Highland Wolf (15 page)

“Egan thinks ye are trying to woo that foolish nursemaid Annora and he wants ye to be too busy with another woman to do so. He felt sure I had the right touch to keep ye weel occupied.”

Mab obviously thought she was a very skilled lover, and she just might be, but James had never once been tempted. “Is Egan planning to try and woo Annora tonight?”

“Weel, aye, I think so. And what harm is there in that, eh? He is going to marry her,” Mab grumbled, her bitterness over that all too clear in her voice.

Ignoring her attempts to turn her face away, James quickly gagged Mab with the long piece of linen cloth he used for washing. He then hurriedly got dressed and packed his small sack of belongings. No matter what else happened this night, he had to leave Dunncraig as fast as he could. The first person who untied Mab would undoubtedly hear all about the man who was half brown-haired and half red-haired. It was just too good a secret for a woman like her to keep for very long. Once she began to tell the story of what she had seen, James knew that he would be hunted again. Before that hunt began, however, he had to be certain that Annora and Meggie were put somewhere safe.

Annora stretched and then rubbed at her lower back. She had spent far too long bent over in a chair trying to mend clothing in the poor light of a few tallow candles and waiting to hear some word from James. She finally decided it was foolish to lose so much sleep when he would undoubtedly find a way on the morrow to talk to her. At least she hoped he would. Annora was still afraid that reading the poison in Mary’s journal might affect what she and James now shared. She had no delusions that what they shared was forever, but she hated to think it would end too soon because of the cruel words of an unfaithful wife.

Even as she started to take off her gown, she began to worry that something had happened to James. Egan had never ceased to glare angrily at James whenever he saw the man. There was the chance that Egan might grasp the chance to do James harm if he saw him out walking in the dark. She paused in her undressing and decided it would not hurt to just go and see if James had returned safely from his talk with Sir Simon and Sir Tormand.

A small voice in her head said that was not a good idea, but Annora easily ignored it. She relaced her gown just enough to keep it from falling off and unlocked her door. The moment she opened it she heartily wished she had listened to that small voice. Egan
stood there and he slowly smiled.

Annora tried to shut the door in the man’s face, but he was both fast and strong. He shoved her back into the room, stepped inside, and then slammed her door shut. For a moment, Annora hoped the loud noise would bring someone to see what was going on, but that hope rapidly faded beneath the onslaught of reality. Even if someone did come to see what was happening, she could not expect rescue. No one at Dunncraig would go against Egan.

“Ye must leave now,” she said, backing away as he advanced on her. “This is nay right. I am a weel-bred maiden and no mon should be in my bedchamber at this time of the night. And certainly nay alone with me.”

“I am your betrothed. I have every right to be here,” he replied.

“We arenae wed yet, Egan, and I am nay sure we will e’er be. I dinnae wish to marry you.” She cried out in pain when he slapped her across the face so hard she fell back against the bed.

“Ye will marry me, wench, and I am here tonight to ensure that ye will agree with nay more arguing.”

“By beating me?”

“Nay, by showing ye what it is like to have a mon in your bed. Ye have held fast to your chastity for far too long.”

She almost told him that she had let go of that chastity several nights ago and enjoyed every moment of its loss. Good sense prevailed, however. Annora had the feeling that Egan would beat her as she had never been beaten before if she let him know that she was no longer a virgin. He wanted her pure and there would be hell to pay if he discovered that she was not. And such reckless words would put not only herself in danger but James. All she should be concerned about now was escape, but he stood squarely between her and the door.

Before she could offer up any more arguments against his plan to rape her, he grabbed her and tossed her on the bed. Annora screeched softly in surprise and fear when he threw himself down on top of her and began to rip off her clothes. Each time she tried to stop him or even just cling to the clothes he was so roughly removing from her body, he slapped her and Annora soon doubted that she would remain conscious enough to end the game if she kept fighting. It was difficult to stop, however, as she was more terrified of the rape he planned than of the pain he was inflicting on her now.

Her ears still ringing from Egan’s last blow to her head, Annora was unsure of what she heard. It sounded like the door to her bedchamber had just burst open and slammed into the wall, but she was still certain that no one at Dunncraig would try to stop Egan. Then Egan was pulled off her as if he weighed nothing at all. Annora watched the man’s body go flying across the room and slam into the wall before she looked up to see who had achieved such a feat of strength.

