by Ranay James
"Why?" she asked unintentionally interrupting Nic's instructions to the men.
"Because, Rea, I promised your uncle I would see to your well being. That's why."
Nic knew Connor would get Reagan safely to London to testify to the Brentwood’s treason in Ireland since she was witness to the deeds. She had opened up to him, sharing what she had heard and seen, and Henry was not going to be happy with several of his noblemen.
Nic took Reagan by the shoulders. “Reagan, are you still willing to do this? You must be sure. You know if you testify to the King you can never go back or O’Brian will kill you for placing the King’s bounty on his head.”
Nic had to be sure she knew the full weight of the consequences of her actions in helping them.
Reagan answered with little hesitation. “Yes. I know I would be as good as dead if I ever step back on Irish soil.”
Depending on how long a reach O’Brian possesses, she thought, she may be dead even if she did not ever go back. She would go to London and she would testify to the King because it is the right thing to do. That was just how she approached life.
“O’Brian will not live forever, Nic. Men like him usually die young. Eventually, I will be able to return.”
“If I have my way, he will die soon enough,” Nic declared. All understood O’Brian had a hand in this and he was a threat to those under Nic’s protection. It became personal from the moment he involved Cullen, Morgan, and his child. “He alone sealed his fate.”
Chapter 75
Cullen had waited hours at the appointed meeting place, but the man had never shown. He grew uneasy because Morgan was home alone except for the few men he had brought with him from London.
When the terrible feeling swept through him, instead of bedding down, he pushed through the night back to Heather Park. He was glad he had. His astonishment in seeing Nic was visible.
Dismounting, Cullen was genuinely happy to see Nic as he embraced his brother.
“Nic, welcome home. It's good to see you. Morgan and I feared the worst, so she must be beside herself to have you safely home again,” he said then smiled. .
Suddenly the bad news began to sink into his travel-weary mind. The commotion going on was not one of arrival, but of readiness for departure.
“Where are you going? You must have just gotten back,” he questioned, looking around at the activity.
“Brentwood has taken Morgan,” Nic said. He watched shock register across Cullen's face.
“Are you sure?” Cullen asked, feeling his heart constricting in his chest.
“Positive,” Nic said. He watched closely to see his younger brother’s reaction.
Cullen closed his eyes in disbelief then softly spoke, covering his face with both his hands.
“Please tell me I am having a nightmare. This cannot be happening, not to Morgan and the baby. How can this be?” he asked, feeling his stomach twist into a knot.
“Freshen your mount, grab a few necessities for travel, and then we leave. Our parties will stay joined for the first few miles. I can fill you in on the way.”
Looking to his left, Cullen saw the other party. Reagan wheeled away from her guards and came over to where Nic and Cullen stood.
“I’m Reagan and you must be Cullen. I wish we could have met under better circumstances.” Reagan turned her attention back to Nic. “Nic, I have to insist that I go with you. Connor can still go to the King. The King will believe him if what you say is true about your connection with King Henry. I can put my testimony in writing and verbally testify later if necessary. Morgan and her baby are my primary concern.”
Nic understood her argument, but he was firm in his decision. “No, Reagan. You are more valuable to me going to Connor and to the King.” Nic faced his brother. “Cullen, now that you are here, I want you to go with her as escort. I want Connor to secure Seabridge and Heather Park just in case Morgan and I do not come through this alive. You are my heir until the child is born. Your safety is just as important as Reagan’s is to me. You will go with her. That is an order,” Nic said, seeing where this was going to go with Cullen.
Cullen balked at Nic’s demand for him to ride in the opposite direction as Nic and the others. “No. Morgan’s kidnapping is my fault, and I will see it righted. You have no choice other than to allow me to come. You need me with you, Nic. I know where the bolthole is located. Morgan told me.” Cullen stopped long enough for Nic to understand. “Nic, you will come through this. You must for Morgan’s sake. I will not leave your side this time, and I will see Morgan safely home.”
Nic, studying his younger brother, asked softly so only Reagan and Cullen heard the question. “How long have you been in love with my wife?”
Cullen could not hide his surprise. He thought he had hidden his feelings for Morgan well. There was no reason to lie.
“I suppose I have loved her from the moment she stepped into our lives. There was no help for it. I’m sorry, Nic. We are family and I do not want this to come between us. I never meant for you to know.”
“I just bet you didn’t,” Nic growled sarcastically.
“It was not something I planned on. My feelings for her were just there.” Cullen let out a long sigh.
Nic was angry and the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Did you touch her? Is the child my son or my nephew?”
Angry with Nic, Cullen’s head snapped up and he glared at his older brother.
“You’re a bastard, Nic. You insult her if you think for one minute that she would ever have me, and think she would betray you with anyone just shows how little you know of her.”
Nic was seeing just how wrong he was about Cullen. It was obvious he had honorable intentions toward Morgan and to him. Nic felt horrible. In a back handed way he had called his wife a whore.
“I’m sorry, Cullen. I was out of line.”
