Everything In Its Time

by Dee Davis

  Ranald pushed up from the bench he was sitting on. "Well, I canna honestly say that I'm surprised. I dinna know Auntie Sorcha all that well. She's been gone from Corybrough for many years now. But I can tell you that my father has little love for his sister. I've no notion of the reason, but my father is a fair man and I'd trust his opinions with my life."

  Fergus grumbled something about stubborn Macqueens and walked over to Jeff. "What do you think?"

  Jeff looked up at the man, surprised that he'd be interested in an outsider's opinion. "I think any information that might help us find my sister is worth exploring. I don't know William, but he seems honest enough, and I'm certain he's devoted to my sister. So I guess I have to believe he's telling the truth."

  "Humph." Fergus sighed and turned to Iain. "I'll go and get her then, shall I?"

  "I think it would be best." Iain's face was etched with emotions Jeff couldn't identify, but he felt for the man nevertheless.

  Fergus turned his back on the lot of them, and headed for the stairs, still mumbling under his breath.

  Jeff watched him go. "I'd like to know I had that kind of loyalty from someone."

  Iain sat down beside him. "Aye, but misplaced loyalty can break your heart."

  Suddenly the grim silence of the room was broken as a small boy rushed into the hall yelling, "Riders approaching." The boy stopped, bending at the waist, hands braced on knees, breathing heavily.

  Jeff and Iain rose in tandem.

  "Whose riders, boy?" Iain barked.

  "They said,"—he pushed the words out between hisses of breath—"to tell you the colors are ours."

  Iain reached the boy and with a pat on the shoulder sent him on his way.

  "Who's he talking about? What riders?" Jeff came to a halt beside Ranald.

  "Iain sent two of his clansmen to the Macphersons' holding to see if they could discover anything about Katherine's disappearance."

  Jeff frowned at Iain. "Why didn't you say something about this earlier?"

  "There was no opportunity to do so, what with William's announcement. Besides, I feared the men had met with some trouble, as I had expected them back yesterday. When they didna show, I assumed the worst."

  "Well, they're here now. Let's go and see what they found out." Jeff made a move toward the door. Ranald stopped him with a hand on his arm.

  "They'll be here presently. Have you forgotten about Auntie Sorcha?"

  Jeff grimaced. In his excitement over possible news of Katherine, he had indeed forgotten about the woman. "Okay. We wait here." He went back to the fireside and dropped down on a bench beside William.

  Iain followed, sitting in the big chair, his face devoid of all expression. Ranald paced in front of the fire. Silence enveloped the room, broken only by an occasional rustle as the men shifted restlessly.

  Tentatively, William broke the silence. "Do you think Katherine is still alive?"

  Iain's angry response died on his lips when he saw the stark fear on the boy's face. Instead he spoke with a soft, comforting voice. "Nay, lad, I dinna think she's dead. If she were, I'd feel it." He tapped his chest. "Here."

  William nodded, too choked up to respond with words. Jeff, too, was moved by Iain's gentle concern for the boy.

  "She's gone." Fergus' cry rang through the hall. "I canna find her anywhere."

  Iain rose, his face flushed with a mixture of fear and anger. "Did you speak with her maid?"

  "Aye. She has no' seen her since yesterday morning."

  Ranald stood too. "Did she say anything else?"

  Fergus shot him an exasperated look. "Aye. If you'll just be giving me a chance to finish." Ranald bowed in silent apology. Fergus turned to Iain and, after drawing a deep breath, continued. "Jeanette says that when Sorcha didna come down for yesterday's morning meal, she brought a tray to her chamber. When she tried to enter, the door was barred. She says that Sorcha bade her leave it outside the door. When she returned last evening, the tray was still there untouched. She knocked but there was no answer."

  "Great. We've no idea when she left. Now we're no better off than when we started." Jeff threw his hands up in frustration.

  "I say we ride on the Macphersons now. 'Tis close enough to first light." Ranald's hand tightened on his sword. "We'll find Katherine, if we have to kill every Macpherson to do so."

  Jeff and William chorused their agreement. Iain sat silently, lost in his own thoughts.

  "I'd say that would be a great waste of time, lads." Roger Macbean strode into the hall. " 'Tis no' the Macphersons who hold your Katherine, Iain."

  Iain fixed his cold green stare on the warrior. "What are you telling me?"

