"Where are my two guards, MacNeil and Irving?" Cyrus demanded.
"Dead!" Henry returned.
"Nay." Feeling gutted, Cyrus clenched his teeth. Those two were like family. They'd fought beside him and protected him for many years.
"Just as Fraser will be if you do not meet my demands!"
"Your days are numbered, you wee viper," Cyrus muttered.
"Both your guards were killed in a skirmish. They shouldn't have challenged my men!"
The two of them, along with Fraser, would've been severely outnumbered. They likely had little chance of defeating so many. "Just be patient. You'll get what you're asking for," Cyrus shouted. Once he escorted Elspeth and Fraser safely to Castle Rebbinglen, he would return here with his army and see justice served. Just because the whoreson was an earl didn't mean he was above the law.
"Do not try any tricks or you will regret it. I can kill Fraser right now, break down those flimsy gates, and drag Lady Grey out by her hair if I so choose. You only have a few guards left. You are greatly outnumbered."
"I'll take these deeds out to him." Elspeth's voice came from behind him.
Cyrus jerked around. "I told you to go into the cellar. 'Tis not safe for you here!"
"Nor is it safe for you here," she snapped.
"Elspeth..." He was ready to give her a severe tongue-lashing, but she held up her hand, and he was shocked to realize that alone stopped him.
"I will deal with Henry," she said with calm determination. "I'm the reason he's here. I'm the reason Fraser was taken hostage, so I need to be the one to get him released."
"Are you mad?" Cyrus demanded.
She shook her head. "I have a plan."
"What kind of plan?"
"The reason I was in the study so long this morn is that I've been finishing faux copies of my deeds." She held up the rolled parchments, tied with a blue ribbon.
Surprised, he frowned. "Why?"
"'Twill buy us some time. They look very similar to the originals with a few key changes. Mayhap he will release Fraser if I sign them over. Then, we can go elsewhere before he realizes they're not real."
She had a brilliant idea, Cyrus had to admit. Mayhap the counterfeits would at least allow him to get her and Fraser back to Castle Rebbinglen. "Can I see them?"
"I'm growing impatient!" the whoreson yelled outside. "Your brother's life means naught to me!"
"You'll have to wait until she dons her cloak." Cyrus stalled for time, yet his gut knotted with the need to hurry and get Fraser away from the madman.
Elspeth removed the ribbon and spread the deeds out on the small table.
Cyrus moved closer to examine them, amazed at their realistic appearance. "They appear aged. How did you do this?"
"I used old, faded parchment. After the ink dried, I crumpled them a bit and rubbed the lettering with rough sackcloth so the ink wouldn't appear so fresh. For the wax seals, I used a small knife to carve them."
"I'm impressed by how authentic they look. I'll take them out to the knave and exchange them for Fraser." Cyrus rerolled the deeds.
Elspeth held out her hand. "I'll do that. I doubt he would harm me."
Annoyance grated at Cyrus's nerves. "Don't be naïve. He would love naught more than to kill you."
A loud crash sounded below. He spun to look out the window. Four of Dalacroy's men were ramming a log against the iron bars.
"They're breaking down the gates." He handed her the deeds. "After you sign these, leave them here on the table and go back inside, into the cellar, where you'll be safe."
"Nay, I'll give them to him myself. Besides, he will want to watch me sign them over to him." Her cloak swirled as she spun and hastened down the steps.
Fear for her life ripping through him, Cyrus followed her to ground level, then grasped her arm. "You're not going out there. You're going back inside the house." Cyrus picked her up and carried her quickly across the courtyard and up the entry steps. Once in the hall, he set her on her feet.
Defiance in her eyes, she backed away from him. "'Tis my fault Fraser is in such danger now. I will get him released. Henry won't kill me."
"Not until after you sign everything over to him, then he will be most eager to murder you."
"Mayhap I can talk some sense into him."
Cyrus scowled. "You don't even know the whoreson. Have you ever met him?"
"Nay," she admitted. "But we both knew his father."
"That makes no difference."
Another loud crash sounded and then swords clanged.
He glanced aside at his guard. "Sean, make certain she remains inside."
