A Laird's Promise (Highland Heartbeats Book 1)

by Aileen Adams

  No. They were heading northwest.

  His heart sank.

  To the northwest were the lands of other clans. The rugged mountain range in that direction was a common hideout for outlaws. His grip on his horse's reins tightened, and his anger continued to grow. They needed to find Sarah, and quickly, before something happened to her.

  They rode for an hour and then another.

  They lost the trail several times. Since their first discovery of her footprint along the marshy sides of the pond back at the manor, they had seen no other footprints that could have been left by Sarah.

  It didn't take long for the truth of the matter to dawn on all of them. Someone had come upon her just after she entered the woods. But who? Any of his people would have brought her to the manor.

  So, it had to be—

  “Laird Duncan!”

  The trio pulled up their reins, horses prancing as they watched a rider carefully wind his way down a rock-strewn slope, hailing him.

  At first, Phillip wasn't sure who it was and reached for his bow, but as the rider grew closer, he recognized one of his sentries.

  Malcolm MacDougall.

  Phillip waited impatiently until Malcolm drew his gelding close to his, nodded a brief greeting to Hugh and Maccay, and then turned once again toward him.

  “Malcolm,” he said without preamble. “Have you seen a young woman riding either by herself or with others come along this way?”

  To his surprise, Malcolm nodded.

  “Explain.”

  “It was just before dawn this morning. I was up there, on the rocky crag, one of my preferred lookout points,” Malcolm explained. “You can see for a long distance from up there.”

  “And?”

  “I saw an Orkney. Fergus to be exact.”

  Phillip frowned.

  The Orkneys didn't often venture close to Duncan lands. The two families had been feuding for generations.

  Phillip was surprised to learn that an Orkney was so close. “And?”

  “And there were two young women with him. One of ‘em rode her own horse; the other was sitting in front of Fergus.”

  “Did you recognize the women?”

  Malcolm nodded. “I'm sure one of them was Ceana—”

  Ceana!

  Clarity dawned over Phillip.

  Hugh and Maccay expressed their startled dismay, glancing once again between each other and then at Phillip.

  Ceana riding with an Orkney?

  He looked at Malcolm. “Are you sure?”

  Malcolm nodded. “I’d swear my life on it,” he said, nodding vehemently. “Nobody forgets what Ceana looks like.”

  Phillip tried to rein in his temper. “And the other woman?”

  “Brownish hair, sturdy frame, riding astride. It looked like her hands were bound behind her back, but it was a little too far to see for sure.”

  Phillip’s heart pounded.

  If he had any doubts before, he was now convinced that Ceana had deliberately tried to poison his brother. For what reason, he didn't know, and at the moment he didn't care.

  He also had a feeling that Ceana was behind Sarah’s mad dash from the manor.

  What foolishness had Ceana told her?

  What fears had she instilled in his captive to prompt her to risk everything and leave the safety and security of the manor to the uncertainty and dangers of the forest?

  He turned to Malcolm. “Return quickly to the manor. Gather the men. If the Orkneys are on our lands, we will drive them off. As for Ceana, I want her, alive. The other woman, I want her also, and she is to be protected. She has been taken against her will.”

  He felt guilty saying that. He had taken her against her will. Now too had the Orkneys, but he knew that their plans for were far less honorable than his own.

  As soon as Malcolm spurred his horse in a direction that would take him back to the manor house, Phillip turned to Maccay and Hugh.

  “Ceana will pay for this, and dearly. So will Fergus Orkney. I have the distinct feeling that we are not the only ones who have been fooled by Ceana, her beauty, or her beguiling ways. But the Orkneys will regret passing the borders onto our lands, and if Fergus Orkney has laid one hand on Sarah, he too will pay with his life.”

  15

  What had she done? Sarah silently cried to the heavens. What had she done to deserve this? Her heart pounded, her blood pulsed through her veins, her head exploding with every hoof fall of Orkney’s horse.

