Amanda Scott (26 page)

“You are despicable,” she said. “You and every other of your ilk.”

“Does that include my cousin Calder?” he asked with a sneer.

“I hope not,” Calder said from behind them.

Duncan jumped as if he had been shot, releasing Diana. So intent on their exchange had they been that neither had seen Calder approach. Nor had they heard him, for the roar of the river, though muffled by the depth of the gorge, was yet loud enough to cover the sound of his horse’s hooves on the wet gravel road.

Overjoyed to see him, and relieved, as well, Diana said urgently, “His men have taken Neil and our friend Dugald round that bend, sir. He said they were to question them, and I’m afraid to think about how they might be doing so.”

“Call your men, Duncan,” Calder said. “You have made a mistake.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. I’ve just caught two of our cattle thieves.”

“Call them.”

Duncan glared at him, and for a moment the matter seemed to hang in the balance, but then with a shrug he let out a piercing whistle.

Choosing her words, Diana said, “He told me there is a patrol nearby, sir.”

Calder’s gaze met hers, but his expression was unreadable. She had a notion that he was angry, but she was not certain if it was with her or only with Duncan. Even as the thought crossed her mind, however, she told herself she was being foolish to think even for a moment that he might side with her for long against his own clansman. Already he had turned back to Duncan.

“Is it Patrick Campbell?”

Diana’s tension grew when Duncan nodded. Patrick would very likely recognize her if he saw her, and then the fat would well and truly be in the fire.

Calder said, “Where is he now?”

Duncan gestured with another nod. “Yonder. I told him I’d signal if we had need of him. If I don’t, he and his patrol will carry on toward Dalwhinnie.”

“Then let them carry on. You have been misled.”

“I was not misled by a horse with white stockings.”

“Those raiders stole no cattle, Duncan.”

“But if I can get the big one to admit that they intended to steal them—”

“You won’t do it, and even if you did, intent is not a crime. Moreover, if I say that horse was not the one you thought it, I will be believed, I think.”

“Would you lie for a pair of hazel eyes, cousin?”

“There is no need to put me to that test,” Calder said evenly. “Mistress Maclean is here at my request, as is her brother. As you well know, I have been learning about the western Highlands. They have influential kinsmen to whom they have agreed to present me.” He smiled at Diana. “I apologize for my tardiness.”

“There is no need, sir,” Diana said, surprised that her voice sounded normal, particularly since her initial impulse was to deny everything he had said.

Turning back to Duncan, Calder said, “Thomas and I were to have met them at Spean Bridge, but I don’t blame them for riding on to meet their man when we were delayed. They want to reach their destination before dark.”

Seeing the others returning, Diana found it difficult to breathe normally, for she was certain that either Neil or Dugald would unwittingly give Calder the lie.

He did not give either the chance, however, saying in a hearty tone, “I have just apologized to Mistress Diana, and I will now apologize to you both. It is my error that has brought you to this pass, I’m afraid, for my cousin mistook you for a pair of cattle raiders he has been pursuing. I put him straight, I promise you.”

“Pardon me, cousin, if I seem doubtful,” Duncan said curtly, “but I should like to hear the tale from their lips, if you don’t mind.”

“Not in the least, but—”

“Forgive me,” Diana said, cutting in before Duncan could demand an answer from Neil or Dugald, both of whom looked bewildered. “I think I can clear this up easily by asking Dugald just one question, if I may.”

Calder said, “You may.”

Duncan shrugged.

“Dugald,” she said calmly, “pray tell Black Duncan who your master is.”

Dugald shot her a surprised look, but when she returned it calmly, his eyes began to twinkle. He said with the half-witted air he had affected before, “Oh, aye, miss, I’ll tell him that surely. I serves the Earl o’ Rothwell, sir. Indeed, I do.”

Duncan grimaced and said in a surly tone, “If you seek to impress me with some nobleman of whom I’ve never heard—”

“But you ought to know him, lad,” Calder said with a chuckle. “Rothwell is a powerful English lord. The Crown granted him a Highland estate for his part in planning strategy against the rebels, and he owns vast lands in England as well. He is also a close friend of the British attorney general, and well known to Argyll. Would you interfere with his henchman, Duncan?”

