Lord of the Black Isle (26 page)

“Hout! You are right! And later, he mentioned three horses, and it didna stick out at the time, but three horses would mean they met someone else at the lodge.”

“Curse the deil!” Kinloss said. “For that would mean we are looking for only one other person, which doesn't necessarily indicate the MacLean's involvement. 'Tis rare indeed for MacLean to venture forth withoot his men clustered aboot him.”

“It doesna disprove it either,” Ronan said. “Angus is a sly old fox. He could have met them at the cabin, or he could have sent one of his men to meet them.”

Kinloss nodded in agreement. “Either way, we canna say for certain that the MacLean was involved, or how many men he had with him.”

“Aye, we can only speculate at this point, but once we reach Mull, if the MacLean is involved, someone, somewhere should have seen them.”

Suddenly, Ronan had an idea. “The best place to find oot is at the place where they would have crossed the Sound of Mull, for ye canna ride across the Sound. They would either have someone take them and their horses across, or leave those horses and cross by boat, then pick up the horses they previously left on the other side.”

“Well then, I see no reason to linger here any longer. Let us be away from this place,” Kinloss said.

Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage;

Minds innocent and quiet take

That for an hermitage;

If I have freedom in my love,

And in my soul am free,

Angels alone that soar above

Enjoy such liberty.

—“To Althea, from Prison” (1642)

Richard Lovelace (1618–1657)

English Cavalier poet

After riding all day, Elisabeth was happy to see the orange face of the sun slowly making its descent behind the trees that topped the hills in the distance. She felt a twinge of loneliness, for their zigzag tops reminded her of the rickrack trim on her mother's green Christmas apron.

A ruffle of wind stirred in the trees, their lofty branches a dark silhouette against a darkening sky, and she wondered if it was truly the wind or Sir James passing by, just to let her know she wasn't alone. She decided to go with the latter, for it did take the burden of loneliness away.

She was anxious to reach Duart. At least she would be off the horse and would have a nice room with a clean bed, which was much better than riding to the monotonous clip-clop of hooves and the murmur of occasional conversation among Angus and his men.

It was almost daybreak when they arrived at Duart Castle. Elisabeth was relieved to see it standing atop a crag, just as it always had, with a proud and defiant frown like a sentinel guarding the Sound of Mull. She was happy to finally see the castle gates and to listen to the grinding sound as they opened, granting them entry. As they rode past the gatehouse, Angus nodded to the guards, who greeted him with a friendly “Welcome home!” to their chief.

Sudden awareness came rushing upon her, for everything seemed the same as she had seen it the day she left. Everything was familiar to her, even the sound of horseshoes ringing against the cobblestones and the occasional echo of a metal bit clanging as an anxious horse tossed his head.

Not all the castle was asleep, however, for the heavy doors were opened to them as they approached, and upon entering, she paused long enough to greet the steward and hand him her cloak. The interior light from torches was scant and as smoky and dim as she remembered, and all was eerily quiet to one as accustomed to the sounds of the night as she had become.

She was surprised to feel a rush of emotion as the cold, clammy hand of loneliness reached out to touch her, and David never seemed so far away. She wondered if he knew she had been captured, or if he would suspect that it was the MacLean, for although Angus did not tell her the reason for his waiting for her at the hunting lodge, she had a suspicion it had something to do with throwing David off track, for she knew his first thought would be to go to Màrrach to confer with Alysandir about her disappearance.

“Welcome home. I see yer trip bore just the fruit ye were looking for,” the steward said.

“Aye,” Angus said. “All in all, it was well worth the journey.” Angus then gave him instructions to make ready Elisabeth's room that had been designated for her before he left.

“I will see to it right away.”

Around her, she could hear the sounds of the castle coming to life, for a door slammed somewhere distantly and the tread of feet hurrying down the stairs could be heard. She smiled to herself, remembering Isobella telling her about her first visit here and how terrified she was of Angus MacLean, he was the stuff of myth and nightmare, and Isobella had imagined him as a pirate, his beard full of lit cannon fuses, the ends of his pigtails smoking, pistols jammed in his bandoliers, and a bloody sword in his hand.

