Highland Courage

by Ceci Giltenan

  “Of course ye can, but call me Rowan. Ye are a Matheson lass, I remember seeing ye when I was at Cnocreidh at Christmas. It’s Meriel, isn’t it?”

  “Aye, we danced.”

  “Well, lass, my dancing days are over. I’m to be married soon.”

  “I don’t want to dance, Rowan. I—I—I have something I need to tell ye. I should probably mind my own business, but your sister has been good to me, better than I deserve, in truth. I owe it to her to tell ye the truth.”

  “The truth about what, lass?”

  “About your betrothed.”

  “What about her?”

  “I think she has a lover and she means to be unfaithful to ye.”

  Rowan sobered. “Ye think what? What would give ye that idea? Ye are a Matheson, how could ye possibly know anything like that about Eara Fraser?”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to anger ye. It’s not my concern. I should leave.”

  Rowan grabbed her arm, all of his jovial warmth having fled. “Nay, it isn’t your concern, but that ship has already sailed. Why would ye make such an accusation?”

  “Sir, my friend Gallia and I saw a red-headed lass carrying on a bit behind a stall at the fair with a man she called ‘Rafer.’”

  “There is no shortage of red-headed women. How do ye know it was Eara?”

  “I don’t. Well, I didn’t then. I didn’t know who Eara Fraser was until we arrived here for the wedding.”

  “And yet ye are spreading rumors about her? I think we should speak with your laird about this.”

  “Nay, Rowan, please, hear me out. When we arrived here and I saw Eara for the first time, I wasn’t sure she was the one until just now. I was watching the dancing in the courtyard from the castle steps. I overheard a conversation between a woman and a man named Rafer. They were talking just inside the front doors. She means to meet him in the chapel tonight.”

  “That could have been anyone. Ye are accusing Eara of being unfaithful based on this?” Rowan looked furious.

  “Please listen. She talked about not wanting this betrothal, but said her father wouldn’t change his mind. She told Rafer Laird MacIan is shorthanded and might consider taking him on here, so they could continue to see each other. Who else could it have been?”

  “If ye are lying to me, lass, I swear ye will regret it.”

  “I’m not lying. She even said—she said—”

  “What did she say?” demanded Rowan.

  Embarrassed, Meriel said, “She said he could spill his seed in her now, because ye would assume any bairn was yours.”

  Rowan looked angry and hurt. “When is this meeting in the chapel supposed to occur?” He still gripped her arm and he gave her a little shake.

  “I’m not sure when exactly, sometime tonight. She told him to hide there and she would join him when she could. She said if anyone asks, she will tell them she needs time to pray before the wedding.”

  “Well, then, it should be easy enough to learn the truth. I will pay a visit to the chapel this evening myself. Don’t mention this to anyone else, Meriel. If ye are wrong, I don’t want any other ears to hear this foul rumor.”

  “I—I won’t. I promise.” With that Meriel slipped away.

  Nineteen

  Rowan had no idea what to think. Why would Meriel lie about something like this? What could she hope to gain? These were questions Rowan couldn’t answer. After Meriel slipped into the crowd, he returned to his betrothed’s side. If Meriel’s accusations were true, he need only wait for Eara to leave the festivities. It would be easy enough to discover if she had a tryst planned with someone in the chapel.

  The celebration went on for hours before Eara yawned and begged to be excused.

  “I would be happy to see ye to your chamber, lass,” Rowan offered.

  “How very kind of ye, Rowan, but I would like to go to the chapel for a bit before I retire. I find prayer calming.”

  “That sounds lovely, lass. Perhaps I shall join ye. A few moments of prayer in the chapel before retiring might be just the thing to ensure a good night’s sleep.”

  She slapped playfully at his chest. “Ye are mocking me.”

  “Nay, lass, I’d never mock ye.”

  “Ye don’t really want to come to the chapel with me. Besides, what will people think if we disappear together?”

  “I can only imagine if we disappear to the chapel, they will think we are engaged in some holy pursuit.”

  “Ye are a rogue, Rowan MacKenzie. Nay, ye stay here celebrating with your brothers and leave me to my maidenly prayers.” Eara kissed his cheek and left him, making her way out of the keep.