  "She's no' there, mon. We scouted around for half a day or so and found nothing. So, on a hunch, I left Arthur to watch and paid a visit on the Macpherson myself. You'll remember my wife has kin there?"

  " 'Twas quite a risk you took, Roger. But as you seem to have survived in one piece, I'll no' waste my breath telling you. What did the Macpherson have to say?"

  "He denied all of it. According to him, there have been no raids on our cattle and he swears no attack on your father. In fact, he says he heard from Angus no' long before he died. Seems your father was trying to work out a possible marriage between you and a Macpherson lass. The Macpherson was considering the idea when he got the news of your father's death. Iain, he says he has no grievance with you. He hadn't even heard you'd wed Katherine. And he swore, in front of witnesses, he hadn't abducted her."

  Iain studied Roger with narrowed eyes. "And you believe him?"

  "Aye, I do. You should have heard him, Iain. The mon was honestly surprised at my accusations. I'd swear he knew nothing about any of it, most of all your wife's disappearance."

  "Go and get some refreshment, Roger. There's food in the kitchen, and I know you're anxious to get home to your wife."

  "Aye, that I am. I'll be off then." He paused for a moment. "Iain, when you decide what to do next, I'll be ready to go with you." He headed off toward the kitchen.

  "Where the hell does this leave us?" Jeff ranted angrily, feeling his blood pressure rise. "First the aunt, our key witness, turns out to be a disappearing liar, and then the chief suspect is found innocent. Where is Matlock when you need him?"

  "I've no idea who this Matlock fellow is, but I've an idea who might be behind all of this," Ranald broke in.

  A hush fell over the assembled group, attention shifting from Jeff to Ranald.

  "I feel the fool really. I should've put it together sooner. But we were so sure it was the Macphersons."

  Iain grabbed Ranald by the shoulders. "Put what together? Tell me what you think you know."

  "All right. Remember when you found your father's dirk?"

  "Aye."

  "Do you remember me saying that I thought I recognized the wee thing?"

  "I do. But I'm no' sure where you're going with this."

  "You'll see. Do you also remember when Ailis saw the dirk?"

  Iain's expression grew thoughtful. He released Ranald. "Aye. She thought the knife was Alasdair's."

  "But then she thought she'd made a mistake. Well, she didna."

  The room was totally silent, everyone hanging on Ranald's every word.

  He smiled triumphantly. "I had seen that dirk before, but no' with Uncle Angus. And no' because of the stories you and Fergus were spinning. I saw it in Alasdair's chamber. It was the night we first arrived. Auntie Sorcha showed me to my chamber for a wash. I slipped out first to use the garderobe. And on my way back, I got a wee bit confused and ended up in the wrong chamber."

  Iain smiled grimly. "Alasdair's chamber."

  "Aye. And what do you suppose was lying on the bed?"

  Jeff jumped in. "The dirk?"

  "The dirk. I noticed it because of the stone in the hilt."

  "The cairngorm." Jeff mumbled the comment to himself, but Ranald heard him.

  "Is that what it is? Well, whatever, you have to admit 'tis a memorable stone. And I'll wager t
hat Ailis saw it, too."

  Iain's expression was darkening, comprehension dawning. "So when she saw the dirk that day on the window seat, she had indeed seen it with Alasdair. He'd simply misled her into believing it was his."

  "Right. It never occurred to her, or to me for that matter, that Alasdair would lie about the knife being his. So she assumed she was merely mistaken."

  Fergus frowned. "If Alasdair did have the knife that first night, that would mean he had it before ye found it on the dead mon by the burn."

  "Aye." Iain's eyes narrowed in speculation. "I've no notion o' how Alasdair came to have that knife, but I'll wager it wasna an innocent coincidence."

  "Well, he certainly seemed to have some sort of hold o'er Sorcha. I noticed it first just after Angus died. I told you I thought as much the night you arrived." Fergus said.

  Iain groaned and sat down, head in hands.

  Jeff crossed over to him. "What? What is it?"

  Iain spoke into his hands. "Alasdair attacked Katherine."

  "Attacked her? Why didn't you tell me?"

  "I dinna think it was relevant. Katherine was no' hurt, just frightened a little. I got there in time. I thought 'twas only an isolated incident. One that was no' likely to let be repeated."