Elisabeth remembered there was a time when she thought of him as someone who stepped from the pages of myths and fairy tales herself, for he did seem the quintessential monster, to be honest, there was a time when she was also terrified of him, for he certainly looked the part, with a face expressionless enough to have been carved from granite. And beneath his thick, dark brows were eyes as black as a moonless night. He seemed to have stepped out of a nightmare and was sure to frighten children, but his bark truly was worse than his bite, and in spite of all the hell he put her through, she rather liked him… this tall, dark, and swarthy man with shaggy black hair and heavy-lidded, piercing black eyes that missed nothing.

The MacLean turned to her once the steward was gone, and with eyes that did seem to twinkle, he said, “I trust ye remember the way to yer room. Ye will find everything there, just as ye left it.”

“Yes, I think I can find my way there, and I will be glad to sit down on something besides a hard saddle.” She turned away and hurried up the stairs, then turned down the dimly lit hallway, going to the very end where her corner room was. The door was open, and the candles and fire were lit. A tray on a nearby table held an assortment of breakfast items, from scones to tatties, smoked salmon, and porridge, and she was reminded of the saying, “
S
mairg
a
ni
tarcuis
air
biadh
,” which meant, “He who has contempt for food is a fool.”

She was hungry enough to eat a live caterpillar, so she ate enough to satisfy her hunger and drank the milk, foregoing the wine, which had a tendency to keep her awake. A lovely blue linen gown lay on the bed, and she knew the trunk would contain some of her old clothes and some new. But, right now she was interested only in the gown and some sleep.

***

Fergus MacLean heard that Elisabeth Douglas was back in residence and he knew his father would soon be pushing him to pay her court, or to at least try to be friends with her, for as Angus said, “Friendship oft leads to love.” And if there was anything Fergus knew, it was that he would soon be out of favor with his father for his refusal to officially court Elisabeth Douglas.

To be honest, Fergus dreaded even seeing her, for she always looked at him like he was a leper or worse, and she went to great length to avoid him. Oh, he knew the stories his father filled her head with, of how “Fergus is in love wi' ye,” which made Fergus mount up and go hunting, for he preferred to be away from Duart, especially when she was in residence. He was at home in the out-of-doors, fishing, hunting, or settling disputes among clansmen. Away from the castle he was in complete control. He could relax around a shy Heilan' coo and dodge leaping bucks, and he enjoyed talking with the clansmen who were always grateful for the game he provided them.

The times when he was around her, he was quiet and listened to his father ramble on about his fancy plans for him and Elisabeth. Many times he overheard his father telling her how much “Fergus loves ye,” and he avoided her even more. It was pleasant while she was gone, but now that she was back, there was a problem, for he was a well-trained knight now and capable of making his own decisions. He was not going to let his father force him to marry Elisabeth Douglas, in spite of his vow to honor his father.

He knew Angus would have something planned today that would put him in the path of Elisabeth, so he left Duart before dawn to go hunting. It was late when he returned, and having missed the hour to dine in the great hall, he was about to go to the kitchen to find something to eat when he passed the great hall and saw everyone seated, as if they were waiting. He hoped to God they were not waiting on him.

“Fergus, we ha' been waiting to dine wi' ye, so come in and sit doon next to Elisabeth. I ken ye ha' much to say to her now that she is back.”

Fergus was still in his mail, but he did remove his hauberk and stopped long enough to wash his hands before making his way to the table, with the eyes of everyone in the room upon him. When he reached his place, he glanced at Elisabeth and said, “Good eventide to ye, Mistress Douglas. I trust ye had a pleasant journey that wasna overly tiring.”

Elisabeth sat back in her chair and studied him for a long moment before she replied, “Good evening to you as well, Fergus. It is nice to see you again. I understand you were out hunting today. Did you have good fortune?”

“Aye, I did.”

She tried not to smile, for he may have changed physically, but he was still a man of few words, at least around her, which she attributed to his being in love with her.