  Rowan brooded silently for a while until Peadar punched his shoulder good-naturedly, saying, “Rowan, ye look as if ye have lost her forever, lad. She has only retired for the night, she will be yours soon enough.”

  Rowan laughed ruefully at Peadar’s ironic words. If what Meriel had told him was true, Eara would never be his. “Aye, well, perhaps I’ve had too much to drink. I think I will get a bit of air.”

  He rose and walked resolutely out of the keep. The crowd in the courtyard was thinning. He supposed many of the revelers had sought their beds. He hoped fervently Meriel was wrong. He wanted to find Eara praying her “maidenly prayers,” but he suspected such a hope was in vain. He leaned casually against the wall of the chapel for a few moments, before slipping into the shadows and making his way to the back door, which opened into the sacristy.

  He slipped inside silently and listened. He did not hear the murmurs of whispered prayer. Rather the moans of a couple in the throes of passion echoed through the otherwise quiet chapel. He stepped quietly out of the sacristy, still hoping there had been some error, perhaps Meriel had been mistaken and this was some other couple. Even in the dim light of the chapel, it was impossible to miss his betrothed’s fiery red hair shrouding her naked form as she rode her lover.

  His anger nearly blinded him and he wanted nothing more than to beat the man bloody, but seeing as he would have to pull his betrothed off the man first, it seemed slightly ridiculous. Clearly, she was a willing participant. Instead, he stepped into the pale moonlight streaming through the chapel windows and said, “Eara, love, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt ye but I thought ye would want to know simply being on your knees in the chapel doesn’t, strictly speaking, constitute prayer.”

  Eara’s shocked gasp and the man’s muffled curse might have been funny if Rowan wasn’t so angry. With one last look of derision, he strode past them and out the main chapel doors.

  Not trusting himself to do anything more at the moment, he returned to his chamber in the west tower of the keep to calm himself. In his agitation, he paced, swearing with every other step.

  He would not marry Eara Fraser no matter how badly his father wanted the alliance, but if he didn’t proceed carefully a full-scale feud could erupt and the people who might suffer the most were the MacIans. He couldn’t allow that to happen, either. He must discuss this with Laird MacIan as soon as possible, preferably before Eara could cause any mischief herself.

  He needed to find Laird MacIan immediately. He left his chamber, intent on doing just that, when he was struck from behind. His head exploded in blinding pain before everything went black.

  ~ * ~

  Although only yesterday Katherine MacIan had effectively prevented Tadhg from insisting Mairead rest during the day, he vowed to make sure she retired at a reasonable hour. Pulling her away from her sisters had been a challenge.

  “Oh, Tadhg, it’s early still. Surely ye aren’t ready to retire.”

  “Sweetling, we haven't celebrated yet.”

  “We are celebrating now.”

  “But we haven't celebrated the old ways yet.”

  Mairead laughed. “What are ye talking about?”

  “Ah, lass, back in the age of the old religion, before we were all faithful Christians, it wasn’t the Holy Cross that was celebrated at the beginning of May.”

  “Ye want to
go out to the bonfires?” she asked incredulously.

  He whispered, “Nay, sweetling, the ancients celebrated Beltane with more than fires. It was a celebration of new life—fertility. There is only one way I know of to celebrate fertility, and we can’t do that here or by the bonfires.” As he expected, she blushed hotly, but she said goodnight to her family and together they escaped to their bedchamber.”

  He watched her now as she slept. He adored her. He could not imagine a more loving, passionate, woman. She was his perfect mate. He stroked his hand lightly over her belly, awed by the fact that she carried their child beneath its silky smoothness.

  A sharp rap on the door interrupted his musing. He slipped out of bed, covered her, and hastily wrapped a plaid around his waist before cautiously opening the door to find Hamish looking grave.

  “Laird, ye must come down to the hall.”

  Tadhg stepped into the corridor, pulling the door closed behind him so as not to disturb Mairead. “What has happened?”

  “I’m not exactly sure. Lady Mairead’s brother Rowan was found unconscious in the corridor outside his chamber, face down in a pool of his own blood. Someone damn near split his skull open. It’s bad. Lady Katherine is sewing him up, but he has not regained consciousness.”

