Page 6 of Highland Flame

“Excuse me,” Nash spoke up, taking a step closer to the dais. “Do my brathair and I have to stay at the priory, too?”

“Aye, do we?” piped up North. “After all, this isna our punishment, but Cam’s.”

“It’s that, or stay in the dungeon,” Callum told them, stamping his feet like a madman. No one knew why the old man acted the way he did. Perhaps he was just trying out his new boots, or more likely he was going insane.

“B-but we just stayed at town, hashin’ out Gavin’s punishment with him,” complained Nash. “Surely, this isna fair.”

Storm, Ian, and Callum spoke in hushed tones, and then Storm gave his answer.

“We agree, it’s no’ quite fair,” he told the brothers. “Therefore, I’ll send word to Lord Rook, askin’ him if ye two can spend a few days and nights at the end of each week at Naward Castle instead. However, durin’ the rest of the week, ye are to spend yer time at the priory, in case yer help is needed in any way.”

“Fine,” mumbled North, not sounding at all pleased. Then again, at least the brothers didn’t have to be there all the time, like Cam did. He figured it was just as bad as staying in the dungeon. The priory would be his new prison now. He longed to go to Naward Castle with his friends and stay with Lord Rook instead.

Lord Rook was a triplet, and triplets were thought to be spawned by the devil and bad luck. When he and his brothers, Rowen and Reed, were born, the king ordered them killed as babies. They were lucky enough to survive, and were raised in Scotland. But when the truth came out about who their father really was and how he’d tried to kill them, the bastard triplets vowed vengeance against Edward. Eventually, they made amends with their father – or at least some of them did. Either way, these three men were legends, and also to be feared. Not many men went up against the king and lived to tell about it.

“Well, when do we leave?” asked Cam impatiently, only wanting to get his sentence over with quickly.

“There is one more issue we must address first,” said Storm, looking across the great hall. “This mornin’, somethin’ was brought to my attention that involves ye, Cam.”

“Me? What do ye mean?” asked Cam, hoping whatever it was, it wouldn’t lead to a longer sentence. All he wanted was to be accepted back into the clan.

Lady Wren walked forward with a whore who looked familiar to Cam. The woman held the hand of a little girl who seemed to be about four or five years old.

“Cam, this woman is a . . . she is from a neighborin’ town,” said Storm, not wanting to call her a whore in front of everyone, even though Cam already knew she was.

“Aye.” Cam’s face lit up in a smile as he remembered the wild night he’d spent with her, even if he couldn’t remember her name.

“Give him the girl,” Storm commanded the woman, who brought the little girl over to Cam.

“What?” Cam took a step backward, holding up his palms. “Why are ye givin’ me the child?”

“Because she is yer daughter,” explained the whore.

“My daughter? Nay,” Cam said, shaking his head furiously. “I am no’ married. She is no’ mine.”

“Mayhap ye never wed, but it seems ye have a bastard child to take care of now,” spat Old Callum.

“Me? What? Why?” Cam was too much in shock to even speak a full sentence. “How?”

“If ye dinna ken how bairns are made by now, then mayhap ye should stop lyin’ with all the lassies,” mumbled Nash under his breath.

“Nay,” Cam told them. “She’s no’ mine.”

“She is, Cam. She is the daughter of yer favorite whore, Isobel from Perth,” explained the whore.

“Perth,” he mumbled, his memory coming back to him now. So that’s where he’d seen this whore before. And yes, he did have a favorite whore there. “If the girl is Isobel’s daughter, then let her raise the child,” said Cam.

“She canna.”

“Why no’?”

“Because Isobel is dead,” answered the whore. “Her dyin’ wish was for me to find ye and bring yer daughter to ye.”

“Ye’ll take the girl with ye to Lanercost Priory,” stated Storm.

“As part of yer sentence,” added Callum.

Cam glanced down at the little girl who clung to the whore, not even wanting to look at him. She seemed so frightened. “What is her name?”