  Jeff glared at Iain, barely containing his fury.

  William spoke up softly. "I'm confused. What exactly are you saying?"

  Iain sat back. "Let me see if I can explain. Someone correct me if I miss something. For whatever reason, Alasdair had my father's dirk. Both Ailis and Ranald saw it. Alasdair and Sorcha were seen together repeatedly after my father's death, and according to Fergus he appeared to have some sort of hold o'er her. Sometime after I arrived, Alasdair lost or gave up the dirk and I wound up with it, after killing what I thought was a Macpherson. Alasdair approached me about marrying his sister and I more or less turned him down. Shortly after that Katherine arrived and I married her. Alasdair tried, somewhat forcefully, to seduce her, but I stopped him. Just after that Sorcha, it appears, lured Katherine into a trap. Alasdair listened while we blamed the Macphersons and then rode for Tùr nan Clach, taking Ailis with him. Jeff arrived and we soon found out that Sorcha had vanished and that the Macphersons didna kidnap Katherine." He looked around at everyone. "Does that about cover it?"

  "Yeah." Jeff gritted his teeth, trying not to yell in frustration. "So you're saying Davidson is most likely the kidnapper?"

  " 'Twould seem so. Ranald?" Iain looked at his cousin.

  "Aye. It seems likely. But we still dinna know why."

  "I believe my wife's brother put it best." Iain looked at Jeff. "What was it you said? Something about a rodent's behind?"

  "I said, I don't give a rat's ass why she did it. I was speaking of Sorcha, but I think it would apply to Alasdair as well."

  Ranald eyed Jeff with something close to a grin. "You certainly have an interesting way with words. I agree with your sentiment, though. The most important thing is that we find Katherine."

  Iain stood up, his action effectively ending the conversation. "We ride for Tùr nan Clach in an hour."

  "Thank God." Jeff spoke more to himself than to anyone else, but Iain heard him and clasped his arm tightly.

  "Together, we'll find her."

  "Yeah, and then we'll make that son of a bitch pay."

  Iain squeezed Jeff's arm and released it. "My sentiments exactly."

  Chapter 21

  "I DON'T SEE why we have to wait. Can't we just storm the walls or something?" Jeff stood at the edge of the ridge where they had made camp, staring down at Alasdair's tower.

  " 'Tis no' as easy as that, Jeff. We have to be sure Katherine is truly there, and then we must find a way to attack that will no' put her in further jeopardy. I'm learning that Alasdair is no' a man to be trifled with. If he does have Katherine, I've no doubt that he'll kill her if properly provoked," Iain stood beside him watching the dark shape of Tr nan Clach rising out of the mist.

  "Great, so we sit here and wait."

  "No' necessarily—" Before he could finish the thought. Ranald and Roger appeared from behind a tumble of rock, dragging a struggling woman. Roger shoved her forward. She landed on her knees and stayed there, her head bent as if in supplication. Iain shot a questioning look over her head at Ranald.

  Ranald gave the woman a gentle push. "Come now, lass, tell him what you told me."

  The woman looked up, tears making white tracks down her dirty cheeks. Iain realized she was little more than a girl, and a very frightened one at that. He squatted down, his face level with hers.

  "Have you something to tell me then?"

  The girl wiped a grimy hand across her face. " 'Tis no' much. Only that yer lady might be in there." She tipped her head toward the tower in the distance.

  "At Tùr nan Clach?"

  She nodded, her lip trembling. "I saw her meself." The girl bit her lip in earnest.

  Iain placed a hand on her chin, lifting it until her eyes were level with his. "There now. I'll no' hurt you. I promise."

  Her eyes widened. "But yer the Mackintosh of Duncreag. And I've heard yer an ogre of a man."

  "Do I look like an ogre to you?"

  She studied his face for a minute, then shook her head.

  "Tell me your name."

  "Anna."

  Iain winced, his eyes locking with Jeff's, pain swelling inside him as he thought of his own child... the child that Katherine carried. He blinked slowly and turned back to the girl, his emotions once more under tight control. "So tell me, Anna, when did you last see my wife?"

  She swallowed nervously, but looked him in the eyes. "I work in the kitchen. This morning I was scrubbing the floor in the hall when I saw a woman struggling with the Laird. He had her by the hair, he did. I think she was trying to scream. But he was having none of it and yanked her head back, jamming something in her mouth."

