by Alisa Adams
"I know about the swords," Iain replied, "but I don't know about the rest, and I don't know how they got it out of Castle Ness. The place is a fortress even stronger than this one!"
"Subterfuge, most likely," Alexa suggested. "A servant with a grudge or some such thing. Or they could have been intimidated. The Sutherlands are good at that."
Mairi nodded.
"Aye, that they are," she said grimly.
"I had no idea their reach had grown so long." Iain frowned. "They must have traveled miles and miles for this." He paused and looked around. "Ladies and gentlemen, have you seen everything you want to?"
There was a chorus of assent.
Iain looked at Mairi.
"Mairi, since we have no idea who the foodstuffs and livestock belong to, shall we take them to the castle and arrange for distribution to the poor, or would your family like to have them?"
Mairi thought for a moment.
"In truth, sir," she replied, "much of this food came from those who worked hard for it and needed it to feed their families. Give it to those who are starving."
"I am so proud of you," Alexa said, smiling as she put her arm around her. "And you must call me Alexa. Say it."
"Alexa," Mairi said with some shyness, "'tis a pretty name."
"Yours too. And when we get back to the castle, we should start making you some pretty dresses to go with it."
Mairi nodded, but still looked troubled.
"What is it?" Alexa asked.
"My faither is still oot there somewhere." Mairi sighed. "An' I will no' feel truly safe till he is in a dungeon or swingin' at the end o' a rope!"
"We will find him, don't worry," Alexa said, with more conviction than she felt.
"I want to hear all about it!" Lorraine said excitedly as she skidded to a halt in front of Alexa, having just run down the stairs.
Alexa sighed, shaking her head.
"Have you met my friend, Lorraine?" she asked Mairi. "I am sorry. She is not rude, just impulsive."
Mairi curtsied.
"Pleased tae make yer acquaintance, mistress."
"And yours, Miss Mairi." Lorraine looked puzzled.
This woman looked and sounded like a servant but was being treated like a guest.
Alexa nodded, and Lorraine curtsied, albeit belatedly.
"Come and let us have some wine," Alexa suggested. "And we will both tell you the story."
She took Mairi's arm and sent for some warm spiced wine from the kitchen.
When they sat down, Lorraine picked up her sewing again.
"'Tis lovely, mistress," Mairi breathed out. "How did ye learn tae dae it?"
Lorraine chuckled.
"I can't remember when I started, Miss Mairi, but I am sure it was at my Nanny's knee." She looked at Alexa, smiling. "Even Miss Montgomery is learning."
"An' whit are ye makin'?"
"My wedding gown."
"Oh, 'tis beautiful!" Mairi breathed out in rapture. "Really lovely. Ye will make such a pretty bride, mistress."
"Thank you!" Lorraine was genuinely charmed. "And I'm sure you will too when it is your time."
Mairi shook her head.
"Naw, mistress," she said heavily. "Marriage is no' for bandits' daughters."
Lorraine turned around Mairi's face to look at her.
"Miss Mairi, are you a bandit?" she asked gently.
Mairi shook her head sadly and sighed.
"I am ashamed of my faither an’ eldest brothers." Her voice was very sad. "An’ I hae never done ony harm tae anyone. Nor will I, ever."
"Then why should you not marry?"
"Because my last name is Sutherland."
"Guilt by association, you mean?"
Mairi nodded.
"Well, anyone who judges you by your family is not worthy of you. Hold your head high, Miss Mairi. Anyway, when you marry, you will get a new name!"
Then the two women smiled at each other, and a bond had been forged.
"I thought we were going to talk about the Sutherland stronghold?" Alexa asked pointedly. "Mairi, I think you should start. You know more about the place than anyone else.
So Mairi began to tell the story, and no one was more surprised than she when it transpired that she was an excellent raconteur.
When she got to the part about the two swords, Lorraine was riveted.
"How romantic!" she said with delight. "I hear that Lachlan is fabulously handsome!"
Alexa rolled her eyes heavenwards.