Cullen continued coolly, the damage done. “Yes, Nic, you were way out of line. And to answer your question, no, I have not touched her. Did I wish to touch her? I would be lying if I said I did not. There is not a day that goes by I did not wish to hold her, but she is your wife and I respect both of you. It would have been wrong of me to take advantage of her vulnerability. And, Nic, before you go shooting your mouth off and accusing her of carrying some other man’s bastard, no one else has touched her, either. And believe me, there were plenty who were in pursuit of her.”
Cullen took a deep breath, slowly letting it out.
“Look Nic, there is nothing I can do about my feelings for her. I just hope you will come to realize just how lucky you are. I should be so lucky to have a woman like her. She is incredible, and God only knows why, but she is in love with you. And despite everything, Morgan believes there is no one else except you.”
Reagan watched in fascination at the scene playing out in front of her. She was almost jealous of Morgan, a woman she had never met. She must be extraordinary to have two powerful and handsome men be so thoroughly devoted to her.
For the first time since her husband died, Reagan wished for that level of love, devotion, and commitment. Nic had said when the time was right the universe would pull her to the one who was right for her. Was he right?
She had loved Dolan dearly. They had been comfortable with each other, and they had shared a good marriage. Her memories of him were fond and loving. They had been friends all their lives, but she had never loved him the way Nic was in love with Morgan. She had always known it deep inside. Perhaps there was someone out there who was her perfect other half. Someone whom she could connect to on all levels. She hoped that man would be all the things she needed: partner, friend, lover, and soul mate.
She shifted her attention to Cullen. Suddenly she wished it more for Cullen than for herself. He was a man in deep pain and she knew there was no hope for his love for Morgan. And now he would probably lose his family. It was going to be too painful for him to stay and see Nic and Morgan happy together, sharing love, children, and life. Intuit
ively, she knew Cullen would leave once Morgan was back in the arms of her husband and safely behind the walls of Featherstone.
“I ask for your forgiveness.” Nic placed his hand on Cullen’s shoulder. “So, I ask you once, again to guard a woman who means a great deal to me. Please, Cullen take Reagan to Connor.” Nic turned his attention back to Reagan. “Reagan you must go with him to Connor. Go to the King and then return to Featherstone. Morgan will never want to be at Seabridge. So I will see it claimed and settled on her behalf. God willing we will meet you at Featherstone once this is over.”
Nic hugged Reagan and left her in Cullen’s capable hands.
Chapter 76
Morgan sat, her back against a tree truck with her hands tied behind her and around the trunk. Her arms had lost all feeling and her back hurt. Stewart had not shown her a single ounce of civility, and true to his words, had not given her one ounce of comfort or concession.
The last four days were grueling. She had hoped to slow him down, but had only succeeded in making him even more intolerant.
“I must get up from here and relieve myself.” Morgan was not above using any means necessary to get some relief from the pain growing in her extremities.
“You just went,” Stewart snapped back at her, angry that he had been saddled with a pregnant woman and a whiny one at that.
“Well, I’m sorry, but pregnant women just suffer this. There is nothing I can do about it,” Morgan bit verbally at him.
“Fine. But if you try anything….” Steward pointed the tip of his knife at her as a threat.
“As I have already said before, how fast do you think I can run?” Morgan spit back at her captor. “I am like an ungraceful sow at the moment. What's more, I have no idea where we are," she lied.
“I will kill you if you try anything.” Stewart threatened.
“Oh, please. That threat has grown old. My uncle would kill you twice for not allowing him the pleasure of snuffing out my life. And you had better believe he will make it very nasty, very slow, and very painful for you.”
He untied her hands then she slowly stood. She could feel the blood rushing back into her arms as she began walking towards the bushes.
“He should never have allowed you to survive the fire. You have been nothing except trouble all these years.”
Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned to look a Stewart. He just confirmed her suspicions.
“What did you say?” Morgan’s eyes narrowed as the question slid softly from her lips.
“I’m saying exactly what it sounds like. We should have killed you, too. Your uncle had every detail planned out and executed to perfection. The plan’s design was to solicit the most sympathy from the new King, and it worked beautifully. Your unsuspecting father brought his family for a visit on grounds of reconciliation of the brothers. It was so touching to look at all of you.” Stewart spat on the ground. “It made me sick to watch. Those bratty brothers of yours were menaces. Well, I can say your mother was not so high-and-mighty as she was begging for mercy. And the boys were even easier to kill.” Stewart relayed the news with relish, intent on inflecting the most pain possible.
That should subdue the bitch, he thought.
“You bastard!” Morgan rushed him, bashing her arm into his throat with a clothesline blow. Not expecting her reaction, he lost his balance and went down hard. Morgan pushed past him to his horse and pulled his sword. She was back on him immediately. His long knife was not a match for the sword, but her pregnancy was making any advantage she had immaterial. Stewart was laughing at her, growing overconfident.
“Do you think a woman could best a man? Do give me the weapon before you hurt yourself. Your uncle will wish the honor of cutting that bastard out of your belly while your husband looks on and--”
She arched up and over, slicing him through the middle and then in one, quick movement plunged the sword deep into his heart.
