The Raven's Moon (42 page)

Stunned, he let out another slow breath. "Anna and Jock, do they know?"

Alec shook his head. "Maggie did not want anyone to know the mistake we had made. I think Anna suspects the truth. But we let everyone believe that we—" He paused. "That we were cold in the heart." He shrugged.

"Oh God," Rowan said. "I owe you an apology—all this time, I thought..." He did not finish.

"You were imprisoned for my crime, Rowan, and so I felt a strong duty to keep care of Maggie—and your child. I would never betray you, brother," Alec murmured.

Rowan nodded, hardly able to speak. He glanced at Iain, who watched them with silent understanding.

And suddenly he knew that the loyalty and trust that Mairi always gave Iain, and that Rowan had thought lost to him, had been there all along. The relief, the gratitude for it nearly overwhelmed him. He grasped Alec's hand tightly.

"Aye, we are kin," he said gruffly.

"And kin is all." Alec smiled. "Now, brother, we have an urgent matter to discuss with you about spies and gold." Iain nodded and murmured his agreement.

Reminded of his other task, Rowan took a step back and leaned against another tomb. He folded his arms over his chest thoughtfully. He wanted this explanation—and he feared that Mairi's life was in danger. He must act quickly.

"I'll hear your tale," he said. "But first, best know that Simon Kerr expects me to bring you back in my custody. He means to give both of you over to the English." He looked evenly at them. "And Simon is now holding Mairi as a pledge for your necks. If I bring you to Abermuir, she will be freed."

"Jesu," Iain muttered. "He thinks to barter us for her?"

"Aye. But I have another thought."

"What is that?" Alec asked sharply.

"Give me some answers first. If you are guilty, either I take you down or someone else will," he said grimly. "If you are innocent, I want proof."

Alec and Iain exchanged rapid glances.

"Tell me now, privately, or tell all of us at Blackdrummond," Rowan said. "Simon's deputy Archie is there, and so is Forster's deputy. You did me a kindness, brother, when I thought you had played me false." He turned to Alec. "But I will take you down if you have truly committed treason."

"Simon holds Mairi pledge, and that gives you reason to capture us," Iain said. "But why do you care about the rest of it? You were a notorious man yourself, long before you were a deputy."

"I was sent here by the council to pursue Scottish spies who took Spanish gold from a shipwreck," Rowan said. "I know that Heckie Elliot and his gang are part of this. I want to know the rest. I owe Heckie Elliot for an ambush he set on me."

"We know Heckie is art and part in this," Alec said. "But what do you care about the gold?"

"I promised Mairi, for Iain's sake, that I would learn the truth. And I wanted to know if Alec was clear." Rowan smiled, flat and brief. "And the English queen will have my own head on a pikestaff unless the Spanish gold is found and the spies discovered. I am still notorious in English eyes, though a deputy. So tell me," he said. "Where did you acquire that Spanish gold that Simon found in your satchel?"

"We had it in our hands but an hour when Simon took it off us," Alec said. "Iain and I rode out one night to follow some English reivers who had snatched Blackdrummond cattle. We were crossing back into Scotland wi' our own cattle when we met Heckie Elliot and his gang. They ambushed us, but we turned guns on them, and ran. We captured one of Heckie's packhorses. There were two large sacks strapped to it."

"We saw gold and were pleased, thinking we had Heckie's own horde," Iain continued. "But then Simon came after them, and gave us chase. He took me down wi' the gold. Alec got away. I learned later it was Spanish stuff."

"Two sacks?" Rowan asked. "What was in them?"

"We hardly saw, before Simon appeared and took it all."

"What were Scottish reivers doing wi' Spanish gold?" Alec asked. "I tried to discover more about it while I was in hiding, and Iain was in Simon's custody. We found a letter in one o' the sacks, which I had on me. 'Twas written in Spanish."

Rowan narrowed his eyes. "Spanish?"

Alec shrugged. "I could not read it, but I went back to Iain's house and hid it in his loft, meaning to come back for it. I never had the chance, with Simon's troopers searching everywhere."

"Mairi found that letter," Iain said.

"Aye," Rowan agreed. "But why should I believe your tale? Found this, stumbled on that." He folded his arms and looked narrowly at his brother.

"The council sent you out here to follow spies?" Alec asked. "As Simon's deputy?"

"They did."

"Last year, the council sent a message to Blackdrummond with an offer of a barter. If I would act as king's agent, they would release you. I agreed."

"So that was why I was pardoned?" Rowan asked, astonished.

"Aye. The privy council gave you a post in the East March. I acted as land sergeant to Simon Kerr for a while," Alec went on. "I began to suspect that Heckie and his brothers were linked to something unscrupulous, and I followed them. Archie Pringle helped—he is a trustworthy man. He wrote to the council about the matter. But Simon suddenly dismissed me from my post. He would have dismissed Archie too, but Archie's father is a powerful man, and Simon did not dare cross him."

"That was when Heckie began demanding black rent from Alec and me," Iain said. "Simon did not do much to stop it."

"I am not surprised," Rowan said. "Go on. What more?"

"That is all we know," Iain said. "We are no spies against Scotland. I hope you trust that, Rowan Scott."

Rowan frowned thoughtfully. "Perhaps the raven's moon could tell us something about this matter."

Both men looked at him blankly. "Moon? 'Tis still raining, I think," Alec said.

Certain that neither had ever heard the phrase, Rowan smiled. "I owe you another apology, Alec. And you, Iain. I suspected you both of treachery. I am glad I was wrong," he added quietly. "Mairi told me I was wrong."

