Highland Sword

by May McGoldrick

  But all along the way, a feeling of doom clouded his brain.

  Aidan only started to breathe when he espied the driver and carriage waiting outside the house as he reached Huntly Street. Reining his horse sharply in front of the house, he jumped down and rushed through the door. Male voices came from an upper floor.

  “Morrigan!” he shouted.

  One of the Mackintosh men appeared at the top of the stairs.

  “Where is my wife?”

  “In the study there.”

  He started to come down the stairs, but Aidan didn’t wait. He didn’t know the layout of the house. He called her name, looking in at the first door.

  “The next one, Mr. Grant. In there. She was here but a minute ago.”

  They both went into the study. The window was shut, the curtains were drawn. No one was inside. There was nowhere for her to go.

  “I know she didn’t leave the house.” The Mackintosh went out into the hall to look around.

  The second man came down and joined the search. Immediately, Aidan was told the door going out to the back from the kitchen was still latched on the inside. The same was true of the windows and the other servants’ entrance. The only way in or out was the way he’d come.

  “Check the floors for a trap door.” Aidan rushed back into the study and pointed at the bookcases. “Pull them down. Every one of them. There’s got to be a door somewhere that leads out.”

  Leaving them, he raced out of the house.

  * * *

  Of course, there had to be a hidden passageway, Morrigan thought. And a tunnel. The house was on the river. She should have thought of it before stepping into the space behind the bookcase.

  But how could she have known that Burney was free?

  He’d ordered her to carry the heavy satchel. With his dagger prodding her in the back, they descended a steep set of stone stairs and started along a dank tunnel that smelled like a crypt. He replaced his knife with a small pistol that he carried with the muzzle pointed directly at her back. The passageway was narrow and slippery, and they passed under two small openings from which dim light and cold air filtered down. At a sharp turn, she looked ahead and saw the tunnel was brighter in the distance.

  Morrigan could tell from the sound of his steps that he was close enough to shoot her, but far enough to be clear of any attempt she might make to try to kick at him or somehow defend herself.

  She guessed from the weight of the satchel that he’d filled it with bags of coin along with whatever papers he thought would be most valuable to him. He was making his escape from Inverness, but he wasn’t going empty-handed.

  Morrigan thought back over their route. The passage led under the house toward the river. Since the turn, the tunnel must have been running parallel with the Ness. A smuggler’s route, for sure.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, slowing down a little.

  “It’s of no concern to you. Keep moving.”

  Screaming and hoping that someone would come to her rescue was no longer a possibility. Perhaps she should have done it when she’d first felt the edge of the knife.

  “What are you going to do to me?”

  “You’ll soon find out.”

  The tunnel made a slight bend. In the distance, she could see a set of wooden stairs leading up through a trap door. She remembered seeing a dilapidated warehouse and dock not far downriver from the house. Someone had helped Burney escape. No doubt, he had henchmen waiting for him and a boat ready to take him beyond the reach of the law and the Mackintosh clan.

  Whatever she had to do to put an end to this, Morrigan knew she needed to do it now.

  “I cooperated with you. I helped you so you’d give me back my father’s letter.”

  “Your father’s letter,” he scoffed. “That scrap of paper didn’t matter a whit to him. Trust me, I tried to use it with him. Drummond wouldn’t play my game. And don’t try to play me for a fool. I know it means nothing to you either. If it did, you would have squirmed more.”

  “I thought we had a deal. I was doing my part.”

  “Your part? Liar. You manipulated me. You poisoned the mind of Roisin Laborde. You played her against me.”

  “I didn’t do anything that you haven’t done yourself.”

  “Don’t give yourself so much credit. I know the two of you had a hand in this. You deserve each other. You and your lawyer. Too bad your marriage won’t last.”

  The steps were just ahead. A freezing wind howled through the trap door.

  “The joy I’ll get from informing him of your pathetic end.” His voice paused a moment before he continued. “Perhaps I’ll keep you alive for a while. There might be some benefit in letting him think he can get you back.”

  She would never be a victim again. Never.

  “Do not do anything foolish. Go up the steps slowly and stop at the top. I’ll have my pistol trained on your back every moment.”

