by Fiona Faris
Turning, James took Elizabeth into his arms once more and kissed her tenderly. “I will send men tae watch o’er ye. As soon as the ship has departed, I will come for ye. If word o’ yer family comes before then I will send word o’ it and all that I learn o’ them and yer past.”
“No more secrets?”
“Nae more secrets.”
Elizabeth stood on her toes and kissed him. “Thank you for everything that you have done for me. I would not be alive now if it was not for you and your people.”
“Och, ye are a strong lass. Ye would have survived with or without me. Just as ye will now. I am sorrowed tae leave ye, but I must.”
“I understand. Please be careful. I do not know what I would do if something were to happen to you.”
“All will be well, lass.” James sounded more certain than he felt. “I will return tae ye,” he promised her, her tears shining up at him from lipid blue pools. He kissed her once more before leaping into the saddle behind the dead man and rode away. God protect her in me absence. Keep her safe from all who wish her harm. He rode out as quickly as he could, given the weight being carried by the horse. He wished to get the whole sordid business over with as soon as was possible. He did not wish to leave Elizabeth unguarded any longer than was necessary. Had he been able to bring her with him to the castle without risking being seen by someone from the ship, he would gladly have done so. He had missed her terribly in the week that they had been apart, and in that time, she had run off and nearly been abducted and could have been killed. He did not feel it wise under the current circumstances to leave her alone for any length of time with the difficulties they faced.
When he arrived back at the castle, he chose two men to take the body back to the ship. “What happened?” William asked lifting the face of the dead man to inspect it.
“One o’ the Earl’s men. He attacked Elizabeth.”
“Ye found her?”
“Aye, she was at me grandmaither’s auld croft.”
William nodded his head. “Did ye leave her there?”
“Aye. I need some men tae go and watch o’er her. I want them tae leave immediately. Choose wisely as I dinnae wish tae have tae kill one o’ our own men for layin’ hands on the lass.”
“Aye, laird.” William went to do as instructed, and James walked with the body down to the boat. He handed the letter he had written to one of the men and instructed him to give it personally to the Earl.
“Aye, Laird.” The men bowed, then climbed into the boat and began rowing.
James stood on the shore and waited, watching his men. He wanted to make sure that they made it back safely and that no harm befell them. He was certain that as innocents they would be fine, but he still could not bring himself to move from his place until they returned. William joined him and they stood among the rocks, while James told him all that had transpired. When the boat washed back up on shore, they aided the men in beaching it. “The Earl is leavin’, Me Laird, but he has threatened tae return with English soldiers.”
James sighed. “I kenned that such might happen, but I had hoped tae avoid it if at all possible. That they are leavin’ is good enough for now. It will allow us time tae ascertain what can be done for Elizabeth.”
“We could move the Sassenach lass off o’ the island. We could send her tae Duncan and Marra, tae return her tae her family now that we ken her surname and that o’ her faither.”
“We will only send her when we ken that it is safe for her among her family and nae before. If we need tae move her off o’ the island tae keep her safe, then that is what we will do; but let us wait until the men we sent have a chance tae send word o’ her family. We cannae save her from the hands o’ violent men-only tae place her in the same elsewhere.”
“Nae, we cannae, but yer love for this lass is about tae bring down the English upon our heads, the verra thing that we were tryin’ tae avoid. I dinnae blame ye for killin’ the man; I would have killed the Earl if ye had nae stayed me hand, and we all would have paid the price o’ me actions. But I fear we are beyond any o’ that now. He will be back, and we must be ready tae fight. I fear the Sassenach lass will be the end o’ us all.”
“We were in danger long before she washed on tae our shores.”
“Aye, we were, but it was but a few. Now we must face the English.”
“I should have let ye kill him.”
“Aye, but here we are. If I had killed the Earl, we would be in even more trouble than we already are. If the Sassenach lass is nae on the island when they return, mayhap, we could talk our way out o’ it.”
“Doubtful, but we can try if it comes tae it. We will need witnesses tae the Earl’s abuse o’ our clanswoman.”
“We shall have them.”
James nodded. They returned to the castle and stood watch out over the sea waiting for the ship to pull up anchor and leave. When it happened, they very nearly sent up a cheer in celebration; but the grim feeling that the Earl would return hung over them all long after the ship disappeared on the horizon. When James left his men upon the wall and retired to his room for the night, he found a piece of paper on his bed. It was written in Gaelic in the blackmailer’s hand. “Tha an deireadh nàbaidh.” James closed his eyes. “The end is nigh,” he repeated it in English. He had run out of time.
* * *
Ian MacDonald shoveled out the horse’s stall grumbling silently to himself. Damn Sassenach cuddies. I dinnae ken how much longer I will be able tae tolerate the stench o’ this rotten English air. In reality, the air was not the problem. It was the place he found disagreeable.
