Highland Courage

by Ceci Giltenan

  “Nay, love, we don’t think so. We don’t know who is responsible for injuring ye, but aye, the wedding is off. Eara—”

  “—was in love with someone else,” he finished his mother’s sentence.

  “Aye, love, that has become obvious. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’m just glad we learned the truth before the wedding.”

  ~ * ~

  Darcy and Rafer found the trail of a single horse north of Loch Craos and followed it eastward into the forest.

  “I’m not sure how she could have slipped away on horseback without anyone noticing her,” Darcy observed.

  “Well, perhaps someone helped her,” said Rafer.

  “Perhaps. A horse’s trail is certainly easier to follow than a lass’s on foot. It makes me wonder whose trail they found heading westward.”

  “It’s hard to say.”

  The trail led them straight to the small cave where Finola sheltered. The noise of the horses must have alerted her to their approach because she emerged from the cave cautiously at first, then rushed toward Darcy when he dismounted.

  “Ye came. Rafer said ye would. Oh, Darcy, I am so happy.”

  Darcy spun and drew his sword just as Rafer lunged at him from behind. Rafer’s dagger caught a glancing blow on Darcy’s left shoulder. He fought through the sharp burning pain, shoving Rafer back and thrusting toward him with his sword. Having lost the element of surprise, Rafer lurched backwards, drawing his own sword. Finola screamed, pressing herself against the rock wall.

  “Ye knew she was here. What have ye done?” Darcy demanded of Rafer.

  “Nothing, Darcy. I just arranged things so ye could be the hero, just as I said.”

  “If that was the case, why did ye try to sink yer dirk into my back?”

  Rafer cautiously began to circle toward Darcy’s injured side. “Darcy, ye’re making a mistake.”

  “What did he tell ye, lass?” Darcy demanded, never taking his eyes from Rafer.

  “He said ye were worried about me, ye wanted to help me, and I was to hide here until ye came.”

  “Now why would ye tell her something like that, Rafer? I said no such thing.” He wasn’t surprised by Finola’s shocked gasp.

  “Well, this is a bit awkward,” said Rafer as he slowly continued to circle to Darcy’s left.

  Darcy lunged at Rafer as he tried to reach Finola. Rafer parried the blow. “Get behind me, lass, and stay there!” Darcy commanded. As he fought, warm blood trickled steadily down his left arm from the wound in his shoulder. “What could ye have hoped to gain from this, Rafer?”

  “Lady Matheson had the right of it, ye really are an eejit, Darcy. I love your sister and I wanted nothing more than to marry her, but your da would have none of it. I couldn’t very well let the MacKenzie pup have her, could I?”

  “Ye were the one, after all.”

  “Aye, frankly, I intended to kill him, but I heard someone coming before I had the chance to bury my dagger in him. Still, he could not possibly know it was me and no one witnessed me reenter the tower after Eara went to bed. If this little bitch’s sister had just kept her mouth shut, no one would ever have suspected me.”

  “But she did overhear ye, and ye admitted your involvement with Eara.”

  “Aye, I looked completely blameless pleading innocent of injuring Rowan while admitting my undying love for your sister. Then ye obliged by attacking the wee mouse and drawing suspicion further away from me.”

  “So why do this? I had a witness and everyone believed ye innocent as well.”

  “Aye, ye had a witness, so how long do think it would be before they looked more closely at me again? But ye see, Darcy, unlike some of the others, this little wench is actually fond of ye and thought ye might be willing to help her. When she showed up at our camp last night, I figured out the solution to my little problem. I led her away, promising to bring her savior to her. I returned to the encampment, created a false trail leading westward, and waited until I could lead ye here.”

  “But why? How will this clear ye of the attack on Rowan?”

  “Because ye attacked Rowan, ye convinced me to help spirit the wench away to kill her before she could change her mind about the lie she told for ye, then ye tried unsuccessfully to kill me. Sadly, I had to kill ye protecting myself.”

  “Ye bastard!” roared Darcy, lunging toward Rafer. As he did, he remembered the lass behind him. He was an extremely skilled swordsman and normally would have no trouble besting Rafer, but he was losing blood rapidly. As he weakened, his thrusts and parries became less effective. He dizzied and stumbled. He wouldn’t last long. “Run, lass!” he yelled.

