Highlander’s Secret

by Adams, Alisa

  "You! Come here!" Craig ordered, beckoning to Elisha, "you will ride with one of my most trusted men-at-arms to the convent where you will deliver this letter into my daughter's hands." He paused and advanced to within a foot of her. "If she does not return, or I do not hear from her by Friday, I will have this woman hanged." He pointed to Donalda. "I have yet to decide on the fate of her brother. So, tell milady that she had better make up her mind quickly."

  Elisha looked at Donalda. She was once again more frightened than she had ever been in her life. Donalda squeezed her hand then put an arm around her shoulders.

  "Have faith, Elisha," she said softly, trying to smile, although her eyes were moist with tears, "I will be praying for you and all will be well."

  Elisha nodded, then they hugged each other. It was the first time they had crossed the divide between servant and mistress and it comforted both of them. Elisha turned to Cameron, and his bulky form reassured her. "You will take care of her, Master Cameron?" She asked, her voice tremulous.

  "I will, Elisha," he promised, "she gave me life, and I would give mine for her."

  Elisha turned to Craig, her face furious.

  "Such loyal friends, Elisha," he said, his voice dripping with scorn. "I will see you two later, hopefully, my daughter too. If not, my sweet Donnie, you must prepare to meet your maker." He took Elisha roughly by the elbow and hauled her out. The guard moved forward and clanged the cell door shut. The last they saw of Elisha was her cowering form stumbling down the corridor in Craig's steely grasp. Donalda pressed her face to the bars and watched her for as long as she could.

  "God bless you, Elisha!" she cried, then burst into tears.

  Cameron took her in his arms and she sobbed against his chest, soaking his tunic with her tears. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly - she was so small all of a sudden. At that moment he felt more like the parent than the child. Cameron thought he might explode with the amount of hatred within him. He was visualizing all the ways he could think of to kill his father, all of them slow, none of them merciful.

  Presently, Donalda began to calm down. "She is an old woman," she said in tones of bitterness and outrage, "she deserves dignity and respect, and he is manhandling her like a criminal."

  Cameron could think of nothing to say.

  Elisha had never ridden such a big horse before. Indeed, she had only ridden a horse twice in the whole of her long life, and she eyed the big beast warily, wondering just how dreadful the journey would be. Craig had given the letter to the tall man-at-arms who would be sharing the horse with her.

  "Do not lose it," he said to the soldier. "If you do, do not come back here or I will kill you."

  The man nodded. He had never been frightened by his master, whose only courage came from his men and their weapons. Without them, he would have been a quivering coward. He eyed the terrified old lady and felt deeply sorry for her. She did not deserve this, and he wondered why he could not have sent one messenger without inflicting so much pain on her. But then, Laird McCallum liked inflicting pain.

  The man lifted her up onto the big horse and comforted her with a reassuring pat on the hand. "Dinnae fash yersel' lass," he smiled, "this big boy is as soft as a wee lamb - an' so am I - but dinnae tell onybody!"

  In spite of the circumstances, Elisha laughed. Perhaps the journey was not going to be so bad after all.

  "My name is Gavin," he said.

  "And mine is Elisha," she replied.

  "I hae orders tae bring ye back before nightfall," Gavin told her. "We should hae plenty o' time, but I suggest we go as quick as we can. Ye never knaw whit lies ahead.

  "Naw, that is very true," Elisha said heavily.

  21

  Delivering the Letter

  When they arrived at the convent, Gavin helped her off the horse, then gave her the letter. The Laird had provided a spare horse for Iona, so there was no excuse for her to linger in the convent longer than was necessary. Strangely, it had been a pleasant ride. Gavin told her all about his wife and children who lived in the local village of Beglin, and Elisha regaled him with tales of the castle, Donalda and Iona. They did not speak of the Laird or her mission. When they got to the gates of the sanctuary he lifted her from the big horse.

  "I will wait ootside an' eat my dinner, " he smiled, "onyway, I have heard that they dinnae let men in, especially no' anes wi’ armor."

