24
Malcolm stood and paced before the fire, his hands clasped behind him. Half his mind was concerned with Duncan’s whereabouts, the other with the proposal before him from a man named Grady. He didn’t have full authority to enter into treaties or business arrangements. That was a responsibility that came with the direct O’Connor blood. He wondered how long he could stall.
A few miles down the road from Ballinderry, the twenty O’Connor men made themselves scarce in the woods, just in case a company of horses came along behind the four mysterious riders. All was quiet, and the captain was close to giving the signal to return to the castle. It was just past dusk when one of the O’Connor soldiers took it upon himself to cross the road and ride down the cliff to the beach. As the sun set in
