A Man of Honor

by Bethany Hauck

  “My husband is a good, honorable man,” Mairi said, smiling at Alastair.

  “I believe he is,” Finley said to her.

  “So what happens now, Grandda?” Mairi asked him.

  “First, I’d like to stay here with you for a sennight or so if that’s alright with your husband and his family,” Finley said to her.

  “You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like,” Hamish answered. “The maids are already preparing rooms for both of you.”

  “Will you be staying too, Cameron?” Alastair asked.

  “Only for a night or two,” Cameron said, then seeing the look of disappointment on Mairi’s face he added, “I need to get back to Branxholme, I have a wife and new son there.”

  “You’re married?” Mairi asked.

  “I am,” Cameron answered. “After what happened to Da and Mither, I don’t like to be away for too long.”

  “I understand,” Mairi said. “I look forward to meeting your wife and son one day soon.”

  “We can go to Branxholme when the weather warms,” Alastair assured her. As he spoke, the maid who’d been watching Cam brought the baby down to them. You could tell Cam had been crying.

  “Somebody wants their Da and Mither,” the maid said as Alastair took the baby from her. Once Alastair held him, he immediately smiled and looked around at the new people in the hall.

  “Thank you for looking after him,” Alastair said as he smiled at his son. He held him up for Finley to see, “I’d like you to meet your grandson, Alastair Cameron McCabe.”

  “You named him after me?” Cameron asked, a smile on his face.

  “I wasn’t sure who I was naming him for,” Mairi answered honestly, “I just knew the name Cameron seemed important to me. What did you name your son?”

  “Donald Finley Scott, after the two most important men in my life,” Cameron answered. “If it would have been a girl, she would have been named Grace Mairi Emelia Scott.”

  “So what about Emelia?” Mairi asked. “What happened to her?”

  “I’m not sure,” Finley said, looking at Cameron. “Now that we know you’re alive; she could be too. I’ll need to find the Thompson brothers to find out what happened to her, but I’ve been trying to catch them outside their keep for the past five summers and haven’t succeeded yet.”

  “They were here not too long ago,” Alastair told them. “They tried to kidnap Mairi from the village.”

  “Both of them?” Finley asked.

  “Aye,” Hamish said. “My sons found what was left of their camp not far from here, at the beginning of winter. We haven’t seen any sign of them since, but Mairi and Flora don’t leave the keep without guards.”

  “Do you think they’re still in the area?” Cameron asked.

  Ham and Flora entered the hall as Alastair answered. “We don’t know for sure, but I won’t take any chances. They were bold enough to try to take my wife once; I won’t let it happen again.”

  “Have you searched the area?” Finley asked.

  “We have guards that patrol every day,” Hamish answered. “We’ve had some problems with highwaymen the last year or more. No one has reported finding anything strange.”

  “To stay in the area they’d need a place with shelter, water, and enough game to sustain them,” Alastair added. “I can’t think of anywhere nearby that would have that.”

  “I can,” Flora said.

  “And you are?” Finley asked.

  “This is my son, Ham, and his wife, Flora,” Hamish introduced the couple. “Ham is in charge of the guard here at Gleann, and Flora is one of our healers. Flora and Ham, this is Mairi’s Grandfather, Finley Kerr, and her brother, Cameron Scott.”

  “Where do you think they could be, Lady Flora?” Cameron asked.

  “Just Flora is fine,” Flora told Cameron. Then she turned to Ham and added, “our cave would be a perfect place to hide out for the winter.”

  “The one you and Ham were trapped in?” Hamish asked her.

  “She’s right, Da,” Ham said. “It’s got shelter big enough for thirty men, a spring that runs through the rocks in the back, and there were plenty of deer in the area to hunt. Why didn’t I think of that before?”

  “How far away is this cave?” Finley asked.

  “Just a few hours,” Ham answered. “If we leave before first light, we can be back by the evening meal.”