Duncan played his trump card. Holding out Diana’s pistol, he said, “What of this, cousin? The wench had it on her person and dared to threaten me with it.”

Calder laughed. “She did not shoot you, however, despite what must have been extreme provocation. You may give that thing to me and be glad I don’t demand an explanation of your presence here, harassing an innocent young woman and her escort. You would find it difficult after your assault on her party to explain to a magistrate why you believe she has no need to defend herself.”

“But that’s illegal,” Duncan sputtered. “You of all people know—”

“Many things are illegal,” Calder said, his voice turning cold. “The more I see of how laws are applied in the Highlands, the more frustrated I become. Have you really nothing better to do, Duncan, than to harass females or chase after men who dare to wear kilts? Do you measure such knives as you find to determine if they are within the ban? It seems to me that you would be doing yourself and everyone else a far better turn to learn to live in peace with your neighbors.”

Duncan’s face reddened, and Diana felt a surge of tension, for she knew how dangerous he could be. The pistol he held in his hand—her pistol—was loaded, and for a moment she feared for Calder’s life.

He wore a sword, but his hand did not move toward it. He looked at Duncan.

A long moment passed. Diana dared not speak.

To her surprise it was Neil who broke the silence, saying petulantly, “If you want to fight with Calder, Duncan, get on with it. That sky yonder is getting dark again, and we’re all likely to be drenched soon if we stay here talking.”

“Tell me where you are going, Maclean, and why,” Duncan snapped.

“I told you, they visit kinsmen, and I go with them,” Calder said, holding out his hand with the palm up. “Now, give me that gun and get on about your business.”

Certain that Duncan would refuse, Diana watched in amazement as he reluctantly handed the pistol to Calder, but then Neil nearly brought all to ruin.

He exclaimed in dismay, “What the devil do you mean you are coming with us, Calder? You can’t come with us. We don’t want you!”

Seeing a smirk begin to grow on Duncan’s face, Diana said quickly, ruefully, “Now you’ve gone and done it, my lord. I’m afraid I did not tell Neil about our arrangement because I knew he would object, and—”

“Well, of course, I object!”

“Be silent,” she said sternly. “You forget yourself. Only think how awkward our encounter with Black Duncan would have been had I not taken this precaution. You recall that Mary warned us of danger.” Catching Neil’s angry gaze and holding it, she was glad when no one else spoke. She dared not look at Dugald.

She could trust the big Highlander to keep his thoughts and feelings hidden from Duncan, but she knew he would have something to say to her presently. She would have a few things to say herself, come to that.

Neil grimaced fretfully, but he did not argue.

Calder said, “We will bid you farewell, Duncan.”

“Oh, aye, have it your way. The wench has you twisted right round her thumb now, but when some fisherman pulls your body from the River Spean in a few days, don’t say I did not warn you.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll have naught to say at all,” Calder said with a wry look.

Unamused, Duncan whirled his horse and rode away, leaving his men to follow as they could.

Watching them go, Diana said, “We owe you our deepest thanks, sir, but you cannot come with us, all the same.”

“Don’t start with me, lass,” he said. “You don’t want to know what I think about this. I’m coming, and that’s that.”

“The devil you are,” Neil said hotly. “Dugald, tell him!”

Dugald watched Diana.

She glared at Calder, but when he returned the look steadily, she felt a tingling in her midsection that on one hand gave her pause and on the other instantly reminded her of his lips touching hers. He did not look the least bit lustful at the moment, yet she was trembling as if he had touched her. This would not do.

Collecting her wits, she said, “You can scarcely force your company on us, sir. If you think you can follow us, let me remind you that once darkness falls we can easily lose you in the mountains.”

“That would not be wise, mistress. Not only do I know your destination, but you forget what more I know of you and your friends. I daresay that this fellow”—he indicated Dugald—“was with you in Edinburgh and at Castle Stalker, and doubtless has been up to more mischief since. Moreover, you may recall my mentioning to Duncan that the Earl of Rothwell is known to his grace of Argyll.”

“Aye,” she said warily.

