“Then I demand you tell me where he is.”

“I beg your pardon, Sergeant, but you are speaking in riddles.”

“Kennan Cameron,” Corbyn bit out. “Where is he?”

The Great Lochiel’s expression turned dark. “I do not care for your tone. And it would be Sir Kennan to the likes of you.”

Corbyn cast his beady-eyed gaze up to the keep. “If he’s here, he’s putting the rest of you at risk.” He eyed the men on the curtain wall, then raised his voice. “Risk of contracting the dread smallpox.”

“Then I applaud my son for staying away,” said Lochiel. “What with a bairn above stairs, it would be unthinkable for any of my kin to deliberately bring sickness into this house.”

“Has he sent word of his whereabouts?”

“He has not.”

“Unfortunate, because there’s also the matter of inciting a riot in Dundee, which Sir Kennan must answer for.”

Divana clapped a hand over her mouth. Och nay!

Lochiel scowled. “So this is your reason for your less than amicable visit. Sources tell me the whole debacle was started on the pier—by government troops no less.”

“What sources?” demanded the sergeant in a very disrespectful tone.

“You’re stepping on thin ice. I suggest you take your retinue and return from whence you came.”

“Cameron may not have come cowering to his clan as of yet, but he will and we’ll be watching until he does.”

“And then what, arrest him for his good health?”

“And rioting, piracy, and anything else I can uncover about his lawlessness.”

“You’re grievously misled on every count.” Sir Ewen thrust up his hands, gesturing to the men watching from the surrounding wall above. “I’d have a word with the Earl of Mar afore you go off incriminating my son for defending his ship, his crew, and his cargo from assault by a disgruntled customs officer intent on padding his pockets by charging duties twice that imposed by the crown!”

The sergeant squared his shoulders. “So say you.”

It seemed as if Sir Ewen had simply put his hand on Corbyn’s wrist, but by the way the dragoon cringed, twisting toward the older man with his face turning red, it wasn’t a friendly gesture in the slightest. “Do not attempt to travel down this road, Mr. Corbyn,” seethed Lochiel. “I can see to it you are demoted to a post cleaning the bilges on Her Majesty’s most worm-infested ship.”

“You are trying to coerce me and put me off the scent, but I’ll not be dissuaded.” As Lochiel stepped away, the sergeant picked up his reins. “We will meet again.”

“I truly hope not. I’ll be having words with the colonel at Fort William anon, mark me.”

Divana ducked behind the well, clutching her chest. Where was Kennan? Had he been listening? As the soldiers rode off, she picked up the full bucket and skirted toward the house. Standing in the kitchen’s doorway, Kennan held up his palm, his face tense.

She thrust her finger over her shoulder, pointing in the direction of Corbyn and his mob of dragoons. “They’re after you,” she whispered, exaggerating the words with her lips.