Ye canna fool me, Finlay snorted. Yer a witch and that beastie was yer familiar.
Brigette made no reply. Witch? Familiar? The man was insane! She would be lucky to arrive at Weem Castle.
Afternoon lengthened toward dusk. A pungent saltiness tickled Brigettes nose, and her nostrils flared as she tried to discern its source. The smell grew stronger with each forward step.
It is the sea, Brigette murmured as they left the woods and entered a tiny cove.
The Sound of Mull, Finlay said, dismounting and pulling her off the saddle. Sit down.
With a loud groan, Brigette eased herself onto the nearest boulder. Finlay knelt in front of her and tied her ankles and wrists with a cord.
What are you doing? she protested.
We canna leave til the tide turns, and I willna have ye flittin away in the night. Finlay pulled a flask from his sackcloth. Drink this.
Parched from the long road, Brigette swallowed a gigantic gulp. Her eyes widened in shock; she choked and wheezed as the potent whiskey blazed a trail of fire to her stomach.
Finlay laughed and slapped her back roughly, then went about starting a fire. After the fire was lit, he retrieved his sackcloth and produced a handful of oatcakes, then offered a few to Brigette, who gobbled them hungrily.
Whats your name? Brigette asked. No reply. What shall I call you?
Naught.
Brigettes eyes narrowed dangerously. I demand you release me at once! It would be fatal folly to do otherwise, Sir Naught.
Finlay studied her suspiciously. Was the danger from Iain MacArthur or her magical powers?
Well?
Shut yer mouth, he barked, or Ill shut it for ye.
Brigette wisely remained silent. Huddled miserably on her boulder, she pondered her situation. Jamie was correct — I should not have ridden unescorted. Oh, why did Iain have to be in Edinburgh? He would have saved me by now. My poor son must be wailing in hunger. And Sly! Brigette buried her face in her hands and wept.
Whats the matter now? Finlay asked, irritated. How he despised mewling women!
If you must know — her voice was muffled — my breasts ache to feed my son.
Touch me, Finlay whispered huskily. Ill suckle yer titties to ease their pain.
Brigettes head snapped up. Finlay, his flaccid member exposed, stood beside her. Unholy hatred leaped from her green eyes, and her lips curled in a snarl.
Without thinking, Finlay stepped back and crossed himself, then hurled, Witch!
Thimble prick!
The insult hung in the air for the briefest moment, then Finlay slapped Brigette hard across the face. She toppled off the rock, and there she remained, down but not defeated.
Do that again, Brigette threatened, and Ill change you into the toad you really are.
Backing away, Finlay found protection — and courage — on the opposite side of the fire. Ye willna be talkin so bravely in the mornin.
Brigette rolled over, turning her back on him. She closed her eyes and prayed for the MacArthur warriors to arrive before morning. Her prayers went unanswered. A boot nudging her backside rudely awakened her the next morning. She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes.
Its time, Finlay said, looming above. Without another word, he walked away, and pulled a decrepit-looking dinghy from behind a boulder, then dragged it to the waters edge.
Im not climbing into that, Brigette insisted. I absolutely refuse! I cant swim.
Finlay smiled harshly. Ye willna be needin these, then. He squatted in front of her and cut the ankle and wrist cords, then wafted his dagger beneath her nose. Get up slowly and walk to the dinghy.
Reluctantly, Brigette obeyed. With his dagger clenched between his teeth, Finlay pushed the boat out, then jumped in. Grabbing the oars, he began rowing into the sound, toward a cluster of rocks bared by low tide.
Where are you taking me? Brigette demanded.
Where Iain MacArthur will never find ye.
Brigette gulped nervously. There was no avenue of escape.
Approaching the largest rock in the cluster, Finlay grabbed its edge with one hand while waving the dagger at Brigette with the other. Climb up there.
No! she cried. You cant leave me here!
I can and I am. Climb!
Cursing her captor with her eyes, Brigette stood and reached for the rock. Woe be to you and yours — forever and a day.
Irrational fear filled Finlays eyes. Take it back! he shouted, and lunged for her.
Clinging to the side of the rock, Brigette kicked out savagely, catching her captors groin. Caught off balance, Finlay toppled back, and the dinghy flipped over with him. I canna swim! Save me!