"There were rumors," Lorraine's voice sank to a whisper, "that Shona was with child when they got married."
"She was no' the first." Mairi laughed. "An' she will no' be the last."
"So, is that everything?" Lorraine asked, looking disappointed.
"Aye, mistress," Mairi answered. "It was no' the great adventure everybody hoped fer, apart from the end bit."
They sat in silence for a while, sipping their wine.
"Nearly time for dinner," Alexa said, standing up. "Mairi, will you join us?"
Mairi shook her head.
"Thank you, Alexa," she said gratefully, "but I knaw naethin' aboot table manners an' sich, an' my family is expectin' me tae dine wi' them. I wid show masel' up, an' you."
Alexa frowned.
"You should not underestimate yourself," she warned. "Great things are ahead of you."
"Ask Shona McGregor when you meet her," Lorraine put in. "'Tis said she has the Sight."
Hector's ankle had been splinted and therefore immobilized by the wise woman, a taciturn, sour, elderly dame who took his silver with a grunt when she had rendered her services. Her work was good, though, since he felt better already, and she had left a good supply of milk of the poppy, which kept him out of pain and asleep most of the time.
The Elliotts were good people. Their two youngest sons, David and Aidan, still stayed with their parents and were less trusting than they when it came to their new visitor. They were big, brawny, heavy-set men, shorter than Hector but twice as broad. As soon as David laid eyes on Hector, he very deliberately took the claymore away, but not before testing it first, thereby giving Hector a demonstration of his sword skills.
"What is yer name, sir?" he asked, polite but with suspicion.
"Angus McGovern," Hector replied promptly.
"Funny that." David gave him a grim smile. "I could swear my faither said Archie."
"I-I have this bump on my heid, see?" Hector pretended to wince. "Makes me a wee bit distracted at times."
"Archie," Hector replied with an ingratiating smile, cursing inwardly. "Angus is my son's name. I'm aye gettin' them mixed up!"
David gave him one last, long, suspicious look, then went outside to where his mother was hanging out the washing.
"Mammy," he said, turning her around to face him. His open, blue-eyed face was grim.
Leana Eliott looked up at him, troubled by that look.
"Aye, son. Whit's wrang?"
"I knaw ye've had yon stranger wi' ye a couple o' days, an' he hasnae done ye ony harm, but I dinnae trust him. Pa told me his name wis Archie, but somethin' made me ask him again, an' he said it wis Angus. Then he kidded that Angus wis his son's name an' he sometimes got them mixed up. I hae a bad feelin' aboot him. I think he's a Sutherland."
His mother shrugged. "Mayhap he's tellin' the truth, son. No' everybody's a criminal."
"Naw? Well, I will bet my life that he is!"
"He cannae move," she pointed out,."Even if he could, he hasnae got a horse an' we are miles from onywhere."
David grasped his mother by the shoulders.
"Mammy," he said with urgency, "d'ye no’ see? He has a price on his heid! No' only wid we be riddin' the countryside o' a monster, but we will be earnin' a small fortune for daein' it!"
"Whit's all the commotion aboot?" Jack asked, wiping his hands on a rag as he came up to them.
"Pa," David said, still with urgency, "I hae a feelin' aboot that fella in there. I think he might be one o' yon Sutherlands."<
br />
Jack stared at him for a moment.
"I did hear that one o' them got away," Jack said thoughtfully. "An' there is a reward o' five pounds on his heid – if it's him."
Just then Aidan appeared, and they held a family conference. It was decided that the family would drug the stranger's food with as much milk of the poppy as they dared while David went to fetch the Laird Drummond's men.
"Whit if he's innocent?" Leana asked. "Naebody knaws whit he looks like!"
"There will be nae harm done," Jack replied. "An' the drug will help him sleep while his leg heals onyway, an' I hear tell his family is in the laird's castle."
* * *
The next morning, David was dispatched to go to Castle Drummond as Hector Sutherland woke up from a sound slumber.
Leana fed him a generous bowl of porridge after which he went straight back to sleep again.