  "Thank ye fer bein' sae kind," she replied, "I wis truly dreadin' the journey but ye made it nice, Gavin."

  He smiled at her as she walked up to the gate and was admitted by Sister Susanna. When the nun saw what a state of distress Elisha was in she sat her down and ordered her a cup of hot spiced wine. "Why, mistress, what is the matter?" she asked in her gentle voice, "are you ill?"

  Elisha wiped her eyes and tried to pull herself together. "I hae a letter tae deliver, sister. It must go to Mistress Iona McCallum and it is very urgent.”

  "Do not distress yourself, mistress. I will find her." Sister Susanna got up and another young nun brought the wine for Elisha to drink.

  "Elisha!" Iona was laughing as she rushed forward and threw her arms around the old woman. "How good to see you!"

  "And you, Mistress," Elisha sniffed, then took a sip of her wine. Her hands were shaking.

  "What is wrong?" Iona suddenly saw her distress. "Is it Mother?"

  Elisha took another sip. Some color was returning to her gray face. "I am to give you this, mistress." She held out the letter with a cold, shaking hand.

  Just then Andie came up. When she saw Elisha, she smiled widely. "Elisha! How are you?" Then, noticing the old woman's demeanor, she put an arm around her shoulder.

  Iona was reading the letter quickly, her face becoming as grim as a thundery sky. She looked up at Elisha. The old woman suddenly looked ten years older. "Oh, God," she said breathily, "how can any man be so evil?" She passed the letter to Andie, who scanned it quickly. Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head.

  "I knew your father was a bad man, Iona," she said in disbelief, "but I never thought him capable of this!"

  "I'm sorry, Mistress Iona, but he made me come tae bring it." The old woman looked up at her as if pleading for forgiveness.

  "Be at ease, Elisha," she said softly, "you are only the messenger." She sighed and leaned her head on her knees for a moment. When she looked up her face was haggard and drained of all color.

  "I will have to go back," Iona said sadly, "I cannot let my mother die, and I know that my father would keep his word. He would kill her."

  "Mistress Iona," Elisha was weeping again, "I'm that sorry tae bring ye sich bad news."

  "I told you, Elisha," Iona said patiently, "it is not your fault."

  Andie frowned and said, "Why did he send Elisha, Iona? He could have sent a man on a horse."

  "I came wi' a man on a horse, mistress," Elisha said, "the Laird told me it wis fer my safety."

  "I will tell you why," Iona said, her voice quivering with hatred. "It is because he wanted to upset Elisha, my mother and me even more than he has already. He is rubbing salt in the wound." She stood up. "I must go, although I have no horse."

  "The Laird has sent a spare ane, Milady," Elisha said.

  "My goodness,” Iona said, “it seems he really wants to see me very badly! Then I suppose we need not wait any longer." She sighed, her voice was heavy and toneless.

  "You are not going anywhere without me," Andie said firmly.

  As soon as the words had left Andie's lips, Iona turned to her with a sudden blaze of hope in her eyes. "Andie, do you remember Gregor who was here before?"

  "Yes, he said he was coming back!" Andie had picked up Iona's happier mood. "I can wait for him and see if he can help us."

  "But how quickly can he gather men together?" Iona speculated anxiously, biting her lip. "I will have to find some way of delaying the wedding for a few days."

  One of the nuns took Elisha away to try to make her eat, and the two women sat for a while, deep i
n thought. Then Andie gave a slow smile. "Iona," she said, a little embarrassed, "do you think he is one of those men who would find a woman's natural courses…" She trailed off, hoping that Iona would catch her meaning.

  For a moment, Iona stared at her in bewilderment, then her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Wonderful idea!" She laughed, then a doubt began to creep in. "But Andie, this man does not seem to be one of those men who would wait. He will want to consummate the marriage straight away."

  They thought again.

  "Do you know if the nuns would give you something to make him sick?" Andie asked.

  "Their business is healing, not harming," Iona said doubtfully. "But perhaps I could get some ipecac. If I give him enough, it will make him vomit for a while, and it tastes pleasant. It will give me a day or two if I time it properly and give him the right doses. And I have some milk of the poppy that I got from Morag in the village when I had trouble sleeping. That is very effective." Iona would not tell them the reason she had kept the poppy milk. If all else failed, she would kill herself.

