Edan heard the sound of Cormag’s footsteps as he stormed away. It had been an ugly scene. And one that left Edan with more questions than he truly cared to acknowledge.
Callum’s footsteps came closer and rounded the corner, passing Edan who remained hidden beneath the stairs. Callum went quickly and headed for his rooms. Edan wondered how he would face his uncle when he saw him again.
Exiting the shadows, he headed for the library where he knew she would be. It seemed a great peace of mind whenever he was before the prisoner, and that was where he desired to be more than anything. Especially now that she had quite comfortably shown that she was taken with him in return.
He climbed up the stairs and walked until he reached the large oak door, already cracked open. On the other side, he would see her white blonde hair and her green and gold-flecked eyes. He would smell her freshly bathed scent and place his hands on her hips.
He pushed the door open.
Before him sat not Isabel, but Callum, reclining in a large leather chair, waiting for his nephew.
“She isnae here. I asked her to give us some privacy,” Callum said. Edan anticipated — and dreaded — this meeting.
His heart began to pound; he was not about to receive favor from his advisor. He did well to command the respect of his clan. But he would forever be seeking the approval of this man —his uncle, the brother of his father, the man who had trained him.
“What is it ye wish to discuss?” Edan asked.
“Yer decisions, me Laird. Yer decision about Cormag in particular,” Callum replied.
“Ye ken that wasnae just me own decision,” Edan replied.
“I ken. But ye have every right to overrule. And ye ought to. I ken we dinnae want the English blaming us for the death of their boy, but by now, ye really think they havnae begun to blame us after all?” Callum asked.
“So, what is it ye suggest?”
Callum put his hands together and spoke casually. “He ought to be executed, me Laird. A life for a life. He cannae be trusted.”
Edan had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hated Cormag even more so since the murder of James, but this ultimatum seemed an unexpected twist. Already the council had decided to execute a sorry justice for Cormag, but the decision had been made for a reason. And to go back on it now and question that choice, Edan feared that he might look like a weak leader.
“Uncle, the choice was made,” he said hesitantly. “Can we really go back on that?”
“Ye can do anything ye want. Ye are the Laird. And Cormag must be stopped. Else he could do further atrocities,” Callum replied.
“And what do ye ken of his atrocities?” Edan asked.
“I ken that yer faither would never have allowed them. And I ken that it is now yer duty to ensure they are dealt with,” Callum replied.
“He keeps staring at me,” Caitriona said over her bowl of soup in the great hall.
“Who?” asked Isabel.
“That one, the new one,” she replied with a coy smile.
Isabel raised her eyes and saw Charles was watching her. Caitriona had clearly thought he was longing for her, but Isabel knew what he was really looking at. The traitorous English brat and her new Scottish friends. That was his focus.
“They say he is a great horse healer. He helped a mare upon his arrival and then one of me brother’s steeds became ill and he is working to see improvement. He seems awfully skilled. And awfully handsome,” Caitriona said, continuing to believe she was making eye contact with Charles.
“And you are so brazen about being seen by him?” asked Isabel, watching Caitriona preen.
“May as well let him know I notice. Else how is he going to be encouraged to move forward and come introduce himself?” she asked.
“True, I suppose. It may help,” Isabel replied, thinking there was no way Charles would likely show interest in a Scottish woman while working as a spy among them.
“What are ye on about?” came the voice of Edan behind them. He was watching Caitriona with amusement.
“Just trying to get me a steed,” she replied.
“Ye are no mare. Ye havnae the elegance, the grace…the innocence,” Edan replied.
“And where have ye been?” Caitriona inquired.
Edan shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Isabel for a moment. She had been surprised when asked to leave the library but had done as she had been told before meeting Caitriona on her way to the hall.
“I’ve been with Uncle. Just gleaning more wisdom from they that came before,” he said vaguely and casually.
“Aye right, a good man from which to glean!” said Caitriona, raising her cup to no one in particular and taking a swig of the scotch within.
“I love a good Saturday. Have ye ever noticed that Saturdays are the best days?” asked Caitriona, already a little bit tipsy from her previous glass. She was nearly leaning on Isabel who sat with her typical sturdy posture and appeared greatly uncomfortable at having Caitriona upon her.
“Indeed, they are lovely,” she replied awkwardly.
“Oh, brother, what do ye ken of the horse doctor?” Caitriona continued.
“Very little. There was much confusion about his appearance here, but it would seem that he is quite excellent at his craft,” Edan replied.
“He is also quite excellent at getting me hot and bothered,” Caitriona slurred.
“Sister, I dinnae need to hear that,” Edan said.