16
Speculation
David arrived at Castle Drummond around noon. He’d had nothing to eat and was feeling quite ravenous by the time he got there, so he stopped for a bannock at one of the food stalls in the courtyard to break his fast; otherwise, he felt he might faint. But after he had eaten a bannock and drunk a pint of ale, he felt better.
He had rehearsed over and over again what he was going to say to the laird if he met him, but he was surprised when he was finally shown into the presence of a dainty, very pretty blonde woman.
"I am sorry," she said. "Laird Drummond is not at home at the moment. You may speak to me if you like. I am Alexa Montgomery, his sister-in-law."
David bowed.
"Mistress," he said solemnly, "my name is David Elliott. I hope I am no' daein' the wrang thing, but my family had a stranger come tae oor hoose a wee while ago wi' a broken ankle. It wis a wee while efter yon raids, an' oor hoose wis the next target, we were told.
"We wis wonderin' if he wisnae one o' the Sutherlands. We are keepin' him asleep wi' milk o' the poppy but we dinnae knaw if we are right or no'. He might be innocent."
Alexa thought for a moment.
"I am glad you came." She smiled at him. "You did the right thing by telling us this. His younger family is here, taking shelter with us. They are in no way to blame for the crimes of the adults, three of whom are in our dungeons. A few of the outlaws died that night, but sadly, none of the Sutherlands. Neither was any of them seriously injured, more's the pity. Thank you again, Mr. Elliott. Mairi, his daughter, and I will ride with you as well as two armed guards in case it is him. Wait here, and I will fetch her."
Mairi was sitting with Lorraine watching her sew, both of them laughing at something outrageous that Lorraine had said. They made a pretty picture. It was now the early autumn, and the fires had just become necessary as the cold weather crept in. Lorraine's golden brown hair, next to Mairi's wavy, raven black tresses made a pleasing contrast in the warm glow of the flickering flames.
Alexa felt very sad that she had to spoil it.
"Mairi," she said evenly, "I have some news."
Mairi read her solemn face at once.
"Aboot my faither?" she asked, fearful.
"Yes." Alexa went to Mairi and took her by the shoulders. "I don't want you to raise your hopes, but I think we may have found him."
"Where?" Mairi demanded. "I want tae see the monster!"
"I told you not to hope, Mairi," Alexa said, trying to keep her tone calm and reassuring. "It may not be him."
"Where is he?" She was trembling with rage, and impatient. "If it's him, I need tae find oot. If no' then nae harm done."
"You must calm down, Mairi. You are going to someone's home now."
Mairi nodded slowly, but her jaw was clenched, and her hands balled into fists.
"Relax, Mairi." Alexa unbent Mairi's fingers. "He is being kept asleep by milk of the poppy. He can do us no harm even if it is him. Now, are you ready?"
"Aye." Mairi took a deep breath. "I’m ready."
They stepped out into the wide entrance hall, and Alexa introduced them.
Suddenly there was no more tension – not of the bad kind anyway. Alexa could almost feel the spark of attraction between them, in the air surrounding them, as Mairi and David smiled at each other.
David could not believe the exotic, dark beauty who greeted him as Alexa brought her over. She did not look Scottish at all, but Spanish or Italian or – well, his knowledge of geography was very limited, but there was no doubting that wherever she came from, he was destined to be with her.
Mairi saw a strong, well-built young man, not exceptionally tall, but solid as a tree trunk. He had sandy hair, blue eyes and an air of – she could only describe it as goodness about him. He would always keep her safe, and safety was what she wanted even more than love.
"Come," Alexa said eagerly. "We need to fetch the horses and the guards."
"He cannae walk, mistress," David informed her. " I'm no' sure if he can ride."
Alexa turned to face him.
"David, I am sure that you are a good man, but if he is who we think he is, and if he truly cannot walk, then he must ride, no matter how much it hurts him. And if you think that I am heartless, it is because I am – where he is concerned anyway."
They collected the horses and Mairi mounted with Alexa as usual.
