Chapter Sixteen
With the prince’s arrival, the entire town of Inverness was thrown into turmoil. The prince’s whereabouts was a closely guarded secret, but the inns were filled with his officers. Thousands of soldiers sprawled in the fields, and the streets were filled at all hours of the day and night, the taverns staying open for as long as there were men wanting drink.
Not all of the men were disciplined, trained soldiers. Anyone willing to fight the English was welcome to join. There weren’t enough women following the camp, either, which made the ones in Inverness vulnerable to men who wanted their needs satiated.
Niall didn’t much like the idea of Charlotte going into Fergus’ office each day with the army everywhere, and drove to her into Inverness himself each morning. He hadn’t questioned Charlotte further about their conversation. At this point, time would tell if things came to pass as she said they would. Besides which, he was still trying to make logical sense out of what he still thought was impossible.
However, his sister didn’t have any qualms about questioninghim. Greer caught up with him one morning after he’d returned from Inverness. Seated across from him in the study, she didn’t mince words.
“What have ye been hiding?”
“Hiding?”
“Doona play coy with me, brother.” Greer studied him. “For the past week, ye have acted secretive.”
“Secretive? I’ve been busy.” Niall hoped to refocus her attention. “In case ye have nae noticed, we’ve a few thousand men about.”
“Do ye think me daft? I practically trip over them.” Her eyes narrowed. “’Tis nae what I mean, and ye ken it.”
So much for that ruse. “I’ve been busy,” he said again. “I’ve nae been hiding my activities.”
“Aye, your activities. Ye take Charlotte into Inverness. Ye come home. Ye train. Ye eat. Ye train again. Ye go get Charlotte.” She waved a hand. “’Tis nae what I’m asking. What is it ye are hiding?”
While his sister was not malicious in any way, she could be as tenacious as his brother and father. Even worse, she had an uncanny intuition at times, and this appeared to be one of them. He could hardly reveal his secret, though. Trying to explain that Charlotte had somehow arrived at the Hogmanay dance from the twenty-first century would make even his sister doubt his sanity.
Charlotte’s predictions would come true—or not—soon enough. He contemplated the thought. Perhaps he could manipulate that information into something Greer might accept.
“I have been preoccupied by some of the strategies that I heard the prince was considering,” he said. “I doona ken if he wants that information spread.”
Greer made an exasperated huffing sound. “Ye doona want to tell me because I am a woman?”
Niall sighed. He should have known that was coming. “Nae, sister. ’Tis nae wise to let a commander’s plans be heard by too many in case the wrong ears hear it.”
She gave him a long look. “Do ye mean Charlotte?”
He started and then managed to restrain himself from laughing. If Greer only knew the irony of what she’d just said.
“Ye doona really think she is a spy, do ye?” his sister asked.
“Nae. I doona think that, but with so many strangers around—even some here at Castle Dounie, ’tis better to say nothing.” He gave Greer a winsome smile. She didn’t look convinced. “Doona be offended, sister. Keeping this secret has nae to do with the fact that ye are female.”
“Then why can ye nae tell me? Do ye think I canna be trusted?”
A sudden image of a small terrier fiercely trying to dig a rabbit out of a hole passed through his mind, although Greer looked nothing like a terrier. She simply was acting like one. He sighed again as his sister folded her arms across her chest.
The door to the study opened just as he was about to share a bit of what Charlotte had told him.
“Sorry to bother the two of ye,” Simon said, “but Major Grant has just surrendered Fort George. The army is setting fire to it.”
Greer gave him a quick look. “Was that the secret ye didna want to share?”
He nodded, glad for the reprieve. “I didna ken exactly when it would happen, so I didn’t want to take a chance on something going wrong because of me.”
“Hmph.” Greer rose and went to the door. “I suppose we’ll have a celebration, then. I’d best go see to it.”
Niall sat back as she left with his brother. So. The first of Charlotte’s claims had come true.
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