“James?” she whispered, fighting with all her strength to overcome the pain Egan had caused and cling to consciousness. “Are ye really here?”

“Aye, lass. Did he succeed?” James kept a close watch on Egan, who was struggling to stand up, even as he very gently touched her already bruising face.

“Nay, but I fear I was losing the battle.” She tried to give him a smile of reassurance, but the movement of her mouth caused a pain that made her wince instead.

“Weel, best ye move to a far corner, lass, for I have nay intention of losing this one and I wouldnae want ye to be hurt as I teach this bastard some manners.”

Annora really wanted to tell James not to do anything that would get him thrown out of Dunncraig only to realize that he was not speaking in French, or even trying to sound like a Frenchman speaking as a Scot. When she took a quick glance at Egan, who now stood unsteadily facing James, she could see that Egan had heard that as well. For just a moment the two men stared at each other and then Egan cursed and spat on her bedchamber floor.

“Drummond,” he said, spitting out the name like a curse. “I cannae believe Donnell didnae see it. Clever of ye to cover one eye like that. Tends to make people avoid looking ye straight in the eye. That and coloring your hair like some woman have probably helped to keep ye free and alive for all these years. Weel, this time ye willnae get away. Nay, this time we will make verra certain ye are dead.”

“Come and try, then. Please.” James very carefully shut the battered door. “I dinnae think we will be interrupted now.”

Annora winced as the fight began. She hated fighting, but this time the only reason she wanted it to stop was that she feared for James. There was an angry part of her that wanted Egan beaten into a bloodied mess for what he had tried to do to her and what he had done to too many other women.

Struggling to stay out of the men’s way, she sought out some new clothes to put on, for her gown was so badly torn she was nearly naked. It took some clever feints and swift ducking, but she finally got herself pressed hard into a corner of her room with new, untorn clothing in her hand. Keeping a close eye on the two men so that she would know when to help and when to run, she tossed aside her torn clothes and dressed in the new, clean clothes she had gathered.

She was just lacing up her gown when James delivered a blow to Egan’s already badly battered face that sent the man to the floor. It took only one look to know that Egan would not be rising from that floor any time soon. There was a chance that, when the wounds on his face healed, he wouldnae be even faintly handsome. And that, she knew, would make him nearly mad with fury, for Egan had always considered himself a very handsome man. The last thing she and James had needed was to give Egan even more reason to hate James.

Annora stumbled up to James when he bent down to grab Egan by the front of his shirt, a little afraid that James was so angry he meant to keep on beating Egan despite the fact that Egan was unconscious. She was not concerned for Egan, but worried that James would sorely regret such an act once his fury eased. James was a man of honor, of that she had no doubt, and a man of honor would never feel right about beating on a man who was already down, no matter what the man had done or tried to do. In his eyes it would leave a stain that he could never completely be rid of.

“Ye need to flee here, James,” she said. “He kens who ye are now.”

“So does Mab,” James said as he hefted up Egan’s body and put it on Annora’s bed, then looked around for something to tie the man up with.

“Mab? “Just the sound of the woman’s name was enough to stir the bitter taste of jealousy inside Annora. Ye have seen Mab tonight?”

“Aye, Egan sent her to keep me verra busy. I fear I wasnae dressed when she walked into my bedchamber. I still cannae believe I was so stupid as to leave my door unlocked. So I tied her up as weel. It took a little persuading, but I made Mab think me as big a threat to her life as Egan is and she finally told me what he planned.” He yanked the rope ties from the thick drapes over Annora’s tiny window and began to tie Egan down. “She saw me with only my braies on, lass, so she kens that I am nay what I claim to be as weel. I kenned that, if she was allowed to go free and talk to MacKay or Egan, they would soon guess who I really am. And now this bastard kens it anyway.”

“Then ye have to leave.” It hurt Annora to even say the words.

“
We
have to leave. Ye, me, and wee Meggie. I may have to give up the chance of regaining Dunncraig for a while, but I willnae give up ye and my child. Gather some clothes together and then we will get Meggie and leave this place.”