They got to the farm around mid-afternoon. David helped Mairi to dismount, putting both his hands around her waist, but as she stood looking at the farmhouse, she felt a strange reluctance to go in.
"Whit if it's no' him?" she asked, fearful.
"There is only one way to find out, Mairi." Alexa put an arm around her shoulders, and they entered the cottage.
Moira had sent a message to the Laird and Lady of Ness inviting them to come and inspect the valuable jewelry and reclaim it.
They answered within a week and indicated their relief at the jewelry being found. They accepted the invitation and informed the Drummonds that they would be happy to come a month hence, so the arrangements were finalized.
Moira could hardly wait. She had met them once before, and Lachlan and Shona were the most loving and most mischievous couple she had ever met. She had heard that Shona was with child for the fourth time and she was looking forward to comparing notes with her about all the problems that beset pregnant women. She set about decorating a sumptuous guestroom for them.
"Sweetheart," Iain said, sighing as she talked about the heavy linen curtains, wall hangings and magnificent four-poster bed with its silk coverlet, "they will not be here for weeks!"
She hugged him. They were lying cuddled up in bed just about to go to sleep when she told him about all the plans she was making for dinners and ceilidhs and introductions to this laird, this baron and this chieftain and all their ladies.
"I know – but the planning is so much fun!" She giggled. "And I won't have the time or the energy for it in a short while."
Suddenly she gasped. Iain, just about to ask her what was amiss, smiled widely as she put his hand on her stomach and the baby kicked, a little tattoo of swift taps.
"The first time," she breathed out. "Now we really know it's coming, Iain."
He said nothing, but smiled at her with tenderness and wrapped his arms around her.
Then, warm, safe and loved, Moira drifted off to sleep.
Little did she know that in another castle, on the shore of Loch Ness, Lachlan McGregor was touching his wife's stomach in the same way.
17
Capturing Hector
Leana Elliott curtsied nervously before she opened the door.
"Welcome to oor hame, mistress," she said anxiously.
Alexa smiled at her.
"Thank you, Mistress Elliott," she said politely. "This is Mairi Sutherland, who has come to identify the man under your care. May we see him?"
Alexa was holding on to Mairi's hand as tightly as she could, but as soon as she saw Hector, Mairi's face turned into a mask of hatred. She wrenched her hand out of Alexa's and flew across the room where he was lying on a straw matt
ress.
With a fierce strength born of sheer rage, she began to kick and punch him with all her might. Hector had just come out of a drugged sleep and was still slightly groggy. Because of this, he was unable to cover his face quickly enough when Mairi raked the nails of both hands down his cheeks before David could pull her away.
"Let me kill him!" she screamed.
Her dark, beautiful face was transformed with an anger that seemed to come from her core as if a fire inside was consuming her.
"Let me tear him intae pieces! Let me spill his blood!" Tears of rage were spilling down her cheeks. "He murdered my Mammy – I hate him! Let me kill him!"
She struggled like a wild animal caught in a trap, but no matter what she did she could not escape David's powerful grasp.
Presently, Aidan came in and took hold of her legs, which were still kicking wildly.
Alexa waited till the worst was over, indicated to David that he should put Mairi down, then she wrapped her arms tightly around her.
"Oh, my dear," she said, almost crying herself now. "You can be at peace now. He is going to get the justice he deserves."
"He will never get the justice he deserves, Alexa," Mairi said with bitterness. "There isnae enough justice in the world fer that!"
Alexa held onto her for a few more minutes till she had calmed down a bit.
"I am going in to see him, but you must not follow me, understood?" she asked Mairi.
She nodded.
"We are going to tie his hands and feet together and put him over the saddle like a piece of baggage. I imagine that will suit you."
"Could ye no' drag him behind the horse?" Mairi asked, with a touch of grim humor.
Alexa sighed. "I wish we could, Mairi, but he would slow us down too much!"
Mairi gave a sour laugh and watched as Alexa went inside the cottage, bolting the door behind her.