  “Who would’ve attacked Rowan and, for God’s sake, why?”

  “I don’t know. Laird MacIan is trying to keep tempers under control until we know more, but Cathal MacKenzie is demanding answers and between his sons, sons-in-law, and other allies by marriage, not to mention all of their retainers, he has nearly as many men encamped here as MacIan has in his full garrison.”

  “Hamish, have ye forgotten? I am one of MacKenzie’s sons-in-law.”

  “Nay, Laird, I’ve not forgotten that, but ye are his only ally within the keep who has a solid relationship with MacIan, too.”

  “Gannon trained here under Niall’s father.”

  “But Gannon is outside the walls. When Rowan was discovered, Laird MacIan thought it best to close Duncurra. No one leaves or enters until this is sorted out.”

  “Which of my men are within the walls?”

  “Cael, Bryant, Garvey, and Sloan, they were still among the merry-makers in the courtyard.”

  “Bring Cael and Garvey here to guard Mairead, then I’ll go with ye to the hall and do what I can to calm tempers.”

  “I can’t do that, Laird. At the moment Laird MacIan won’t allow anyone to enter or leave the keep. Those who were outside must remain there. Seeing as it was mostly the visiting lairds and Niall’s own people within the keep at the time, it was probably prudent.”

  “Damnation. Ye’re right, but that leaves me in a bad position. Ye will have to stay here to guard Mairead. Give me a minute to dress.” Tadhg dressed as quickly as possible without disturbing his sleeping wife. On leaving the chamber, he said, “Do not let anyone enter. I will try to come back as soon as possible, but if Mairead wakes, avoid telling her too much and send someone for me. Do not leave her alone under any circumstances.”

  “Aye, Laird.”

  When Tadhg reached the great hall, Lachlan Fraser was mid-rant. “How could something like this happen, MacIan? My poor Eara, losing her bridegroom the day before they were to be wed.” A quick glance revealed Eara standing near the hearth looking ashen. Oddly Lachlan’s daughter Sine seemed even more distressed. With puffy eyes, a red nose and blotches on her face, she appeared to have been weeping.

  “He’s not dead, Lachlan!” roared Cathal.

  “Well, ye may as well face it, by the look of him, he’s not long for this world.”

  “Maybe if he was a Fraser that would be the case, but, by God, he’s a MacKenzie!”

  Tadhg put a hand on Cathal’s shoulder. “Cathal, Rowan is a fine strong warrior and Katherine is a skilled healer. He is in good hands. However, having the two of ye at each other’s throats will not help matters at all.”

  Perhaps noticing for the first time that Tadhg had entered the room, Lachlan Fraser rounded on him. “This is your fault, Matheson. If ye hadn’t interfered, Darcy would have married Mairead and none of us would be here. Speaking of Darcy, he should be in here, with his family, with his sister. Damn it all, MacIan, I demand ye let him enter the keep.”

  Niall had obviously had enough. “Lachlan, if ye don’t calm down, I will let ye join Darcy in the courtyard. I don’t know what happened, but I am fairly certain Tadhg had nothing to do with it. And don’t start in about the betrothal—MacKenzie made the choice he thought best for his daughter, just as ye did.”

  A tense silence ensued until both older men stood down.

  When it was clear a war wasn’t going to erupt imminently, Niall motioned for Tadhg to join him away from the others.

  “What have ye learned? Who found him?” Tadhg asked.

  Niall answered, “Keavy, one of my other guardsmen, found him. I’m not sure when it happened. Peadar said Rowan had gone outside for air earlier, but didn’t remember seeing him return before Peadar left with Rhona to return to the MacKenzie encampment. With so many people around, someone must have seen something. My guardsmen are questioning everyone, but so far we have had no luck.”

  “Is it as serious as Lachlan thinks?”

  “It is serious. Just as Lachlan said, he looked like death when he was discovered. Katherine and Lady MacKenzie are with him.”

  “I don’t mean to borrow trouble, but ye’ve barred the keep and the gates. What do ye think will happen if Rowan doesn’t make it?”

