Medieval Highlands 01 - Highland Vengeance (54 page)

The babe chose that moment to make its presence known and Daniel felt the flutter of movement against his own belly. He smiled into his wife’s upturned face and stroked her neck, enjoying the feel of the ultra fine hair at the base of her head. “I think our son agrees with his mother. What say you, my love?”

Maryn remained mute, her aspect somber and intent.

Daniel sighed loudly. “I promise to return to you and our babe. He shall be raised by both his mother and his father, I swear it.” And then he kissed her for many long minutes; deeply, passionately, and with all the love he had to give.

*

“That sister of yours is a nuisance, Bao,” Callum said an hour later as they traveled across the rugged terrain that would lead them to their destination.

Bao grinned. “Aye, that she is.”

“And what evil goblin did that to her hair? I do not believe I’ve ever seen such a sight in all my days.”

“It does not look that bad; you embellish,” Daniel snapped. “She’s too young for you, so do not even think on it,” he said darkly.

Callum laughed. “What are you going on about now, cousin? You cannot honestly think I’d be interested in
her
? She’s rude and obnoxious—sorry Bao, I mean no offense—and my tastes run more to the sweet and sultry.”

“No offense taken,” Bao responded cheerfully.

“I know that I only just met the lass, but you did seem to annoy her with your smooth words,” Laird Donald said. “I cannot recall a time I’ve ever seen a lady so impervious to your charms.”

“‘Tis becoming quite common, unfortunately,” Callum replied. His companions burst out laughing at that honest response. Callum shrugged and joined in their mirth. It felt good to at last find a bit of humor in the sad state of his love life.

*

“And did you see how he bent low over my hand and kissed it, as if I were some noble queen or some such? I honestly thought I might lose my meal.” Branwenn was fighting the attraction she felt for Daniel’s gorgeous cousin. It made her feel as if she were not in control of her destiny, a feeling she did not like in the least.

“‘Twas not good of you to wipe the back of your hand on your gown afterward. He was only being courteous, after all,” Jesslyn chided as she continued trimming her hair.

“Aye, but ‘twas so
false
, he did not truly think me a ‘beauteous maid’; I could see he was appalled by my looks.”

“Nay, not your looks—mayhap your hair, tho’. And you really should not have told him his lips were too wet for your liking before you wiped his kiss off your hand, either.”

Branwenn giggled at the memory of his astonishment at her rudeness. “I do believe he’d never had a lass say that to him before.”

Jesslyn smiled. “Nay, I wager you are right about that.”

*

Jesslyn bit her lip as she worked, worry for Bao invading her mind. For even though he’d dashed her hopes of marriage between them with his crudely worded dismissal of her, she was unable to dislike him completely. And tho’ her feelings fluctuated between disgust and fascination when she thought of his secret profession, now with this threat of war, she felt fear as well that his broken body would be brought back on a litter, just as Graeme’s had been.

As if Branwenn had read her thoughts, she said, “Do you think Daniel and Bao will have to go into battle?”

“I pray not. Laird Donald certainly seems to be good at working things out amongst people so that war does not result.”

Branwenn turned on her stool. “Bao—”

“Be still or you’ll end up with one less ear
and
a bad haircut,” Jesslyn chided and turned Branwenn back around.

“Bao has had much experience in war; he’s fought for the king for many years now. He always returns. And Daniel seems just as fit as my brother. Besides, Bao will not let Daniel, or Callum, die, not now that they are reunited.”

“I hope you are right,” Jesslyn replied.

“I do too,” Branwenn said with a touch less confidence in her voice.

*

“Fia, I worry so about my husband,” Maryn said five days later as she rode toward the village willfully without escort, having determined almost immediately upon his over-zealous decree to defy it and prove a point. Absently patting her mare’s neck, she continued, “He’s sent no word and I hope that means the mediation is going well. Whatever will I do if war breaks out? He might be gone for several moons—mayhap even until after our babe arrives.”

