“We discovered Bran’s horse less than a day’s ride from here. He stood munching on a cluster of grass when we rode up,” Roddy began. “I called out to him, kenning his name. He nodded his head but didn’t budge. When I went to gather his reins, I noticed something had disturbed the earth near him. When I dug, I found Bran, face-up in a shallow grave. So shallow I’d only used ma hands to move the dirt.” Roddy shook his head and looked away.
“Once we lifted Bran out,” Tomas continued. “We notice several other mounds. We unearthed the bodies of other men. Ma lady, two of them were Sutherlands. Anders and Samuel.”
Blair covered her mouth with her hands as tears welled in her eyes. Both men were younger than her and had only recently become messengers for her clan. She knew neither had much experience. She thought of their families and tears trickled from her eyes. Hardi pulled Blair’s chair closer to him and wrapped his arm around her. He remembered the men as callow youths who were still carrying wooden swords when he left Dunrobin.
Roddy reached into his sporran and lifted several missives from it. He handed them to Hardi before explaining. “We found these on the men. It looks like missives coming or going to Dunrobin never made it.”
Blair examined each one, some in her penmanship and some in her father’s. She clutched the one she recognized had Hardi’s handwriting. She held it up. “They dinna ken. They likely dinna ken I even left Stirling.”
Blair opened each one, putting the ones she’d written in order. Then she read the ones from her father. The oldest acknowledged Hardi’s interest in courting Blair and granted them permission. Blair’s lips twitched with a smile, but it didn’t last as she read the others. They asked why she hadn’t written and where she was.
“They ken I’m nae at court. I think when they didna hear from me, Da must have written King Robert. Or Mama might have written to Queen Elizabeth. If they didna get a response from Stirling or dinna get a response to any of their missives sent to Inverlochy, they willna ken where I am or that we married.” Blair held up a missive and closed her eyes. “Lachlan doesnae ken I asked him to come.”
Hardi looked at the exhausted men before him. “Thank ye for this. I canna send a detail right now to recover the other men, but do ye ken which clans they were from?”
“Royal messengers, ma laird,” Roddy explained.
“Then they likely have nay idea where I am,” Blair choked out around her tears. “They must be besides themselves.”
“Get more to eat, get cleaned up, and retire for the evening,” Hardi instructed Roddy and Tomas. “Ye have the next two days off watch and training.” Hardi and Blair waited until they were alone before Blair sobbed. Hardi lifted her into his lap as she cried.
“I’d suggest sending a messenger to Cairren since she’s closest, asking her to send word to Mama and Da. But I fear for any rider leaving here. I dinna dare try to send word to Maude.” Blair wiped the tears from her face once she could speak. She sat up and looked at Hardi.
“Whoever this is kenned to watch for the royal messengers. They kenned missives were headed to Dunrobin before we left Stirling. But how?”
“Ma guards. Someone among ma guards is selling secrets,” Hardi growled. He shifted Blair to her seat and went to the door. He called out to a nearby servant and ordered the guards who accompanied him to Stirling to appear before him. “One or all of them betrayed me. Either they’re part of this plot or they intended to inform Faolán and Drostan, but either way our enemy intercepted the messages.” Hardi felt the anger that bubbled at a simmer while Roddy and Tomas relayed their tale rising to a full boil, and his body felt on fire. He prayed he had the patience not to kill any of the men before he got his answers.
They didn’t have long to wait before a knock sounded at the door. Hardi ripped it open and glared at the four men. “Strip off yer plaids and remove the dirks from yer boots. Show me yer forearms and thighs,” Hardi demanded. He wouldn’t allow any of them into the chamber armed while Blair was with him. He didn’t trust any of them. One by one, they entered the solar in only their leines and boots. Hardi led Blair behind their desk, with only a wall at their backs. “One to each corner and the others against the side walls.”
Blair listened in silence as Hardi did what he could to make it difficult for the men to swarm them should they attack. She appreciated his plan and his foresight to keep any weapons from entering the chamber with the men. Hardi drew his broadsword from the sheath slung across his back and held it loosely in his hand.
“Which one of ye?” Hardi offered no more to his demand. He was certain they’d learned of the dead bodies of the messengers, even with so little time since their arrival. They would understand what he wanted to know. No one stepped forward. “Ye had the courage to betray me, but ye dinna have the courage to admit it. I will give ye one more chance to step forward. Dead men are silent too.”