  As she ran away, Rafer laughed. When I’m done with ye, I’ll find her. Perhaps I’ll rape her before I kill her, so everyone will know it was ye.”

  Darcy drew on every reserve he had. Rafer continued to press him, but Darcy was able to hold his own until he stumbled backward over a rock and everything went dark.

  Twenty Six

  By the middle of the next morning, the search was called off. The mood at Duncurra was somber as the men returned. The good news of Rowan’s recovery was tempered by the failure to find Finola. They had found no sign of her beyond the initial trail leading westward. The clan leaders present met in the great hall.

  “MacIan, I am sorry for the trouble Darcy caused, and I promised ye, I will deal with him. However, it is clear he had nothing to do with the attack on Rowan, and ye have no way of knowing who did. Since it looks as if Rowan will recover, it is clear no murder has been done and ye have no reason to keep us here longer. We’ll leave with no hard feelings.”

  Tadhg couldn’t believe his ears. “No hard feeling? Your son attacked my wife!”

  “I said I would deal with him. Shall I have him horsewhipped here, where ye can watch?” Lachlan demanded. “Ye think your wee wife would like seeing that?”

  No matter how much Darcy had hurt Mairead, Tadhg firmly believed she would not want to witness his punishment. “Nay, she wouldn’t.”

  “I thought as much. So, MacIan, we will go.”

  Niall agreed, but Eara Fraser spoke up. “I don’t think we should leave, Da.”

  “Haven’t ye caused enough trouble?” her father asked.

  “Da, I can’t find Darcy or Rafer anywhere. No one has seen them since yesterday evening. I suspect while ye were all on a wild goose chase after the Matheson wench, the highly affronted Laird Matheson did something to them.”

  “If Darcy and Rafer are missing, I had nothing to do with it, more’s the pity. I was on the ‘wild goose chase,’ as ye call it.”

  “Don’t believe him, Da. Ye don’t think he’d let an attack on his wife go unanswered, do ye?”

  “Matheson, where is my son?” Lachlan demanded.

  “I am at the absolute edge of my patience, Fraser. I agreed to let ye handle Darcy as much as I hated doing so. I also made a vow to Laird MacIan that I would not harm any guest here. Are ye questioning my honor now? Your honor seems to be on somewhat shaky ground, if ye ask me.”

  Lachlan rose to his feet, bristling. “Both of ye stand down,” Niall ordered. “By all that’s holy, lass, are ye trying to start a feud?”

  “MacIan, that’s my daughter ye are talking to.”

  “Aye, Lachlan, and ye said yourself she has been responsible for her share of the trouble we find ourselves in. I will send my men to search for your son, but ye need to calm down. Nothing will be gained by jumping to conclusions.”

  Lachlan backed down, but the tension in the great hall remained high. After several hours of searching, Darcy and Rafer had not been found. However, they had been seen saddling horses and riding eastward. Arguments broke out about the best course of action. Lachlan wanted to send men to search for them. Tadhg wholeheartedly agreed.

  “Ye think I would agree to let ye and yer men search for my son? Ye are as likely to kill him when ye find him as anything else.”

  “Lachlan, I have taken a vow not to harm him.�
��

  “Then ye will have no trouble keeping it sitting here in MacIan’s hall.”

  “Ye’d like that, I’m sure. That way ye can let him escape any justice.”

  “I have promised ye I will see him punished. I’m not proud of what he did, but he is my son, dammit!”

  “And Rowan and Mairead are my children!” roared Cathal. “Lachlan, ye should be more worried about me than Matheson. Mairead is gentle and may stay his hand, but not mine. When this is over, I will seek vengeance.”

  “Stop this. All of ye.” Sine’s voice was quiet but firm. “Da, ye wanted to be allied with the MacKenzies. Ye needed their strength. Laird MacKenzie, ye wanted it, too. It seems to me, if anything, we all need this tie now more than ever. Da, what Darcy did was vile. Ye can’t defend that.”

  Eara started to object but Sine silenced her. “Nay, Eara, for once keep still. Ye have brought this disgrace on yourself, too. Rowan is a fine man and would have made ye an excellent husband, but ye couldn’t be content with that. Ye are willful and wanton. Why Da is listening to ye now is beyond me.”