Brigette scrambled to the top of the rock and looked down. Finlay was gone. Holy Mother of God! she wailed, watching the dinghy drift away. Im alone in the middle of the sea. . . . Help! Help!
Only the squawking seagulls heard her desperate cries.
17
Help! Brigette croaked, her abused throat succumbing to long hours of useless screaming. Trembling from the cold, she glanced down at the taunting sea, rapidly rising to the top of the rock.
Im too young to die, she thought hysterically. Please, Lord, I swear Ill be the perfect wife, obedient in every way. Dont let me die alone here!
Through tear-blurred vision, Brigette scanned the horizon and saw a dark speck in the distance. It grew larger with each passing moment. Unwilling to believe her eyes, she blinked and shook her head.
A boat! How could she get its attention? Then it came to her. Brigette pulled her blouse off and waved it wildly above her head.
Young Danny MacDonald, sitting in the lookout perch on board the pirate vessel The Jaded Lady, was bored. Something in the distance caught his eye, and Danny stared hard, unwilling to believe what he was seeing. Waving frantically, a half-naked woman stood on top of the infamous Ladys Rock.
Yo! Uncle! Danny called to Alasdair, pirate chief of the MacDonalds of Oban. Ladys Rock! The boy pointed in that direction.
On the deck below, Alasdair MacDonald lifted his tubular magnifier toward the Ladys Rock.
What is it? his companion asked. Wordlessly, the MacDonald passed the magnifier to the queens emissary, Magnus Campbell. A stranded woman. Well rescue her?
From his great height, Alasdair MacDonald gazed solemnly down at the queens man and asked, For what?
Shell drown.
The pirate chief shrugged nonchalantly. If a mon wishes to be rid of his wife, why should I thwart him?
Ye canna leave her there to die! Its inhuman!
If the husband doesna want the lass, Alasdair argued, then Ill be stuck wi her.
Ill accept responsibility, Magnus assured him.
So be it, the pirate chief acquiesced, certain the young lord was making a grave mistake. Rob! Ye and Colin set the dinghy in the water. He turned back to Magnus. Ye may as well go along and collect yer booty.
Half naked and screaming almost noiselessly, Brigette seemed like a madwoman to the three men in the boat. The brisk wind whipped her waist-length hair, hiding her face, and as they neared, Brigette fell to her knees and wept with hysterical relief.
Swim to the dinghy! Rob shouted, unwilling to chance being smashed against the rock. Wildly, Brigette shook her head.
Shit! Rob pulled off his boots and jacket, then dove into the cold water. Breaking the surface near the rock, he easily swam the remaining distance, then climbed to the top and helped Brigette stand.
Th-thank y-you, she sobbed, clutching him tightly.
A giant of a man like his father Alasdair, Rob peered down at the petite woman whose head came only to his chest. Yer safe wi me, lassie, he assured her. Well swim together to the dinghy.
Bring the dinghy here! Brigette cried. I cant swim!
I canna do that. Hang onto me and Ill carry ye over. Yell float, so dinna panic. Take off yer boots. Now the skirt.
My skirt?
The fabrics too heavy, he explained. It will drag us down.
/> Brigette removed the skirt. Except for her lacy chemise, she was naked.
Rob paused for a moment to admire the exquisite womans flesh, then instructed, Ill go down first and then ye. Ken?
Brigette nodded and glanced apprehensively at the rising sea. When she looked back at him, Rob read the terror couched in her eyes. He raised his fist to strike, but Brigette saved him the trouble by fainting.
After hoisting her over his shoulder, Rob slowly climbed down and lowered himself into the frigid water. He turned Brigette around in his arms and cupped her chin in one hand, then swam back to the dinghy.
The two in the boat lifted her over the side. Magnus removed his cloak and wrapped it around the unconscious woman, in the process seeing her face for the first time. Sweet Jesu! Brie!
Yer acquainted wi her? Rob asked, settling himself in the dinghy.
Shes my cousins wife.
Rob chuckled. Will he be forgivin ye, then, for thwartin his plans to be rid of her?
Im certain Iain had nothin to do wi her bein here, Magnus said.
Rob gazed down at Brigettes pale face. I dinna ken why a mon would rid himself of an angel.
