Devil in Tartan (Highland Grooms #4)(87)

“Then explain it, for God’s sake,” Rabbie said irritably.

Roy Campbell smiled. “We Campbells donna care if that naval ship sinks or floats or is hacked to bits to make tables, aye? Our concern is much more personal,” he said, tapping his chest. “We are building a trade of fine Scotch whisky—a legitimate trade. We’ve all the badges and papers and whatnot the crown requires, that we do, and we’ve gone to great pains to get them. What we canna and will no’ tolerate are illicit stills that undermine our legitimate operation, aye? It makes us verra unhappy.”

As if on cue, his two sons nodded.

“What has that to do with us?” Aulay’s father asked.

“When we heard the tale of the naval ship, we thought to ourselves, what would cause a wee ship to fire on a vessel of the Royal Navy?” he asked, tapping a finger to his head. “They must have had something on board they didna want the crown to find, would you no’ agree?”

Aulay shrugged.

“We are searching the Highlands like an Englishman searches for a nit on his periwig to find the man who sailed that wee ship. We’ll find him, too, we will.”

Aulay hoped his expression did not reveal the thudding of his nerves.

“The crown has offered a bounty to whoever can bring in these thieves, aye? We Campbells have added to that bounty, for we would verra much like to put an end to the bastards who undercut our trade.”

“Your trade is being undercut across the Highlands,” Aulay’s father said. “But no’ by us. What is the reason for your call?”

“The bounty is a good one, lads. A sum so dear that there are ships sailing around Scotland as we speak, looking for the culprits. And do you know that no’ a fortnight ago, they verra nearly caught one? Och, but the ship eluded them. Or...did it perhaps sink?”

“I’ll ask it again, I will,” Aulay’s father said. “What has that to do with us?”

“Would you care to at least know the bounty?” Campbell asked cheerfully.

“Of course we want to know,” Rabbie said gruffly. “When you unwind a tale so fantastically, what do you think, then?”

“Five thousand pounds, it is,” Roy Campbell said, and sat back to allow the surprise of it to sink in. “That’s quite a lot of money, is it no’? What do you think, Alistair,” he said, directing his question to one of his sons. “Would five thousand pounds build a new ship?”

“Perhaps no’ all, but quite close, aye,” Alistair agreed.

“All we would need from you, sir, is a name. Just the name of the scoundrel who sailed that wee ship. Whoever the bloody blackguard is, he canna escape the scuttling of a royal ship or the Campbells. If you donna tell us who he is, we’ll find him eventually, so you might as well give us the gentleman’s name, sir, and there you have it, enough money to build the ship you’ve lost.”

Aulay’s blood was racing hot as his head warred with his heart. He wondered what his father was thinking just now, if the name Livingstone was on the very tip of his father’s tongue. He wondered if Rabbie desired to admit what these men suspected was true, to give them the name of who was responsible for the scuttling of that royal ship. If he did, the Mackenzies would have the money they needed to pay for the cargo they’d lost and begin the construction of a new ship. Without it, Aulay’s only hope was that the MacDonalds would take him on, and he’d spend the next years outrunning the crown and privateers and Campbells like a bloody pirate just so his family could pay for what they’d lost.

Moreover, a justice of the peace was on his way. Which was worse for the Livingstones—the law? Or the Campbells?

But there was something else that was niggling at Aulay. Roy Campbell assumed that whoever had done this was a man. Not Lottie—a man.

“Well?” Roy Campbell asked Aulay. “Have you a name?”

“I would that I did,” he said casually.

Campbell’s gaze narrowed. “Perhaps you need to sleep on it. Perhaps you need to remind yourself why you sent for a justice of the peace, aye?”

“We sent for a justice of the peace because we lost another man’s cargo,” Rabbie said. “There’s quite a lot to do about it.”

Campbell’s face darkened. “Think on it,” he said again. “I’m sure it will come to you. But donna think too long—if you give the name to the justice, well...the bounty will no’ include the Campbell part of it, and willna be enough to build that ship.” He smiled, his expression unctuous. He rose to his feet. “’Tis a new justice of the peace, aye? I hear he’s no’ as lenient as the last. Mr. Ross, he is.”

“Ross!” Aulay’s father repeated. “What happened to MacRay, then? He’s been the justice of the peace in these parts for years.”

“MacRay has been relieved of his duties, he has.” Campbell smiled thinly. “Too lenient on the Scots, I’ve heard it said.”

“What, then, Campbell, you’ll no’ stay for supper?” his father drawled as his sons came to their feet, too.

“No, thank you,” he said. “We’re to call on the MacDonalds. Perhaps they’ve seen something, aye? I’ve heard Miss Lizzie MacDonald is a frequent visitor to Balhaire. Perhaps she’s seen something when ferrying back and forth.”