“He keeps staring at me, though! I think I may need to spend some time practicing me riding,” Caitriona said, discussing horses. When she realized the double entendre, she began to laugh hysterically.
“Ye be a bit too loud a drunk,” Edan said sullenly.
It was clear to Isabel that he was disturbed, and for a moment, she wished she had waited in the hallway to listen to what had taken place between Edan and his uncle. But it was too late now, and she would have to trust that she was not in jeopardy for the time being.
Cormag walked into the great hall and sat near the door beside Charles. The two did not speak for quite some time, but eventually, Cormag— drinking twice as much as Caitriona in half the time — was also in a state of high volume and low filter.
Edan ate quickly and left, disappearing somewhere unknown.
Isabel watched him with concern. Why do I feel that once again I am betraying my brother?
Her eyes scanned the tables for a knife. She had neglected to even look during the previous day, which now caused a new wave of shame flow inside her.
How could I have forgotten? Am I so distracted by this man that I am letting him draw my focus away from my duty? she wondered.
“Caitriona, do you really think that that man is someone you would admire?” she asked, referring to Charles.
“Aye, he’s a right sturdy build and I’m sure he can ride,” she said, again invoking the unspoken meaning.
“Perhaps I can speak with him? Ask if he has a wife?” Isabel suggested, thinking it would be helpful to have an excuse to speak to him without arousing suspicion.
But before she could finish the thought, two guards in kilts came and stood beside Charles. Edan followed. Something was not right.
Chapter 19
“What is it? What is happening?” Caitriona begged of Robert when she and Isabel met him in the hall. She had been shocked out of her drunken stupor when she saw her new love interest being led away by two guards.
“Hemlock. It was found among his belongings and matches the symptoms of the horse that became ill right after his arrival. He is to be questioned,” Robert replied.
“Questioned?” asked Isabel. Her identity could be discovered, and she was, perhaps, at great risk.
“Aye. Excuse me, I have to go,” Robert said. He left the two women standing outside the hall and followed Edan and the guards to a room below, a room most often unused, with shackles and chains.
Robert stood with Edan as the guard questioned Charles, who was now bound in metal.
&n
bsp; “What do ye have this for?” he asked, showing Charles the hemlock.
“I dinnae ken, someone must have left it in me belongings. Maybe someone wished to poison me!” he replied innocently. The guard punched him in the face.
“What do ye have this for?” he repeated.
Charles gave excuse after excuse and each time the guard beat him. Robert and Edan left the dungeon, knowing the questions would descend into torture. The guard was an expert, and they would have answers soon.
“Now of all times, we cannae deal with this nonsense. Men trying to murder our horses? What is this all about? Why would he come from another clan for just such a reason?” Robert asked.
“It doesnae make any sense,” Edan agreed. “There has to be something we dinnae ken, and as ye say, it is the worst of times for it.”
Callum came gliding down the hall with long strides and a stern jaw, similar to the shape of Edan’s and his father’s before him.
“What is this? Have ye completely lost control of yer land?” he whispered harshly to Edan. “Come with me.”
Callum gripped Edan by the arm, reminding him of when he had been a small boy, and he had stolen gold from his father and was punished as a result. The pain from memory was worse than this pinch of his bicep.
Edan was led into one of the small, unused rooms with nothing but a table and chair and a short stack of books.
“Ye may be Laird, but this is out of control. Edan, get yerself together. There’s nae time to indulge in pretty English girls or show mercy to murderers. Harsh fists are sometimes necessary for leaders,” Callum instructed.
“Aye, uncle. I ken ye be right. Call the council. We will meet this evening,” Edan decided.
He returned to his rooms and rested for a few moments, sitting at his bed and breathing slowly with the fresh air coming through open windows. The pressure of caring for his people was, at times, too much and he wondered how his father had done so well.
Before the time came to meet with the council, he heard a knock on his door. He opened it to see the guard who had been questioning Charles in the dungeon.
“Me Laird, I ken who he is,” the guard began breathlessly.
“And?” Edan demanded.
“He isnae one of us. He’s a spy. From the Duke of Gordon,” the guard said with urgency.
Edan’s stomach knotted. He thought he might be ill.
Caught completely off guard, he asked, “The Duke? A spy?”
“Aye, me Laird. The Duke is sending an army. Monday. We havnae much time,” the guard said.
Edan knew this meant war. It had to be revenge for James. Still, the thought of the English army seeing the English prisoner was not safe for them. Already they had invoked the wrath of the English, seeing a young woman held was too great a risk.
“Caitriona!” shouted Edan as he ran through the halls. There was chaos around as the guards prepared for battle.
Confused by the shouting and rushing, Caitriona asked, “Edan, what is happening?”