  “I’d like to take a look there,” Finley said to him. “But I’d like your agreement now, that if we find the Thompson brothers, they are mine to deal with.”

  “That’s fair,” Ham told him, “but I’ll need just a minute or two with the one named Donovan.” Finley didn’t ask why, he just nodded in agreement.

  “I’m riding with you,” Mairi said.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, granddaughter,” Finley said to her.

  “I’ll not be talked out of it,” she said, looking at Alastair. “The Thompson’s ruined my life for many years. I’d like to be present if you find them there.”

  Alastair thought about it for just a few seconds, then said, “you can go, but you’ll listen to what you’re told to do. I agree you have a right to be there, but I won’t let you put yourself in any danger.”

  “I promise,” Mairi said, then looked around at the faces of the rest of the men in the hall. They weren’t happy with her decision, but every single one of them understood it.

  “Then be ready to ride in the morning,” Alastair told her, and was rewarded by a look that showed how much she appreciated his decision.

  “So what happens after, Grandda?” Mairi asked.

  “Once the Thompson’s have been dealt with, that’s up to you and Alastair,” Finley told her. “You have a small keep back near the border which you can return to, with your husband and son of course. There’s been a Steward running it for many years now, or, you can stay here with Alastair at Gleann.”

  “Let’s worry about that once the Thompson’s have been dealt with,” Hamish said. “I’d like to invite you both to the Laird’s table; our evening meal is ready to be served.”

  “We accept,” Finley said to Hamish. “I hope they’ve made a lot, I may be old, but this big body needs a lot of nourishment to keep going, and I’m famished.” Everyone laughed as they headed for the table and the food that was being laid out there.

  Chapter 13 For My Da and Mither

  “Tell me about this cave we’re heading to,” Finley said to Ham, making conversation to pass the time as they rode. “Flora said it belonged to the two of you.”

  “Not exactly,” Ham said, grinning. “She calls it our cave because we were trapped there for three days together.”

  “How did that happen?” Cameron asked.

  “I was escorting her home from my sister Jacqueline’s keep, and we got caught in a storm. We sheltered in the cave waiting for it to pass, but the wind blew a large tree down over the cave opening. Since we had the horses inside with us, we couldn’t leave,” Ham explained.

  “You were escorting her home?” Finley asked, “I’m guessing this was before you were married then.”

  “We married the day after my brothers found us and got us out.” Ham said grinning, remembering the fuss Flora had made when he insisted they marry.

  “I’m sure her reputation was ruined after all that time,” Finley said, “it’s good you married the lass, she seems like a good woman.”

  “I didn’t have to marry her because we were trapped alone together for so long,” Ham quickly said. “I married her because I fell in love with Flora while we were trapped inside.”

  “He also turned her over his knee and bared her,” Alastair said, making everyone laugh.

  “She deserved it,” Ham said, still grinning, “besides, I already knew by then that I was going to marry her. Truthfully, Flora is the best thing that ever happened to me. I fell in love with her in that cave, but it took her a bit longer to love me back.”

  “I turned my wife over this knee more t
han once in my younger days,” Finley said, grinning and patting his leg.

  “Grandda,” Mairi said, shocked. “I can’t think of a time Grandmither did anything wrong.”

  “She was a feisty woman when we were younger,” Finley said, thinking back. “I still think of her and miss her after all these years. You remind me of her, Mairi.”

  “Mairi can be a bit feisty herself,” Alastair said, smiling at his wife, who blushed and looked away.

  “Ah,” Finley said, “so you’ve been over your husband’s knee a time or two already, haven’t you?” Then he burst out laughing as Mairi’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.

  “Just a sennight before you arrived,” Alastair said laughing, “when she decided to travel to Branxholme alone.”

  “That would have been dangerous, Granddaughter,” Finley said, frowning at her.

  “Don’t worry, Grandda,” Mairi said, glaring at Alastair, “my husband made it very uncomfortable for me to sit down for more than a few days after he caught me in the stables.”

