The Chase

by Lynsay Sands

  "Now jest a minute there, lad," Angus interrupted grimly, obviously not wishing to lose his excuse to remain close to Lady Wildwood. " 'Tis me daughter who made the first promise to see her safe, and I shall take on that burden, as I said. 'Tis me responsibility."

  "Gentlemen," Lady Wildwood interrupted quietly, bringing silence to the party. "I think you are focusing on who Helen is and forgetting something more important."

  "What's that?" Angus asked with a frown.

  "As Seonaid pointed out to me abovestairs, there is the Cameron to worry about. He will hardly wish Helen to return safely to her father and tell all. His head will be on the block should she manage it. He will be desperate to stop her. The men who attacked in the woods would have trailed you all here, and by now there may be a small army of Camerons on its way, if they are not here already." She allowed that to sink in. "And then there is her father to consider as well. If Helen's maid did manage to ride all the way to southern England on her own, and he has heard what has happened, he too may be under threat."

  "You are right," Rolfe said with concern. "I shall send a messenger to him at once. If the maid hasn't reached him, the message will inform him of what has happened. Either way, I shall instruct him to stay within Bethencourt and to keep any Camerons out until we reach him."

  "We?" Angus asked grimly.

  "Helen and I. As things stand, a large party would simply draw Cameron's attention. 'Twould be better if Helen and I were to sneak out on our own, perhaps with her disguised as a boy. Then we can head for Bethencourt."

  Angus was frowning over this. Obviously his plan to use Helen as an excuse to remain close to Lady Wildwood would not work if Rolfe rode alone with Helen. On the other hand, taking the girl with the larger party would put Lady Wildwood and the bishop in jeopardy. They could take most of the men and brave an attack by the entire Cameron clan, as Duncan had done when he had ridden out after Seonaid, but after the attack and siege of Dunbar, he was reluctant to leave his home vulnerable again.

  The sudden bang of the great hall doors slamming open interrupted the silence as everyone turned to see who had entered. Recognizing the messenger hurrying across the hall, Rolfe stood to meet the man and accepted the scroll he carried. He broke the seal on the scroll, unrolled it, and read the missive with a frown.

  "The messenger I sent to the king with the news of Lady Wildwood's presence here 'ere we left for St. Simmian's arrived safely. He is ordering me to escort Lady Wildwood to court posthaste to discuss 'matters of great import.' "

  "What matters of great import?" Angus asked suspiciously.

  "And why the rush?" Iliana's mother asked.

  "No doubt he knows Greenweld is dead by now too," Rolfe muttered. "News moves quickly."

  "So?" Lady Wildwood asked warily.

  "On Greenweld's death, you became mistress of both Wildwood and the neighboring Greenweld, my lady," Bishop Wykeham pointed out quietly.

  "Aye." Rolfe scrubbed the hair back from his face with irritation. "And with Iliana as your only heir--and she married and installed here at Dunbar--he no doubt wishes to see you remarried. Preferably to someone with more than one heir to step in and take over each estate."

  Margaret turned a horrified glance toward Angus. He stared back at her, stunned for a moment, then rose to his feet roaring, "The hell he will! I am marrying Margaret. In fact, I am doing so right now. Bishop, get yer Bible."

  "Now just a minute," Lord Rolfe protested. "You cannot marry Lady Wildwood against her will."

  "It is not against my will," Margaret said quietly. "I wish to marry Angus."

  "But, I cannot let you marry him. The king--"

  "Has not sent orders against it," Blake interrupted with amusement. He rather thought the pair would make a fine couple. Blake had noted a distinct difference in his father-in-law since returning with Seonaid and suspected it had to do with Lady Wildwood's influence. The two were obviously in love, and the woman was softening him. The Dunbar had even taken Blake aside to tell him that he intended to rectify the old rift between himself and the Earl of Sherwell.

  "Aye, but--" Lord Rolfe began, and Blake interrupted again.

