“No,” Eleanor gasped, pushing the cup away, “no! No potion!”“The sleep will help,” insisted the healer. Eleanor shook her head and pursed her lips, turning her face away. “Hold her head for me,” the healer said to someone. Eleanor tried to cover her face, but a strong hand circled her wrists and pulled them down. Another large hand cupped her chin and a thumb began to push her lip between her teeth just as Fann had done to her before. She struggled to turn away, crying out through her gritted teeth as the movement sent a sharp pain down her side. The thumb went between her teeth, but without her lip under it. She bit down as hard she could, letting go only when she tasted blood and felt the hand pulling away.“NO!” she yelled as loudly as she could. “NO POTIONS!” The hands grabbed her face again.“SHE SAID NO AND YOU’LL NO BE FORC’N ER OR I’LL SEE YE BOTH GUTTED AFORE YOU KEN I’M A COMIN FER YE!” Everyone instantly stopped touching her. Eleanor looked towards the door and saw Isobel

Fann heard cursing and laughter as he approached the room he and Eleanor shared. Two things that he did not associate with his wife in her current condition. He opened the door slowly, not sure what he would see on the other side. Eleanor was in bed, but not flat as he had expected. She was propped up on a pile of pillows with a glass of wine in one hand and the other stroking a sleeping kitten. Isobel was standing in the middle of the room telling a tale, cursing like an old highland warrior and looking about as steady on her feet as a cow in a dory. Eliana was on the floor beside a chair, laughing and holding her sides. “Oh! Stop Izzy! Do stop! If you continue making me laugh we will have to remove my corset. I can’t catch my breath!” Eleanor saw him first and smiled. “Did you know, husband, that aquae vitae is not nearly so hard to swallow if you warm it a wee bit and dissolve lots of honey in it?”He looked around the room and saw small glasses on every table. “You’ve been expe

Eleanor fidgeted in her chair, trying to concentrate on the book that was on her lap. Normally books about far off lands fascinated her, but right now she could not remember a single word she had read all afternoon. The men had broken their fast shortly before sunrise and left right after. Hunting meat for dinner they had said. With the amount of wildlife, she’d seen on the way to the river Eleanor knew it should not have taken this long. Either their aim had suddenly become incredibly poor, or her husband had lied to her. At first, her imagination had taken a wild turn, dreaming up all sorts of horrible things that could have happened to them on their hunt, but Uilleam insisted she need not worry yet as he had not expected them back until dark. So now her imagination was trying to figure out what it was he might actually be doing, since obviously, it was not hunting meat for their dinner. Fann told her often that he valued her honesty, so she had assumed she would get the same from

Crouched in the bushes behind the main keep, Fann fidgeted, his eyes on the sky. Normally before a battle he would be completely focused. His eyes taking in the surroundings, noticing the beauty and the oddities, every detail, but today he could not concentrate. He hadn’t been completely honest with his wife, and it was bothering him. She knew where he was and had a general idea of what he was here to accomplish, but she hadn’t asked the particulars about how he intended to ensure her safety here, and he wasn’t sure she would agree with his decision. She was too kind hearted, too forgiving, and too naive. She had said once that she could only think of one way to ensure her safety after arriving on MacDonald lands. He had never asked her what her way was, but he had only been able to think of two ways, and he doubted either would have occurred to her. The first, and best option, was if Donald were dead. He doubted that was what she would want, but he was fully prepared to kill his fath

As mid day drew near Fann watched from the window of his solar as the people began arriving. Most were quite shocked to see three women in the stocks right outside the keep. This was not what he had hoped to show his people as a first impression of their new Laird, but the women may have been trying to poison him and it was also important the clan know disloyalty and treachery would both be punished. The serving lad was strapped to a chair in the corner of the kitchen with a pitcher in front of him. He either had to tell them what was in the ale, or prove it harmless by drinking it himself. So far he was either unable or unwilling to do either.Will and An Gille were stationed on either side of the women, warning off the few who thought to do them an insult and telling all who would listen the reason they were in the stocks. Hopefully that would temper the reaction of the people. He didn’t want them to fear him too much to stay. There was no point in having a clan if most of the peopl