“It was Dunn,” a blond man stepped forward. “I have a wife and two weans to provide for. I amnae going down with this sinking ship.”
“The ship has sunk,” Hardi snarled. “Ye should have thought aboot that, Wylie, while ye kept the secret.”
Hardi turned his attention to the man Blair learned was Dunn. He looked terrified, and Blair was certain he should be. She’d never seen the warrior side of Hardi before, and she wasn’t certain she wanted to witness the outcome of his deadly stare. She saw the ferocity and fearlessness in Hardi’s eyes that enabled him to survive the trial by combat battle against the Mackintoshes. He’d been the only one of the Camerons to survive, and now she understood why. She also understood just the depth of underestimation people held for her husband.
“Why?” Hardi barked. Dunn refused to speak. The silence tempted Hardi to run Dunn through, but he would get no answers from a dead man. Hardi spoke slowly, enunciating each word “Yer wife is purely Cameron, isnae she? There is nay clan for her and yer weans to turn to once I banish them.”
Blair watched, but Dunn didn’t blink at Hardi’s threat. She wondered what went through the man’s mind to test Hardi.
“Ye think the Hardwin ye kenned before we each wed, the one who went to the tavern with ye and drank alongside ye, still exists. He died the day ma uncle did. But a piece of him chipped away with the death of every mon in his family. What ye have left is the Laird Cameron ye see before ye. Dunn, dinna think I will take mercy on ye or yer family. I will kill ye where ye stand, and yer family will be in the woods before nightfall. I’d say test me and find out, but ye willna ken aught once ye’re dead. Mayhap ye’re wife will find a tavern to work in while yer children beg. How long do ye think it’ll be before yer weans understand what their mama does to keep them fed?”
Blair swallowed her gasp. She wanted to believe Hardi was bluffing, but in her heart she knew he wasn’t. Treachery within his personal guard jeopardized more than just Hardi’s life. It spoke of dishonor and dissent among the men sworn to protect the innocent members of the clan. If he couldn’t trust his warriors, he had no way to keep his people safe.
“It was Drostan,” Dunn admitted. “Before we left, he told me he had someone from Inverlochy who would watch us and report to him what ye did and where ye went. He couldnae enter the castle, so I informed the mon of yer time spent with Lady Cameron. He must have kenned to look for missives sent to and from Lady Cameron. I didna have aught to do with Bran’s death or any of the messengers. At least nae directly. I didna ken someone would kill them.”
“And who was it ye reported to?” Hardi demanded.
“I dinna ken for sure, ma laird, but from the look of the mon, he’s related to Artair. Ma guess is he’s the chieftain’s bastard.”
“Lady Cameron sent missives after leaving Stirling, how were those discovered?” Hardi asked.
“When we left court, so did the mon. He was at Inverlochy and kenned aboot ma lady’s letters and aboot ye meeting,” Dunn explained.
“What did Drostan have over ye that made ye willing to betray yer laird?” Blair wondered.<
br />
“Naught but ma family’s lives. He said that he would kill them if I didna do as he said. He told me that by asking me, I kenned of his plan. He wouldnae leave me alive to tell anyone. He warned that if the messages ceased coming or his mon at Inverlochy informed him that I didna cooperate, he’d kill ma wife and weans.”
“What’s the mon’s name?” Blair pressed.
“I think it’s Murray.” Dunn replied.
“He’s one of Artair’s bastards,” Hardi noted. He looked at each of the men in turn. Their lack of loyalty concerned him. Dunn might have been the only one trading secrets, but the other three were aware of his betrayal and did nothing to stop him or warn Hardi. “For yer dishonor, Wylie, Loman, and Garrett, I strip ye of yer title as members of the laird’s personal guard. Ye will stand three months’ watch, and ye will personally explain to Bran’s parents and widow why he is dead. Dunn, ye have a new home. Ye shall reside in the dungeon for the indefinite future. I may release ye, or I may leave ye to rot. We shall see how the wind blows. Wylie, Loman, Garrett, leave. Dunn stays.”