  "He has not sent orders regarding anything except that Lady Wildwood travel to court. Does he have plans to marry her off, he should have said so. I see no reason they should not marry. Then the laird can take some of his own men, along with the king's men, and see his wife and the bishop to court, leaving you free to slip away with Helen and hightail it to Bethencourt," Blake pointed out slyly. "Then you two can collect her father and make your way to court to meet up with them."

  "In fact," he added, "their leavetaking might be a good diversion for you. They can parade out of Dunbar slowly so that the Camerons, if they are hiding out there, will watch and eventually can see that Helen is not among them. Meanwhile you can take Helen and slip out through the secret passage in Seonaid's room."

  "That may work," Duncan murmured, speaking up for the first time. "Lady Helen could leave disguised as a boy as ye suggested, and I could arrange horses to be waiting fer ye at the end o' the passage. Ye could slip away undetected."

  Seonaid watched the men pack Lady Wildwood's trunks onto the back of the cart and shook her head in wonderment. She had no clue what all the woman had in them, but Lady Wildwood had insisted they were all items she would need at court. Lady Dunbar, she mentally corrected herself. Her father had married the woman the night before. She was now Seonaid's stepmother.

  " 'Tis glad I am we're no travelin' with them," Aeldra murmured suddenly, and Seonaid nodded in agreement. She did not mind long journeys as a rule but was used to traveling with a small army of men, and without a wagon of trunks to slow her down. The cart of goods Lady Margaret was taking with her would force the party to travel at a snail's pace. Not that Seonaid supposed her father was in any rush to reach the English court. He would no doubt have to face the English king's wrath over their marriage, and there was nothing to rush back for. Duncan already all but ran Dunbar in deed, if not in name, and could tend it well enough in their father's absence.

  "Seonaid."

  She turned to find her father approaching and offered a smile.

  "Lady Margaret and I will stop at Sherwell on our way back from court to see how yer gettin' along, and to tell ye how things went with the English king," he announced, his gaze shifting to the men preparing the wagon and horses for their journey. Then he glanced back. "I still think 'twould be better were ye travelin' with us at least til we reached England, but that stubborn husband o' yers refuses, so ..." He shrugged, then turned away to yell at one of the men to make sure everything was tied down.

  Seonaid smiled to herself while his back was turned. She and Blake were not traveling alone--Aeldra and Little George were to accompany them--but they would not be joining her father's party after all. The change had come about during her father's wedding to Lady Wildwood. Iliana and Duncan had been standing near Seonaid and Blake during the ceremony, and the smaller woman had commented that her father-in-law and soon-to-be stepfather looked very handsome in his newly cleaned and mended gold doublet and braies. The doublet had sported a hole from the arrow her father had taken until Iliana had taken care of it.

  Blake had grimaced at the woman's comment and muttered that the man should look good in his doublet and braies; the outfit had cost him a small fortune. He had then turned to tell her what she already knew, that he had traded her father the outfit for his plaid, explaining that he had wished to wear the Dunbar "colors" while traipsing across Scotland to avoid as much trouble as he could while he hared after her.

  Iliana had appeared confused by this news, Duncan had burst out laughing, and Seonaid had bit her lip briefly, then taken pity on her husband and explained that he had been misinformed: Scots did not have clan tartans. When he had argued the point, assuring her that everyone in England knew clans had specific tartans, she had sighed and informed him that everyone in England was wrong.

  It had taken some talkin
g to convince him, and then he'd been irritated to learn that he had been so foolish as to give up his new doublet and braies to her father under false pretenses. Seonaid couldn't really blame him--her father's plaid was rather malodorous, and she was always relieved when he took it off. Blake was rather relieved to be free of the thing himself. And before he could become too upset over the matter, Iliana had soothed him by offering to sew him a new doublet and braies for their trip home.

  Blake had accepted the offer gratefully, claiming he would rather wear English clothing on English soil. But even with the small army of servants she had asked to set to the task with her, the outfit would take Iliana two days to create. This news hadn't seemed to bother Blake. In fact, she suspected it rather pleased him to announce that they would just have to wait the extra day and give up the chance to travel with the others.

