From inside the village walls, the leader of a MacGreagor hunting party appeared on the bridge. He halted his horse just outside the wall, slowly looked in every direction, and pretended to be convinced there was no danger. Then he raised his arm and motioned the other men to follow. As soon as they were across the bridge, they turned toward the loch.
Just as Kevin hoped, finding the bridge down was too much of a temptation and once the hunters were gone, Ferguson warriors rode swiftly out of the forest and onto the bridge. The hooves of a hundred horses pounded on the wooden planks, followed by at least two hundred foot warriors. At first, there were shouts and bellows coming from inside. Then it got quiet.
MacGreagor warriors quickly gathered outside the lowered bridge with their bows already loaded. The archers in the front knelt down on one knee, the ones behind remained standing, and then the hunting party came back and arranged themselves behind the archers. When the Fergusons saw it, they could think of nothing else to do but raise the bridge.
Kevin was pleased. He watched the window of the second story bedchamber he shared with Anna, and just as he suspected, Laird Ferguson appeared. Kevin walked into the meadow, stopped, spread his legs apart and folded his arms. Another hundred footmen, including Connor, walked out right behind him. Then more men walked their horses through the trees into the meadow. On the hillside above the trees, another two hundred Cameron horsemen showed themselves.
Rachel thought she could actually see Laird Ferguson shudder in the window. She walked into the meadow and stood by Connor.
"What are you doing, Lass?"
"They left me for dead, Connor. I want him to know I am alive." She glanced up and when he nodded, she boldly walked between the men and stopped in front Kevin. She could hear the men behind her pass the word that the Fergusons hit her over the head and left her to die. She folded her arms and glared at the man in the window for several minutes.
Then she turned and went back to Connor.
Kevin watched her go and smiled when she put her arms around the young man. "I believe my wife just lost the wager."
Justin smiled too, "I am glad of it. He is a good lad and he will treat her well."
"Aye. Did we get all the food out?"
"We did not have that much left. It has been four days since a hunt and with the extra families, we've nearly eaten everything in the garden. What we had, we sent with the lasses. We dumped all the water and hid the wine. They may eat a horse or two before they come out. Our archers are watching the hidden doors and we will light torches in the night to help the archers see."