“It might interest you to learn that he is known to him not just because of his power, but because he is said to have killed a kinsman of the duke’s.”

“If Rothwell killed a Campbell, he deserved killing,” Diana said stoutly, but the news shook her.

“No doubt, but that Campbell was an agent of the Crown, and they replaced him with an English bailie instead of one of ours. Argyll is no friend to Rothwell.”

“So you want to spy on him,” Diana said angrily. “I should have known you had a detestable Campbell motive for helping us.”

“Aye, perhaps you should,” he said, “but if I turn back now, it won’t be long before Duncan recalls your mother’s escape—not to mention that of Allan Breck—and realizes that one or the other might be found by following you. As it is, you’d best hope it doesn’t occur to him before he is too far away to pick up our track.”

“He willna do that,” Dugald said confidently, “but we’d best be going.”

“Can we take the horses?” Calder asked.

“Aye, for all but the last bit. We’ll leave them just below Wade’s road over the Corriearrack. A pair of our lads can fetch them round in the morning.”

“I’ve a man following me. Can someone show him where he must go?”

“Aye, I’ll leave word for him in yon clachan, and someone will see that he meets wi’ the other lads come morning. They’ll bring him along up the glen.”

“Then you and Neil ride on ahead of us,” Calder said. “I would have words with Mistress Diana.”

“Best make them quick, my lord,” Dugald said. “We’ll no be safe till we’re beyond sight of this road.”

“Lead on then. I can wait.”

Diana, stifling another of the odd tremors that shot through her body, said defensively, “I have nothing to say to you, sir.”

“Then you will listen,” he said, “for I have much to say to you.”

She could think of nothing more to say but was intensely, and rather uncomfortably, aware of his presence as they rode along together.

Pausing only to leave a message for Thomas with one of the cottagers, they headed straight up the hill behind the clachan, following one river and glen after another until the way grew exceedingly steep and rockbound.

The horses, all Highland bred, picked their way with dexterous skill, but black clouds thickening overhead again gave warning long before the rain started that it would be no simple shower this time. Sheet lightning lit the western sky as they reached the top of a low pass and started downhill again. When mist turned to drizzle, making the granite slope treacherous for the horses, Dugald called a halt.

“The road’s above,” he said, looking up at a tumble of granite boulders that seemed to stretch on as far as the eye could see. “We’ll leave the horses here and go on foot. It’s no but aboot three miles tae the glen now.”

Soon they were climbing over shadow-draped rocks without a vestige of a trail, and when the rain began in earnest, Dugald hurried them toward a cavelike formation of boulders. “We must take shelter till the rain passes,” he said.

Calder said, “You and Neil take that place. I see another that will suit me and Mistress Diana. No, don’t argue,” he said when Dugald protested that all four could fit well enough and Diana opened her mouth to do likewise. “That space is too small. Moreover, my lass, you and I are going to have our talk now.”

A chill shook her, and she knew it was not from the rain. It occurred to her that she was in more danger now than she had been in with Black Duncan.

T
HE CAVE CALDER FOUND
proved to be deeper and dryer than Diana had expected. It was also dark inside, and rather chilly.

“Take care that we don’t find ourselves in a wildcat’s lair,” she warned with a shiver. His hand felt tight around her arm, as if he did not intend to let her go.

“I don’t fear wildcats, lass. Mind your head. There’s an outcropping here.”

Ducking obediently, she said impulsively, “Do you fear anything?”

He chuckled, and the sound warmed her, but all he said was, “I don’t think I’ll tell you what I fear most, lassie.”

She felt an impulse to remind him that she had not given him permission to speak so informally, but guilty certainty that he had done so before without censure told her that under the circumstances she would be unwise to attempt it.

“We could use some light,” he said, edging forward. She could barely see his shape now, but she knew he was groping ahead as they moved deeper into the cave. “I didn’t expect to find more than a shallow cavity in the rocks here,” he said.

“Neil and Dugald would be more comfortable here, too, I think,” she said.

“I agree, which makes me wonder why Dugald did not—Ah ha!” Amusement colored his voice when he stopped where he was and added with exaggerated politeness, “Would you like to take a seat, Mistress Diana?”