Page 37 of Love Beyond Time (Morna’s Legacy #1)

“What does the lad want with me?” Ramsay marched from his bedchamber, furious that someone would dare have the nerve to arrive unannounced.

“I doona know, sir. All he said was that he must see ye straight away. He had an item to give ye.”

“The damned fool had better be bringing me Eoin Conall’s head on a spike if he’s to wake me at this hour.

” Ramsay burst through the doors of the study where the father of his two stable lads stood uncomfortably at the end of the room.

“Well, what do ye possibly have that ye think is warranted to disturb me?”

“I . . . I met with the man ye sent to Conall Castle. He gave me this ring to give to ye. Said it’s the signet of the late Alasdair Conall, and he believed it could be of some use to ye since Eoin has asked that the MacChristy clan gather at the castle as well.”

“Give it to me.” Ramsay thrust his hand eagerly in the man’s direction.

He knew he’d done right by sending the man.

The lad was a quick thinker, and he’d just proven that he was worth more than Ramsay had previously expected.

He studied the ring, recognizing Alasdair’s signet immediately. “Thank ye, lad. Now, get out.”

The man’s face dropped, obviously disappointed at a lack of reward, but he retreated quickly, leaving Ramsay alone with one of his messengers in the study.

“Dress in the colors of the Conalls and take this ring to MacChristy Castle at once. Doona give this ring to anyone but Donal, do ye understand? Ye will have no trouble gaining an audience. Donal will welcome any Conall. Once ye have given him the ring, tell him that Eoin no longer requires his men or his presence for the battle. The situation has been taken care of, and there is no going to be an attack.”

“Aye. O’ course, sir.”

With one less clan to worry about, Ramsay was certain his plan to annihilate the Conalls would succeed. In three days’ time, he would gather his men and everyone at the castle. Together they would march to the aide of the Conalls, gladly assisting them in their bloody deaths.

* * * Conall Castle

“I assure ye, lad, I’m in no hurry. I’ll gladly spend as many nights down here with ye as ye wish.

But we willna be leaving until ye tell me what it was that ye gave to the stranger in town and where ye got it from.

” Arran threw a fist into the stomach of the man who was now strung up by both wrists in the center of the dungeon.

The runaway groaned painfully as one of his ribs snapped at the impact of Arran’s fist. “I already told ye. The man was my uncle, and I was only returning an item I borrowed from him.”

“Ye lie. The man was no old enough to be yer uncle, and ye had no such item when ye arrived here.”

“I did so. I keep it in my bag. Ye dinna search me when I arrived. I’ve had it with me all along.”

Arran thrust another fist forward, this time hitting the man’s other side. “What was the item ye borrowed from him?”

“Only . . .” the man paused as a cough racked his chest, sending blood spewing out onto the dungeon floor. “It was only a coin.”

Arran shook his head at the runaway’s pathetic attempt to lie, this time sending his fist for the man’s jaw. He wrung out his hand as the runaway spit up a few of his teeth. “Like I said. Doona expect to see daylight until ye tell me truth.”