The Clan MacDougall Series (82 page)

’Twas Nial McKee, chief of the Clan McKee, who stood before him. While not as tall as some of the other men, he was an imposing figure all the same. He wore his brown hair cut close to his scalp and he had penetrating gray blue eyes.

“Nial,” Findley said as he stood. Findley had known Nial for years. Nial had fostered with the MacDougalls as a young boy.

“I’m growin’ weary of havin’ to pull yer arse from the flames. I’ve got much better things to do with me time.”

Findley sat his trencher of food on the ground at his feet, stood upright and shook his head at Nial.

Robert nudged Andrew and the two boys went to stand beside Findley. They crossed their arms over their chests and looked up at the man who was insulting Findley.

“How do yer dance lessons go?” Nial asked. His expression remained unchanged.

“How goes yer needlework?” Findley asked.

“Have ye lost yer virginity yet, or are ye still frightened of the lasses?”

“Have ye quit wettin’ the bed?”

“Have ye still a wee wanker?”

“Do ye still like wearin’ dresses and prancing around like a faerie?”

A smile finally broke across Nial’s face. “Aye! And when I do, I dream of ye dancin’ with me!”

The men broke into a fit of laughter and hugged each other while Robert and Andrew looked at each other. ’Twas a confusing hello, to say the least.

“Nial McKee, ye rat bastard! How long has it been?”

“Far too long, ye scurvy dog!”

Findley looked down at Robert and Andrew. “Lads, I want ye to meet someone who is even more insane that Malcolm Buchannan,” he said as he cast a wry smile to Nial.

Nial looked down at the boys with a menacing expression. “Aye, I am. And you’d be smart to remember that, lads,” he winked at each of the boys, raised his eyebrows and sat down on the ground near the fire.

Findley laughed as he sat back down and retrieved his trencher. “Robert and Andrew, this is Nial McKee. He fancies himself chief of the Clan McKee. But he’s really more the chatelaine of their castle,” he winked at both the boys who had now returned to their seats.

Nial ignored the insult as he stretched his legs out and crossed his arms over his chest. “Aye, I may be the chatelaine, but I’m still here to pull yer faerie arse from the fire. Again.”

Findley ate and began to feel better. With so many men here to help, he no longer doubted the success of the mission at hand. With the combined forces of the MacDougalls, McDunnahs and McKees, they’d have Maggy and Ian out of harm’s way in no time. At least, that was his sincerest hope and prayer.

When they finished eating and washed off the mud and sweat, they gathered around the fire and began to plan their assault. If everything went as planned, Findley would have his arms wrapped around Maggy before the sun rose the next day.

Lightning ripped violently and dangerously through the night sky. Thunder rattled and shook Lady Judith Kinleigh’s carriage, causing a squeal of fright to escape her maid’s lips.

“Kate!” Lady Judith hissed. “Please, do not squeal so!” Aye, she too was frightened of the storm that had descended upon them as they crossed Scotland from Inverness to Aberdeen. Lady Judith however, remained graceful and dignified.

But Kate trembled and shook with each flash of lightning and rumble of thunder. She sat across from her lady, a death grip on to the velvet seat. “I’m sorry, m’lady,” her voice more than a bit shaky. “I’ve never liked storms.”

Lady Judith let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “’Tis just a storm, Kate. There is nothing to be frightened over.” She lied of course, but she didn’t want her maid to know that she too was quite unsettled by the storm.

Lady Judith hated traveling by carriage, especially on these rough and uneven roads. She would have much preferred to have ridden her mare, but her husband, Lord Kinleigh, wouldn’t allow it. She was, after all, a lady. And ladies, he insisted, didn’t ride by horseback all the way from Inverness to Aberdeen. What would people think?

Truth be told, Lady Judith didn’t care much what other people thought. But she did love her husband, a highly unusual thing that was, and his opinion did matter. She knew he lied when he said he worried over what society might think of his wife riding horseback for such a long distance. But the truth of the matter was, he worried over her safety. There were ne’er-do-wells and highwaymen galore in many parts of Scotland. He couldn’t stand the thought of some blackguard taking her for ransom. Or worse.

If it gave her husband’s heart some measure of security to have her travel by carriage, then so be it, even if the bone jarring ride made her feel as though she were on a ship at sea, being tossed about in a horrific storm.