Ian had left his home on the Isle of Jura at the request of his friend and fellow-clansman, Laird James Alexander MacDonald. James had asked him to make inquiries of the Earl of Bierley. Ian was not aware of all the details of the situation, but he did not need to be. His people owed James a great debt that they would never be able to repay. James had saved them from starvation and helped them to rebuild their lives after great tragedies had befallen them. In order to get close to the family to get the information needed, Ian had gotten a job in the estate’s stables. It went against everything that he was to serve an Englishman, but for James, he had agreed to do it. For James, his people would agree to do nearly anything.
Thus far he had learned that the Earl was a most disagreeable man, that his first wife had been murdered many years before, and that their only daughter had been sent away to her betrothed’s family in Ireland. The household had not yet heard of her safe arrival, but they expected word any day. The servants were excited about the coming wedding, and it was talked about on every tongue from the kitchen to the stables. Ian cared not for such things. He was there only to get the measure of the nobleman who owned the land. As soon as he had done that to James’ satisfaction, he would return home to Jura.
Ian closed his eyes, and for the briefest of moments, he imagined himself back upon the shores he knew and loved so well. He traced the lines of his wife’s beloved face. He heard his sister’s voice singing Marra and Duncan’s child, Ewan, to sleep. He missed them all dearly. He longed for the cool clear sea air, the forests full of red deer, and the warm comfort of his own bed. The sound of pounding horse’s hooves echoed through the air, and he opened his eyes to find riders quickly approaching. He ceased from shoveling and exited the stables to take the men’s horses. They looked angry and barely glanced at him as they threw him their reins. The Earl stepped out of the house and greeted the man, an unusual thing for the Earl to do as he usually waited until his butler had announced any guests’ arrival.
“Declan,” the Earl greeted warmly, also an unusual thing for him to do as he was a cold man by all accounts. “What are you doing here? Should you not be in Ireland attending to your future bride?”
“I would gladly be doing so had she arrived, but she did not. I take it from your response that she was indeed put on a ship bound for Ireland?” The man’s mixture of Irish and English accents defined him as a nobleman whose fa
mily had probably been granted lands in Ireland and moved there from England to maintain their estates. He had seen the like before in Scotland.
“Yes, of course, just as we agreed.”
“I thought as much and feared a mishap. I followed the path of the ship you had written she was to take and stopped at various places along the way but did not find any word of her. I continued on to you as swiftly as I was able in hopes that she still remained under your care.”
“Nay, we were awaiting word from you of her safe arrival.”
“Where is she?”
“I do not know.”
Ian observed both men attempting to hold back their anger. Their fists were clenched, their jaws were taut, and their necks were strained. Had he not known otherwise, Ian would have thought that they were related. Their reactions were so identical. Instead of worry in their eyes, he only saw anger, as a child might look when someone had taken their favorite toy without asking. Nae the way a faither should respond tae the news that his daughter is missin’, nor an intended for that matter, English or nae.
“Was their no trace of the girl at all?” the Earl asked.
“Nay. There was an incident on the Isle of Skye wherein I lost a man. The laird of Knock Castle killed him claiming that my man attacked his woman. I did not particularly care for the laird, but he appeared to be the sort to hold his honor in high regard. He took great offense when I had my way with one of his maids. It was questionable for a time whether he and his man were going to kill me. Once we resolved the issue of Elizabeth’s disappearance, I thought to return and harass the laird further for his impudence.”
“The laird’s name?”
“James Alexander MacDonald.”
Ian hid his face behind one of the horse’s heads so that they would not see his interest in their conversation. “My new stableman is a MacDonald. A rather large clan from all I have been told.” The Earl turned his attention to Ian. “You, Scotsman. Are you not from the Clan MacDonald.”
“Aye, Yer Lairdship.”
“Do you know of this James Alexander MacDonald person?”
“All MacDonald’s ken the name.”
“What do you make of the man?”
“He is a good and honorable man, Yer Lairdship. If he killed a man, there was good cause.”
“Is he prone to kidnapping women?”
“Nae, he is nae.” Ian fought to keep from punching both men in the face and racing home.
“Then she has run. It is the only possible explanation, short of death.”
“It was not that she was not on the ship. It was that the ship never came at all,” the Irishman explained.
“Did you see any signs of a shipwreck?”
“Nay, but there were a great many storms during that time. Any evidence of such would have been washed away. What of the man you sent with her?”
“He is loyal. If he were able, he would have made communication already. Something has happened.”
The Earl stood thinking for a time, and then he called for the butler. “I want all of the servants out here in front of the house now.” The butler bowed and rushed to obey. Once everyone had been gathered, the Earl stood in front of them all, staring them down. “Lady Elizabeth did not arrive in Ireland as planned. I wish to know if any of you know anything about her whereabouts. Did she have a plan to run away, to escape her obligations to this family?” There were murmurs among the servants as each one asked the other if they knew anything. “Speak!” He shouted, and everyone fell silent. He moved to stand in front of one of the maids. “You spent the most time with my daughter. Did she plan to run away?” The girl shook her head no, but she was shaking so hard in fear that she could not speak. “Answer me!” The Earl roared. When she was not able to do so, he hit her hard across the face.