Arriving in Oban, Magnus carried Brigette to the cottage the MacDonald had put at his disposal and gingerly set her on the cot. After stripping her, he wrapped her in several blankets, then lit a fire and returned to sit on the edge beside her.
Hows the lass farin? Alasdairs voice sounded from the doorway.
A fevers beginnin.
Ill have someone bring food, the pirate offered, crossing the chamber. Anythin else I can do for ye?
Send a messenger to Dunridge Castle, Magnus said. Inform the earl his wife is here.
Countess? Surprised, Alasdair peered curiously at Brigette. She looked more like an orphaned waif than a noblewoman.
Have ye a midwife aboot, Magnus asked, wi the knowledge to dry a mothers milk?
Mothers milk? Alasdair echoed, puzzled.
The countess gave birth recently, Magnus explained. I noticed shes in desperate need of . . . of . . .
Dryin. Alasdair turned to leave, saying, Ill send my wife.
While Brigettes feverish delirium lasted, Magnus rarely left her side. When she trembled with chills, he built up the fire and bundled her tightly in woolen blankets. When that didnt help, he crawled beneath the blankets with her and shared his own bodys heat. When Brigette grew hot and kicked off the blankets, he bathed her with cool water and bundled her up again.
At regular intervals, Magnus force-fed her water and cooled herb-laced broth. Leaning her head against his chest, he forced the liquid into her mouth and gently stroked her throat to assist her in swallowing.
When the MacDonalds wife, Ina, visited the cottage, she chased Magnus outside, insisting that she would take care of the soiled linens and the unpleasant chore of keeping Brigette clean. Magnus, Ina said, was in no way to undermine the countesss dignity, even though she was sick and not in her right mind. Magnus ignored the MacDonalds wife and returned to the cottage to nurse his kinsmans wife. And so it went.
Magnus passed the long hours contemplating his own life. In Black Jack MacArthurs untimely death, he saw the demise of his own father. Before he passed on, the duke deserved to meet several grandsons. Fate is a woman of whimsy, he concluded, and Id be wise to tempt her no more. His decision was made; after reporting to the queen, he would hasten to Inverary and Avril. With his feet propped up on the edge of the cot, Magnus dozed in one of the cottages two chairs.
Magnus, Brigette whispered weakly.
At the sound, his eyes opened, and Magnus found himself staring into green eyes, sunken and shadowed with illness. For a moment, he wondered if she was still delirious, but then her face split into a poor imitation of a smile.
Magnus sat on the edge of the cot and placed his palm against her forehead. It was cool. How do ye feel?
Terrible.
And well ye should, he said. Ye gave me quite a scare.
Water.
Magnus brought a cup of water and, lifting her head, held it to her parched lips. Nothing had ever tasted better to Brigette than that first, refreshing sip.
How did you find me? she asked, assuming hed been part of a search.
By chance, but we willna speak of it now. Ill fetch Ina and bring ye some broth. Close yer eyes and rest while Im gone.
The MacDonalds wife ordered Magnus to stay away from the cottage for an hour. By the time he returned, Brigette had fallen asleep again.
Hello, Magnus greeted her cheerfully the moment she opened her eyes. He sat on the edge of the cot, then ordered, Sit up and Ill feed ye some oatmeal porridge.
Naked beneath the blanket, Brigette sat up and primly tucked it beneath her arms. When she looked back at Magnus, he was staring at her display of cleavage.
Brigette blushed furiously, and Magnus flushed to see her blushing. She chuckled and he joined her, their laughter sweeping away the awkward moment.
Yeve lost some flesh, he commented, offering her a spoonful of porridge, and I want ye to eat every bite in this bowl.
How did you find me?
Open yer mouth. Thats a good girl. I was negotiatin wi the MacDonald on the queens behalf when we happened upon ye. How did ye get there?
Brigette opened her mouth to reply, but Magnus filled it with porridge. She chewed and swallowed, then leaned back, saying, I can eat no more. A Menzies warrior abducted me and left me there to wash out with the tide.
Are ye certain he was a Menzies?
He wore the black and white plaid.
I see. Magnus held up a spoonful of porridge. Ye must eat a little more.
I cannot, she insisted.
Ignoring her words, Magnus aimed the spoon at her mouth. She turned her face away, but the spoon gave chase.