The men didn’t need to be told twice. None looked in Dunn’s direction, and none dared meet Hardi’s eye. The three men glanced in Blair’s direction and dipped their heads before hurrying to the door. They were out of the chamber in a matter of seconds.
Forty-Six
Hardi waited until the three disgraced guards traipsed out of the solar before he raised his sword and went to stand before Dunn. He poked the tip of his sword against Dunn’s belly. Finally, the man flinched.
“One sneeze, and I could drive this through yer gut,” Hardi hissed as he leaned to whisper to Dunn. “Ye ken more. Speak.” Hardi backed away from Dunn, but he didn’t lower his sword.
“I dinna ken all the details,” Dunn clarified. “But I ken there is a plot to kill ye during an attack. Drostan and Faolán were aware, but they werenae the ones who thought of it. I dinna ken who did. I dinna ken when, but I think the Macphersons and Davidsons plan to overrun the keep. Someone at Inverlochy is behind this, but I dinna have a guess who. There’s a tunnel leading into the keep from Inverlochy’s direction. I think the Macphersons and Davidsons intend to breach the keep’s defenses from within.”
“And?” Hardi pressed. Blair saw the sweat dripping along Dunn’s forehead and heard the tremor in the man’s voice. He understood what was at stake now that he was alone with Hardi and Blair.
“Whoever it is at Inverlochy, they didna want the Sutherlands to come for Lady Cameron. They dinna want them aiding ye. The Macphersons and Davidsons are to make camp near Inverlochy and attack at dusk two days from now.”
“Why do ye think it’s the Macphersons and Davidsons? What proof have ye?”
Dunn shrugged. “I ken it’s clans from Clan Chattan Confederation, so they seemed most likely to me. I mean after what happened with the Mackintoshes, I figured…”
“Ye’ve helped dig. Who else?” Blair asked from across the room. Dunn’s eyes shifted to her.
“Faolán’s three oldest sons. The last thing we’re to do is reinforce the walls with beams, so the tunnel can handle having ten or fifteen score men pass through.”
“Three hundred men is more than the Macphersons and Davidsons combined. Who else is involved?”
“I truly dinna ken that, Laird. Mayhap the MacDonalds, since someone at Inverlochy is leading this.”
“And who is it here? Who’s the treacherous bastard leading ye if it wasna Drostan and Faolán? Who gives the commands now?” Hardi pressed. He watched Dunn’s nostrils flair ever so slightly at the word bastard. Hardi knew it wasn’t just Faolán’s bastards, but he didn’t know who else that could be. Faolán wasn’t the only man in the clan to have conceived children on the wrong side of the blanket, but none of the men nor their children seemed reasonable suspects.
“Faolán gave a standing order that nay matter what happens to him or Drostan, the digging was to continue. That’s all I ken.” Dunn lowered his head. “That’s far more than I ever wanted to. For what it’s worth, Laird Cameron, I willna ever put anyone’s safety over ma family’s. That meant turning traitor, and I regret that, but I dinna regret protecting them.”
“I understand the position Drostan placed ye in, and I respect yer devotion to yer family. But I canna overlook that Faolán and Drostan are both dead, and ye didna step forward once the threat was gone,” Hardi explained.
“The threat isnae gone, ma laird. If I spoke out, Faolán’s sons would have come for me. They will ken I told ye, and now ma family will likely die because of it.” Dunn shuddered as sweat dripped from the tip of his nose.
“Bring yer wife and children to the keep,” Blair stepped forward. “I will find a safe place for them, for however long they need it.”
Hardi nodded but didn’t take his eyes off Dunn. “Who stands against me among the men?”
Dunn’s eyes widened. “None, Laird. That’s why whoever is doing this is relying on other clans to attack. They ken our clan will stand with ye. Mayhap one of the clans wants Tor Castle for their own, but whoever is behind this kens the men willna fight against ye. Ye were one of us for more time than ye’ve been laird. We’ve fought beside ye; many of us are alive because ye saved our arses. We may nae have fought the Mackintoshes, but we saw what happened. We saw ye fight. We saw ye defending yer cousins, and we ken what ye endured. The men are loyal to ye, Laird.” Dunn took a shuddering breath. “Ma fate is clear. But for ma family, I was loyal to ye, too.”
