Abducted, Book 8 by Marti Talbott

Author:Marti Talbott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Scotland, Young Adult, Scottish, family saga, medieval, series, laird
Publisher: MT Creations
Published: 2011-09-16T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VII

IN THE KEITH VILLAGE, a converted barn complete with chickens and a hayloft served as the Keep. It was, after all, the largest building they had. The clan also had a high wooden fence made of tree limbs, tied together with leather strips, all the way around the small village. More tree limbs wedged against it both on the inside and out, kept it from falling and the two tall gates stood wide open.

A small scrap of hot cake was hardly enough to fill her empty stomach and Paisley hoped for a full meal. Although the clan seemed happy to see Blathan and his men, they did not seem friendly in her regard at all. No matter, she wouldn’t be staying that long, but then she realized she wore MacAlister colors and understood. The cottages were not adorned with flowers, tossed away food and horse droppings dotted the paths, and she took it to mean the people were not happy. Unhappy people would most likely mean she would be unhappy soon too.

When she mounted the horse behind Blathan she was glad to be off her feet, but after hours on a horse she was equally happy to be getting off. Once she had her balance, Blathan took hold of her arm and took her inside the Keep where Laird Keith waited. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer light, she could smell meat cooking and it increased her nagging hunger.

The table in the Keith great hall was nearly as wide as it was long and appeared to have at least one mended leg. The chairs were in no better repair and she wondered how they held the weight of the men. No wife or children were within, which Paisley thought odd, and at her feet a chicken pecked at bread crumbs on the floor. She was relieved when one of the men grabbed it and tossed the squawking bird out the door. Laird Keith, she noticed, was not a pleasant looking man and she hoped she would not be in his keeping for very long. He wore baggy long pants instead of a kilt, had two teeth missing and had not bothered to brush bread crumbs out of his blond beard.

At first when the men presented Laird Keith with the remarkable woman with glorious eyes, he thought of his own need of a wife. Yet when he walked to her and saw white hair at the top of her forehead, he yanked her scarf down and instantly flew into a rage.

Tired and hurting, Paisley jumped when he started to bellow unpleasant words in Gaelic, but that ended more quickly than she expected. Laird Keith abruptly lowered his voice and began to speak to Blathan in English. She pretended to concentrate on putting her scarf back over her hair, but she heard and understood every word.

“Take her back, Blathan!” Laird Keith insisted. “If she is discovered with us, we will all surely die. Have you not heard? She is MacGreagor’s missing daughter, the one he offers a golden goblet for.

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