by Fiona Faris
“Yes,” she nodded her head. “For freedom I can do anything.”
“That’s the way, lass.” He stood and smiled down at her, offering her his hand in order to help her stand. She accepted it gratefully and arose. “Now the men are inside talkin’ o’ their plans. As the maid ye should be able tae listen tae what they are sayin’ without drawin’ suspicion tae yerself. Once ye ken what it is they plan tae do, we will go.”
“Why do we need to know such things?”
“So that ye will be able tae find out if Lady Elizabeth is still alive and well, or if she is truly gone from ye forever.”
The girl nodded her head; her curiosity placated enough for her to do as he asked. “I will meet ye here in the stables when ye are done. Remember, dinnae say a word about this tae anyone.”
“Yes, Mr. MacDonald.” The girl scurried down from the loft and back to the house, intent upon her mission.
Ian gathered what few belongings he had brought with him to England and waited for the girl to return. Hours passed, when suddenly the Earl and the Irishman burst forth from the house yelling for their horses. Ian quickly did as they bid and saddled their horses. “Might I ask if all is well, Yer Lairdship?” Ian asked as he handed the reins to the Earl.
“We are off to the nearest port to report the Lady Elizabeth’s ship as missing and set a reward for any news of her whereabouts.” The Earl answered climbing up into the saddle.
The Irishman looked down at Ian for a moment. “You, MacDonald, upon my return I wish to speak with you further about the Laird of Knock Castle. There will be money in it for you. I like to know my enemies before I strike.”
“O’ course, Yer Lairdship; I am here tae serve at me master’s pleasure.”
The Irishman chuckled. “You Scots would sell your own grandmothers if there was enough coin in it for you.” And with a jab of his heel to the horse’s flank, the Earl and the Irishman were gone.
The maid came running out of the house, a bundle of food and clothing in her arms. “I will tell you all along the way to Scotland. We should make all haste to be gone before His Lordship returns.”
“Aye, lass.” Ian saddled the horse he had brought with him from Scotland, grabbed his own bundle of food and clothes, climbed into the saddle, then pulled the girl up behind him. “Hold on,” he instructed, and then pointed his horse towards home.
Chapter Twenty-One
“His Lordship will be launching a full search for his daughter, Lady Elizabeth. The Irishman is the Earl of Shea, my lady’s betrothed. He had a confrontation with the Laird of Knock Castle and plans to return with English soldiers to the Isle of Skye to teach the Scotsman a lesson. His Lordship has plans to go with him and use the search for Lady Elizabeth as justification for bringing soldiers onto the island.” The maid, Anna, explained as she clung to Ian’s torso.
“They are goin’ tae attack the Isle o’ Skye?”
“Yes, that is what I heard them saying.”
“We must get there first and warn them. This cannae stand. If they believe themselves capable o’ takin’ on the Laird o’ Skye, they are mistaken. They will have the whole o’ Clan MacDonald tae contend with if they do.”
Ian and Anna rode hard for Scotland. When night fell, they made camp, Ian sleeping with his back against a tree so that he might keep watch. Anna slept at his feet wrapped up in a blanket. She shivered, and he could not help but feel sorry for the girl. She was not used to such hard riding, followed by sleeping upon the ground. Had she not been in such an untenable situation, he would never have brought her along with him, but he could not leave her there to be beaten and molested by the Earl. He also hoped that by delivering the maid as a gift to James, the laird would have all the information he needed on the Earl’s family and would provide Anna with a safe home.
The journey took several days and nights, and by its end, Anna was exhausted beyond all measure. They reached the Isle of Skye as night fell. Their boat slid up onto its shores and was greeted at sword point by James’ men. A torch was lit, its light illuminating the boat. William MacDonald’s voice came out of the darkness. “Ian MacDonald, we have been expectin’ ye.”
“I bring news and gifts tae the laird,” Ian answered, accepting William’s hand up out of the boat.
“I see that. Who is the lass?”
“Maid tae the Lady Elizabeth Dawson of Bierley.”
“Och, man! What are ye thinkin’ tae bring a Sassenach lass such as her here?”
“She holds the information that ye seek.”
“Get her inside. I will go and wake the laird.”
* * *
James awoke to William standing over him. “What has happened?”
“Ian MacDonald has arrived with a lass from the Earl of Bierley’s household.”
James sat up. “He brought her here?”
“Aye, he did. He says that she holds all o’ the information that ye seek about Elizabeth and her family.”
James climbed out of bed, threw his kilt around his waist, and descended into the hall. There he found Ian MacDonald with a small blonde-haired, green-eyed lass. She was frightened and trembling uncontrollably. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, sitting by the fireplace, staring up at all the large muscular warriors that surrounded her. Had the situation not been so dire, he would have laughed at the image they all made. “Ian, ‘tis good tae see ye, me friend.”