Stewart looked down at the sword protruding from his chest and fell on his knees. Laughing, he tried to reach for her. “Oh, well done, my niece! I shall join my brother, your father in hell.” He fell face forward, driving the blade to the hilt.
Morgan looked on in disbelief at the dead man on the forest floor. She had not a single prayer to give him. He had killed her family. He had killed his own family.
He was her Uncle, a bastard born.
Nobody knew exactly who he was because acknowledging him had never been in her grandfather’s plans. Who would have ever suspected it to be Stewart? The years of bitterness and envy had taken their toll. He had slowly become insane and bent on total revenge.
Morgan had her suspicions Brentwood would have been next on his list to die. He would have then taken it all for himself, as the long lost child of her grandfather, the Fifth Duke of Seabridge.
Lumbering back to the horses, Morgan knew she had to go to Connor. She was closer to Featherstone, than if she doubled back to Heather Park. And she could not face her uncle alone.
However her immediate concern was dusk. That cloak of darkness would eventually fall. She had maybe three hours of decent daylight left as the late fall days were short. She would ride as hard as her body would let her then camp for the night. There was no way she could stay here. The smell of death and blood would draw wild animals who might mistake her for food. With difficulty, Morgan mounted Salt and turned him and Stewart’s mount to the east.
Chapter 77
Nic was relentless to his men and his new mount, Hermes. It saddened Nic to think of the faithful mount he'd lost in Ireland--another price of war. Nevertheless, losing Trojan was nothing in comparison to his loss of Morgan and his baby. His men did not complain of the pace their leader set for them. They knew better, but more than that, the men knew time was of the essence. They all silently acknowledged the dangers to her and the baby were tremendous. Each day passing was one more day Morgan was in the clutches of a lunatic.
They were gaining ground and knew it because Morgan left signs here and there. On the morning of the fifth day, Nic’s scout came charging back into camp.
“Sir, I think I have found something, but they are not together,” he said breathlessly, still on his horse. “Come quickly.”
The scout had found the remains of the man he thought they were tracking. “The forest animals have gotten to him, but he is somewhat recognizable.”
Nic’s stomach turned. If her captor were dead then what had happened to his wife? Nic did not think he could take the pain and grief if she were dead, too.
As they approached the gruesome sight, Nic recognized the body as that of the messenger from Featherstone.
“Stewart,” Nic hissed the name through his clenched jaw. “This man betrayed us in Ireland. Someone has run him through with his own sword.”
“Fitting, I’d say,” said the scout.
“This is not the work of robbers." Nic looked more closely at the scene, less emotional now that he knew Morgan was not dead, as well. "If robbers attacked him they would not have left his sword behind.”
“Sir, over here,” the tracker called waving him over. “Look, there. Two sets of tracks: one with a rider, one without. Only one person left this site, Sir. By the pattern of the tracks, it was not a grown male, either. It was a woman or young boy. There is no other blood.” The tracker looked up at Nic and smiled. “Sir, I believe Lady Morgan lives. However, the tracks do not head north. They go east.”
Nic felt it instantly. “She rides to Featherstone! Mount up. Quickly men, we ride,” he commanded, swinging effortlessly into the saddle.
Thundering hooves beat hard earth as the band headed Eastward.
“Just hold on, Love. I’m coming.”
Chapter 78
Morgan was exhausted, cold, and sick from the lack of sleep. However, she knew those were the least of her problems. The bleeding had started, and she was afraid she was losing her precious child. She had been lucky to find an abandoned barn to rest through the night. Now Morgan broke camp at first lig
ht, loathing to leave what little warmth the old hay provided.
Her back hurt and the baby was protesting violently. She was not pushing herself, but she knew she needed to find decent shelter for the evening or the cold night may be too much for her failing strength.
By the middle of the day, she came across a clear stream that provided the perfect place to water the mounts. While the horses were drinking, she began to feel the ground vibrating from a heavily armed group rapidly gaining ground.
Quickly, Morgan hid in the shadows of the thicker forest until she felt the threat pass her. Peeking out of her hiding place, she caught a glimpse of a striking red-haired woman escorted by a man who looked a lot like Cullen. Could it be him? She mounted Salt and tried to catch them.
“Wait! Please, wait.” She was gaining on the party. She was sure it was Cullen and several of the men from Heather Park. “Please, Cullen, stop!”
Cullen could have sworn he heard his name. Turning in the saddle, he saw Morgan gaining on the party. He wheeled around instantly, breaking the file and doubling back to her. Jumping from his horse, he went to her.
“Oh, God, Morgan, you are safe!” He pulling her off the horse and held her to him. He placed her head to his chest and encircled his arm tightly around her shoulders. At that moment, he did not care who saw. He was beside himself with relief as she sobbed into his chest.
“Thank you, God,” Cullen said. Pulling her away from him, he looked into her drawn features. “Nic and I were sick when we realized you were gone.”
“Nic?” Morgan asked breathlessly. “Nic is here, safe?”
“Yes, Morgan. He is back. He got back the morning that we realized you had been taken.”
“Where is he? I want see him.”
“Reagan brought him back from Ireland, and he has asked me to escort her to safety. He is on his way to Seabridge to rescue you.”