Elisabeth watched him break apart his bread and dip a piece of it into the bowl of soup. He had changed so much. Gone was the tall, slender young man, who seemed too quiet and retiring to ask a woman to dance, let alone to marry, which seemed reason enough for his father to do his talking for him, including how he wore his heart on his sleeve, first for Barbara and then for her.

She couldn't get over the fact that the slender frame had filled out quite majestically, for there were muscles where they should be and a knight's sinewy strength everywhere else. He was taller than she remembered, and while he was still reserved and quiet, there was a sense that he was as manly and strong as any knight, including those who were loud and boisterous.

He had his father's dark coloring, but his eyes must have come from his mother, for they were a strange color that was almost a combination of aqua and green. Strange that she had never noticed that before, but then she always did tend to ignore him, or give an uninterested glance or a bored look, whenever she saw him. All in all, she was truly astounded that he had changed so much in a couple of years.

She gave her attention to her meal and was hoping someone would be the first to leave so she could follow shortly, for she did not want Angus to feel the effects of too much wine and to start on his wishes for a marriage between her and Fergus. As it turned out, it was Fergus who was the first to leave, quietly slipping away when his father was well into a story with someone at the end of the table.

Elisabeth found her chance to leave after a couple of others had departed, for she did not want Angus to make some comment that she was slipping away to meet Fergus, as he had said once.

From the desert I come to thee on a stallion shod with fire,

And the winds are left behind in the speed of my desire.

Under thy window I stand, and the midnight hears my cry:

I love thee, I love but thee, with a love that shall not die

Till the sun grows cold, and the stars are old,

And the leaves of the judgment Book unfold.

—“Bedouin Song” (1872)

Bayard Taylor (1825–1878)

David and Ronan crossed the Sound of Mull, and a coin to a youth gave them the answer to their question, for the MacLeans had come to Oban by boat and mounted their horses and left for Duart Castle, with a beautiful woman “wi' long, reddish brown hair, and she was complainin' a lot.”

David smiled, for if she was complaining, she was in no danger. They arranged for horses for themselves and set out for Màrrach Castle, which was less than a day away if they rode hard and made few stops along the way. Ronan would guide them; he would enjoy seeing his family, and they would have the opportunity to meet with Alysandir and the rest of his brothers so they could put together a plan to take Elisabeth from Angus MacLean for the second and, hopefully, the last time.

Darkness descended upon them before they reached Màrrach, but they were blessed with a full moon and a clear, calm night with ample moonlight to guide their way. David caught the scent of saltwater and knew they were getting close, for Màrrach Castle overlooked the Atlantic. Before long, he caught a glimpse of the silhouette of the castle rising out of the base of a summit of rock, whose base lay beneath the cold depths of the Atlantic, according to Ronan.

David knew the history of Màrrach for it was a castle with a long past, more than worthy of respect due to its age and the secrets contained within its dark, gray granite walls. It was the ancestral home of the Mackinnons, who were descendants of Celtic tribal chiefs who came from Ireland during a time of feudal greatness. He knew also that in Gaelic, the name Màrrach meant an enchanted castle that keeps one spellbound, usually with a labyrinthine maze of passages.

Like Duart Castle, Màrrach Castle had never been penetrated, not even when the Vikings swept down from the North to raid the sparse population of the island. This was because it was a large, fortified structure built on the quadrilateral plan, with curtain walls about eight feet thick and thirty feet high. Tonight, the corbelled battlements and square turrets seemed etched in black against a lighter night sky.

They stopped at the portcullis gate, while Ronan called out his name as he rode up to the gate so the guards could see his face in the light of their torches.

“'Tis Ronan Mackinnon,” one of them called out. “Open the gate!”

Soon, they walked into the penetralia and the innermost part of the castle and followed the torch-lit hallway toward the great hall, for they could tell by the happy chatter that the residents had gathered for the evening meal. A moment after the two of them entered the room, lit by an ample number of tallow candles glowing from sconces that lined the walls, there was a shout: “May God be praised! 'Tis Ronan!”

Almost immediately he was surrounded by his family, which was much larger in number than David's. As he grinned at the smothering reception Ronan was receiving, David took a few steps back to keep from being crushed himself. Luckily, the welcome died away and Alysandir greeted David like a member of the family, which he hoped to God he would soon be when he had Elisabeth back in his arms, and there he would keep her.