“But surely it would be best if Meggie and I stayed here.”

“Love, he kens that ye have known my secret for a while, cannae ye see that? He heard ye call me by name.”

Annora cursed. James was right. Her game was over as much as James’ was. Even if she survived the punishment that would be meted out for not telling Donnell who Master Lavengeance was, she would never be left alone to go anywhere or speak to anyone again. The guards that would be put on her would never waver in their watchfulness. She hurriedly began to throw some clothes into a heavy bag made from blankets.

“Where shall we go?” she asked as he took her packed bag, grabbed her by the arm, and began to hurry her out of her room.

“I am nay sure just yet.” He shut her door and then began to walk swiftly in the direction of the nursery. “For now ’tis just important that we get out of here ere either Mab or Egan is discovered. Or we are.”

A chill settled deep in Annora’s stomach. She had lived with fear since the first day she had stepped through the gates of Dunncraig, but never like this. Death caused by the brutality Donnell and Egan meted out so easily was also no stranger to her, but she realized she had never truly felt she was in mortal danger. Rape and beating were the things she had feared. She had also never really considered fleeing in the night until Donnell had told her that she had to marry Egan. Now she was packed, was about to kidnap Meggie from her home, and was running off into the night with a man who had been wrongly proclaimed a murderer and an outlaw.

Life certainly held a lot of surprises, she thought, feeling a little dazed. She could not help but wonder what this meant for her and James. He made no mention of love or marriage, but it was very clear he intended to keep her with him, at least for a while. With him as an outlaw or a wood-carver, she could actually think that they might have a life together, but James Drummond was a laird. Inwardly, she shrugged aside those concerns. What would be, would be. She would just take each day as it came and hope there was some happiness to be found at the end of what promised to be quite an adventure.

Annie scrambled to her feet when James and Annora entered the nursery. “Mistress Annora? Is something wrong?” she asked in a sleepy voice and rubbed at her eyes like a sleepy child, something she was not far past being.

“Annie,” Annora began as James roamed the room collecting some things for Meggie, “we are taking Meggie away from here.”

For a moment, Annie just stared at her as if the words had no meaning to her, and then she frowned. “Why?”

“Because she isnae safe here any longer. Did ye hear that MacKay thinks to marry her to Halbert Chisholm?”

The curse that escaped Annie’s full lips shocked Annora. She was even more surprised when the girl found a bag and, taking the things from James, began to pack it. James moved to the bed and gently began to rouse Meggie, so Annora turned her full attention on Annie.

“I gather ye dinnae approve of the marriage,” she murmured.

“Nay. The mon is a pig,” said Annie and then she stared at Annora for a moment. “And so is the mon MacKay is trying to make ye marry. I assume that swine paid ye a visit this night thinking to start his married life a wee bit early.”

Annora touched her cheek and faintly winced. “Aye, he did. He thought it was time for me to be taught how good it would be to have a mon in my bed.”

“It might be but that bastard isnae the one to have.”

Annie sounded a lot older and wiser than her years, and Annora felt a touch of dismay begin to grow in her heart. “Has Egan hurt ye, Annie?”

“He tried but Big Marta stopped him. Egan doesnae dare do anything to Big Marta since MacKay likes her cooking so much. ’Tis she who got me the work here in the nursery. That bastard willnae come after me here. Nay only doesnae he see much of me as I stay close to this room, but MacKay wouldnae like Egan to be hurting one of the ones what care for the wee lass.” She glanced toward the bed as she put a little wooden doll into Meggie’s bag, one that Annora had not seen before but she was quite sure it had been made by James. “She likes your mon.”

“Weel, he isnae really my mon,” Annora murmured, but Annie just smiled.

“Are we going on a journey, Annora?” Meggie asked sleepily as James got her dressed.

“Aye, love, we are,” Annora replied as she moved to stand beside the bed.

Meggie stared at Annora’s face for a moment. “Who hit ye? MacKay or Egan?”

“Egan.” Annora saw no reason to lie to the child as Meggie was all too aware of the brutality of the man who claimed to be her father as well as that of MacKay’s first. “Master Lavengeance stopped him.”

“Are we leaving because Master Lavengeance killed Egan?”

