‘Sorley,’ I asked, ‘are you carrying around a haggis?’
‘What?’ He got to his feet, his face the picture of outrage. ‘Why would I carry one of those vermin around with me? It’s bad enough that they get into everything and chomp on all my equipment. I wouldn’t want to touch one.’ His loose-fitting shirt bulged; poking its way up from the collar was the tiny questing nose of a haggis. Sorley whipped round and fumbled with his shirt.
‘If you want the trolls to sort out this mess then we can,’ he bellowed, trying to disguise what was now a series of high-pitched haggis complaints. ‘We can muster within the hour and march on the Cruaich.’
‘This isn’t your fight.’
He turned round, the haggis no longer in sight. ‘It’s Clan Adair’s fight and we are Clan Adair,’ he said stiffly.
I shook my head and smiled. ‘We’re not fighting. We’re too smart for that.’
The Foinse spun down from a nearby window, nuzzling into Sorley’s belly. There was another, much happier, squeak.
Brochan raised his eyebrows. ‘I wouldn’t count on that.’
***
Taylor and I set off at first light, heading north again, although this time we were heading for the small MacQuarrie Clan Lands near the east coast. This wasn’t going to be a particularly dangerous venture and my old mentor’s presence effectively killed two birds with one stone. Because of Taylor’s age or gender, Tipsania was more likely to listen to him than she was to me ? and she’d probably require some persuading to go along with Byron’s fake wedding plans. Plus, Taylor’s presence appeased the others. Speck, in particular, seemed to think that as soon as I was let loose in the wild blue yonder I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from running full pelt back to Byron and conceding my wits, personality and independence to him with one simple kiss. Given his relationship with Lexie, he ought to have known better.
I’d made a half-hearted attempt to get Bob to come along with us but he’d huffed so much about being dragged away from his latest boxset, not to mention about being left to wait around in the dark while I had ‘thrilling, dangerous sex’ – his words, not mine – that in the end I left him behind. I wasn’t going to be gone long and I certainly had no intention of using up that last wish, no matter how often he dropped it into the conversation. It was rather nice to get some time alone with Taylor. I’d missed our chats. All in all, things seemed to be looking up.
Not long after we hit the main road, when I finally managed to get a signal on my phone, I rang Morna. ‘How’s it going?’
‘Well, dear,’ she answered, slightly caustic, ‘you spend time alone in close proximity with Tipsania Scrymgeour andyoutellmehow you think it’s going. I swear the MacQuarrie Chieftain almost took his father’s sword and lopped off her head the other night.’
I winced. ‘Is she being difficult?’
‘That girl won’t give me a moment’s peace. And every time I suggest to her that good manners are a boon, she spits fire.’
‘Uh…’
‘Things are fine. We’ve relocated away from the main castle and we’re in a cottage near the border. I’m working on placating the MacQuarries, too.’
I took a deep breath. ‘That’s good of you but you don’t have to worry about it now. I’m on my way up. It’s kind of complicated but I’m going to take Tipsania back to her father. You won’t have to worry about her for more than another hour or two.’
There was a pause. ‘Could you perhaps make it three or four hours? She’s cleaning the cottage and I’d hate to pull her away from that. If she keeps it up then at least the MacQuarries will get something out of all this besides my flowers.’
I laughed. We all enjoyed the fact that Tipsania was a bit of a neat freak. ‘Sorry.’
‘Are you quite sure about this, dear? Returning her to the Bull will undo all the progress she’s made. The man is a buffoon. He’s bound to rub off on her again.’
I grimaced. ‘He certainly is a buffoon but it won’t be for long. I’ll explain what’s going on when I get there. It’s probably best if you don’t mention anything to her in the meantime.’
‘Anything for a quiet life,’ Morna replied cheerfully. ‘Is this going to save Scotland?’
I considered her question. If everything went to plan, it just might. ‘Who knows? I still don’t think we should put too much credence in the prophecy. No one else does.’
Morna snorted. ‘That’s because they’re too afraid.’
I didn’t have anything to say to that. Hanging up, I settled down while Taylor threw me an arch glance and sped up to overtake a trundling tractor that seemed to be dropping more hay than it was actually carrying. ‘Is she still harping on about the prophecy?’ he asked.
‘Yeah.’ I nibbled my bottom lip. ‘Maybe this plan of Byron’s will mean that we stop Aifric and get him locked up. Then Scotland will be saved.’
‘Then why isn’t Golden Boy named as the one?’
I thought about it. ‘Because he’d never have believed the truth about his father if it weren’t for me,’ I said eventually.
‘Right,’ Taylor drawled.