  She had long ago lost track of the time. They had ridden through the night, alternately walking or trotting the horses. She rode astride in front of Fergus Orkney, the stench emanating from his body causing her stomach to turn, prompting an occasional gag.

  He was large, heavy set, and solid, but she would not rest against him as she had done with Phillip. Phillip. He had kidnapped her too, but oddly enough, she had never felt as extremely frightened of her situation as she was now riding with Orkney and Ceana.

  Ceana.

  How could she betray her former love the way she had?

  A healer never deliberately caused harm to another in their care.

  Never.

  Yet she also knew that hatred and jealousy could destroy anything good and decent about a person. Her stepfather was a perfect example of that.

  Orkney suddenly pulled his horse to a stop at the edge of a small clearing.

  Ceana followed suit, glancing at him with a frown as she spoke.

  “Why are we stopping? We’re not nearly beyond the Duncan borders.”

  “The horses need rest. Mine is carrying double weight, remember?” Orkney snapped. “It will be dawn soon. We need to find a place to hide.”

  Ceana mumbled something under her breath, and Sarah felt the rumble from deep in Orkney’s chest.

  If these two were allies, their relationship was tenuous at best.

  She glanced at Ceana, who glowered at her.

  Sarah knew without a doubt that if she didn't have the gag in her mouth, she would give Ceana a good piece of her mind.

  Perhaps it was just as well that she was gagged. Her mouth had often gotten her into trouble, especially with her stepfather.

  Much of the time, Sarah kept her mouth shut; knew that the more she railed against him, criticized him, or shamed him, the worse the beatings got.

  He didn’t know that she did that to keep his anger and hatred focused on her and away from Heather.

  Heather.

  She had a sinking feeling that she would never see her sister again. The thought brought tears to her eyes. She turned her head away so that Ceana wouldn't see her fear and heartache.

  With a sinking heart, she realized she should have stayed with Phillip. She should have trusted him, and not Ceana. And if not trusted, at least believed that he would keep his word.

  With Phillip, she had had a chance of returning home. She knew it now. And yet she had allowed herself, her opinions, and her very instinct to be swayed by Ceana’s lies.

  She knew now that everything Ceana had told her was a lie.

  Phillip would not have thrown her in the dungeon, even if his brother had died. In the short time she had known him, at least on the surface, he appeared to be a just man. He would not punish her for failing to save his brother. What he had done in kidnapping her, right or wrong, was a grasp at desperation. A willingness to do everything and anything he could to ensure his brother's survival.

  Phillip and Jake were not enemies.

  Ceana had lied to her about that too. It was obvious to her now that Phillip was devoted to his younger brother. Just as she was devoted to Heather. And she swore to herself that she would do everything and anything she had to—

  She gasped in surprise as she was roughly flung to the ground off the back of the horse. Unable to brace herself with her hands tied behind her back, she landed heavily on her side. The air was knocked out of her lungs, and she lay there, gasping like a fish out of water for several moments while Orkney dismounted, followed by Cean
a.

  Neither paid her much mind.

  “We'll make a small camp over there by those rocks.”

  Ceana protested. “If you expect me to sit out here in the dirt and the cold air much longer, Fergus Orkney, I swear I’ll—”

  Sarah watched in dismay as Fergus Orkney turned on Ceana, hands balled into fists at his sides as he towered over her.

  “Or you'll do what, Ceana?”

  She said nothing. Swallowed hard, gazing up at Fergus with wary caution.

  This did not bode well.

  Ceana had betrayed her own clan. It was apparent that Fergus didn't trust her further than he could throw her.

  What was she going to do? How could she get out of this?

  Ceana slinked off behind a rock, perhaps to take care of nature's needs.

  Fergus turned toward Sarah. Looked her up and down, lying on the ground, her kirtle and gown bunched above her knees.

  Realizing what Fergus was doing, Sarah ignored her pain and quickly scrambled to sit up, to cover her limbs from Orkney’s view. When she glanced back up at his face, she noted his wicked grin. And that's exactly what it was.