The girl fell to the ground sobbing, clutching her face. The Earl moved to strike again, and the girl found her tongue. “Nay, My Lord! She had no such intentions! Lady Elizabeth is a true and faithful daughter!”
The Earl laughed cynically at the maid’s words. “You know nothing of my treacherous snake of a daughter. The Devil’s very own spawn.”
Aye, if ye are referrin’ tae yerself as the Devil, Ian silently mocked the Earl. He did not like the man at all and would be reporting back to James that the man was not safe to entrust a beast to his care, let alone a person. Duncan had been vague in relaying the details of James’ request; but it had been clear that he wished to know if a woman would be safe in the Earl’s household. Ian had thought perhaps there was a marriage alliance afoot between one of the lassies on the Isle of Skye and the Earl. Now he was certain that it had everything to do with the Earl’s missing daughter, Lady Elizabeth Dawson. What are ye up tae, James?
The Earl went down the line threatening and striking as he saw fit. Ian wanted nothing more in that moment than to slit the man’s throat. The Earl was intolerable in every sense. When he was finished, he dismissed his staff and both of the noblemen went inside to plot their next course of action. Ian took their horses to the stables and tended to their needs. When he was done, he returned to his cleaning job and thought about how he could best help James. If he had been a household servant he would have eavesdropped on the noblemen’s conversation inside; but as it was, he was not allowed into the house except for the kitchen unless summoned by the Earl.
Hearing a rustling sound in the loft above, Ian went to investigate. He climbed the ladder to find the young maid that the Earl had beaten, sobbing in a corner. “Och, dinnae fash, lass.” Ian moved to sit beside her on the hay. The girl had blood on her lip and a bruise already beginning to form on her jawline. Ian clenched his fists in anger at the Earl’s behavior, wishing to give the Earl a beating he would not soon forget. The girl shrunk away from him, misinterpreting his anger toward the Earl as a threat to her own person. “I will nae harm ye, lass. Ye are safe here with me.” The girl visibly relaxed at his comforting words. “Is there anythin’ that I can do for ye, lass, tae help ye tae feel better? Some water perhaps?”
The girl shook her head. “No, thank you, Mr. MacDonald.”
“Why do ye stay here, lass, under such a master? Surely nae all Sassenachs are as bad as this one.”
“I was born here. My mother was born here. Service to the Earl of Bierley’s family is all that mine has ever known.”
“Is that why ye didnae travel with the Lady Elizabeth?”
“Yes, I could not leave my mother alone and go to Ireland where I might never see her again. She needed me here.” The girl’s sad face said that there was more to the story than just the beating she had received.
“Needed?” he remarked on the past tense nature of her words.
“She died shortly after Lady Elizabeth left for Ireland.”
“Och, I am sorry, lass.”
“I had considered writing to her and asking her if I might join her, but now,” the girl shrugged her shoulders as if now such a thing was impossible.
“Does yer master beat ye often, lass?”
She cast her eyes downward in sorrow and shame. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Does he do more than just beat ye, lass?” The way she had reacted when he asked about being beaten caused him to wonder if he had interfered with her in other ways. The girl swallowed hard and hid her face from him. She refused to speak and in that he had his answer. “I am sorry, lass. Now that yer maither is nae longer o’ the livin’, ye should nae stay here a moment longer than ye must tae survive.”
“With Lady Elizabeth gone, and His Lordship refusing to give me a reference, I have no place to go. Nae one will hire a maid without references from a previous employer.”
Ian studied the girl’s face, bruised from misuse, lined with worry beyond her years. “Ye can come home with me tae Scotland. I ken more than one laird who might be willin’ tae take ye on.”
“But did you not just begin work here at Bierley?”
“Aye, and I have had quite enough o’ it, I should think.”
“Aye. In the time that I have been here, ye have been the kindest tae me o’ the entire house. I wouldnae leave a lass like ye in the hands o’ that man. I will nae stand by while ye are used in such a fashion, Sassenach or nae.”
“Would I be welcome among your people?”
“I ken a laird who I believe would be most pleased tae have ye as a member o’ his house.” Ian smiled at the girl, thinking of James and his suspicions that the Lady Elizabeth was on the Isle of Skye. He did not voice his thoughts aloud to the girl. He could not have her accidentally sharing such information with the Earl’s household. “Now keep this between us, lass, and I will take ye tae safety. We must wait a wee while longer. There is somethin’ that I need ye tae do for me afore we can go. I need ye tae find out exactly what the Earl and the Irishman plan tae do about Lady Elizabeth and let me know if ye hear anythin’ about a man named James Alexander MacDonald or the Isle o’ Skye. Ca ye do that for me, lass?”
