Forbidden Highlander (Highlander Trilogy 2)

by Donna Fletcher

  Cree’s warriors had the culprit tied with rope and alert in no time.

  “Are you all right?” Cree asked approaching her.

  She nodded and hobbled toward him.

  He scowled and she had to smile happy to see his usual scowl and not the murderous one. He wasted no time in hoisting her skirt to have a look at leg. As soon as he saw her wounded knee, he scooped her up in his arms.

  “I’m carrying you back to the keep and don’t waste your breath protesting. It is the way it will be.”

  She didn’t protest; she enjoyed the comfort and safety of his arms, the beat of his steady heart and listened joyfully to his tirade of how he was going to keep her chained to him forever.

  He didn’t have to worry about that; their love already had them chained.

  It didn’t take them long to get back to the keep and it was a good thing since it had started snowing. They were just about to step into the keep when the cleric began convulsing and collapsed to the ground, his body writhing. He died before Elsa could be summoned.

  Cree’s shouts had his warriors scrambling as he rushed into the keep, holding her tight against him. Once in the Great Hall, he placed her on her feet. “Did he say anything to you?”

  Dawn gestured slowly hoping Cree would understand her and as if he was interpreting, he repeated her words as she told him what the cleric, supposedly Lucerne’s father, had told her.

  Cree shook his head.

  Sloan and Torr joined them halfway through and Sloan was quick to say when she finished, “So the other culprit is...”

  “One of two women or both of them and I believe that your father has the answer,” Cree said turning to Torr.

  That had Dawn recalling the vial in the cleric’s hand and with no time to explain, and ignoring the stinging pain in her knee, she ran for the stairs.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  An arm snaked around her waist before her foot hit the first step. Cree swung her up and around, planting her on her feet in front of him. “Nothing is more important than seeing to your wound.”

  She shook her head, pointed toward Torr who approached them along with Sloan, and then she pointed upstairs and tugged at his arm.

  Torr rushed forward. “Is she saying that my father is in danger?”

  Dawn nodded.

  Torr flew up the stairs, Sloan behind him and Cree once again scooped her up, though this time he flung her over his shoulder, the staircase too narrow for him to carry her in his arms.

  Once in the hall he set her down and as soon as he did she ran to catch up with Torr and Sloan. Cree shook his head as he chased after her.

  Dawn entered the room to find Torr staring down at his still unconscious father and Sloan glancing about, though no one else was there. Dawn pushed Torr out of the way and dropped down to her knees, though winced when her wounded knee hit the floor.

  Cree mumbled and reached down for her, but she brushed his hands away and dropped her head down to search under the bed, having last seen the vial on the floor by the bed. She didn’t find it and she feared the culprit may have already given the poison to Kirk.

  She looked up at Cree with worried eyes and he slipped his hands beneath her arms and eased her up on her feet.

  “What do you look for?” he asked.

  She held two fingers not far from each other and with two more fingers from her other hand, she demonstrated the width.

  “A vial?” Torr asked.

  She nodded and gestured how she saw it in the cleric’s hand and how he dropped it when he held a dagger to her stomach.

  Cree’s face turned red with fury. “He held a dagger to your stomach?”

  Dawn nodded and also gestured how the cleric threatened to slice Elwin’s throat.

  Several oaths slipped from Cree’s mouth before he said, “The bastard is lucky he’s dead or he would have been begging for mercy that I would have never granted him.”

  Torr bent over his father and felt his lips. “They are dry, but it has been some time since Dawn was here.”

  “Look around,” Cree ordered. “A servant may have come in since then, and perhaps didn’t see it and accidentally hit it with her foot or placed it somewhere. Not you,” Cree commanded sharply when Dawn turned to help. You have been through enough and you have suffered an injury that needs tending.”

  Dawn tried to protest, wanting to help.

  “Don’t bother arguing. Sit and rest until Elsa gets here to tend your wound.”