  Wicked.

  Her blood ran cold. He couldn't possibly—

  “Are you thinking the same thing I am thinking?” he said, displaying dingy teeth with that sneering grin.

  She tried to scream beneath the gag, but all she ended up doing was choking.

  He laughed.

  “You don't have to worry about that. Yet. Maybe later. For now, I have more important things to do.”

  He too moved off into the trees.

  For the moment, she was alone. She struggled to sit up, difficult enough with their hands tied behind her, let alone dealing with the pain that throbbed through her every move. She had just managed to get into a sitting position, her legs crossed, when out of the depths of the woods several figures emerged. She stared at them, wide-eyed, so afraid that she thought she might burst into tears any moment.

  Behind the three men, dressed roughly, their clothes filthy, their faces bearded, came Fergus, and then Ceana.

  “Are you sure you weren't followed?” she asked them.

  While Fergus sent her an annoyed glance, the others nodded.

  “And our reward?”

  Sarah felt her heart skip a beat as she glanced between the men and Ceana.

  Reward?

  “You'll get her when this is finished.” She turned to look down at Sarah. The look on her face was anything but pleasant.

  Sarah felt the chill of terror shoot down her spine. Disbelieving, horrified, sick to her stomach, she stared at Ceana.

  How could the woman be so cruel?

  She blinked back her tears and swallowed her growing panic, refusing to show fear.

  Escape.

  She had to escape. Before all was lost.

  “You've ruined everything, do you know that?” Ceana snapped at her. “Everything that's about to happen, it's your fault. I want you to know that.”

  What was she talking about?

  Sarah tried to speak, but the gag prevented her from doing so.

  With an impatient gesture, Ceana gestured to one of the men.

  That man, tall and thin with long, dirty hair stepped toward her, interest in his eyes and a grin turning up the corners of his mouth. Half his teeth were missing.

  When he was within two paces of Sarah, she caught a whiff of his odor and nearly retched.

  He pulled a knife from the sheath at his waist.

  She froze, eyes wide as he stepped behind her. She hunched her shoulder blades together in expectation of a blow, but it never came.

  Instead, he sliced through the gag. Then he sliced through the bindings.

  Her arms dropped to her sides, leaden. She fought the stiffness in her shoulders and brought her arms in front of her, reaching up to pull the gag from her mouth, spitting out threads.

  “You scream, and I'll tell him to cut your tongue out. You understand?”

  Sarah stared at Ceana. “What are you doing?” she croaked, her mouth and throat dry. “Why have you done this? Why kidnap me?” She glowered at her. “It wasn't my choice to be at Duncan Manor. You do know that, don't you?”

  Ceana smiled, but it was far from friendly. “So many questions from the mousy healer.”

  She walked several paces away before turning back to Sarah.

  “All right, I'll give you that. It's not your fault that Phillip went down to the coast and kidnapped you. But I still plan to take my revenge, even if Jake will survive.” She gave Sarah a look. “And he will survive, won't he? Thanks to you.”

  Despite her terror, Sarah lifted her chin. “Yes. He will live, no thanks to you. What kind of a healer—”

  “Jake will pay for his betrayal,” Ceana warned. “And now, thanks to you, I can also take my revenge on Phillip. You know, as soon as he confirms that I tried to kill Jake, and he probably knows that already by now, doesn't he… he will have me hunted down. Maybe even killed.”

  “I don't believe that—”

  “And what makes you think you know him so well?” Ceana asked with a sneer. “Let me put it this way. He will not forgive my poisoning of his brother, even if he did deserve it. But now I can take care of your meddling and Phillip at one time. I'll go back for Jake some other time.” She glanced at the others and then shot her gaze back to Sarah. “And I can promise you, I will have my revenge on him.”

  What did she mean, she was going to have her revenge on her and Phillip at the same time? And why even take any of this out on her? Because she’d saved Jake?

  Did that make her Ceana's enemy? Apparently, it did.