  "Do it," Andie said firmly, "with luck, he may not recover for a week."

  Iona went to the dispensary and asked Sister Marie-Louise for a bottle of the syrup for her old friend Elisha, saying that she was going to visit her sick sister. The nuns were always ready to help, and if Sister Marie-Louise had any suspicions she did not voice them.

  Andie had been in tears when they left. She had embraced Iona tightly and kissed her all over her face. "I will give Gregor your message," she promised, "and he will come for you. When he does, I will be with him."

  "I will miss you," Iona said huskily. "God bless you, Andie."

  "And Godspeed, Iona." Andie waved, trying to look cheerful as her friend mounted the big gray horse. In a moment they were gone.

  Iona felt sick as they set off. A heavy weight seemed to have descended on her, and she spent the journey back to the castle trying vainly to dispel the image of the Baron from her mind. Every step they took brought her faster towards her destination. She wished that time would stand still so that she would not have to face her father's leering, triumphant face. However, it did not, and she had to greet his gleeful smile as she rode in through the main gate.

  "Good day, daughter!" He was smiling from ear to ear. "I have missed you."

  "The feeling is not mutual, Father," she replied scathingly.

  He frowned but moved forward to help her down from the horse, but she waved him away, refusing to let him touch her. He stood back and watched her, inwardly gleeful. She was obeying him now, albeit reluctantly.

  "Let me warn you, Father," her voice was calm but menacing, "if you break any of my bones, the Baron may refuse to accept spoiled goods, and he will be very annoyed at having to wait for his prize so have a care." She dismounted, but she was tensed for any aggressive move he might make. However, he stepped back at her approach. "Have I been given new quarters, Father?" she asked.

  "Indeed, you have," Craig told her and he could not keep the triumph out of his voice. "You are sharing a comfy cell with your mother and brother tonight."

  "And Elisha?" she asked, dreading the answer. The old woman was so helpless.

  "She is dismissed from your mother's service," he replied, taking her arm and leading her to the dungeons.

  "But she has nowhere to go!" Iona protested. "She is an old woman! What will she do?"

  Craig shrugged. "I neither know nor care," he answered, "she will find some hovel to live in, no doubt, or go to the convent. You should be worrying about yourself, daughter. Your Baron is not pleased that you ran away. Not pleased at all."

  "I am sure he is as displeased by my escape as I was at my return," Iona replied grimly, "but his feelings are of no concern to me. If I must marry him then I must, but do not expect me to be happy about it.” She preceded her father down the steps to the dungeons and was led to the cell where her mother and brother was being kept. Craig stood for a while watching their reunion with a twisted smile on his face.

  "Iona!" Donalda cried out as soon as she saw her. She pressed herself against the bars so that she could embrace her daughter as soon as the cell door was open. She folded her arms tightly around Iona as the gate clanged shut behind them. Cameron came and hugged both of them. They stood for a while, reunited in happiness and regret, before Iona detached herself, then kissed them.

  "Where is Elisha?" Donalda's voice was anxious and puzzled.

  "Father has sent her away, Mother." Iona looked at Craig. "And he is very pleased with himself, are you not, Father?"

  "Pfft!" He made a noise of disgust. "She was a drain on our resources and she was unfit for any work other than pandering to your mother. I am well rid of her."

  "You monster!" Donalda screamed, livid with rage, “she was useful to me! I love her!"

  "I love my horse, but I can get another one," he shrugged and spread his hands. "She can go to St. Gertrude's. They will look after her."

  "She has no family and St. Gertrude's is packed to the rafters," Iona answered. "Father, if anything happens to her I will make sure you pay for it."

  "I am suitably terrified," he drawled. "I will leave you to your reunion, and wish you a pleasant evening." He turned and walked out. There was a stunned silence for a moment.

  Donalda sat down and put her head on the table, pillowed on her arms. "I can't believe it," she whispered, "every time I think he cannot become any worse he proves me wrong."

