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George moved to Kendrick and Caspian in turn, shaking their hands and finally hugging Caspian, who was gruff with his affections and squeezed George so hard that the man grunted. Rubbing his ribs, George grinned weakly at the group.

“It has been a very long time since we last met, lads,” he said. Then, his smile faded. “I have buried me eldest today. Ye have shared that sorrow wit’ me.”

Beaux spoke, his voice soft but firm. There was a deadly edge to the quiet tone. “The MacKenzies did this to ye,” he said. “But why? Yer missive said nothing about their motives. Why would they do such a thing?”

George sighed heavily. “It started wit’ a foolish thing Robbie did,” he muttered, both ashamed and sickened by it.

“He went tae MacKenzie lands tae seduce Eva MacKenzie and Jamie went with him tae keep him out of trouble, tae keep watch for Connell MacKenzie. Ye know how the brothers protect that girl.”

The three young warriors snorted. “Eva MacKenzie,” Kendrick grumbled. “The woman has the morals of a bitch in heat. She moans and any man in earshot comes running. So she lured Robbie this time, did she?”

George shrugged. “He was willin’,” he admitted. “Connell caught them together and when he stabbed Robbie, Jamison killed him. I sent Jamison south tae Lioncross Abbey and Robbie off tae Northumberland tae get the away from the MacKenzies’ anger. But the MacKenzies killed Georgie, instead.”

Beaux grunted, hanging his head in disbelief now that the entire story was coming evident, as Kendrick and Caspian looked at each other, knowingly.

George the Younger’s death wasn’t a simple killing.

It was clear that it was much more than that.

This situation was as bad as they could have imagined.

It was a blood feud.

“’Tis a message tae Jamie,” Caspian said quietly. “He took Connell and the MacKenzie took Georgie.”

“But they want Jamie,” Kendrick put in, eyeing both Beaux and Caspian. “Georgie’s death is tae lure Jamie home. Ye know that, don’t ye?”

George nodded. “I do,” he said. “’Tis why I called ye here.

Ye must go to Jamie and tell him what has happened.

Georgie is dead and now he is me heir. I sent him away tae get him clear of the MacKenzies’ rage but it was the wrong thing tae do.

He begged me not tae send him away but I thought it was for the best. He thought they would think him a coward, that the Munros are weak.

They knew that killin’ Georgie would bring him home because I’d have no choice but tae tell him.

Now… now they will trap him as they did Georgie. ”

Beaux shook his head. “They havena sent a trap for him yet,” he said firmly. “As long as there be breath in me body, they willna have him. But I agree that he needs tae know what has happened. What about Robbie?”

George shook his head. “As long as he remains in Northumberland, he is safe,” he said. “’Tis Jamie the MacKenzie is after, not Robbie.”

A soft wailing could suddenly be heard, drifting upon the moist sea breeze, and the four of them looked over to see Ainsley at her son’s graveside, now being helped to her feet by a few women.

As George watched his wife’s grief, his face seemed to age ten years.

The lines were deeper, more careworn, becoming the marks of a man who had outlived a child. His heart was heavy with anguish.

“I can weather the loss of Georgie but, God forgive me, I willna weather the loss of Jamie,” he hissed as he turned back to the young men around him.

“I know he will want tae return home after this and it is me biggest fear– the MacKenzies will be waiting for him and he’ll want tae face them.

He will feel responsible for Georgie’s death and he’ll demand vengeance. ”

Beaux, Kendrick, and Caspian watched George struggle with his grief, not only for one son but really for two.

It was a complex situation made more complex by the fact that Jamison would do exactly as his father said he would– he would avenge his brother’s death, which meant this feud, this war with the MacKenzies, would become something massive and unmanageable.

There were more far-reaching implications than simply a man killing another man because now that incident had resulted in another death.

More would come if it wasn’t stopped now before it could get out of hand.

Otherwise, it could quite possibly divide the Highlands.

Beaux turned to glance at his two companions before looking over his shoulder at the hundreds of Highland warriors standing outside of the churchyard, clad in their wools and tunics, bearing their short-blade swords and dirks.

They were fighting men, loyal to the core, and unwilling to surrender until death claimed them.

That was the heart of the Highlander.

“Jamie will return and declare war on the MacKenzies,” Beaux said, his gaze lingering on the Highlanders standing beneath the stormy sky.

“More than that, he could quite possibly bring Sassenach soldiers with him, de Lohr men and knights, and destroy the MacKenzie completely. If he does that, their allies– the MacRaes, the MacIntoshes, the Mathesons– will rally their men. This will be bigger than we can imagine if Jamison moves tae crush the MacKenzies and punish them for Georgie’s murder. I dunna think any of us wants that.”