A beautiful, copper-haired woman hurried toward him and gave him a warm greeting, then a hug, as she said, “Lord Kinloss, it is an answer to prayer to finally meet you, but I do not see my sister.”

So
this
is
Elisabeth's twin
… so like her, and yet so different, but he liked her warm and friendly manner and he could tell that she thought favorably of him.

“But, where is Elisabeth?” she asked.

“That is what we have come here to tell ye,” Ronan replied. “Angus MacLean captured her as she traveled from Bosworth Castle to return to Aisling.”

“Let us go to my study where we can meet to discuss where we go from here,” the Mackinnon said, and Alysandir turned and led the way, talking to Kinloss as they went, with Ronan and his brothers in tow.

After all had been served a round of wine, Alysandir asked David and Ronan to fill in the details about why Elisabeth went to Bosworth Castle and how she ended up in the hands of Angus MacLean, if that was indeed the person who abducted her. Once he understood all that had happened, he explained to David the situation at Duart and why it was considered impenetrable.

They discussed several possible scenarios but found flaws in each of them, so they decided it was best to get a good night of sleep and give time for the news of Elisabeth's capture to settle in their minds.

“We will meet again on the morrow after we break fast,” Alysandir said.

***

Elisabeth's interest in Fergus continued to grow, not in a romantic way, for no one could take David's place in her heart. It was simply that she was terribly curious over the change in him, so she began to make subtle inquiries, or to listen whenever she heard someone mention his name. Before long, she was stunned to think that she had terribly misjudged him by allowing his father's boasting and determination to see them wed, to sway her opinion, without making any effort to simply ask Fergus why he was so determined to marry her. There was no doubt in her mind now, that Fergus had
never
been in love with her and that made her wonder if he had actually been pining over Barbara Mackinnon as she was told the first time she was captured. Truth was, based upon the opinions and stories of others around Duart Castle, that Fergus MacLean was an honorable man, a faithful knight and respectful to his father, in spite of the terrible burden Angus placed upon him, first by fabrications concerning Fergus and his overfocused devotion to Barbara, and later by Angus's desire to see him marry Elisabeth.

Elisabeth felt terribly guilty for her part in this, especially for not recognizing that Fergus had never acted like a man desperately in love with her. But, there was still the fact that Barbara had fancied herself in love with him at one time, and apparently Fergus felt the same about her. So, Elisabeth made inquiry to one of her maids.

“Oh, my dear child,” Alice said. “That was years ago, when they were no longer children but not yet adults. It was never a true romance, although they both thought themselves in love. Time cured them both, but I think Barbara's head was filled with his father's stories to the point that she believed that Fergus would never get over loving her. Puir lad, no wonder he has always been a wee bit reserved and shy around women. He was probably terrified of ever falling in love with anyone after that.”

“He does not have someone he fancies?”

Alice made a face that spoke volumes. “Lord above! I ha' never heard o' him showing interest in anyone. He is the first to take the lead in battle. He is the biggest provider of game for the castle and for those less fortunate, and he is legendary for his generosity and kindness toward them.”

After Alice left, Elisabeth decided to pay a visit to the garden, for it was a favorite of hers and of Isobella's when she spent some time here. She glanced out the window and the garden looked so inviting, for the fountain was gurgling and what looked to be the same peacock was still strutting, but the kittens she remembered were gone. No matter, she would go park herself on the bench and enjoy the sunshine and an opportunity to make vitamin D.

She entered the garden from the far end and walked through the vegetable garden, which was starting to look like winter was on its way. She rounded the corner and jerked to a stop, for her favorite bench was taken by no other than Fergus, who seemed to be deep in thought. She turned to leave quietly, and then she stopped. If she ever wanted answers to her questions, this was the time, for Angus had ridden away from the castle at dawn and Fergus was in the garden, sitting just a few feet away. So, she turned in his direction, and when she stepped onto the graveled pathway, his head jerked up.