“Nay, but he did beat him rather badly and that could get him killed. It also puts us in danger, for we have shown ourselves to be his friend.”

“And because Sir MacKay wants me to marry that smelly Halbert Chisholm?”

Annora was not able to fully hide a gaping sense of surprise. “How do ye ken that?”

“I listen. People talk. I think they thought it was verra big news.”

“Come,” said James, picking Meggie up in his arms. “We need to leave.”

“Annie,” said Annora, “ye best find a place to hide once Meggie’s disappearance is discovered.”

“Soon as I hear that Egan has started a roar I will cry out that the lass has gone missing,” Annie said. “There will be a lot of confusion then and I will slip away. I think they will be so busy trying to get out of here to hunt ye down that they willnae think about a wee nursemaid.”

“A good plan, lass,” said James. “Do nay more than that, howbeit, for ye could draw their attention to ye. If ye think ye are in danger at any time, seek out two men staying at the inn. Their names are Sir Simon Innes and Sir Tormand Murray. They will see that ye are protected from any punishment for this.”

Annie nodded and hastily gave Meggie a kiss on the cheek. “Take care, all of ye.”

Carrying her bag as well as Meggie’s, Annora followed James out of the room. The way he weaved through the shadowy passages of Dunncraig revealed that he knew the keep very well. She had always believed his tale of being Sir James Drummond, but Annora had to admit that it was comforting to see such hard proof of the fact.

When he led them into a very dark, narrow passage, she hesitated. It was not going to be easy to set aside her deep fear of such places. Foolish as it seemed to be to her, she had never been able to rid herself of all the scars of her past. She even considered just letting James leave with Meggie since it would mean she did not have to travel through the passage. Such cowardice shamed her, but even that did not do much to ease the fear.

“There is nay other way?” she asked in a whisper.

James set Meggie down and lit a small torch before taking the child’s hand in his. “Does that help?”

“A little,” Annora said and then stiffened her backbone. James might not need her, but Meggie did. “These passages will get us out of Dunncraig unseen, will they?” she asked.

“Aye, love. I fear there is no other choice, nay if we wish to leave here safely and unseen. It willnae be so bad, for ye arenae alone, are ye?”

Meggie reached out to take Annora by the hand. “I will be with ye, Annora.”

Annora felt tears sting her eyes. Meggie was a child with a very big heart and it was hard not to be touched by the little girl’s kindness. “Thank ye, Meggie. Best we get going. I think it best if we get as far away as we can tonight.”

“That is my plan,” said James as he began to lead them through the passage.

When they finally reached the outside, Annora nearly fell to her knees to kiss the ground. She had clung to her sanity by a thread as they had traveled through one narrow passage to another. They had gotten out of Dunncraig unseen, but if they had to come back, she intended to do so by riding through the front gates. Annora did not want to wander through those passages again.

They hurried into the wood and started walking. At some point, James picked up and carried a sleepy Meggie. Annora wished he could carry her, too. She was tired and her body ached from the fight with Egan. She knew her increasingly unsteady pace was slowing James down, but she could not make herself go any faster. When they entered a small clearing where a tiny cottage with no door stood, Annora almost collapsed with relief. She hoped that James meant to stop and rest at this cottage, for she was not sure she could walk another step.

“We havenae gone so verra far,” she felt compelled to say, knowing that putting a
lot of distance between them and Dunncraig was very important.

“Far enough for now and this cottage is verra near the border between Dunncraig and the MacLaren lands,” James said as he walked toward the cottage. “It was the eldest son of their laird who was killed in MacKay’s last raid.”

“Wouldnae that make this a verra unsafe place to be?” she asked as she hastily spread a blanket on the dirt floor of the cottage so that James could put a now sleeping Meggie down.

“A little, but more so for MacKay and his men,” replied James. “We will be safe enough for a few hours of rest, however, and then we shall have to move on.”

“What about your brother and Sir Simon? They willnae ken what has happened to ye, will they?”

“They will understand that I have fled for my life. I mean to get word to them about exactly what happened as soon as I feel it is safe enough to try and can find a trustworthy mon to take them my message. Howbeit, the moment they hear what has happened at Dunncraig, they will ken it is me.”