  Seonaid was not surprised that he would rather not journey with her father and the others to England. The two men got along much better now that the marriage was accomplished. Her father even showed some signs of liking her husband, but she doubted very much that Blake wanted to be hampered by the presence of so many people so soon after their marriage, at least not if he wished to continue to bed her as they had since the wedding. That thought was enough to ensure that she had no desire to travel with the others. She couldn't stand the idea of laying next to Blake night after night, not being able to touch him for fear of waking everyone with the moans and sighs she seemed unable to contain.

  "Where is yer husb--Oh, there ye are," her father said, and Seonaid glanced over her shoulder to see Blake approaching. When he paused, he stood so close that his chest brushed her back, and Seonaid was tempted to lean into him but controlled herself. She had not yet gotten used to the difference in their relationship. She had gone from battling and fleeing the man to reluctantly giving up her injured pride at Lady Margaret's urging to the intimacy that took place in their bedroom of a night. She still had no idea how to behave around him once they were out of the bedroom.

  "Be careful on yer way."

  Her father's solemn words drew Seonaid's attention to the two men as he cautioned Blake.

  "Remember," he continued, "Greenweld's men are out there."

  "Surely they would not still be after me?" Blake said with surprise. "Greenweld is dead."

  "Aye." Angus nodded. "But who is it ye think may have told 'em that?"

  Blake stared at him blankly, and the man nodded.

  "No one. They're no likely to risk talkin' to Scots lest they bring an attack on themselves fer bein' where they doona belong. And they're no likely to come back to report to Greenweld that they have failed in the task. From all I've heard o' that bastard, he'd have skinned 'em alive for the failure. Nay, they'd no dare to return without seein' the job done."

  "Aye, but if they have trailed us back here to Dunbar, then they shall surely see that Greenweld is not here and realize--"

  "I doubt they've managed to get this far yet. They were several days behind ye and would have had to travel to the abbey jest as ye did. Had Seonaid no led ye sech a merry chase and ye'd headed straight back, ye'd have most like run into them on the way here. As it is, they are probably following the trail ye left in yer travels and are still several days behind ye."

  Blake fell silent as he considered this information, and Seonaid suspected he was reconsidering traveling with her father and the others now that he realized they might be put in jeopardy due to his decision. It was too late for that, however.

  "So watch yerselves when ye head out and keep an eye open," Angus finished.

  Blake nodded solemnly.

  Satisfied, Angus turned to Seonaid and chucked her under the chin. "Keep an eye on this one. His father will no doubt blame me if he gets hissel' killed."

  Seonaid had trouble hiding her grin of amusement, but--aware of Blake's irritation over her father's words--she did her best. "Aye, Father."

  "Guid. Now, find Lady Helen and get her up to yer room; we're almost ready to go. Let us know once they're on their way. We'll give them a few minutes to make their way through the passage, then set out. It should offer them enough distraction to ride out of the area undetected."

  Nodding, Seonaid turned to move back into the keep, aware that Blake and Aeldra were following. They found Helen in the great hall, thanking Iliana for her hospitality during her stay there, and Seonaid smiled to herself at the sight of the former redhead. Helen had been transformed from a red-haired woman to a dark-haired young English lad. They had bound her breasts, dressed her in a set of Lord Rolfe's clothes that the women had taken in and resewn, then tied her hair back behind her head and darkened it with soot from the fireplace so that she now looked like a small, dark-haired lad. The transformation was remarkable.

  Helen finished her thank-you as Seonaid, Blake, and Aeldra reached her. She turned to eye them and asked, "Is it time?"

  "Aye."

  Nodding, Helen fell into step with Seonaid as she turned toward the stairs to the upper level.

  Lord Rolfe, Duncan, and Little George were already in the room when they arrived. The three men were working diligently at removing the boulders from in front of the entrance to the passage. They already had most of them out of the way.

  "Why do ye no remove them altogether and seal up the passage?" Seonaid asked as Blake moved to help finish the task.