  “Sine, my little dove, ye don’t understand—”

  “Aye, I do. The betrothal between Eara and Rowan was intended to strengthen us and ensure peace. But if Darcy killed that peace, Eara drove the nail in the coffin. Ye have no cause to be angry with the MacKenzies or the Mathesons and yet they have more than one reason to start a feud with us. Da, ye can’t afford to let that happen.”

  “Darcy is missing, Sine.”

  “Aye, but even if Laird Matheson strangled him with his bare hands, which I doubt, do ye deny he had the right? By all the saints, Da, what would ye have done if someone attacked me as Darcy did Lady Matheson? If ye don’t stop this feud before it starts, it could be disastrous for the Frasers and their other allies.” She glanced around the silent hall at Laird Munro and Laird Urquhart. No one disagreed. The fire crackling in the hearth sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness.

  “It’s too late, Sine,” Cathal said bitterly.

  “Nay, Laird MacKenzie, don’t say that. It isn’t too late.”

  Her father tried to reason with her. “My little dove, ye can’t expect Rowan to marry Eara now, after what she has done.”

  “Nay, I don’t. I expect him to marry me.”

  Tadhg smiled. The hall, which had been completely silent moments earlier, erupted in a cacophony at her declaration. It seemed Fraser’s “little dove” was no meeker than his Mairead, who had always been called a mouse. Furthermore, Sine was right. Regardless of what happened to Darcy, the only way to prevent a bloody feud at this point was to bind the clans, as planned, with a wedding. Eventually, when the uproar died, Cathal and Lachlan accepted this, too, and settled down to discuss the terms.

  ~ * ~

  Niall sent his men searching for the missing Frasers. By mid-afternoon, a rider returned with news, which he delivered to Laird MacIan privately.

  “Laird, we found a riderless horse near the eastern edge of the loch, its saddle smeared with blood. The rest of the men continued the search, but knowing how fractious things were here, we thought it best to let ye know.”

  “Aye, that is probably for the best. Don’t say anything to anyone until we know more. Even though Lachlan agrees Darcy has brought this ill on the clan, if he has been killed, we still may have a feud on our hands.”

  Later the watch announced the search party was spotted carrying two litters. Niall had no choice; he had to prepare the lairds for what might be coming.

  He entered the hall somberly. Seeing Katherine there with their daughter in her arms, he motioned to her and she joined him. “What is it, Niall?”

  “Where is Tomas?”

  “He is in the village with Shona.”

  “I want ye to take the baby, Mairead, and Lady MacKenzie to Rowan’s room and stay there until I send for ye. I will send guardsmen with ye.”

  “Has something happened?”

  “I’m not sure. The search party has been spotted returning with two litters. I have no way of knowing who they bear or if the occupants are alive or dead. I don’t want any of ye in the hall when Laird Fraser learns of it.”

  “But if someone is injured, ye may need me.”

  “Then I will send for ye. Go now, sweetling. I need to know ye are safe”

  “I don’t want ye to worry. I will go.”

  As she turned to walk away, he stopped her and gave her a quick kiss. “I love ye, sweetling.”

  “Oh, Niall, I love ye, too. Please be careful.”

  ~ * ~

  Tadhg became instantly wary when Katherine asked Mairead and her mother to go with her to check on Rowan, and two of Niall’s guardsmen followed. At his signal, Hamish, too, followed them.

  Perhaps sensing Niall’s uneasiness, the hall grew silent and all eyes turned to him.

  “Something has happened,” Lachlan stated flatly.

  “Aye, Laird Fraser. The search party has been spotted returning, but they bear two litters.”

  “Who is on them? Are they injured or dead?”

  “I don’t know. Earlier my men found a riderless horse with blood on the saddle. I urge ye to remain calm, at least until we know what happened.”

  For once Lachlan did not bluster. He looked sallow, as if he dreaded the news. Sine slipped into the seat beside him and clasped his hand. “It will work out, Da. No matter what, everything will be all right.”

  They found out what had happened sooner than expected. One of Niall’s captains, Alan, rode ahead of the party with the news.

  “Lairds, I suspected ye would be worried when it became evident we carried litters.”