George was already shaking his head fervently.

“I do not,” he said firmly. “Mayhap with the three of ye, he will see reason. He will understand he canna return and tear the Highlands apart with his vengeance. But there somethin’ more ye should know, something that may cast a different light on such things. ”

The young men were curious. “What ’tis it?” Kendrick asked, interested.

George’s gaze moved to the churchyard and the sea beyond, watching as the streams of light through the storm clouds glistened upon the waters. This was the land he loved, the land he lived and died for. The wind whipped around him, tossing his hair about as he pondered his reply.

“Georgie was betrothed tae Agnes MacLennan,” he said.

“She is a young girl that has seen fourteen summers, but her father has no heir. Only Agnes. Georgie was tae marry the girl next summer to unite our clans but now that Georgie is dead, it is Jamison’s duty tae marry the girl and it ’tis a duty he’ll not take kindly to. ”

Beaux’s brow furrowed. “MacLennan,” he repeated. “They are kin tae the MacKenzies.”

George looked the man in the eye. “Aye, they are,” he said. “When I made the contract, we were not at odds with the MacKenzies. Now that we are, I intend tae marry Jamison tae the MacLennan lass as soon as he returns. That makes us kin tae the MacKenzies when he marries her. We canna war with kin.”

Beaux sighed heavily, glancing at Kendrick and Caspian as he did so.

“Ye’re correct,” he said. “Jamie’ll not take kindly tae marrying a bairn, especially since she’s kin tae the MacKenzie.

’Twill stoke the flame that feeds his vengeance.

’Twill not stop him if he truly intends tae seek retribution for Georgie’s death. ”

George looked at the three young men, seeing the doubt in their expressions.

“I am still the Munro,” he said in a voice that discouraged any argument.

“Jamison will do as I say. He’ll have no choice.

As long as there is breath in me body, this situation will be settled as peacefully as it can be because I’ll not lose one more son tae a foolish feud.

Of that, I vow. Now, go tae Lioncross and tell my son what has become of his family.

When ye bring him home, ye will protect him wit’ yer lives.

The MacKenzies will be watchin’ fer him and if they kill him, I’ll kill each and every one of ye meself. ”

No one took offense because it was his passion speaking, not some sense of wicked subversion.

George was vastly protective of Jamison but he was also determined to control his son’s reaction to the situation when the truth was that he couldn’t control it at all.

Jamison would do as he felt necessary regardless of what his father wished.

Sense of vengeance aside, the marriage was nearly as undesirable because a marriage to a young heiress in an attempt to end a blood feud was complicated at best. It was a complicated situation in general, but one that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible because the MacKenzies were on the hunt.

With George the Younger dead, there was the distinct possibility that the MacKenzie wouldn’t stop until George the Elder and Hector and possibly even Ainsley were dead and buried.

Then, there would be no stopping Jamison in his quest for vengeance.

The situation was more volatile than they could possibly imagine.

“Aye,” Beaux finally said, looking at Kendrick and Caspian, both of whom were nodding in agreement to George’s request. “We’ll ride tae Lioncross and retrieve yer son. Shall I leave some of me men wit’ ye for protection? How many men do ye have, George?”

George almost declined to answer but catching a glimpse of the weeping Ainsley out of the corner of his eye made him reconsider.

What they did to George, they could easily do to the rest of them.

It was a difficult thing to swallow his pride and admit he needed help, but his wife’s safety was of paramount importance.

“A little over two hundred men do I have,” he said quietly. “I’ll be in yer debt if ye leave a few of yer own.”

“I’ll leave some of mine, also,” Kendrick said. “Me da has more men than he knows what to do with. Ye put them to good use.”

“How many?” George asked.

Kendrick turned to point to the groups of Highlanders standing on the moor outside of the churchyard. “I brought one hundred wit’ me,” he said. “They belong tae ye now.”

That bolstered George’s numbers significantly and the old man smiled weakly, thanking the young men for their loyalty and friendship, and feeling better than he had in days. The situation had turned out as he’d hoped with the young lions. Everything was not lost, after all.

Now, they would go to Jamison and bring the man home to face the storm that had raged in the wake of his disappearance into England.

Even though George wanted Jamison safe, he had to admit that he was pleased with the thought of his son returning home.

Shouldering the burden of everything that had happened was nearly too much for the old man to bear.

Everything would be resolved when Jamison returned, or so he hoped. He had to hold on to that hope.

The alternative was something he couldn’t stomach.