was put under an evil influence. But there was no mistaking the wickedness that descended upon her people. Clan members would, without any warning, collapse to the ground, and become paralyzed. Meanwhile others would contract mysterious illnesses in which the village healer was at a loss as to explain or treat. The demeanor of her people also changed. Clan members were no longer peaceful and law-abiding folk, but were mean and selfish individuals that engaged in violence against each other. It reached a point where there was so much chaos that her father enacted judgment and punishments on a weekly basis.
“And the clansmen have turned on us as well,” she continued. “My da is dealing with the instability at Dunnvie Castle while I have come here in his stead.”
Rory looked over at the older woman. “What do ye think, Lady Venora?”