  “I don’t know for sure. Lachlan is as angry as Cathal, and Cathal was already irritated with me for offering Rowan a position with my guard in the first place. Rowan was attacked in my castle, under my protection. I will do whatever I need to do to appease them, but it may not be enough for a grieving father. Blood feuds have started with less provocation. Having both of them in here, separated from what amounts to a small army outside my gates, seems prudent.”

  “Aye, with the lairds of the assembled clans inside the keep, there might be some posturing and sword rattling outside the gates, but nothing more. We need to keep things calm within.”

  “Then I can count on your support?”

  “Niall, I will not raise a sword against my father-in-law, but short of that, unless it turns out ye were the one who clouted Rowan, ye have my support.”

  Niall chuckled. “It wasn’t me. Like yourself, I had already retired with my sweet Katherine.”

  “By all the saints, I pray this is resolved soon. I wouldn’t risk Mairead’s safety for anything and ye have effectively locked out all of my guardsmen except Hamish.”

  “I’m sorry, Tadhg, if I let your men enter and no others it is likely to spark tempers again.”

  “How many of Mairead’s brothers are in the keep?”

  “Only Quinn, but Cathal has him guarding Rowan. I have several guards on Rowan as well. If someone was attempting to kill him, they might try to finish the job and I won’t put Katherine at such a risk. The fact is Katherine is hopeful Rowan will recover. She said his breathing is normal, he groaned as she sewed the gash in his head, and he is restless at times. Apparently, these are good signs. Cathal knows this, but I’ve told no one else. If the attacker thinks Rowan might recover and identify him, it could drive him to redouble his efforts. Still, I understand your concern for Mairead. If ye would like, I will assign one of my men to guard her, too.”

  Tadhg hesitated before answering. “I would appreciate that, Niall, but Mairead is a bit skittish around strangers.”

  “Ah, don’t worry. I will assign Turcuil.”

  “The great hairy giant ye have in your employ? Are ye trying to scare the wits out of her?”

  Niall laughed. “Turcuil looks a bit scary, but he can be as gentle as a kitten and has a heart of gold. Trust me, he is the best choice.”

  “I believe ye, thousands wouldn’t.”

  ~ * ~

  Mairead awoke with a vague sense of disquiet just as dawn was lightening the sky. She sat up,
rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Tadhg had left already and she assumed his absence was the source of her uneasiness. She dressed quickly, trying to ignore her slightly queasy stomach, before cracking the chamber door open to peek into the hall. Hamish stood guard there, but instead of one of Tadhg’s other guards, there was a huge man with a bushy black beard whom she recognized as a MacIan guardsman. “Hamish, where is Tadhg? Is something wrong?”

  “Good morning, my lady. The laird asked me to send for him when ye awoke. Turcuil here has been keeping me company. He is one of your brother’s fellow guardsmen. Turcuil, would ye mind popping down to the great hall to let Laird Matheson know Lady Matheson awaits him in their chamber?”

  Mairead arched an eyebrow—someone the size of Turcuil doesn’t “pop” anywhere. “That won’t be necessary. If Tadhg is in the great hall, ye can escort me down.” However, Turcuil was already lumbering toward the stairs. Yes, lumbering, that is the word, not “pop.”

  “Ye see? The laird will be up here in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”

  “What’s wrong, Hamish? Why can’t I go to him?”

  “My lady, please be patient. There was a little upset early this morning. Ye know yourself, things can get tense when so many clans are gathered. The laird will explain it to ye in a moment.”

  “I suppose I will have to wait for him, then,” she said, stepping back into the room and closing the door, but his explanation did not appease her. There had been at least as many clans in attendance at her wedding and nothing untoward happened. It didn’t take long for Tadhg to join her but, as anxious as she was, it felt like ages. As Tadhg told her what happened, panic began to rise.

  “This makes no sense. Why would someone want to hurt Rowan?”

  “We don’t know yet, love.”

  “I have to go to him, Tadhg. I have to help.”

  “Sweetling, he is being well tended. Both your mother and Lady Katherine are with him. They think he just needs a bit of time to recover.”