"Aye, Chief."
Cyrus drew his sword and turned to join the fighting in the courtyard. An archer appeared on the steps, taking aim. His instincts seizing control, Cyrus grabbed Elspeth, pulling her out of his line of sight. The arrow lodged in an overhead beam.
"I'm tired of waiting, MacKenzie!" Dalacroy was close outside the entry door, though they couldn't see him.
"Keep your men back, Henry, and I will come out!" Elspeth yelled.
"That's Laird Dalacroy to you, whore!"
Elspeth wanted to call the knave every foul name she could think of, but she restrained her tongue. "I will exchange myself for Fraser MacKenzie."
"'Tis the first sensible thing I've heard all day. I have sent for my best solicitor. Bring the deeds out here. We'll make all of the sales official."
"Sales my arse," Cyrus growled low, then yelled out the door, "You are taking the lady nowhere! She will sign the deeds over here, give them to you and you will return Fraser to us."
Henry chuckled darkly. "Nay, indeed. I'll hand Fraser over to you only after I have the deeds and Lady Grey firmly in my possession. I'll be taking both back to Wingate Castle. Get one thing through your thick head, daft Highlander—you are not in charge here. I am. "
Cyrus clenched his jaw. "The whelp thinks me daft," he muttered, obviously forcing himself to maintain his control. "He's going to suffer, I vow."
"He's an imbecile," she whispered, attempting to keep Cyrus calm so he wouldn't act impulsively. "And he's only trying to rile you. Your life is far more endangered than mine is right now."
"What will you do with the lady once she signs the deeds?" Cyrus called out to him.
"I will release her so she may live on the muddy streets of Aberdeen where she belongs. I'm not a murderer."
When she imagined such a fate for herself, Elspeth's stomach ached.
"I'm going to squash him like the wee bug he is." To Henry, he said, "That remains to be seen. Where are Lady Grey's guards, the ones who vanished from here several days ago?"
Henry laughed. "They were unhappy with their pay here, as well as the meager food and lodgings. They pleaded for employment on my estate, and I was glad to double their wages."
Anger boiled within Elspeth. She made sure all of her staff had food as good as her own, and comfortable, warm places to sleep.
"We ken what you did," Cyrus assured him. "Paying them to leave so the lady would be unprotected."
"'Nonsense. 'Tis not my fault the fallen woman is unable to pay her guards and staff. I'll give her ten quid so she can buy some bread for the remainder of her maids and steward."
Furious, Elspeth gritted her teeth. "If you don't kill him, I will."
Cyrus snorted. "I admire your fortitude."
She did see admiration in his eyes, along with extreme concern. How was it possible she felt closer to Cyrus than any man she'd ever met? She'd only known him a short time, and yet he fretted over her far more than anyone she knew.
"Go in and drag her out!" Henry commanded.
Dozens of running feet pounded over the cobblestones and up the steps, sending chills of dread over her body.
"Go!" His dark eyes intense, Cyrus pointed toward the cellar doorway.
She shook her head and dropped the rolled deeds into a large empty vase near the door. "I will meet my fate head-on."
The first sword-wi
elding soldier charged through the open doorway. In an instant, Cyrus spun and buried his sword in the man's gut, while dodging the blade swinging toward him. When that enemy fell to the floor, he stabbed his dirk into the second soldier's chest. Wanting to watch Cyrus's back, Elspeth grabbed a small iron candleholder.
Mayhem erupted as a dozen or more of Henry's men swarmed into the hall, engaging Cyrus's guards in battle. Fraser broke free from his captor and, though his hands were bound behind his back, he slammed his body into one of the enemies, knocking him down before he could stab Cyrus.
Four more soldiers charged in. Two kicked Fraser against the wall, then all four tackled Cyrus to the floor. Being smaller, they scrambled to hold him down. More soldiers joined them, striking and kicking Cyrus.
"Stop!" Ice water running in her veins, Elspeth dropped the candleholder and dashed toward them. "Don't harm him and I will give you the deeds!"
Henry strode inside like he already owned the place. He was a younger, shorter version of Alexander, with straight, medium-brown hair and thick brows, and yet the older man had never been as repugnant as his smarmy son.