Fia nickered in response.

“And I do not even want to ponder the other possibility. Tho’, God’s truth, the thought does flit through my mind of its own volition.”

“Lady MacLaurin!”

Startled, Maryn’s chin shot up. Seeing a familiar-looking man with long, dark brown hair and beard, she pulled on Fia’s reins.

“I’ve urgent tidings that you must attend to forthwith!”

“Are you not one of the traveling players we have been hosting at the keep these past days?”

“Aye, m’lady.”

“What tidings do you bear, man?”

The player took several deep breaths before continuing his tale. “Our company departed early this morn to travel to the next holding. When we were just to the loch, we came upon the remains of an ambush by freebooters. We found Laird Donald—”

“
What!
”

“—prone and bleeding at the water’s edge. The thieves had stolen his horse. He asked that you make haste and come for him.”

“Aye, show me the way. Is he hurt badly?”

“Nay, he’ll be able to ride back with you, but we must hurry. I should ride with you so that we can make better time, m’lady.”

Maryn nodded distractedly, worry for her father paramount in her mind.

The man mounted the mare behind her and took over the reins.

Dimly, Maryn considered it odd that a traveling player would know how to ride horseback, but she was too distressed to put much thought into the puzzle. “Were my husband and his brother with Laird Donald?” she asked as they made quick time across the glen.

“Nay, m’lady. He was alone.”

They rode in silence for a time. Maryn chewed at her bottom lip. What if her father’s injuries were worse than the traveling player had believed? What if he perished before she could get to him? “How much further to where my father lay bleeding?” she asked at last.

“Not much further, m’lady. Just on the other side of the loch.” After several more tense moments of travel, an ancient, crumbling stone structure came into view in the far distance. “He’s just over there,” he told her, pointing. “I moved him inside to rest there until I returned with you.”

“I must get to him!” Maryn wrested the reins from the man and spurred Fia to a faster pace. “Papa! I’m here!” she yelled. Fear clutched her chest when she got no response. “Papa! Papa! Call out if you can hear me!” Turning to the traveling player, she yelled, “You said he was not hurt badly, why does he not answer?”

“Mayhap he rests. He lost a lot of blood,” he said, his voice loud above the stomping of hooves.

As they came close enough to the building for Maryn to get to it by foot, she pulled on Fia’s reins and slid off. Lifting her skirts, and with one hand on the underside of her belly, she ran, her feet furiously pounding the ground.

Flying through the ancient doorway, she stopped short, her chest heaving as her blood pumped rapidly through her heart. As she struggled to gain her breath, she looked around in bewilderment, for her father was nowhere in sight. In fact, there was no trace that he had ever been there.

“I see that realization is finally dawning,
m’lady
,” the player said from just behind her.

Maryn whirled around and took a step back. “What mean you by this game? What have you done with my father?”

“I assume your father is still at the MacGregor holding. But he was the best lure I could think of to get you here. His age made it easy for you to believe he could be overtaken so easily.”

Maryn tried to dart around him, but he caught her easily with an arm under her breasts, and yanked on her hair, forcing her head back. She grimaced and he laughed.

“Nay, you’ll not be leaving. Alive, that is.”

She gasped, her eyes widening in terror. “Nay!” She wrenched and twisted, her scalp burning where hair was yanked from its roots, but to no avail.

He cackled and dragged her, scratching and screaming, further into the chamber toward the place where a length of rope lay in full view. “Now, let us tie those wrists of yours.”

“Nay!” Maryn kicked and clawed, bit and spat to free herself, but her strength was no match to his, and in only moments, he had her hands tied behind her back. “Why do you do this? Can you not see I am with child?”

“Oh, I see. And it only makes this game that much more pleasurable.” The player cackled with evil glee and threw her to the ground. She landed on her backside with a
“whoof”.
As she looked up into her captor’s cold eyes with dread filling her heart, a glimmer of recognition passed through her. “Who are you? You are no traveling player, I trow.”