  “As he should have,” Finley said approvingly, nodding at Alastair.

  **********

  “Someone has been in the area,” Ham said as he examined the ground. There were multiple boot prints in the snow and mud, and tracks from the horses they must have with them, leading in the direction where the cave was located.

  “How much further to the cave?” Cameron asked.

  “It’s close now,” Ham said. “I think we should leave the horses here and walk the rest of the way. I’d hate to give whoever is there a warning, and let them escape.”

  “Agreed,” Finley said, giving his men the signal to dismount. “We’ll go in as quietly as we can. Two of you stay here and guard our mounts.”

  “You’ll stay right next to me,” Alastair said to Mairi, who nodded. She was nervous. “If things go wrong, you get back to the horses as fast as you can, and ride to Gleann.”

  “Aye,” she said.

  They walked quietly towards the cave, each man checking to make sure their weapons were ready and easily accessible. They came well armed, with broadswords, bows, and dirks. Finley was from the older generation; he still carried an ax that was strapped to his chest. As they neared the cave opening, they began to hear the sound of voices and horses and knew there were people inside.

  Finley again signaled to his men, telling them to stay back, while Cameron, Alastair, and Ham accompanied him. They silently crept closer to the cave opening and the people inside.

  “I’m tired of staying in this cave,” they heard one of the men at the cave opening complain. “We’ve been here for months.”

  “So am I,” the man with him replied, “but I’m not going to tell Donovan that.”

  “At least we’re not stealing from the travelers anymore,” the first said.

  “That was a good plan,” the second said. “Instead of looking for us, the clans were looking for a bunch of highwaymen. It gave us plenty of time to search for her once we learned about the tinker she married. Besides, it was fun roughing up some of those people, especially the women.” Both men laughed thinking about the people they’d robbed and beaten, and in some cases worse.

  “I don’t know why they didn’t grab the Scott bitch when they had the chance. We could have been back in England by now,” the first man said. “Instead, we’re stuck doing guard duty in a cave that no one even knows is here.”

  “Someone knows,” the second man answered. “There was wood stacked and a firepit already here when we found it.”

  “We haven’t seen another person around in all the time we’ve been here,” the first said.

  “Donovan says we stand watch, so that’s what we’ll do,” the second answered. “He’ll be waking soon; then we’ll find out what he wants us to do today.”

  “I hope he doesn’t send us to watch Gleann again,” the first said. “The woman is never out, and if she is, she’s never alone.”

  “We’ll get her eventually,” the second said, “they can’t watch her forever.”

  Finley had heard enough and motioned for them to creep back to where his men were waiting. Once they were there, he spoke quietly to all of them. “Donovan Thompson is in there. No one is to kill him but me. I need some questions answered before that can happen. The rest of his men are not to leave alive.”

  “Do you think Lord Thompson is here too?” Alastair asked.

  “Nay,” Finley said. “They talk as if Donovan is in charge, that means his brother isn’t here.”

  “What do you want to do?” Alastair asked.

  “We’ll sneak in as close as possible. You two,” he said, pointing at two of his archers, “take out the two guards at the entrance. Once they’re dead, the rest of us will go in. Remember, I want Donovan kept alive. Mairi, you stay back here, don’t come in until the battle is over.”

  “I won’t, Grandda,” Mairi answered.

  “You stay well hidden,” Alastair told her. He then turned to Finley and said, “I’d like you to leave one of your men back here with her.”

  “Agreed,” Finley said, motioning for one of his best to stay and guard Mairi. “Let’s go.”

  They moved quietly, coming in from the side. The two guards at the entrance stayed inside the opening, making it impossible for them to see anything except what was straight ahead. Once they were close enough, Finley gave the signal, and two arrows flew through the air, directly to where the men were standing guard. One dropped immediately as the arrow pierced his neck, but the other got off a quick warning, as that arrow missed his heart, protruding from his chest.