  Ceana shook her head. “You honestly don't see it, do you?”

  Sarah had no idea what the woman was talking about. The men stood impatiently, watching the woods, her, and Ceana. The way they watched the woods made her nervous. As if they were waiting for something.

  “Phillip’s going to come after you, you know.”

  Sarah didn't believe it. “Why would he go to the trouble? He knows Jake's going to be all right. Why should he care what happens to me?”

  Ceana shrugged as if amused. “He's grown fond of you.”

  Her words startled Sarah. What was she saying? How could she possibly think—

  “I grew up with him, remember? I know everything about him and his brother. How they think, what they think… I saw the way he looked at you. Not just as a healer, or as someone who is helping his brother, but as a woman.” She sneered. “He wants you.”

  Though the words were not meant kindly, they sent a warm flush through Sarah. While there is no doubt that she had sensed a very basic reaction to him when she had walked into Jake's bedroom and seen him washing up, and the same reaction when he had walked in on her bath and then kissed her, she didn't think for a moment that Phillip had any personal interest in her.

  In fact, she scoffed at the very idea.

  She shook her head as Ceana continued.

  “I don't care whether you believe it or not. It doesn't matter. I know he's going to come after you and you'll make good bait. We'll be ready for him when he comes.”

  Sarah didn’t understand the depth of her meaning for several moments, and then, with a sinking dread, she understood what Ceana was up to.

  Ceana was using her as bait to lure Phillip into a trap. An ambush!

  Her heart began to race again. Though the man had kidnapped her from her home and dragged her away from Heather, she didn't want to see him hurt.

  Why?

  She should be relieved that her captor would soon be dispensed with, but she wasn't. She knew why and at the same time felt appalled by her own feelings for the man. How could she? How could she possibly develop a liking for her captor? But the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if it was true.

  Sarah frowned, glanced down at the ground, her mind and thoughts racing.

  How could this have happened? When—

  “All right, men.
You know what to do.” Ceana's voice broke the silence. “Rory, you and Sean take the first watch.” She turned to one of the others and gestured. “Tie her to that tree yonder.”

  Sarah followed her finger and saw a small fir tree near the perimeter of their camp.

  One of the other men had begun to build a small fire.

  Another produced some type of dried fish or meat from a leather pouch.

  The man stepped toward Sarah, reached down and wrapped his meaty hand around her upper arm. He roughly yanked her upward, and she bit back a cry of dismay as she tried to pull away from his grasp.

  He slapped her. Hard.

  Her head snapped back as she felt the sting in her lip, felt the warm trickle of blood ooze from the corner of her mouth. Her tongue instinctively darted for it.

  Nothing she had not experienced at the hands of her stepfather, but the fact that this brute of a man had slapped her infuriated her.

  She struggled to pull from his grasp even as he swung his hand back to slap her again.

  He froze, arm lifted in mid-strike.

  She heard an odd pffft, and then her eyes widened with dismay when she saw the arrow embedded deep in his shoulder.

  It had come out of nowhere.

  The man cried out, let go of her with a shove and spun around, roaring with rage.

  Sarah froze, her eyes wide with fear as she cast her gaze about the forest.

  Chaos reigned.

  Shouts.

  Ceana and the Orkneys took cover wherever they could find it.

  Sarah dropped to the ground, crawling on hands and knees as she quickly scrambled for the cover of the trees.

  Her ears buzzing, her body trembling badly, Sarah fought back tears of panic. Confusion, exhaustion, and the anxiety of the past few days caught up with her. Her breath came in ragged gasps.

  She desperately wanted to run, but where? No matter where she ran, she would be running toward an uncertain destiny.

  Dawn barely lightened the eastern sky.

  Who had attacked the camp? Would the morning be her last? Would a stray arrow find her?

  She quickly glanced over her shoulder, tried to locate Ceana, Fergus, or the others, to make sure that no one was racing up behind her, ready to plunge a knife into her back or crush her head in with a rock.