He grinned. “You remember me not, Maryn Donald? It must be the beard and hair, and of course, my usual attire is much nicer.” There was a pause as he waited for her answer, then he said, “Still no recollection? Then I’ll give you a rhyme: Once my life was
stable
but now ‘tis not, so I’ve
marshaled
my wits to avenge your plot, and tho’ I grow
hoarse
—”

“Clyde Ramsey!” she breathed, her eyes now feverishly traveling over his visage and frame. He’d lost quite a bit of weight since the last time she’d seen him, and his usually dapper appearance was now shabby and plain. Anger overtook Maryn’s fright and she tried to rise, but fell back when she could not gain her balance with her hands tied as they were.

“I knew you’d enjoy my rhyme, as you have enjoyed all my others each eve these past days. ‘Tis a gift I inherited from my mother, you know.”

“What is your purpose? You cannot truly think you will escape punishment for this. My husband will make sure you pay, and pay dearly, if I or our babe is harmed.”

“Ah, but that is the beauty of this scheme. He will never know I had anything to do with your death. He shall believe you fell from your horse and broke your lovely neck.”

“He’d never believe such a thing. My husband has seen what a good rider I am. ‘Tis certain, he’ll suspect mischief was involved.” Maryn surreptitiously worked the knots of the tie, trying to loosen them enough to free her wrists. Clyde had not tied the knots very tightly; he had doubtlessly believed her too feeble to overcome his greater strength. But she had a plan. Her slingshot and a few stones were in the lining of her cloak. If she could but free her hands, she might then use her weapon to stun the man long enough to make her escape.

Clyde Ramsey settled on the ground and leaned against the wall across from her. “You doubt that I can make it appear as if you had an accident while riding? Me? I know more about horses than you ever will, my dear.” He picked up a small pebble and tossed it in the air a few times. “And with your death, your husband is sure to be so grieved that he will leave the holding. Then the Macleans shall have no choice but to allow Callum back as laird. And ‘twill only be a matter of time, I’m sure, before I have my position back as marshal.”

Thinking the man a bit deranged, Maryn did not dispute his reasoning, for she worried she’d only incite his wrath even more.

*

Daniel and Bao were physically tired but spiritually exhilarated as they rode their mounts through the gates of the keep. Laird Donald had been successful in finding a mutually agreeable solution to the feud and they’d all departed two days past.

“I’m going straight to the soldier’s quarters to bathe and then I need meat and wine. Two days of oatcakes and stale ale has whetted my appetite for more solid fare,” Bao said as they stood by the stables and gave their mounts over to a stableman.

Daniel chuckled. “Aye, that is a sound plan, brother. Except first, I shall find my wife.”

“Yer wife’s gone to the village, Laird. She rode ‘er mare down not an hour past,” the young stableman told him, handing Daniel his satchel.

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “She travelled alone? Without an escort?”

The lad gave him a confused look. “Aye, Laird. Alone.”

Aargh!
He should have
known
the minx would defy him. His lips pursed. Mayhap, another ‘lesson’ was in order, he thought with a smirk. He nodded to the youth and turned back to Bao. “‘Tis to the village for me, it seems.” He called out to the stableman, “I’ll need a fresh mount; this one needs a rest.”

“Aye, Laird,” the youth replied and handed the weary horses over to another stableman before retrieving the bay from its stall.

“You must be very anxious to see your wife if you travel such a short distance on horseback,” Bao remarked.

“Aye, that I am.” Daniel said. He smiled in anticipation and settled himself on the bay the stableman had readied. “I shall see you in a few hours, then. Enjoy your bath and your meal. And please give our grandmother and sister my greetings—tell them I shall visit with them this eve.”

Bao nodded and watched Daniel ride off once more. Shaking his head at his brother’s folly, he ambled over to the soldier’s quarters, stretching the kinks from his limbs and neck. He was bone weary and hungry as hell.