“And ye, James. I am sorry tae hear o’ yer current troubles.”
“Aye, ‘tis a bit o’ a mess we find ourselves in.”
Ian moved to introduce the girl sitting in the chair beside the fire. “This is Anna Maxwell, maid tae Lady Elizabeth Dawson.”
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Lordship.” The girl arose and curtsied.
James’ brow raised in question. “Maxwell, that is a Scottish lowland name, is it nae?”
“Yes, my father was Scottish, my mother English. He died when I was quite young.”
“So, yer half Scottish then,” Ian smiled. “I kenned there was a reason I could tolerate the sight o’ ye.”
James chuckled at his friend’s jest. “And most welcome here at Knock Castle.”
“Thank you, My Lord.”
“There is much tae discuss, but I am sure that ye are exhausted from yer journey north.”
“Yes, My Lord, but there is important information that you should know before I retire.”
“Oh?”
“The Earl of Bierley and the Earl of Shea are both coming for you. They are bringing English soldiers with them, and they plan to kill you.”
“When?”
“As soon as they are able, but they first needed to alert the authorities of Lady Elizabeth’s disappearance. That was several days ago.”
“I thank ye for bein’ brave enough tae bring me this information. Tomorrow holds many more surprises; but eat for now and rest. We will face the problems o’ the future upon the morn.”
“Thank you, My Lord.”
James waved for the castle steward to find her a place to sleep for the night. “I thank ye, Ian, for bringin’ the lass tae me. Elizabeth will be pleased tae have someone who kenned her so well. I take it that ye didnae tell her o’ her lady’s presence.”
“Nae I didnae tell her. I thought it best tae leave that tae ye, once I figured it out for meself.”
“It is a long story.”
“I have the time,” Ian answered, pouring himself a dram of whiskey from the table.
James chuckled, sent his warriors back to their guard duties and went to sit down with his friend, telling him of all that had transpired since he had last seen him at Duncan and Marra’s wedding, including the letters from the blackmailers. “I share all o’ this in confidence, me friend, so that ye might go and tell Duncan o’ it as well, but he and only he.”
“Aye, I will. Ye are goin’ tae need help tae rid yerself o’ the Sassenach scum that threatens yer island.”
James shook his head. “I dinnae
wish further harm tae befall ye or yer people than ye have already suffered. What I do ask is that ye take Elizabeth, her maid, and a clanswoman o’ mine named Agnes MacDonald with ye tae protect them from the English soldiers.”
James turned to William. “Do ye wish for me tae add Isla tae the list?”
“I would verra much wish for ye tae add me betrothed, Isla, tae that list, but she wouldnae go. She is a fiery lass. When I mentioned sendin’ her away tae protect her, she informed me that she was born of Skye and would die upon her shores afore she would e’er leave them.”
“A good and loyal lass tae be sure. I feel much the same about Jura,” Ian remarked. “I long tae return tae her shores.”
“Me apologies for havin’ kept ye from her for so long,” James replied, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Ye helped tae save me people. There is nae much that I wouldnae do tae repay that debt.”
“Ye owe me nothin’, me friend. Ne’er believe otherwise.” Ian shook his head in disagreement but said nothing. “Now tell me all ye ken about the Earl.”
Ian relayed everything that he had managed to learn of the Earl of Bierley and his household. “I wouldnae trust the man with the care o’ an animal, let alone a young lass.”
“Nae, nor would I.”
“What do ye plan tae do? Will ye return her tae them? Keep her hidden for the rest o’ her life? Marry her off tae a fellow clansman so that her faither or betrothed have no further legal claim o’er her? I could find her a husband among me own people if ye wished. That way, if they e’er discovered her whereabouts, I could claim that she washed ashore upon Jura and that we ne’er kenned who she was. I could hide her where e’en ye wouldnae ken where she was if ye wished.”
James looked at Ian in surprise. The man was full of ideas, some that had yet to occur to James as a possibility. “Marriage?”
“Aye, they cannae lawfully take her from her husband, now can they?”
“Nae, I suppose they couldnae, but it might be cause for further violence.”
“Hence the offer o’ me fellow clansmen; though her bein’ a lady o’ noble birth, it would be better were she tae marry a man o’ standin’, such as a laird.”
“Aye, but do ye ken any lairds willin’ tae wed a Sassenach lass without a large dowry tae make up for the difficulties such a bride would cause. She has nae memories and comes with nothin’ but what we gave her,” William asked, looking at James from the corner of his eye. James knew that his Keeper was concerned for the love that James felt for the lass.
“What o’ ye James?” Ian asked. “Could ye nae wed the lass yerself?”
“I am betrothed tae another.”
Ian broke out in a grin. “Congratulations!” He pounded James on the back in celebration. “When is the happy day?”
“I dinnae ken.”
“And the fortunate lass?”