  "Nay. I've no decided if the passage stays or goes," Duncan explained. "There may be a way to keep it from bein' opened from the other side. And I'd rather as few people as possible ken about it until I decide." He paused to glance around at those in the room. "I'm trustin' ye can keep yer mouths shut?"

  "Aye," they all answered.

  "Greenweld is dead," Rolfe pointed out as he picked up another boulder. "Surely the secret died with him and Allistair? Well, other than those of us here."

  "Giorsal kens," Aeldra pointed out quietly, and the room fell silent again, no one wanting to comment and add to her upset.

  "There," Duncan said with satisfaction, pausing to wipe his brow as the last boulder was removed.

  Seonaid hesitated, then stepped forward and pressed one of the stones in the solid-looking wall, stepping back as the wall swung away, revealing a dark walkway.

  "Ye'll need a torch," Aeldra murmured, and slipped out of the room, returning moments later with one of the lit torches from the hall. She handed it to Lord Rolfe, then moved to stand by Seonaid as Helen approached. The woman paused before them and Seonaid felt dread claim her. She didn't think she could bear it if the Englishwoman revealed her emotions. She was already feeling pangs of anxiety, fear, and sadness at her leavetaking.

  "Thank you," Helen whispered; then she flung herself at Seonaid's chest, hugging her tightly, before turning to Aeldra and doing the same. With that, she turned and moved to follow Lord Rolfe into the passage.

  "Remember, jest follow the passage. It exits into a clearin'. James'll be awaitin' there with horses fer ye. Good luck!" Duncan called after them, then closed the passage again and immediately moved to begin returning the boulders to their earlier position.

  "What if they come back fer some reason?" Seonaid said with a frown, thinking they were moving rather swiftly at locking the pair out.

  "They willna return," Duncan said simply as Blake and Little George joined him in the work.

  After a brief hesitation, Seonaid leant a hand as well, but she kept an ear open for any sound from the wall lest they did return. The job was done quickly with all of them working. Duncan lay the last stone in place, straightened, and put one hand at his back as he arched and stretched in an effort to work out any tension the exercise of bending and lifting, carrying and bending to set boulders back down had caused. Then he turned for the door announcing, "I'll tell Father they've gone."

  Seonaid hardly paid attention. She was standing before the pile of boulders, her ears straining in case Rolfe and Helen returned.

  "They shall be fine." Blake gave her back a gentle rub, then suggested, "Why
do we not go practice in the bailey?"

  Seonaid hesitated, then forced herself to turn away from the blocked passage. "Aye."

  If nothing else, the activity would distract her, she hoped as she followed her husband out of their room. Aeldra and Little George trailed them to the practice fields and began to spar together even as Seonaid and Blake did. They worked in silence, Seonaid trying to be more aggressive and not let Blake wear her down. But she soon realized that Blake wasn't being aggressive in return. He had obviously suggested this purely to help distract her from her worry about Helen, and while she found it a thoughtful gesture, it made her think about it more. She was grateful when Blake called a halt and they went into the great hall for a drink.

  Blake and Little George talked quietly about this and that as the four of them sat at the trestle table, but were she to be asked what they'd said, she wouldn't have been able to say. She wasn't really paying attention. Judging by Aeldra's silence, her cousin was just as distracted and worried as she.

  When Blake suddenly set down his drink and caught her hand, Seonaid glanced at him with surprise.

  "Come," was all he said; then he tugged her to her feet and led her abovestairs to their room.

  The moment he closed the door behind them, Seonaid thought he must have brought her up for more loving. However, while Blake led her to the bed, he merely dropped onto it and tugged her over himself to lie next to him.

  "Rest."

  Seonaid stared at him. She was becoming more used to his assertive nature and the commanding way he took control of things, but it still startled her somewhat. While there were times she appreciated it and even secretly enjoyed it, she was not used to taking orders and at times found the way he simply assumed control a bit alarming. This was one of those times when she was slightly nonplussed. In truth, she was weary; they'd had little sleep the last two nights and it was starting to catch up to her, aided on its way by her anxiety and their physical activity. Still, she almost felt she should rebel for pride's sake alone.