  “Did ye find my son?” Lachlan asked almost hesitantly.

  “Aye, we did, and he is alive, but injured.”

  “Who is on the other litter?” Niall asked.

  “The Fraser clansman named Rafer.”

  “Is he injured, too?”

  “Nay, Laird, he is dead.”

  “Nay!” wailed Eara. “He can’t be dead. Ye are to blame, Matheson,” she yelled.

  “Be still, Eara,” Laird Fraser commanded. “What happened?”

  “Apparently, Rafer was the one who attacked Rowan.”

  “Ye lie!” shrieked Eara.

  “Be silent, lass, or I will have ye removed!” her father warned. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Rafer hoped to kill Rowan so he could marry Eara. He was the one who helped the Matheson lass, Finola, disappear. He told her Darcy wanted to protect her. He lured Darcy away, too. He intended to kill them both, but planned to make it look as if he killed Darcy in self-defense after Darcy had attacked and killed Finola. He was nearly successful, too. He stabbed Darcy in the shoulder and Darcy lost a lot of blood defending himself and Finola. Apparently, he stumbled and fell, losing consciousness, but before Rafer could run him through, Finola struck Rafer in the head with a rock, and he fell on Darcy’s sword.”

  “Ye see, Da, Matheson is to blame. I was right.”

  “Nay, Eara. Rafer is to blame and I have had enough of ye. Guthrie, escort her from the hall.”

  Eara cried and cursed, but Guthrie threw his cousin over his shoulder and removed her as ordered.

  Twenty Seven

  Although the wedding wouldn’t take place until Rowan was well enough, the visiting clans left as soon as the mystery of who had attacked Rowan was solved. Lachlan also sent Eara home with a heavy escort. He did not want to risk the fragile peace that had been forged, and her foul tongue and vile temper could do just that. He would have sent Darcy home as well, but his injury was too serious to risk travel right away. Thus, Darcy was lying in a small chamber at Duncurra several afternoons later when Finola slipped silently into the room.

  “Well, lass, what are ye doing here?”

  “I wanted to check on ye. I was worried about ye.”

  “And why would ye be worried about me?”

  “I care about ye.”

  Darcy snorted. “If ye have come to jest with m
e, I am not amused.”

  “Nay, Darcy, I’m not jesting. I do care.”

  “Fiona, lass—”

  “My name’s Finola.”

  “Fiona, Finola, it matters not. Whatever your name is, ye are a fool.”

  “Don’t say that, Darcy. I love ye.”

  “Well, that is rich. I took your maidenhead in a stable loft, publically embarrassed ye, damn near got ye killed, and I don’t even remember your name, but ye love me. Oh, and leave us not forget, I attacked your lady. Twice. And I coerced ye into helping me do it, thus earning your laird’s wrath. It seems to me ye aren’t a very good judge of character, Fiona.”

  “Finola.”

  “Finola, then. Leave me be. I don’t love ye.”

  “Ye don’t mean that. Ye saved my life.”

  “And ye saved mine. We’re even, and I do mean it. Even if I remotely cared for ye, which I don’t, ye are daft if ye think my father would let his heir have anything to do with a Matheson guardsman’s daughter. Not to mention that if ye ever find yourself within my sister Eara’s reach, she’ll kill ye.” Finola stood there stubbornly staring at him. “Did ye not understand me, lass?”

  “Nay, I understood ye better than ye think. Ye do care about me.”

  Darcy cracked a little. He looked away from her for a moment before saying, “Aye, Finola, I care for ye a bit. Ye are an odd little thing. Ye saved my arse.”

  “Twice.”

  “Aye, twice. But, Finola, it doesn’t change anything, and I don’t love ye.”

  “Ye don’t love me.”

  “Nay, lass. Now run on. Your da will find ye a nice strapping Matheson lad who won’t mind that ye aren’t quite as pure as the driven snow and mine will find me a sniveling laird’s daughter who will overlook my reputation because I’m the Fraser’s heir and will be laird someday. I will keep her fat with bairns and everyone will be satisfied. It’s the way of things.”

  She looked a bit hurt, but consolable. She turned and left as quietly as she had arrived. Aye, she was an odd little thing, but she would be better off without him.