When he saw her, he stood and she knew he was going to leave. “Fergus, please don't go. I would like to talk to you, for I am ashamed that I did not try to do so when I was here before.”

A look of indecision passed over his face, and for a moment she thought he would leave, but in the end, because of his knightly honor and being duty-bound to deal kindly with women, he remained where he was. When she reached the bench, she sat down and said, “Please, sit down beside me, for I have something I would like to say to you.”

She saw the muscle working in his jaw, for he was obviously still trapped at a moment of indecision, before he finally sat down, careful to seat himself at the farthest point away from her that he could without toppling off the bench altogether.

When he was seated, she said, “First, I would like to start off with saying that I am terribly ashamed to admit that I owe you an apology and have owed it to you since I was first brought here. I misjudged you terribly and I hope you can forgive me for it.”

“'Tis naught to forgive, for I remember no ill treatment or slightings from ye,” he said. “So, fret not aboot it.”

“Oh, but I do. I allowed myself to form an opinion of you based upon the opinions and the comments of others. I have only recently come to learn that being in love with Barbara and her being in love with you was something that occurred many years ago, at an age when we fall in and out of love with each beautiful or handsome face we see.”

He lifted his head and tilted his head back, to stare upward as if he was recalling that time of tender feelings. “'Twas a long time ago and I no longer think upon it.”

She had gone this far and she might as well finish, so she ignored his comment and went on. “When I was here before, I rarely saw you and only had polite conversation with you on rare occasions. I misinterpreted your reserve, thinking you were so in love with me that you were overwhelmed and unable to declare your feelings. I see now that I was so overawed with my own charm that made you love me that I never took time to know the real you.

“When I returned this time, I was stunned at the change in you, for you are a man of great physical prowess, a knight of the first order, an expert marksman and hunter of game, kind and benevolent toward your clansmen and the less fortunate. I regret I did not take the time to become friends with you before, and I hope that by extending the hand of friendship toward you now, we can let go of the past and become friends. I am going to marry the Earl of Kinloss, who is probably searching for me right now. It is my hope that once we have been reunited, you would be present at our wedding.”

“I thank ye fer yer kindly spoken wirds, and in my heart, there is naught to forgive, but if it eases yer heart to hear it spoken, then I do forgive ye for any misconceived slight ye feel ye did. It grieves me that my father keeps ye here, for it goes against all I believe in and hold dear. I take an oath before ye now, that I will help ye leave Duart, but I must think upon it. Mayhap, it would be wise for us to meet here from time to time so my father will think a miracle has occurred and the two o' us have opened our hearts, one to the other.”

“Why do you think your father has created this ongoing situation concerning you and your feelings toward certain women? Surely, that serves no purpose. What does he hope to gain from it?”

“He was raised on the stories of family feuds, and there have been many in the past between the MacLeans and the Mackinnons.”

“But why perpetuate a feud that should have died out a long time ago? And why do it at your expense?”

“He grows old… I think he misses the way things were, so he turned his thoughts toward seeing me married, believing it would fill the loneliness he feels for the past that dwells inside. He created his own feud, hoping the real thing would someday come along. As for using me as justification, it may have been the best reason he could think of.”

“You were a saint to endure it for so long.”

“He is my father. It is my duty to honor him.”

She closed her eyes, recalling the many times Izzy would tell her of the days of yore and the code of honor knights lived by. It wasn't the first time she had heard such, of course… she had seen her share of knight movies like
Robin
Hood, Braveheart, Excalibur, King Arthur, Henry V
, and
Camelot
. But it was the first time she saw the knights' code in real time, and she felt so terrible knowing how much Fergus must have suffered from the ridicule.

Choked by emotion, she said, “You are a man of tremendous honesty, with integrity in your beliefs and actions. It is one thing to accept responsibility for your own actions, but it is heroic to accept it for the actions of others.” She stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “My heart is gladdened over having the privilege to speak with you, and I thank you for your generous spirit and the ease with which you forgive. It is a marvelous attribute. I am happy to meet here anytime to build upon our friendship, and I cannot thank you enough for your being you.”

Neither of them noticed Angus watching them from the parapet wall, so they could not see the slow smile that spread across his face.