They traveled with two carriages and fifteen soldiers. One carriage held Lady Judith and her maid, the other held their luggage. Lady Judith could barely wait to return home to her husband and three children. She missed them terribly, so therefore had insisted that they keep pushing onward even after the sun had set. She hadn’t been prepared for such a threatening storm as the one they now rode through. She was beginning to wish she had listened to Forbes earlier when he suggested they stop and take comfort at an inn. But Lady Judith had been far too anxious to return home and insisted they stay their course.

As they rode down the severely rutted road, being tossed about like loose potatoes inside a large bowl, Lady Judith fought her queasy stomach. It amazed her how one could get seasick without so much as a toe set upon a ship. Her stomach however, proved such a thing was possible. She swore that if they didn’t stop soon, her late dinner would soon be splattered all over the floor of the fine carriage.

She didn’t think it possible for the road to get worse, but it soon did. The carriage hit a very large hole that sent both Lady Judith and her maid flying from their seats. When they landed with a great thud, the carriage listed heavily to one side and slammed both women into the wall.

“Oh! This can’t be good, m’lady!” Kate cried when the carriage finally stopped swaying to and fro. It remained precariously perched to one side, forcing both women to sit on the wall instead of the bench. They heard voices shouting outside the carriage, and for a moment, Lady Judith feared they might be under attack.

The carriage was practically lying on its side. Lady Judith reached for Kate’s trembling hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll be well soon enough, Kate,” she told her, more to reassure her own mind than her maid’s.

Only a short moment passed before the door to the carriage flew open and her man Forbes poked his head through. “Are ye well, m’lady?” he asked with much worry in his voice.

“Aye, we are, Forbes. A bit shaken, but I do no’ believe anythin’ is broken,” she answered, unable to hide the relief in her voice at seeing him.

“Are we under attack?” Kate asked fearfully.

Forbes laughed. “Aye, we are, miss! But not from blackguards or robbers! ’Tis Mother Nature herself that’s doin’ the attackin’!”

Kate shot him a furious look, angry that he was making fun of her plight. Lady Judith however, laughed along with him.

Forbes reached in and hauled the women out one at a time, handing each off to one of his soldiers. Forbes was the personal bodyguard of Lady Judith. He had proudly served her for ten years now and would protect her to his own death if necessary.

First he handed Kate into the arms of a waiting soldier. She clung to him for dear life as the rain beat down in long sheets. With each flash of lightning, she would jump and bury herself deeper into the man’s arms.

Forbes had never seen the young Kate so terrified. Of course, they’d never been stuck out in the middle of nowhere during a violent thunderstorm before. Normally Kate was a strong-minded, sharp-tongued lass who held her own. That was probably one of the reasons Forbes had grown quite fond of her, though the lass hadn’t an inkling of his feelings.

Forbes pulled Lady Judith from the carriage and handed her down as gracefully as possible considering the circumstances. They stood huddled together in the driving rain.

“M’lady,” one of the mounted scouts came bounding up to them. He called out to Judith as he pulled his horse to a stop near the small group. “We found a castle no’ far from here,” he bowed slightly to both women from atop his horse. He appeared unbothered by the rain that beat down and splattered his face.

“Might I be so bold as to suggest we seek shelter fer ye and Miss Kate? At least until the storm passes and we can dislodge the carriage and fix the broken wheel?”

Lady Judith could not help but smile at the man. In his own polite way, he was trying to appear unbothered by the storm, as well as make it look as though the whole thing was Lady Judith’s idea.

She didn’t need to think twice over it. “I believe that to be a splendid idea, John!”

Kate let out the breath she’d been holding but didn’t let loose her hold on the soldier. Forbes felt a rush of jealousy rise up, not liking at all the pleased look on the man’s face. Kate was a beauty, to be sure, and she could melt the heart of many a man.

Forbes wanted to reach out and offer Kate his hand, but Lady Judith was his primary responsibility.

“Forbes,” Lady Judith said, her voice barely audible over the sound of the thunder and driving rain. “Will ye be so kind as to escort Kate and me to the castle?”

Forbes nodded his head and went to retrieve his mount. When he returned, and ordered a man to help Lady Judith up on his horse, Lady Judith declined.