  "Did you recognize the woman?"

  "I canna say fer sure. He had her wrapped in something so that ye couldna see her face at all. But her hair was long and verra light."

  "Do you have any idea where he was taking her?"

  "Nay, but I'd say 'twas to the cellars. I saw them go down the stairs."

  "What happened next?"

  Anna lowered her head as if shamed. "I ran away. I was afraid. 'Tis well known that the Laird is no' a patient mon, if ye take my meaning."

  "You were afraid he'd hurt you?"

  The small head nodded. "If he thought I wasna minding me own business."

  Iain tipped the small chin upward again. "Anna, can you tell me how many men there are at Tùr nan Clach?"

  "Only a handful. Most of them ran when they heard that the terrible Laird of Duncreag was coming."

  The corner of his mouth twitched at the girl's solemn statement. "And just how is it they knew I was coming?"

  "I dinna know fer certain, but I heard it said that some clansmen were sent to watch the border between Duncreag and Tùr nan Clach. The word must o' come from them."

  "And Alasdair? Did he go with the others?"

  "Aye, as far as I know. Word was ye were coming fer vengeance. I guess he had no taste fer it."

  Iain looked toward the dark tower, contemplating Anna's tale. "Roger, see that the girl is fed."

  Roger placed a hand around her slender arm and carefully pulled the girl to her feet.

  She turned to look at Iain shyly over her shoulder. "Yer no' a monster at all, are ye?"

  *****

  " 'Tis no' that I doubt the girl, Ranald. I think she believes she's telling the truth. 'Tis Alasdair I dinna trust. There's naught to say this isn't a trap." Iain looked across the campfire at his cousin. The fire crackled, flames dancing, casting flickering light on the faces of the weary warriors.

  "Aye, I'd sooner trust a Cameron." Fergus threw a twig into the fire, causing a spray of sparks. "What do ye intend to do then?"

  Iain leaned back, stretching his booted feet toward the fire, crossing them at the ankles. "I think we'll ha
ve to try and take Tùr nan Clach. If there is even the slightest chance that Katherine is in there, I've no choice but to make an attempt to get her out."

  Ranald sat forward, bracing his big hands on his knees. "And if it is a trap?"

  Iain shrugged. "Can you see another way?"

  Ranald shook his head.

  "Wait." Jeff ran a hand through his hair absently. "Didn't the girl say that she thought Katherine was in the cellar?"

  "Aye." Iain sat up. "Why do you ask?"

  "Well, it seems to me that if there is a trap, it's been planned around our believing we can just walk into Tùr nan Clach and take what we want. The idea being that when we do that, they surprise us with the big guns." Jeff looked to Iain for confirmation.

  Iain frowned in confusion. "Big guns?"

  "It's just a saying. What I mean is they attack with all they've got. You with me so far?"

  Iain tipped his head in affirmation. "Go on."

  "Okay, so what if we use the back door and sneak in behind them. We'd be able to grab Katherine and be out of there before they knew what hit them."

  Ranald rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "It might work."

  "Aye, 'tis a good plan, but there remains a problem," Iain said.

  "And what might that be?" Jeff asked impatiently.

  "There is no 'back door,' as you call it. As far as I know there is only one way into Tùr nan Clach, and that's right through the tower gate, where they'll no doubt be waiting for us."

  Jeff looked crestfallen. "Then what are we going to do? We can't leave Katherine in there."

  Iain stiffened. "I'm no' going to leave her."

  Fergus cleared his throat, a faint smile breaking across his wizened features. "It seems that there is in fact another door into Tùr nan Clach."

  Iain studied his father's friend. He looked almost ghostly in the firelight, one half of his face in shadow, the other dappled with light. "What are you speaking of, old man?"

  "Well, it seems that Alasdair's father had a weakness for ale. And in an attempt to keep himself supplied, he liked to have the ale as close as possible. The brew house was no' good enough for him—he wanted it right in his own cellar. The problem was the casks wouldna fit through the wee door that leads into Tùr nan Clach." He paused, eyeing his audience, then continued when he was satisfied that he had their full attention. "So he decided to have a door built right into the cellar wall. He hid it well, of course, and no one was supposed to know about it." Fergus' slight smile cracked into a full-fledged grin. "No one except me, that is."