  Dawn raised her hand but the warning look Cree shot her made her think twice and so she sat on the chair near the hearth while the men searched. She turned to the side for privacy to raise her skirt and have a look at her wound, since a twinge of pain had remained with her, when something sparkled from where the stone met the wood plank floor. She peered down and there snug in the groove was the vial. She picked it up and held it high as she turned around.

  Cree took it from her. “We’re going to use this as bait.”

  And they all listened as Cree laid out his plan.

  ~~~

  Lady Ann patted Lucerne’s hand offering comfort as they sat beside each other on the dais, the Great Hall filling for supper. “Do not worry, my dear, all will be well.”

  Lucerne did not respond; she rubbed at her aching temples.

  Cree and Sloan joined them as did Torr.

  “Has Kirk improved?” Lady Ann asked of Torr.

  Torr smiled. “He has stirred and his eyes have fluttered, as if he fights to open them. Elsa feels he will wake soon.”

  Cree reached out and placed the vial next to his tankard. “Kirk was lucky. We found this poison the imposter cleric intended for him.”

  Lady Ann gasped. “How awful. Thank God Kirk is safe.”

  Lucerne stared wide-eyed at the vial and shook her head, then turned away.

  “Yes,” Torr kept his smile firm. “Father should wake soon and will tell us exactly what happened in the stable.”

  Color drained from Lady Ann’s face and her shoulders slumped. “If only I had arrived at the stables a bit sooner. I may have been able to prevent the fatal incident from taking place.”

  “You cannot blame yourself and at least the culprit has been caught,” Torr said.

  “Nothing makes sense,” Lucerne said. “Father is dead and why? What made him and Kirk McClusky fight? And a cleric who is no cleric? And why were there attempts on Dawn’s life?” She shook her head. “It is all madness.” She rubbed at her temples. “I must excuse myself, my head aches unbearably.”

  Lucerne stood, not waiting for Cree’s permission, though she swayed a moment, as if she was about to faint and her hand reached out to the table near Cree to steady herself. Cree grabbed hold of her and signaled with a nod to Sloan. He reached her side and with a gentle arm around her waist helped her from the room.

  “It is good that this nasty ordeal is finally at an end. Now Kirk’s daughter will get what is rightly due her.”

  “Yes, Dawn will finally get what she so richly deserves... a titled husband. She and I will wed as soon as I contact the King and settle the details.”

  “And Lucerne?”

  “I’m sure some kind of arrangement can be made for her, and then you and Kirk can finally be together.”

  Lady Ann lowered her head. “After an appropriate time of mourning, I cannot sully Roland’s good name, though the wait will be difficult. I had thought I had successfully put Kirk from my mind, but when I saw him again after all this time, I knew my love for him had never died.”

  “Of course, when the time is right,” Cree agreed.

  Lady Ann dabbed at her tear-filled eyes. “This day has been too much for me. I beg that you excuse me.”

  “By all means, Lady Ann,” Cree said, “you truly have yet to grieve.”

  She stood and stopped beside Cree. “Thank you, my lord, you have been most gracious.”

  Cree watched her slowly leave the room and when he glanced back at the table he saw that the vial was gone.
“Damn.” He turned to Torr. “Did you see which one took the vial?”

  Torr shook his head.

  “Well it shouldn’t be long before we find out which one is behind it all.”

  ~~~

  Dawn was safely tucked in Cree’s solar without a guard outside the door. Cree hadn’t wanted anyone to know where she was and a guard outside the door would certainly give her presence away. She couldn’t wait in his chambers since men were busy repairing the secret passageway, boarding it up until a more permanent fix could be made.

  She wondered who the culprit would be, Lady Ann, her true mother, or Lucerne or perhaps the two women had worked together and partnered with Lucerne’s father to see Dawn dead. She could not wait to learn the truth and for all of it to be over.

  With a silent sigh she took a seat in front of the hearth to wait. The day had been long and filled with so much pain and sorrow for so many. She had made certain that word had been sent to Lila to let her know that she was all right or else as soon as Lila had heard of her abduction she would have been pounding at the keep doors.

