Page 4 of The Wild Rose of Kilgannon (Kilgannon #2)

The countryside is full of English troops taking reprisals, and we have retreated to Perth and do little to stop them.

Mar and the others do nothing but talk, and I am disgusted with the lot of them, as are the MacDonalds and Macleans and many others as well.

We should be camped outside London and King George should be begging for a truce instead of us sitting here on our hands.

Unless a miracle happens, we are doomed.

All that I ever said about the clans uniting or being destroyed is true here, and I wish I could not see it.

Scotland and the MacGannons will pay dearly for this.

“Mama,” Ian said, tugging at my skirt and bringing me back to the present.

It took a moment for me to stop hearing Alex’s voice, and I looked around in surprise at the clansmen waiting for me.

“Come and sit with us. Dougall’s telling what happened,” Ian said.

I nodded at Alex’s son and, folding the letter, joined him at the table across from Dougall.

“Alex sent us home,” Dougall said as he ate with one hand, his other arm wrapped around Moira, large with child. Their Alasdair, not quite two, sat on his father’s lap, sucking his thumb.

“Why? What of the rebellion? Is it over?” I asked.

Dougall looked uncomfortable. “No. But nothing’s happening, so Alex sent those of us with the youngest children home. We left the others in good health, Mary, although I must tell ye that Alex was hurt in the battle.”

I nodded. “I have heard that. How is he now?”

“Better. It was no’ a bad wound at first, but it kept bleeding because Alex wouldna stay abed.

” When I asked why, Dougall laughed and took a swig of whisky.

“He was too busy arguing with Mar. Alex caused such a ruckus that Mar wouldna let him in the war councils. The MacDonald said that if Alex were no’ there, neither would he be, and the Macleans did the same, so Mar finally let him back in.

” Dougall laughed again. “I dinna think Bobbing John Erskine, the mighty Earl of Mar, cares overmuch for our Alex.”

“What were they arguing about?” I asked .

“Courage,” he said and the other men nodded.

“Or the lack of it,” said one. “Mar wouldna press his advantage and Alex and the others were vexed by it.”

“I ken what Mar was thinking,” Dougall said, “but I dinna agree with his conclusions. After the battle many men dinna have their plaids. They’d thrown them off before the battle and fought in shirts and it started to snow just after, so there were many men without proper clothing.

Some left to go home then, more when the news came o’ the loss at Preston.

The roads were clogged with those leaving.

” He sighed and lifted his chin, looking around at the people gathered behind me.

“Ye’ll be happy to ken that we won our position in the battle.

We were fearsome, we were, and the Clonmor men as well.

The right dinna break, even when both the left and the middle did.

” Dougall sat back, his voice hushed now.

“But I’ll never forget the battle. When I looked up and beyond the next man in front of me, I couldna believe what I saw.

“A sea of red. Red blood, red plaids, red coats, red hair. I’ve never seen so many shades of red in my life.

And mud, that had been dirt, moistened with blood until ye could hardly move with it sucking at the horse’s hooves.

” Moira put a hand to his cheek and he kissed her palm, then looked at me.

“It’s then Alex was wounded. He was afoot, like Angus and me, and three of the enemy were bearing down on him.

Angus charged in and I did the same but then four more of them were there.

I thought we’d die the next minute but Gilbey came up on Alex’s right and we all met in the middle.

Who woulda thought the damned tutor would save Alex’s life?

All those swordfighting lessons from Angus paid off.

” He laughed, then continued. “When we looked up we realized that the battle was over. Then Alex fell to his knees and Gilbey shouted that Alex was hurt. He was bleeding so much we thought we’d lose him, but he wouldna leave the field until we found the others.

” He took a large gulp of whisky and stared into the distance for a moment.

“And the rest of it was as ye’d think, men dying and dead aready, the crows waiting in the trees for us to leave the field.

” He wiped his eyes and many of his listeners did the same.

“We pulled back to Perth then and the talking began. I still think, and so did Alex, that we should ha’ acted.

We could ha’ won then, if we’d attacked at once.

I dinna think we can now unless something else happens.

” He shook his head. “And then we heard that Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, the chief of the Frasers, had come back from France. Since he’d spent the last few years with the Stewart’s court we expected him to join us, but no, the man turned tail and he took Inverness in the name of King George.

So all the Frasers deserted and the Gordons as well, and then English reinforcements who had been in Holland came.

Within two weeks they had three times our number and our advantage was lost.”

He leaned forward, his voice solemn. “And then James Stewart came. We were there when he arrived at last from Peterhead, and we heard the news that the gold he’d brought, all the Spanish gold, had been lost at sea.

” Dougall’s face darkened. “The king called us together and we thought he’d rally us, that maybe he’d thank us for our efforts and tell us what we’d all do next.

” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “He told us to continue. That was all the encouragement he gave us. ‘Continue.’” He shook his head.

“And then James Stewart told us how difficult his trip had been from France, and he complained about the food. He was making plans for his coronation as we left.” He shook his head. “Our mighty leader.”

Behind me someone asked a question about the battle, and I left them then, Dougall drawing the battle lines in the table as the boys and men leaned eagerly over them, Ian and Jamie in the thick of it.

I went to the library and unfolded Alex’s letter, my hands shaking as I found where I’d stopped reading.

James Stewart has arrived , Alex wrote, and it is worse than before.

We hear that English soldiers are walking the shore and picking up the gold we were to use to defeat them and to feed and arm our men.

I will stay a little longer and see if our forces will rally, but I am sending the men who have small children or pregnant wives home with Dougall. He’ll protect you, Mary, rely on him .

Mar still expects men to leave their homes to aid us.

He is a fool but I may yet be proved wrong.

We are alive for the moment and healthy and I suppose I should take comfort in that, but, lass, how I miss you.

I am not a man meant for warfare. I am so very angry over the mismanagement of this campaign that I can barely be civil.

It is a disaster. If we are truly lost then Kilgannon may come under siege.

If the news is worse when you get this or if you do not hear from me soon, then take the boys and go.

Leave at once if you hear of troops moving west. Do not try to fight them or to defend the castle.

Tell the clan to take to the heather and you take the Mary Rose and go to England.

Do this, Mary. I must know you are safe.

I will come to Kilgannon as soon as we can .

Gannon’s Lady is here in Perth and we will come home on her .

I miss you every moment, Mary Rose, and I will love you until I die.

Keep yourself and my sons well and safe.

Use whatever resources you can find and get yourself to safety with Will or Louisa and Randolph .

The writing changed then, the last of the letter written in haste.

Worse news again. There’s talk of surrender, of Mar turning over a number of us as hostages, to ensure no further rebellions.

If that’s true then I may not come home at all.

I suspect I’d be among the first to be handed over, for Mar dislikes me greatly.

If they take us I will be tried here and God only knows what a jury of Lowlanders loyal to the Crown would do.

I am mindful of my peril and will do whatever I can to return home alive.

I have no wish to die in Edinburgh. Forgive me, Mary.

Take care of yourself and my sons and know I remain your loving husband, Alex .