She held out her hand to the gentleman at the head of the table and took her place beside him, while the others reseated themselves.
“So my lord wanders on the mountains searching for me?” she said. “And ye’ll no be having a great opinion of my wits for getting lost.”
The green eyes glanced round; some ten men were seated there; all fair-haired, unmistakably of one race, her own, Campbells with keen faces.
“I was no greatly fearing for ye,” said her cousin, Colin Campbell of Ardkinglass. “Ye will be knowing these parts vera weel, I thought ye could find your way to Kilchurn.”
The Countess Peggy laughed.
“Weel, I’m blithe to be out of the mist and wet,” she said. “Albeit I have gotten a great cold.”
“Ye didna’ come in with any of the murdering Hielandmen?” asked one of the gentlemen.
The Countess poured out some wine and drank it before she answered.
“Yea—I was put on my way by one of the Glencoe men.”
A murmur ran round the table.