  It was so very nice to have such a good friend and to have added friends along the way. Even though it had been an ordeal since meeting Cree, she was blessed and grateful that he had entered her life, and she was ever so grateful that love had brought them together.

  Her eyes drifted closed and her head lolled to the side. The fire’s warmth, a soothing brew, her knee tended to and the troubled day behind her all served to relax her enough for sleep to claim her.

  The rap at the door startled her awake and she hadn’t been sure how long she had slept. She hurried out of the chair with a stretch of her sore neck, which lead her to believe she had slept for a while in the uncomfortable position. The culprit had surely shown herself by now. She hurried to the door eager to find out and lifted the latch. She was more than surprised to see Lady Ann standing there.

  “I am so sorry for everything,” she said and rushed into the room shutting the door behind her.

  Dawn shook her head, shaking away the last of the sleep that muddled her mind.

  She reached out to take Dawn’s arm but instinct had Dawn backing away from her.

  “Good lord, it’s been a dreadful day, but it’s over and done now.” Lady Ann smiled. “And life can finally go on as it should... after you’re dead.” She raised her hand that had been hidden in the folds of her gown and grasped tightly in it was a dagger.

  Dawn stared at her mother. She hadn’t wanted her when she was born, she had hired men to see her dead and now with no one left to help her, she planned to kill her daughter herself.

  “If only you had been born a lad,” Lady Ann all but spit out the words like a snake spewing venom.

  Dawn took another step away from her, her mind quickly calculating different ways to protect herself against the crazy woman, and hopefully biding time. Cree would check on her to make sure she was all right or at least he would have someone check on her. Either way she needed time.

  She raised her hands, palms up, and shrugged wanting to know why.

  “I suppose I should at least give you an explanation. That fool husband of mine could not sire a child so I had no choice but to find someone to do it for him. I could not believe my bad luck in choosing a man who had an affliction that ran through his family. I prayed that you would be a boy, but luck was not with me that day. I would have seen you dead, but that fool Mary is a loving soul and protected you as soon as you were out of me. So like an unselfish mother I sent you away, never expecting to hear from you again. Imagine my surprise when Colum informed me of a dumb lass residing in Dowell, on Gerwan land.

  “Don’t think because I waste my time explaining it all to you that you will be rescued. Cree and his cohorts hide in wait for someone to poison Kirk. The fool doesn’t realize that it is you I want dead; I could care less about Kirk, though I will see to his demise in time.”

  Dawn had to keep her talking while she tried to see if there was anything in the room that she could use as a weapon to defend herself. But she needn’t worry about keeping her talking. It seemed that Lady Ann had much to say.”

  “I did not wed a fool, work, and sacrifice all these years to have my wealth and lands striped away. Roland could not forgive the King for turning his lands over to Cree. His constant talk of gathering clans and reclaiming his land from Cree would have left us with nothing. The fool couldn’t see that Lucerne’s marriage to Cree would be a great benefit to us. The King favors Cree and the clans respect his strength. And Cree would have easily squashed any attempt to take his newly acquired lands. Roland had to go. Unfortunately, Kirk entered the stables at the wrong time and like an idiot tried to help Roland. When I came upon the scene I was quite pleased with Philip, Lucerne’s father. He had not only carried out our plan of killing my husband, but he also saved me the trouble of having to deal with Kirk.”

  She shook her head. “How stupid of us it had been to assume him dead. One more good whack to the head and then there would have been only you to deal with. I had already laid plans to do away with Philip. I wisely learned about plants. Poison being an easy way to rid oneself of difficult people. Once we fashioned the plan to abduct you from the keep, it was easy to make certain that his flask was filled with a lethal poison. I knew when Philip first made himself known to me, demanding things in return for his silence, that I could not let him live, though I could use him to my advantage. I explained that all wealth would be lost if you were left to live. And so I sent him to hire men to see to the task, which proved a complete failure.”

