Highland Fling by Amanda Scott

Author:Amanda Scott
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Highland
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2013-03-26T05:00:00+00:00

XVI

THE MORE ROTHWELL SAW of MacDrumin’s operation, the more he began to regret his promise to Maggie. In the days following the visit to the Abershiel bothy, he learned the whisky’s hold on Glen Drumin was formidable. Nearly every member of the clan was involved, and it was clear to the meanest intelligence that his rents were paid exactly as Ryder had suspected they were, with profits from the whisky. In return, clan members contributed other services. The man who for years had provided shoes for the chief’s family still did so. Likewise did men who had looked after the livestock or tended the barley, and women who had woven the cloth or baked the bread, continue to supply those services. And in return their rents were paid. It was done, MacDrumin told him, in quite the most practical way, the very traditional manner that the English seemed determined to destroy.

As tactfully as possible, Rothwell said, “The government’s reason for changing the clan system has nothing to do with peacetime practices, sir. The plan is to diminish the ease and speed with which a clan chief can raise a large army.”

MacDrumin snorted. “Your people were grateful enough when Campbells and MacKenzies raised armies to fight for the English.”

“All that is over and done,” Rothwell said reasonably. “What we must do now is learn to live together in peace.”

“Faith, it will not happen. Even those who supported the Hanoverians do not believe we’ve been well treated by them. German George is no more popular in Edinburgh than in Inverness.”

Nor was he popular in London, Rothwell thought, but he did not say so. His point remained valid, if only he could get MacDrumin to agree to it. With that goal in mind, he willingly accepted all invitations to ride out and about the glen, even taking his own oat cakes and whisky to stave off hunger when MacDrumin chose to ride the ridgetops, rather than visit tenants.

James rode with them several times but preferred to take his sketchbook and ramble about on his own, or to visit ailing tenants with his remedy kit in hand. Rothwell, seeing him more than once in the company of young Ian MacCain, suspected that James had developed quite a liking for the boy, whose ability to tell an amusing tale delighted him. It was possible, too, that James still harbored an interest in young Ian’s sister, for he had certainly encountered her once or twice, and had even said he liked her spirit and found her amusing.

Rothwell enjoyed the rides with MacDrumin. He liked the old man’s wicked sense of humor, and when they were not arguing, thought he told a story even better than Ian. He particularly enjoyed tales the older man told of outwitting excisemen or the bailie, for MacDrumin had no qualms about revealing his triumphs. Rothwell delighted in hearing of the otherwise virtuous parson who hid kegs in his pulpit, and laughed till tears ran down his cheeks when MacDrumin described frightening

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