“Ye will serve yer time in the dungeon, but nae until after this bluidy battle is over. If we lose, ye’ll likely be dead, anyway. Trade sides during the fight, and I will cut out yer heart and hand it to yer youngest child. Until then, find men who can keep a secret. Where is the dirt from the tunnel?” Hardi asked.
“Nae far from here. It’s to the north of the beginning of the tunnel,” Dunn explained.
“I want ye to take five men with ye tonight. Ye will fill enough sacks with dirt to build two walls with it from floor to ceiling in the tunnel. When ye return ye will go into the tunnel and stack one wall, then construct a reinforced wooden wall. You will build a second dirt wall to give us three layers of defense. If anyone learns of what ye do, I will cut out yer heart and hand it to yer youngest child.”
“Aye, ma laird,” Dunn nodded. Hardi backed away and made room for Dunn to slip past him toward the door. As he reached for the handle, Hardi called out to him.
“And Dunn.” Hardi waited for the man to look back at him. “I may still kill ye just because I can.”
Forty-Seven
Hardi stood just within the tunnel, watching Dunn and the other men work. He’d sent Tomas and Donald with his men to fetch the dirt. The two Sutherlands stood watch in the storeroom as Hardi monitored his men’s progress. While the men went for the dirt, he and Blair discussed what they would do next. Knowledge of the impending attack could no longer remain a secret. Clan members living along the enemies’ route would arrive the next day and their appearance would raise questions. Hardi and Blair needed to prepare their people for the worst.
It was the middle of the night when Tomas, Donald, and the others returned. Before they set to work in the tunnel, he ordered them to seize Faolán’s children. They took the oldest sons to the dungeon where Hardi could keep them isolated and unable to warn anyone. They placed the younger children and their mothers under Blair’s care.
She found storerooms for them to sleep in, giving them blankets and bedding. They left none of Faolán’s offspring or their mothers free to sound an alarm or alert their encroaching foe. Blair did what she could to allay their fears, but there was little she could say. The men in the dungeon would likely die for their sins, and Blair prayed the clan would survive the assault. She explained the situation was temporary, but the men’s choices caused the situation. She posted guards that Hardi sent to her.
It was still dark when Hardi sent his men with Tomas and Donald for a second trip. They were to fill the wagons with the remaini
ng dirt, then hide them along the western wall of the keep. It abutted a forest that would protect them from view. Despite arguments against it, Hardi explained that once the enemy began entering the tunnel, he needed Tomas and Donald to take the wagons to the tunnel’s entrance. When the last of the invaders dropped within, they were to dump both wagons full of dirt and seal the hole. Tomas and Donald refused to leave Blair, but Hardi explained the task was likely what would win them the battle. He didn’t trust anyone as much as he did the two men devoted to keeping Blair safe. He reminded them that the wall they built would create a temporary logjam and would buy them time while the attackers tried to break through it.
With little sleep before morning came, Blair and Hardi stood before their clan as the members broke their fast, explaining what they could and preparing the clan for what was to come. They divided their tasks and went their separate ways. Hardi ordered his best hunters to capture anything they could find before midafternoon. He sent his fastest rider toward Inverlochy to discover whether anyone camped outside the castle. When he learned there was no one there, he mustered three details to alert the outlying villages, praying they would get there before their enemies passed through. It was a slim window of time if the attack was to be dusk the next day.
Blair arranged for servants to clear out storage rooms for the villagers who would arrive that day and for the ones who lived outside the bailey walls. She, Dolina, and Mordag met to plan how to ration the food if there was a siege. She ordered men Hardi sent her to move every food store they had into the undercroft. She wouldn’t risk the storerooms being raided or the storage buildings being burned with their supplies within. They were already in dire straits without losing everything.
Hardi showed Tomas and Donald the space behind the Murphy door, explaining he would send Blair there the moment it appeared their defenses wouldn’t hold. When he told her that he wanted to hide there if the tides turned against them, she insisted that she needed to protect the women and children. He warned her that he would carry her there, dump her in the hidden space, then lock her into the solar if she didn’t go willingly. He’d seen the spark of defiance in her eyes and reminded her in no uncertain terms that after the amount of times they coupled, there was a good chance she might be pregnant. She covered her belly with her hands and nodded once.
A Saint at the Highland Court: A Friends to Lovers Highlander Romance (The Highland Ladies Book 6) Page 30
