Page 20 of Love Beyond Time (Morna’s Legacy #1)

“The fire served no purpose! The lad is too foolish to see when he’s been warned and to be afraid. He thinks the fire happened by chance, set by a drunkard at the wedding.” Ramsay Kinnaird sat at the end of a long table, staring down the two servants unfortunate enough to be called to his service.

“What will ye do, sire? Attack them at once?”

The servant’s words were rewarded with a large bang as Ramsay threw his fist down on the table hard.

“No, ye fool! To attack by surprise would be too easy! I want Eoin and his brother Arran to sense the darkness coming for them. I want them to feel afraid for their home and their loved ones and know that there is nothing they can do to stop them from losing everything.” He stood from the table and walked toward the servants until his own face was but inches from theirs.

“The first attack was too simple. We must take something that is precious to them.”

“What would be best? Would ye like us to slaughter their sheep?”

Ramsay contemplated the servant’s suggestion.

A wicked grin contorted his face as his next plan came into full view in his mind.

“No, the Conalls have no real connection to their sheep, but they’ve always loved their horses.

Conall Castle is known for them, all cared for by that pathetic stable master.

The loss of horses will hurt them. Send the two lads that work the stables out tomorrow midday.

Take their mother, should they need motivation.

Tell them to take the head of every last horse, and leave behind the pieces to be found. ”

* * *

“No, Arran. I’m telling ye the truth. I dinna ask her to take the children out of the house. She offered to do it all on her own. I was surprised as well, and ye should’ve seen Bran’s face.”

Arran ran his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth in front of his brother. He’d spent days trying to make some sense of Blaire’s strange behavior, and the only thing he could come up with was that this lass wasn’t actually Blaire. That conclusion made no sense to him at all.

“It just doesna make sense, Eoin. Blaire hates children. If ye left her alone in a room with them, she’d be more likely to eat them than offer to care for them.”

“Aye, I know the Blaire we knew as children was that way, but perhaps she’s changed.”

“She hasna. Because the lass ye have married isn’t Blaire.” Arran could sense Eoin’s temper flaring as he finished his sentence, and he marched over in front of his brother to stop him from pacing back and forth.

“What the hell are ye talking about, Arran? Ye are making no goddamned sense, and ye havena been for some time. I know that ye are still grieving for our father, but ye have to stop drinking so much. It’s beginning to addle yer thoughts.”

“I’ve no been drinking today, Eoin. I know what I’m saying sounds foolish, and I canna make sense of it myself, but this lass is no Blaire.”

“Just because she spent part of a day around children doesna mean a stranger has replaced Blaire. God, listen to what ye are saying, Arran. Ye’ve gone and lost yer mind.”

“I havena. Kip also told me that ye dinna even end up taking Sheila to the village, because Blaire could no ride her. Ye know Blaire can ride well, Eoin.”

“Aye, we left her at the stables, but only because she wanted to share a horse with me.”

Arran rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall behind him. “Did she tell ye that?”

“No, but ye are no the only one who can sense what a lass wants, Arran. Doona mention this conversation to me again, aye? I’m worried for ye, brother.

Perhaps ye need to go away for a few days.

I believe Kip is about to make another trip to bring back another horse or two for the stables.

Go with him, and doona drink while ye are gone. ”

“Aye, I’ll go. I canna stand to be around ye when ye refuse to see what’s right in front of ye.

All I ask is that ye watch her. She doesna talk like Blaire either.

If ye’d only pull yer head out of yer arse!

Test her. Take her to do something ye know Blaire was good at as a child, and see if she succeeds. ”

With that he turned and left, leaving Eoin to think about all that he’d said.