A Fierce Archer (Clan Ross Book 6), Hildie McQueen [most popular ebook readers TXT] 📗

Servants quickly brought food and drink, which Ewan was extremely grateful for. He was quite hungry.

While they ate, his brothers filled him in on what had occurred while he was gone. It seemed that the youngest, Gideon, had won many a competition in the games and Stuart had recently become engaged. Ewan wasn’t used to being center of attention. It was nice that his family was glad to see him.

Everyone ate and continued speaking. It was curious that no one brought up his father’s death. Even his sister, who’d been utterly devoted to their father, did not bring up his name. Finally, after lingering much too long, Naill was shown to his rooms so he could rest.

Ewan asked to speak to Darach and his mother. Of course, his other siblings insisted on being present and he could not deny them.

They sat in his father’s study, which instantly brought back memories he wished to push away. When Darach stood behind the desk that his father had spent many hours at, it was instantly clear that things were to be very different now.

Unlike their father, Darach Ross would be a decisive but fair leader. Darach was first a warrior and second a man who put the needs of his family and people before anything else. Since young, he’d been raised to be laird. Thankfully, he’d been taken under their uncle’s wing, since their father showed no interest in training the young boy and later man to rule one day.

Darach was actually Ewan’s half-brother. His mother had died birthing him. He was muscular in the right places and lean where it mattered, looking every bit a laird.

“Once we found out ye were coming, I held back on taking my oath until yer arrival,” Darach informed him. “It is only right that all of us be together for this.”

Ewan nodded and let out a breath. “I am honored to be present. Ye will be a good and fair laird. I have no doubts ye will lead the people well.”

By Darach’s questioning look, Ewan knew his half-brother suspected he had more to say. “What is it?”

The room was crowded, with the four Ross siblings, Lady Ross and Kieran. Stuart and Gideon had to stand against the wall.

Despite having prepared exactly what to say, in that moment, he hesitated. Just then, there were voices and his brother, Duncan, and half-brother, Caelan, entered. They each greeted Ewan with a hug. Then seeming to sense tension in the air, they took their places and stood by the door and wall.

“I have something to tell everyone,” Ewan started. “Malcolm Ross has granted me a large parcel of land as well as a home. Part of my accepting the land is that I will be laird to the people there.”

There was a stunned silence. It was rare for someone to be given such a large gift, especially a second cousin.

Darach looked to Kieran. “Why not ye or yer brother? Is it a land that is under threat?”

Kieran nodded. “There are always threats in our region. However, the area that my brother granted to Ewan is fairly peaceful. A laird is much needed there as it is very far from our keep.”

“And yet none of ye would take it?” Stuart asked.

This time, Ewan answered. “There are only three brothers, Malcolm is laird, Tristan manages the hundreds of warriors and Naill and Kieran are tasked with not only the army of archers, but also guarding the northeastern borders. One of them must remain near at all times in order to ensure the safety of the laird and the family line.”

“Our other cousin, Ruari, lives in a home near the keep and has no desire to go to live farther away from the family as his wife is a Fraser and he has given his oath to go to their defense if needed,” Ewan explained.

“And he prefers breeding horses and such,” Kieran added.

Once again, there was a long silence. Finally, it was his mother who spoke. “It is a great honor to be mother to not one, but two lairds.”

“I will not bow to ye,” Duncan said, punching Ewan’s shoulder. “Ye will always be my younger brother.”

“I am everyone’s younger brother, except Gideon, and will continue to be. However,” he added with a smirk, “when ye come to my home, ye must address me as Laird.”

“I have a hard time imagining that will happen,” Stuart quipped, and everyone laughed.

Kieran pushed away from the wall. “If ye do not require that I remain, I must admit to needing sleep.” The warrior looked anything but tired. Obviously, he wished to give them privacy as a family.

When Kieran left, the family began telling Ewan of things that had happened. They kept to light topics until he began to yawn.

“We should let him rest,” his mother announced and everyone began to drift from the room.

When the men lingered, Ewan realized they would speak of what happened the night before he’d left.

“Father kept her here for many months. Finally, Mother demanded she be sent away, and she went to live in a house in the village,” Stuart said. “She remains there, along with two bairns now.”

Knowing the woman was not there made Ewan feel better, however, he still wondered at times if the eldest was his son. According to his calculations, the child could to have been conceived while he was gone. Una had tried to convince him the child had been born early, but the babe was well formed and quite large.

“What about my marriage?” Ewan asked. “Was it dissolved?”

“It was,” Darach replied. “Soon after ye left.”

He was free. He could marry, raise a family of his own and be laird. In that moment, he wanted to know more about what the position entailed. He looked to Darach. “I hope to spend