  Dawn could not believe that this woman who could kill and deceive so easily had given her birth. She thanked the heavens that Lady Ann had sent her away and that a loving and caring woman had raised her. And if she thought it was going to be easy to kill her than she was even crazier than Dawn had thought.

  “I can see in your eyes that you think to best me,” Lady Ann said with a smug grin. “Others have thought the same, Bree for one and that fool man of hers. All the lass had to do was keep giving Lucerne the potion that kept her confused until I arrived, and of course try to poison you, and what does she do? Almost kill Cree with the poison meant for you. Philip taught her a good lesson for that mistake and the beating was easy to blame on Lucerne. But then I discovered that that stupid man of hers had showed up to help her and had broken in through the secret passageway so that Bree could give him shelter from the storm. I had Philip make it perfectly clear what would happen to the two of them if they did not do as they were told.”

  Lady Ann shook her head in disgust. “But what does the stupid lad do, he wounds himself while attempting to kill you, in hopes of saving the woman he loves. Unfortunately, Philip completely lost his temper with the lass when he found out and beat her to death.” Lady Ann shook her head again. “I knew then and there he had to be done away with or I would live to regret it.”

  Dawn’s heart ached for Bree who had little choice but to obey or suffer the consequences. And how hard for the man she loved to stand by and not be able to save her. What was it that Cree had said to her? A man who does not stand for the woman he loves is no man at all. Bree’s young man had stood for her even as he lay dying and a tear slipped from Dawn’s eye for the young couple that never got to live and love.

  “I’ve wasted enough time, though now you understand the lengths I would go to, to keep what is mine. With you gone there is nothing preventing Cree from wedding Lucerne. The King will command it. The land will then be secured and I will retain my title and home and I will finally be free of a husband’s dictate. Now I’ve said enough; it’s time for you to die.”

  Dawn raised her hand gesturing, though Lady Ann shook her head.

  “I do not understand you,” Lady Ann snapped.

  Dawn pointed to her, the dagger, and then herself and shrugged.

  Lady Ann scrunched her brow. “You wonder who will be blamed for your death?”

  Dawn nodded

  “That’s ea
sy. Another culprit who has yet to be caught and of course I will have seen him run off and give a good description.”

  Dawn shook her head.

  “Of course everyone will believe me. I will play the part well of a grieving mother.”

  Dawn laughed silently and Lady Ann grew furious.

  “Enough,” she said through gritted teeth. “It is time for you to finally die. Something you should have done at birth.”

  ~~~

  Cree waited with Torr just inside the room next to where Kirk rested. Sloan and Elwin were positioned across the hall in another room. The doors stood slightly ajar as they waited for either Lucerne or Lady Ann to appear.

  There was complete silence. No one uttered a sound or made a move and Cree took the time to think about all that had happened. He had yet to hear from Elsa as to whether Lucerne was being poisoned. It would be easy to slip something into the brew that had been given to her time and again.

  Cree startled, jarring Torr.

  “What is it?” Torr asked anxiously.

  “The brew,” Cree said, though Torr did not understand. “It had been something that had used before Lucerne was born. That means...”

  Cree raced from the room.

  ~~~

  “I’ll make it quick,” Lady Ann said. “After all you have suffered enough being voiceless.”

  Anger was a good deterrent to fear and propelled Dawn into action as Lady Ann ran at her, she grabbed for a tankard that had been left on the arm of one of the chairs and swung it at the dagger that was about to pierce her stomach. It flew out of her hand to the floor.

  Dawn wasn’t surprised that her mother didn’t cry out in pain or that her face raged red with anger. The woman was demented and she wasn’t about to let anything stop her from killing Dawn.

  Dawn thought otherwise and lunged for the dagger.

  Lady Ann did the same.

  They both dropped to the floor, their hands reaching out in unison for the dagger. It skidded out of their reach as they tried to prevent each other from getting it. Lady Ann pounced on Dawn and lashed out at her face with clawing hands.