  Cameron had been silent, but now he spoke up. "We have to get out of here," he frowned and ran his hand back through his thick fair hair, "I just wish I knew how." He began to pace the confined space of the cell in sheer frustration.

  "I am not sure that we can escape from here," Iona's voice was grim, "but I can make sure the Baron does not touch me on my wedding day." She pulled out the two little vials of liquid from underneath her tunic where they had been kept in a secret little pocket.

  "Were you not searched?" Cameron asked.

  "I was ready to bribe a guard if I was," Iona said and laughed. "Father got me straight off my horse and hauled me down here, so the guards had no chance to do it. I had an idea of accidentally knocking him down as I dismounted, but my common sense prevailed, thank God.” She set the two vials on the table. "Milk of the poppy and syrup of ipecac, enough to make him sick for days. And I have more good news, Mother."

  "Please give it to me," Donalda begged, "for I am sorely in need of some."

  22

  Back to the Convent

  "When I was at St. Gertrude's, a priest, Father Columba, and a young postulant monk named Gregor came in. I had to show them the hospital, and I fell to talking with Gregor." She paused as Cameron gave her a goblet of spiced wine, "anyway, we-we bonded, and he said he would come back for me. I believe him to be a man of his word. It should be about time for him to return now. Andie is still at St Gertrude's and she will tell him the whole story. He has given up the idea of becoming a monk. Anyway, he has a history of rescuing people from impregnable places."

  She told them the story of how Gregor had helped to rescue the Sutherland family from their tyrant of a father and his criminal associates. When she had finished Cameron spoke up again.

  "He sounds like an extraordinary man," he observed, "and a priest and a monk could walk in here unhindered to minister to us. Perhaps we could escape that way."

  "Yes, I had thought of that," Iona replied, "but even if we escape, and that will be difficult enough, where would we go? There is nothing around us but miles of open country. Even the next croft is miles away."

  "I will have to find out when the wedding is," Iona's tone was heavy with dread. "Father knows I am securely locked up here so he has time to prepare, but the Baron will be in a hurry. I doubt that there will be any thoughts of a betrothal ceremony."

  Gregor had not stopped thinking about Iona, and as he and Columba walked down the last hill towards the convent, he felt a pleasant flutter of anticipation in his stomach at the thought of s
eeing her again. He was looking forward to more of the sensual kisses they had shared, and he could feel his body responding at the mere thought of them. I hope she doesn't keep me waiting too long, he thought, or I may have to steal those kisses!

  Columba was frowning at him, puzzled. "What is going through that mind of yours?" He asked, "you are smiling from ear to ear."

  "I can't wait to see Iona again," he replied dreamily, "she is the most beautiful woman I have ever met.”

  "I can see that," Columba replied dryly, “but be careful you do not rush into something you may regret later, Gregor.”

  "I know, Father." Gregor replied, “but we will try to spend some time together.”

  Columba sighed. "Be careful, Gregor."

  "I know what I am doing, Father," Gregor replied, "and it feels right."

  Columba looked at him keenly. "Feelings are not always the best guides to action, Gregor."

  Gregor said nothing; his thoughts were filled with Iona. He was moments away from seeing her and he felt like breaking into a run to get to the convent more quickly. He was counting the paces to the gate and berating himself for being an idiot. Well, if he was, it was because she had made him so.

  When they reached the gates the sweet-faced Sister Susanna on the other side greeted them with a beaming smile. "Father Columba, Brother Gregor, how good to see you!" she said in her warm and friendly manner, "do you need accommodation for the night? The men's hospital still has a few beds, I believe."

  Columba smiled and bowed. "We are not quite sure of our plans yet, sister," he replied, but we must speak to Sister Teresa - Iona McCallum - as a matter of urgency."

  "Father, I am sorry to tell you this," she looked distressed and began to wring her hands in agitation. "An old lady called Elisha came for her and gave her a letter. She read it and looked very shocked. She and her friend Andrina talked for a long time before she left, but I got the feeling that Iona was being compelled to go."