  Finley didn’t wait, he signaled to his men again, and they ran forward into the cave with their swords raised. The battle was over quickly, with the Kerr guards killing Lord Thompson’s men. They had been taken by surprise and had barely had time to grab their weapons before the Scottsmen were attacking them. The odds had been against them from the very beginning with the Kerr guards outnumbering them two to one. By the time Alastair, Ham, Cameron and Finley entered the cave, it was over. Only one man was still alive, Donovan Thompson. Finley walked over to Donovan, knowing the man only had minutes to live.

  “You’ll pay for this old man,” Donovan said, struggling to get free from the two guards that held onto his arms. “Do you know who my brother is? When he hears about this, you’ll be sorry.”

  “Donovan Thompson, I’ve been waiting a long time to get my hands on you,” Finley began, “do you know who I am?”

  “The man who killed my men,” Donovan said, then once again added, “when my brother hears about what you’ve done, you’ll pay.”

  “I can’t wait,” Finley said, drawing the axe from his chest and drawing Donovan’s attention to it. “My name is Finley Kerr; my daughter was Grace Scott, the wife of Donald Scott. Remember them? I know it was you who killed Donald, but were you also the one who killed my daughter?”

  “That wasn’t me,” Donovan quickly said. “Stephen slit her throat himself, to get her to quit screaming.”

  “Then I’ll be finding your brother, to avenge my daughter very soon You and I are going to talk, and you’re going to give me some answers,” Finley told him.

  “I’ll tell you nothing,” Donovan said, although he was beginning to look a bit nervous.

  “Before we begin, there’s someone else who’d like a minute with you,” Finley said, motioning for Ham to come forward as he stepped back, giving Ham room for whatever he planned to do.

  “Who are you?” Donovan asked.

  “The name is Ham McCabe,” he answered. “I’m the husband of the woman you struck at Gleann. Do you remember her?”

  “That bitch attacked me first,” he said defiantly. “I was defending myself.”

  “This is for my wife,” Ham said. He drew back his fist and punched Donovan as hard as he could in the stomach before pulling his fist back again and striking him two more times in the face. “We don’t strike women in the highlands, and we certainly don’t c
all them bitches,” was all he said as Donovan spit out two teeth and a mouthful of blood. Ham walked away; he’d done what he needed to do. He nodded at Finley as he passed, letting him know he was finished.

  Alastair and Mairi entered the cave together as Ham was walking away. He’d gone back to get her once the battle was over, knowing she’d be wondering what was going on.

  “Mairi,” Finley said to her quietly, “you may not want to be here for what’s going to happen next.”

  “I’ll stay, Grandda,” she said, trying to be brave.

  “It’s not going to be pretty,” he warned her.

  “I’m staying,” she said again.

  Finley nodded and turned back to Donovan Thompson, ready to get answers to the questions he had. “Where’s your brother?” he asked first.

  “I already told you once,” Donovan said, spitting blood out towards Finley, “I won’t tell you anything.”

  Finley said nothing but motioned to the guards to drag him over to a large rock that sat in the cave. “Put his hand on there,” he said to the guard. Once it was down and the guard held it in place, he raised his axe and swung it, chopping off the tips of two fingers. Donovan screamed, looking down at his bloody hand.

  “Now let’s try this again,” Finley calmly said, “where’s your brother? I’d answer, because the next time I swing this axe, it’s going to be your whole hand I take off.”

  “He went back to England,” Donovan said, he was beyond nervous and beginning to get scared. “You can’t kill me, my brother will go to the King, they’re friends you know.”

  “I’m not afraid of your English King,” Finley said. “You killed my daughter and her husband for no reason. You chased my grandchildren and changed their lives forever. You’re on Scottish land trying to kidnap a Scottish woman. What’s your King going to say to defend that?”

  “If Donald Scott would have agreed to the betrothal none of this would have needed to happen,” Donovan said.

  “Why does Stephen want Mairi so badly?” Finley asked.