Iain laughed. "She would know—you should listen to her."

Alec looked around. "This is an eerie place, full of ghosts and memories. I never liked it much as a lad." He smiled at Rowan. "Let's go home. I want some hot food—though we will all be dosed with some of Anna's cream posset once she sees how wet and filthy we are."

Rowan chuckled in agreement and blew out the candle as Alec and Iain turned to climb the steps.

As he went up behind them, he paused to glance back at the shadowed crypt. He had always liked the sense of solace and peace that he felt in this place.

He drew a breath, taking a little of that peace with him as he ascended the steps.

Chapter 27

Ay through time, ay through time,

Ay through time was he, lady,

Filled was wi' sweet revenge

On a' his enemys, lady.

—"Rob Roy"

"Scumfishing," Sandie said. "That's what we'll do."

He sat back, decided, to look at Jock, Christie, and Geordie, seated at the trestle table in Blackdrummond's great hall. Nearby, Alec, Archie, and Iain stood near the hearth. They all stared at him.

Rowan, seated by the hearth, grimaced to himself.

"Scumfishing in the warden's tower?" Jock asked. "Are you a daftie?"

Sandie grinned. "We'll go to Abermuir now, in the dark, send torches through the windows, and smoke them scum out o' there. Scum-fishing. A fine Border custom. You and I have done it many times, hey."

"We have not smoked men out o' their tower for years," Jock grumbled. "There are better ways now."

"It is direct, I'll admit, but not recommended for a March warden's tower," Archie said.

"What of Mairi?" Christie asked. "She is in there too."

"True," Rowan said. "And she is the reason we must breach Abermuir. Scumfishing flushes everyone out. We only want to remove Mairi, without disturbing the rest. Although I may have a few words with Simon," he added.

"You will not bring him these two traitors?" Archie asked.

"He will not have to. We'll be with him," Iain said.

"Are you art and part of this, Archie Pringle?" Rowan asked.

The other deputy nodded. "I am. Simon has pushed my good nature too far this time."

"And you, Geordie Bell?" Rowan turned.

"I've been a March deputy for years. I'm weary of my fine, lawful behavior." Geordie grinned.

"By hell, Geordie Bell," Archie Pringle said, to low chuckles from the others.

Rowan did not smile, only nodding. "Good. We're agreed. We'll fetch Mairi, and I'll have a wee chat with Simon."

"And we'll find Heckie Elliot. This matter o' spies will be over by tomorrow," Christie said.

"If we can find Heckie," Archie said.

Anna crossed the room, holding Jamie in her arms. She set him down, keeping his hand. "The child will not sleep. And when will you lot sleep?" she asked. "'Tis barely past dark. Rest a bit, all of you, and go out in the dark before dawn."

"She's right," Rowan said. "They'll all be asleep at Abermuir then. Hey, laddie." He smiled as Jamie toddled toward him. He watched the child, hardly able to drink in that wonder, his own son. He held out his hands.

Jamie walked past him and went toward Alec, who held out his arms. But Jamie toddled past him as well, and held up his little arms.

"Jock," he said. "Jock!"

Jock lifted the child to his lap. "Hey, you should be asleep."

"He'll not sleep with all this commotion," Anna grumbled. "Here, do not give him that dirty old thing," she said.

Jock let Jamie take up the black mirror that had been lying on the table. "He just wants to see it."

Rowan watched as Jamie stared at the stone, pressed his nose against it and gave it a smacking kiss. Rowan laughed.

Geordie leaned forward. "This is curious."

Rowan went to Geordie, who sat studying the Spanish letter. "What is it?"

"I've seen letters like this before. A few months ago, the queen's spymaster sent a man to meet with Forster. The man taught me some of the codes and ciphers the Spanish use."

"What does this say?"

"I cannot work all of it out, but enough to have a good idea. Roses can be a code for coin and bribes—red roses are gold and coins, white roses are paper, so documents, deeds and so on. This mention of a beautiful lady—I'm still working on that. I do think whoever it is is expecting to receive gold and documents."

"And the raven's moon?" Rowan asked.

"The phrase repeats. Raven's moon, here and here again.'" Geordie indicated the page. "It says that the white rose will blossom in the raven's moon."

"Sounds like utter nonsense. But we have to assume that the black stone must be their raven's moon."

"And Heckie wants something that you had quite badly, and the black mirror was in your possession from the Spanish shipwreck. The letter would hardly describe a round black stone mirror," Geordie said wryly. "The message must be intended to inform the person that the raven's moon would be on the ship with gold and documents."

"We found no pages—those could have been lost at sea."

"The thing has no inscription?" Geordie asked. "Let me see it again."

Rowan held out his hand to Jamie. "Give it here, Jamie lad," he said. "Please."

"Na." Jamie hugged the mirror to his chest. "Mine."

Geordie chuckled and went back to perusing the letter. "Hopefully I can decipher the rest soon," he murmured.

"Jamie lad, give me the stone, please," Rowan said again.

Anna lifted Jamie from Jock's lap. "Time for sleep, wee one. Give Rowan the mirror," she said gently.

Jamie shook his head vehemently and clung to the stone. As Anna lifted him, he protested, and the mirror fell to the floor.

As it hit, Rowan saw the frame crack. A small wad of paper, folded several times, peeked from inside the frame.

He leaned over and picked up the mirror, turning it in his hand carefully.