"And I was told you were not MacKenzie's whore." Henry approached her with a nasty smile. "I knew 'twas a lie."
Disgusted by him, Elspeth slapped his face.
"Bitch!" He shoved at her shoulder, making her stumble backward. With quick footwork, she was able to remain on her feet.
"Leave her be!" Cyrus roared from beneath the pile of men holding him down. "Where is my brother?"
"On the floor behind you."
"Fraser?" Cyrus rasped.
"Aye." His brother's face was scrunched in pain.
"What did you do to him?" Elspeth glared at the bald guard standing over Fraser.
"'Tis only a broken arm," the man sneered. "Let me put him out of his misery, my laird."
"Nay!" Elspeth yelled. "Leave him be or you will get naught. And do not harm anyone else here."
"Tie those two up nice and tight, Balcot." Henry pointed at Fraser and Cyrus, then he turned to her. "Now, you jezebel, fetch the deeds from wherever you have them hidden."
"Your father was right about you."
"Oh? What did he say?" Henry snapped, then narrowed his eyes. "Not that it matters."
Ignoring his question, she asked one of her own. "Do you give your word that you will not harm any of these men?"
He cast a critical eye over them. "Aye. As long as they do not retaliate, and they leave here and hasten back to their barbaric Highlands."
"Do you also vow that you will release me unharmed after I sign the deeds?"
"Of course." Henry's expression brightened. He seemed a bratty, coddled lad who was getting his fondest wish.
Though she did not trust the miscreant's word, 'twas all she had to go on. She had to prevent him from harming the MacKenzies further. She turned and pulled the roll of faux deeds from the vase.
"Why on earth would you hide them in there?" Henry demanded as if he felt daft for not checking in there earlier.
"Because I wanted to." She would not explain herself to him.
"Give them to me!" He snatched the parchment scroll. "Tie up the rest of the MacKenzies. Their feet, too," Henry ordered his men, then unrolled the deeds and flattened them on the table.
As he studied them, she prayed he wouldn't notice that some of the wording had been subtly changed. She knew that after his solicitor inspected them, he would figure out her trick, and she might be forced to relinquish the real deeds. But she would rather lose everything she owned than to cause the death of Cyrus, Fraser or any of their clansmen. Life was far more valuable than property, but some people didn't see it that way. Certainly not greedy Henry.
Alexander used to complain about how Henry was lazy and had no scruples. He had also cheated and stolen from his father when he'd been a lad. Elspeth should've suspected such a miscreant could one day challenge her for the properties Alexander had gifted her with.
Henry scanned the pages through squinted eyes. "I'll have my solicitor examine them thoroughly. Then, I'll pay you two pence for each property, we'll sign the deeds, and all will be as it should." He grinned smugly as he rolled up the deeds. "Come. We'll have your horse saddled, and I'll escort you to Wingate."
"I'll simply sign them over to you now." She would try near anything to avoid becoming his captive.
"Nay, mistress. That would not do at all. You must sign them in the presence of the solicitor and my witnesses."
"What about my solicitor and witnesses?" she asked, stalling for time.
His steely eyes hardened. "Nay, I cannot allow that."
"Of course not."
Smirking, he motioned for her to proceed out of the room.
"You'll regret this, you whoreson!" Cyrus roared. "Mark my words."
"Oh, I think not. The courts will be on my side. They'll realize my father was not of sound mind when he signed these properties over to his whore and took them away from his son and heir. And do not malign my mother." Henry took his sword hilt and knocked Cyrus on the head with it.
"Nay!" Elspeth yelled, feeling sickened. "You blackguard!" She ran and knelt by Cyrus, slumped on the floor. She touched his face and smoothed his dark hair away from his forehead. Good heavens, he was knocked out cold.
Henry grabbed her arm and yanked her painfully upward. "Shut your mouth or I will give you to my men, all of them. Carry her outside, MacGirk, and tie her to a saddle, facedown." He shoved her toward the guard.
Appalled by his threat, she ran to the hearth and snatched the fire poker. She would not willingly walk into a trap where she might be raped by the lot of them. 'Twould likely be her tragic fate anyway, after she signed the deeds.