“Please Forbes, my maid is trembling like a leaf. Please, allow her to ride with you. I shall be perfectly content riding with John.”

She gave him no time to argue and within a blink of an eye, the soldier Kate had clung to was lifting her up to Forbes. He couldn’t be more delighted to have her sitting atop his lap, but sent a silent prayer up to the good Lord to help him keep his wits about him. It wouldn’t do to be distracted by the lass.

Kate wrapped her arms around Forbes’ chest and clung to him tightly. “I hate storms,” she whispered.

Forbes was no longer cursing the damned storm. In fact, he was quite glad for it.

“M’laird,” Almer was trying to get Malcolm’s attention and had repeated his title three times.

Malcolm was staring into the soft embers that crackled in the stone fireplace. He sat quietly, a dram of whiskey in his hand, and quite lost in his own thoughts.

Why won’t she marry me? He wondered to himself. I’ve done everything I could think of to get her to say aye, but still, she refuses me. He took a sip of the fine whiskey and continued to ignore the man standing next to him.

Anger boiled deep within Malcolm’s gut. It was her own fault she was locked in the room, chained to the wall. He felt no pity for her, just burning anger. He had decided that he’d not give her another chance to deny him. She’d eventually crack, agree to his proposal, and soon he would be the laird of a vast estate, married to a titled lady, and a very wealthy man.

Then they’d no longer whisper about him behind his back. Aye, people would still cower in fear in his presence, but the rumors that he’d lost his mind would stop. They would admire his tenacity and intelligence. They would still fear him, but no longer would they make fun of his appearance when they thought he could not hear.

A scarred man, a crazy man would not have been able to win the heart of one so lovely as the Lady Margaret. A marriage to her would prove to the naysayers and gossips that his face was not so scarred and his mind not so bent as they had previously thought. With Maggy on his arm, at his side, nothing could stop Malcolm from amassing thousands of soldiers, more power and more land. The laughing would soon stop.

“M’laird!” Almer raised his voice again to gain Malcolm’s attention.

“What is it?!” Malcolm shouted. He didn’t like being disturbed when he was in his private chambers. He’d gut the fool if whatever he was interrupting him for turned out to be unimportant.

Almer’s expression remained stoic. Although Malcolm terrified the hell out of him, he was still his chief, his leader and he would afford the man the respect he deserved—even if his laird had gone completely mad.

“We’ve got visitors. People seekin’ shelter from the storm,” Almer explained. “A lady and her maid.”

Malcolm looked confused. No one sought shelter here. At least not the titled or wealthy. He wondered for a moment if it wasn’t some kind of trap.

“Just one woman and her maid?”

Almer shook his head slightly. “Nay, m’laird. She has five men with her. She says her name is Lady Kinleigh.”

Malcolm searched his memory. The name sounded familiar. “Lady Kinleigh?” he repeated the name as if doing so would help him to remember.

“They say they’re traveling from Inverness to Aberdeen. They say their carriage broke a wheel a few miles away,” Almer explained further. “They are soaked to the bone, m’laird, and have asked to stay while the carriage is fixed.”

Malcolm thought on it for a moment. No one would send a lady and her maid as a distraction. Deciding it would do no harm to allow them shelter, he gave an approving nod. He knocked back the rest of his whiskey and placed the empty goblet on the table by his chair before standing.

“Well, let’s go welcome our guests, shall we?” he said as he slapped Almer on the back. Malcolm figured that soon enough, he’d be opening his doors to the estate that came with marrying Maggy, so he might as well get used to such intrusions.

Lady Judith didn’t bat so much as a lash when Malcolm appeared before her. She’d seen scarred men before, so Malcolm’s appearance didn’t startle her. While she appeared stoic and all manners on the outside, her insides were quite another story.

She knew the moment he came walking down the stairs exactly who he was. At the moment he was one of the most feared and dangerous men in all of Scotland.

“M’laird,” she said. She gave a low curtsy and extended her hand when he approached.

Malcolm blinked, apparently not used to such gesticulations. Most people cowered in fear in his presence. Or worse yet, fainted at the sight of his face.

He politely took her hand and kissed her gloved knuckles. How many years had it been since he’d been in the presence of a noble lady or kissed a delicate hand?