“Fiona, daughter o’ Donald MacDonald, Laird o’ Castleton.”
“I have heard rumors o’ her beauty.”
“Aye, she is bonnie.”
“Ye dinnae appear tae be happy about it.”
“’Tis nae but a marriage o’ alliance tae ensure the safety o’ me clan against the blackmail threats. When the truth comes tae light, I will need a powerful laird, such as he, bound tae come tae me aid.”
“I see.” Ian frowned in commiseration. “Ye deserve tae wed for love after all ye have endured. I am sorry, me friend.”
“’Tis the nature o’ life, is it nae?”
“Aye that it is.”
“We all make sacrifices for those in our care.”
“Aye, but ye have sacrificed a great deal already. Yer heart should nae be cut from yer chest when it is clear tae me that ye hold love for another. I can see it in yer eyes when ye speak o’ the Lady Elizabeth.”
“It cannae be without placin’ all that I hold dear at further risk.”
“But would it? Would the Earl attack his son-in-law? I dinnae see such an act being able tae be justified in the eyes o’ the law. If the marriage was consummated, he would have nae choice but tae accept it.”
“What o’ the blackmailers? It would anger them further, and I would make an enemy o’ Donald MacDonald for shamin’ his daughter durin’ a time when I cannae afford tae do so.”
“Tae me mind, the English are the more prevalent threat, are they nae? Duncan and I can help ye tae explain what happened tae yer people.”
“And start a war between our three clans?”
“Nae if we all stand together as one. I ken that Marra would gladly stand as testament tae the true nature o’ yer faither, and if he was that way with her, then there must be other lassies here on Skye that have met a similar ill fate.”
Why such a thought had not occurred to James before that moment, he did not know. He felt ashamed that he had not thought to make inquiries among his own clanswomen about their treatment under his father’s rule. “I will speak with Cook on the matter. If anyone kens o’ lassies bein’ mistreated, it will be she.”
“Aye. I am off tae find me bed. It has been a long journey, and me bones are crying out for rest.”
“O’ course, I will have the steward find ye a place tae rest yer head.” James called for the castle steward, bid Ian a good night, then sat in silence in the hall, thinking of all that Ian had told him.
“What are ye thinkin’ tae do?” William’s voice broke into his reverie.
“I dinnae ken, but Ian is right about one thing.”
“Aye, I will speak with Isla and see if she kens o’ any lassies that yer faither harmed.”
“And I will speak with Cook, as promised.”
“I wouldnae wish such a fate on any lass; but if he did harm any o’ our fellow clanswomen, then ye stand a chance at keepin’ the blackmailers at bay. Ye would have proof within yer own clan o’ the man’s debauched treachery.”
“Aye. We shall begin our inquiries upon the morn. Until then we should find our beds and fall to rest. We will need our wits about us in the comin’ days.”
“Aye,” William agreed, bid James a good night, then left the hall.
Could I truly wed Elizabeth? The thought of such a hope made his heart race. To be able to wed the woman he loved would be all that he could ever have dreamt or asked for in life. He had come to believe that he was cursed to never have such a love in his life, and now Ian had dangled his heart’s desire before his very eyes. Could it be? His heart thundering in his chest, James made his way up the stairs to bed. His heart filled with hope for the first time since his faither’s death.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Elizabeth sat inside reading one of the books that James had brought her when he had come to tell her of the Irish ship’s departure. She loved the ebb and flow of the words across the page, the nuances of the language. She related to the character’s ill-fated love, and her thoughts turned to James. He had come to visit her as often as he could since the ship’s departure; but he could not be certain that there were no spies for the Irishman on the island, and had used a great deal of caution in making sure not to lead anyone to her whereabouts. He had spoken of sending her away to his friend across the sea. He had said that it was not a perfect plan, as anyone who discovered her presence on the island could just as easily discover where he might have sent her, but they were running out of options. The Irishman had threatened to return with English soldiers, and James had believed him.
The sort of man that my father betrothed me to speaks of the sort of man that he is himself. How can one ever return to such a life? How can one live under the knowledge of such cruelty?
The sound of horse’s hooves brought her out of her thoughts and to the door. She was surprised to find James there with another woman. “My Lady!” the woman cried out in joyous relief. Dismounting, she raced across the short expanse between them to throw her arms around Elizabeth’s neck.
Upon seeing the girl’s face and hearing her voice, a flood of memories came rushing back. “Anna?” she exclai
med, returning the girl’s embrace. “Anna, how did you come to be here?” Elizabeth looked over Anna’s shoulder at James in question.
“A Scotsman by the name of Ian MacDonald brought me here to speak with the laird. I did not know that you were here as well. What are you doing here? How did you come to be in Scotland?”
“There was a shipwreck, and I washed ashore here on the Isle of Skye. The laird and his people saved me and have protected me since.”