"Come now, wench." Henry chuckled. "Do you truly think you have a chance against two dozen soldiers?"
Her stomach aching, she glanced around. She alone faced Henry and his menacing lackeys. All the MacKenzies were tied up or knocked out, and her servants were in the cellar. She gritted her teeth in determination. "I will bash in several skulls before you drag me from this place!"
Grinning bitterly, Henry crouched beside Cyrus where he lay insensible upon the floor. He grabbed a fistful of Cyrus's long hair, yanked his head up and held a dagger at his throat. "You will come peacefully with me or your lover's blood will be spilled all over this hall."
Chapter Nineteen
"Do not harm him!" Elspeth's heartbeat stalled at the devastating sight of Henry's knife so close to Cyrus's throat. With shaking hands, she placed the fire poker on the floor. "I will go with you." Icy chills coursing over her, she held her breath until Henry released Cyrus, dropping his head back to the floor.
She prayed he would recover from such a hard blow to the head. She would accept defeat if Cyrus could stay safe.
Henry glanced at the guard. "MacGirk, put her on the spare horse. Now."
"I can walk." Straightening her shoulders, she strode forward.
Henry's malevolent glare bit into her. "You're lucky I don't drag you behind the horse all the way to Wingate Castle."
Bastard!
The brawny guard he'd called MacGirk picked her up and roughly tossed her over his shoulder, sending pain slamming through her stomach.
Fraser and a couple of the MacKenzie guards protested fiercely, calling Henry and his men insulting names, while unsuccessfully trying to free themselves from the bindings. She could not see all of the MacKenzies, but she hoped they all lived.
"Load up our dead and injured guards," Henry commanded as they descended the steps. "You five, stay and make certain the MacKenzies do not escape until I return."
"Aye, m'laird."
In the courtyard, MacGirk dragged her from his shoulder, set her on her feet and leered down at her with sharp blue eyes.
She took a step back and glanced at Henry, forcing a pleasant tone. "Will you allow me to ride astride?"
"Fine, but if you try anything, I'll break your leg," Henry warned as he mounted.
She woul
d love naught more than to break both his legs, and she was certain Cyrus would if he ever got hold of him. "I shall be well behaved." Feigning submission, she kept her voice calm.
"Help her mount," Henry barked at MacGirk.
After the brutish man lifted her to the saddle, he ran his hand over her hip and thigh, then chuckled.
She shuddered with revulsion. "Are you going to release me after I sign the deeds?"
"Of course." Henry sent her a smirking grin as if 'twas the biggest lie ever. "Surround her as we ride!" he ordered the guards.
As they left Darby Hall behind, she prayed Cyrus would awaken soon with no lasting injury. She truly hated that he, Fraser, and their guards had been injured because of her. She hoped she would get the opportunity to make it up to them, but... she didn't know if she would ever see them again. She was at Henry's mercy now. Not knowing whether he would kill her or throw her to his pack of wolves, she felt intense nausea churning in her stomach.
Dear God, help me survive this.
Most of all, she prayed she would see Cyrus again, for he was the most remarkable and astonishing man she had ever met. She hadn't known men could be so unselfish and generous with their help.
After a short time, they passed through Aberdeen, then rode about a mile outside of town. The tall, foreboding towers of Wingate Castle looked down upon them as they approached. She had seen the castle from a distance but had never been close to the bleak structure. She had always refused to go to Alexander's home. They'd worked out their bargain at Greymont. After that, he'd always visited her at Darby.
Once inside the walls of Wingate, the portcullis clanged shut behind them. Saints, she couldn't believe how lofty the thick walls were... about twice as tall as those at Darby. Suddenly, she felt completely trapped in this fortress, almost as if she could not draw in enough air. Remaining calm, she forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly, then dismount with the rest of them. Several of the guards and servants stared at her.
"Escort her into the great hall," Henry ordered MacGirk.
He leered down at her. "Can I carry her again?"
"I can walk!" She strode quickly toward the steps. If the maggot picked her up, she feared she would elbow him in the nose. Which would anger him, and he might well cause her injury... or worse.
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