No! Brigette laughed, and the spoon slipped into her mouth.
The door swung open unexpectedly, and a grim-faced Iain filled the doorway. He was unpleasantly surprised by the sight of his wife, obviously naked beneath the blanket, laughing and enjoying herself with his cousin. She did not, at first glance, appear to have suffered at all.
Iain, Brigette cried, so relieved that she failed to recognize the forbidding glint in his dark eyes. She held out her arms, then remembered her state of undress and pulled up the blanket.
By all thats holy! Iain roared. What the hell are ye doin wi my wife?
Magnus stood and faced him. What do ye mean, cuz?
What are ye doin, Iain growled, sittin wi Brie on that poor excuse for a bed, and she bare-arse as the day she was born? And why are ye always the one who rescues her?
Bries been out of her mind wi fever, Magnus ground out. And I rescued her by chance — or would ye have preferred her washed out to sea?
Washed out to sea?
Aye, Magnus snorted. Shed been left on a rock in the middle of the sound.
Ive been sick wi worry, Iain said, holding up his hand in a gesture of apology.
Brushing past his cousin, Iain sat on the edge of the cot and gathered Brigette into the circle of his arms. Her face was pale and haggard, he noted, and her eyes, usually sparkling emerald-green, were dull and sunken in her small face. Iain tilted Brigettes face up and kissed her tenderly.
Are ye feelin better? he asked, holding her tightly.
Feeling secure in her husbands embrace, Brigette nodded and relaxed against him.
Iain kissed the top of her head and confessed, I came so close to losin ye, hinny. I dinna know what Id do wiout ye. Yer my life, my reason for livin.
Brigette sighed. Your words make almost being killed almost worthwhile.
Iain chuckled. Im glad ye havena lost yer sense of humor. He glanced at Magnus, saying, Sit down, cuz, and tell me what ye were doin wi the MacDonalds.
The queen granted them amnesty, providin they willna pirate our Scots vessels.
Ye missed the excitement, Iain told him. Rizzio was assassinated and the queen held prisoner.
What! Magnus leaped to his fe
et. We must do somethin!
Its been done, ye dolt.
Magnus sat down again. What happened?
The queen persuaded that mewling husband of hers that the conspirators would dispatch him next. Darnley helped her escape, and they joined wi Bothwell and others still loyal. The conspirators should be put to the horn, but Jamie Stewart is spoutin forgiveness and mercy.
Forgiveness is folly, Magnus remarked, shaking his head.
I agree wi ye, but Jamie has his sisters ear. She canna see the danger in trustin her power-hungry brother.
What about me? Brigette piped in.
If ye dinna mind, Iain said to Magnus, smiling, Id like some privacy wi my puir, neglected wife.
Tell me what happened, Iain said when Magnus had gone.
I rode to the loch, Brigette began, then shivered recalling that frightening day. A Menzies warrior ambushed me and left me to die on that rock in the sound. The tide kept rising and I kept screaming for help, but no one came. I was nearly submerged when the MacDonalds found me.
Yer certain the mon was a Menzies?
He wore the black and white plaid.
Ill kill the bastard wi my bare hands!
Dont bother, Brigette announced matter-of-factly. Ive dispatched him already.
Ye what! Iain was stunned.
While he was attempting to drown me, she proudly informed her husband, I drowned him.
Ye bloodthirsty wench, Iain chuckled and caressed her cheek. He didna touch ye? I mean —
No, I frightened him.
I canna credit that, hinny. Iains voice mirrored his disbelief.
But its true, Brigette vowed. He thought I was a witch. . . . The MacDonalds wife fed me herbs to dry my milk. How will I feed Dubh?
Dinna worry about that. Moireach willna let the lad starve.
And Sly! A sob caught in Brigettes throat. My precious Sly is dead!
Sly isna dead. Iain laughed, thinking of the fox. Hes alive, albeit a mite bandaged. When I left Dunridge, Glenda was tormentin him; she and Lady Autumn are in charge of his convalescence.
Early the next morning, Brigette sat alone in the cottage. Dressed in a borrowed skirt and blouse that had seen better days, shed plaited her hair into one thick braid and then tidied the chamber. There had been nothing left to do except await her husbands return.
Highland Belle Page 22