“The Duke of Gordon is coming. I need ye to take the English lass, get her out of here. We cannae be caught with her as our prisoner,” he said in a hurry.
“Edan, listen to me. I ken ye think ye must be noble but listen. Ye are our only Laird. We only have uncle who could take yer place, and to be honest, he’s getting too old to do so. Ye cannae stay and battle. It’s too great a risk for us all,” Caitriona said.
“You mean to tell me to leave me clan to fight alone? What heresy is this?” he asked.
But he hadn’t noticed Robert and Callum coming up behind him.
“She’s right, Edan,” Robert said. “We arnae calling ye a coward. Far from it. We are asking ye not to go that we might keep ye alive for the sake of our clan in the future.”
“It is true, nephew. I ken I’ve been right harsh with ye of late, but we cannae lose ye,” Callum added.
“But I have trained all me life. I have been in battle before. Ye think me too weak?” Edan asked.
“No such thing. We think ye are a target and that is a risk we arnae willing to take. Ye be right about the girl though,” Callum said. “They cannae see her. It would put us all at risk. So ye have to take her. Take her and get right out of here. Quickly!”
Edan came rushing into her room and throwing her dresses into her trunk with a few woolen blankets. “My Laird, what is it?” Isabel asked fearfully.
“We have to leave,” he declared vaguely.
“Leave? Why?” she asked, watching him hurry with all of her clothing. She had never seen him look afraid before, and it left her uneasy.
“An enemy of mine is coming. Well, a once friend, now turned enemy. He is coming, and I cannae allow him to see that we have an English prisoner,” Edan replied.
“I see,” Isabel responded.
How do they know? she wondered, thinking of the plan Charles had told her. He must have given in to the torture. He must have confessed.
Her heart sank, and yet, she knew that if Charles had been right, it would be dangerous for her to stay during the battle. But here she was, the cause of it all. The cause of men who would likely soon die. And Edan thought it was all for James.
It was, initially. But he would have no idea that it was now because of her.
Unless Charles told them about me, as well.
But Edan gave no indication of knowing her identity. He merely rushed to gather her belongings and ordered a maid to carry it down to the carriage.
Edan pulled Isabel by the hand to follow along after him. She saw that the whole castle was in a hustle of anxiety and preparation. And she knew it was entirely her fault.
They loaded into the carriage that the clan had stolen the day Isabel was captured, and Edan drove them forward with Isabel sitting inside. She watched as the castle shrunk into the distance and felt the familiar sensation of the horses pounding quickly, gaining distance. There was a part of her that was greatly pained to say goodbye.
Edan ran the horses with the same adrenaline pumping in his veins. He had abandoned his clan. He’d been told to, but he thought he might never overcome the guilt at leaving them behind to fight alone. And with a mere quick goodbye to his sister and his dear friend, it seemed as though he had left everything.
He wondered who might be left when they returned.
They rode forward for three hours, both lost in their own guilt and shame. The English would be attacking in a day and a half. They were far ahead, and it was small comfort.
At last Edan stopped as they were passing through a larger town. Triggered by the stress, both were ravenous.
“We’ll stop here for a bite. I’m right peckish,” Edan declared, handing a few coins to the man who would watch their coach.
“As am I. Thank you,” she said.
They entered the pub, and each received a plate heaped with meats and potatoes. A knife appeared at Isabel’s plate side.
She eyed it for a moment while Edan distractedly dove into the food. She wondered whether it was wise to kill him here, in public like this, and decided a public execution of a Scottish Laird by a silent English girl was not the best choice. She would have to take the knife for later.
They ate until they were full, and Edan drank a good amount as well before urging Isabel to finish so they could travel a bit farther north before the darkness full settled. She finished her food and cautiously tucked the knife into a fold in her skirts.
Once they were on their way again, Isabel began to fall asleep in the coach. Edan finally stopped and tied the two horses to a tree before climbing inside the coach with her.
“Where are we?” Isabel asked, waking from her sleep.
“Dinnae worry. We are far enough that we are safe from the battle. And I’ve kept us well out of the way,” he assured her.
Edan came to sit beside Isabel on her seat in the coach, and she leaned into him. He held her until they both fell into a deep, fitful slumber.
Chapter 20
“Have you heard anyt
hing more from Charles, Your Grace?” asked William, standing with the Duke of Gordon in his rooms. He was beginning to get nervous about their journey for the next day. Their goal was to arrive at sunrise, but everything had to be timed perfectly.
“No, he has not sent any word to me since. But he has said that he would come to meet us as we march on toward the castle. So, I am sure he will come to brief us of any changes. Of course, his duty is to ensure there are none,” the Duke replied.
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