The Chieftain Read Free Page B

uncle, who was called Hugh Dubh, Black Hugh, for his black heart, had nearly destroyed
     the clan before Connor took the chieftainship from him. Thanks to the help of the three men sitting with Connor now, the clan
     had recovered much of its strength. Relying on their swords and their wits, they had taken control of the clan’s castles and
     secured most of their lands. All that remained was to reclaim the Trotternish Peninsula.
    Connor would not destroy all he had built by leaving a legacy of strife and sorrow as his father and grandfather had done.
     He was determined to wed only once, provided he was not widowed, and to have no children except with his wife.
    “This decision of who I marry is vital to the clan’s future,” Connor said when he grew tired of his friends’ jests about his
     celibacy. “We must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each possible alliance.”
    “The best match would be a daughter of the MacLeod chieftain,” Ian said. “Remember, the oldest method of subduing an enemy
     is through the marriage bond.”
    “And it has the distinct advantage of requiring the sacrifice of only one man,” Alex said with a twinkle in his eye.
    “Alastair MacLeod will never agree to settle matters between our clans without blood,” Connor said. “Besides, his daughters
     are too young.”
    “The MacLeod waited even longer than you to wed,” Ian said. “Ach, he must have been well over forty.”
    That was unusual, indeed. The attempt on Connor’s life had been a harsh reminder of his duty to produce heirs and made him
     decide he could wait no longer to wed. In the violent world they lived in, it was important for a chieftain to have many children,
     both to be assured of an heir and to have children to make marriage alliances for the clan. In fact, it was common for chieftains
     to “put aside” wives who could not bear children—or who could no longer do so. Connor’s father and grandfather had not bothered
     using that excuse.
    “There are plenty of other chieftains with marriageable daughters,” Ian said. “The upcoming gathering is the perfect opportunity.”
    So many chieftains and their sons had died in the Battle of Flodden that there was an abundance of chieftains’ daughters in
     need of highborn husbands. Connor had avoided gatherings up until now for that very reason. But the time was ripe, and the
     chieftains would all be at this gathering, except for the few who were still in the rebellion. The Campbell chieftain, as
     the king’s Lieutenant of the Isles, had summoned them to re-pledge their loyalty.
    “No matter which chieftain’s daughter I wed, I risk offending half a dozen other chieftains.” Connor rubbed his forehead.
     If he had five or six siblings, he could spread alliances out like the Campbells did, marrying into clans all across the Western
     Isles.
    “Shaggy Maclean said he’d make a gift of that sweet galley we stole from him if ye wed one of his daughters,” Ian said, stifling
     a smile.
    “I don’t know that I’d want a father-in-law who is half mad and threw us in his dungeon,” Alex said. “Besides, we already
     have his boat.”
    “Shaggy is mad and dangerous, which is precisely the reason I’d prefer to have him fighting on our side,” Connor said, taking
     the suggestion seriously. It made him uneasy that the Maclean chieftain had joined forces with Alastair MacLeod as of late.
     “If Shaggy had not gotten himself on the wrong side of the Campbells, his clan would be a good choice for the alliance.”
    “Ye ought to consider the qualities of the lass as well as her clan,” Duncan said. “She’ll be the mother of your children.”
    “We’re proof that ye can both please yourself and serve the clan with your marriage,” Ian said.
    Connor had seen these three, his closest companions, find happiness beyond all reason in their marriages. Despite their jesting,
     he knew they wanted him to have a love match as well.
    But Connor neither hoped