Page 40 of How to Woo a Highlander

He had hated the English for so long but then had met Jane. It was not so long ago, and yet she had caused such a change in him that now his resentment felt foreign.

She had taught him that he should not judge anyone based on anger and pain. He was surprised at how much he had changed without even noticing it. John Baxendale's words had awoken his resentment, but he was able to come to his senses quickly enough to not lash out at the older man. He decided to hear his words.

"Aye, I dae ken of the English army," he said, his voice level and under control.

"Your clan is facing a war. It so concerns your Laird that he could not announce his betrothal or marry my daughter. He is rallying the forces of two clans, making trade with them to get the support to wipe out the enemy threat thoroughly and easily," John began.

Alastair could only stare quietly, waiting for him to get to the point.

"However, imagine that your clan had the assistance of the English army. The war would be won before it even began. You see, I want to bring balance to the Highlands. England wants peace in the Highlands. To do this, I have chosen your clan to spearhead it. If your Laird marries my daughter, it will create the necessary connection that would make the English army a resource for your clan. Do you understand?" John explained.

Alastair understood very clearly. It was indeed going to be a massive help to the clan if the English army were at their disposal, but he was not exactly comfortable with needing the help of the English. Even with everything Jane had changed in him, the vestiges of his resentment rose to contest the idea.

He shook his head; it was not his place to contest the help that William chose to accept. His place was to support William. The conversation was giving him a headache, and he was suddenly exhausted.

"Aye, I understand Mr. Baxendale. I assure ye that there are nae strings between yer daughter and me. Any there might have been are now severed as of today, and I will have nay business with her henceforth. Me place is by me friend, and I will naturally support what is best for him," he said.

Taking a bow, he ignored the deep pain in his heart. It was best to forget about Jane Baxendale and detach himself from her. The quicker, the better.

"I will be on me way now, Mr Baxendale. Dae enjoy yer stay at the castle," he said respectfully, before finding his way to his chambers.

Chapter Eighteen

It had been four days since William's return to the castle and the engagement between him and Jane coming to light. Alastair was running through the hallways of the castle, after William had shut himself in his study.

The morning had brought chaos. A heavily wounded soldier had crashed into the castle grounds bearing news of a sudden attack from the Grant clan. The villages were being decimated and many lives were lost.

It was so sudden and unexpected. The clan's forces were scattered, and help was still a week away. Alastair had meant to go but stayed back to ensure the injured soldier was taken care of.

Once the man was transported to the healer’s dwelling in town, he’d hurried to find William. He burst into the study to find his friend at his desk hastily writing letters.

"I need to let Cargill and Balfour ken. The army needs to arrive much quicker. I thought everythin’ was going to be alright now, why is it like this? Did our spies nae say they were nae yet launchin’ their attack? We were supposed to have time. The people, Alastair, the people have nay protection," William was rambling.

Alastair recognized that his friend was having a moment of crisis. He shut the door behind him and walked to the desk, taking the paper and quill from William's hands.

"William, I need ye to calm down. Ye are nae fightin' this battle alone. I am here to help ye. We will fix this," he said as he finished the letter William was writing, making sure the essential facts were included in both letters. John Baxendale’s words echoed in his head.

“Imagine that your clan had the assistance of the English army. The war would be won before it even began.”

The man was right; if they had the help of the English army, they would have no reason to panic. They would easily win the war even with the surprise attack that the Grant clan had launched. If that were the case, William would not be so troubled. William rubbed his eyes, trying to steady himself. There was nothing that unsettled his friend more than worrying about his people’s wellbeing.

"I just keep thinking of the people being slaughtered, Alastair; they have nay defense. It is nae war, it is murder! They cannae fight back," he said.

William was right. According to the soldier who brought the news, the Grant soldiers were moving into the clan, killing as they went. Going by what the soldier said, the enemy was only a day away, and they had left death in their wake.

So many people were dying because Mackenzie's military forces were distributed over the lands, combating the raiders who had been attacking the villages. It had been his idea to spread the men, so each village had ample protection, but now, this meant that they were severely unprepared for a full-scale attack from an organized army.

The people were defenseless and would be like sheep to the slaughter. Alastair shut his eyes at the thought; it was a huge blow to the clan, and he could not bear the weight of it. Perhaps it was his fault. He was usually prepared for anything, but he had been distracted recently. Now people were dying, and his friend was suffering.

"I will go have these letters delivered now. Ye need to calm down. Remember that if ye are unwell, the clan will suffer even more. Ye have to be at yer best, especially now," Alastair encouraged, rolling each letter carefully and taking William's seal to mark them.

"Ye are right," William said absently, "I should calm down… Where is Jane? I should go and find her. I need to speak to Jane."

Alastair could not help his shock and immediate bitterness at his friend's words. What did he mean? Was he going to Jane to help him calm down? Did she mean that much to him? Was he not supposed to be heartbroken from a mysterious lover? This feeling was quickly followed by deep guilt for having such shallow thoughts when his people were dying. So what if William went to Jane for comfort, she was to be his wife.

William was already on his feet about to leave to find Jane. Alastair did not waste any more time, leaving the study first and rushing to hand over the letters with the instruction to make sure they arrived in a day. Jane was not his. He needed to get her out of his mind. His place was serving his people, and that was precisely what he needed to do: serve.

Although they did not live in the castle with him, Alastair had a few men of his own. They were strong soldiers, some of them he had trained himself. They lived in the town and guarded the inn. They were no army, but they were great soldiers, and so was he. His mind made up, Alastair sent a messenger to the town to summon them.