  Morrigan climbed as she was told, her mind racing. She’d run for it. Let him shoot. She’d jump in that river and drown in the freezing water if she must. Death was definitely preferable.

  She climbed up and found herself in a small warehouse. The doors facing the water were open. She could see the dock. A boat bobbed in the icy river.

  “Walk straight to the boat,” he ordered.

  As she moved ahead of him, she realized someone lay on the dock. Morrigan shifted the bag so she was holding it with both hands in front of her.

  She stepped out of the warehouse. Not one, but two people lay unmoving on the dock. She jumped to the side, planted her feet, and swung the weighted satchel with all her strength back toward the doorway.

  She connected with Burney’s shoulder as he rushed out, but his attention was not on her. Someone else was waiting on the other side of the opening.

  Aidan.

  The impact of the satchel’s weight drove Burney into him. Aidan grabbed for the pistol, and she watched in shock as they tumbled over the edge of the dock together.

  She rushed to the side and watched in horror as they fought in the icy river. Aidan went under first, but then Burney was pulled down.

  She heard footsteps on the dock behind her. The carriage driver was here. The two Mackintosh men raced out of the warehouse onto the dock.

  The driver drew a pistol from his coat but quickly realized who they were.

  “Aidan went in the river. I can’t see him.” Morrigan leaned over the edge, ready to go in after him.

  He’d come to her rescue. He knew she was in trouble. Aidan knew where to go and how to find her. He was the love of her life. Her future. He couldn’t die. She wouldn’t let him go.

  “I’m going after him.”

  Morrigan was about to jump in when a pair of hands grabbed her from behind. She struggled to get free. Once again, she was back in the surgery in Edinburgh. Her father was dead, and she was being dragged out of the room. She was too late to do anything.

  “Let me go,” she screamed. “I won’t let him die.”

  “There he is, Mrs. Grant. By the bank. He is coming out.”

  A few paces downriver she saw him. Aidan. There was no sign of Burney.

  The men rushed down to help him out.

  Suddenly, her knees wobbled. Everything had happened so fast. For a few insane moments, she’d nearly lost hope.

  “Get blankets,” she told the driver, gathering her strength.

  Morrigan ran along the bank and threw her arms around him. A dry coat was thrown over him, and she pressed her face against his wet clothes.

  “You’re alive. Thank God. You’re alive.”

  He held her and kissed her, then pulled away and ran his eyes over her face. “Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head. “I found a secret panel behind the bookcases and surprised him. He’d come to collect whatever valuables he’d left behind.”

  “When I couldn’t find you inside the house, I knew.”

  “How did you know to come here?”

 
“Remember when Searc told us it was a smuggler’s house?”

  She nodded. Knowing but not paying enough attention.

  “I’ve heard since I was a lad that many of the old houses along the river have tunnels that lead to the river. When I saw the boat tied up to the old shack and those two bruisers, I knew that was where you’d be coming out.”

  Morrigan motioned to the men still lying inert on the dock. “You did this?”

  “The moves I saw you using on the pell in the training yard, I put them into action here.”

  He was soaked to the bone. His teeth were chattering and he was still in good humor. As they walked back toward the carriage, she spotted the bag she’d been carrying for Burney. She asked one of the Mackintosh men to bring it for them.

  “What do you think is in there?” Aidan asked, holding her tight.

  “A trail of frailty and fear.” Morrigan looked up into the eyes of the man she loved. The man she would stand with and fight beside till the end of their days. “There is nothing that can touch us in there, but those papers might mean hope and freedom for scores of others.”

  CHAPTER 39

  CINAED

  Brandenburg House, Hammersmith

  Six Months Later

  The satchel Sir Rupert Burney left behind when he drowned in the River Ness was filled with magic. Besides the letters and records that kept the innocent in the spymaster’s grasp, they found a plethora of incriminating evidence of wrongdoing by many politicians from both parties. Some of that evidence even pointed to those working in the intelligence-gathering sections of the Home Office in London.

  Sir Rupert valued information just as much as Searc did, but Cinaed preferred to believe the man who had watched over him from childhood was not as indiscriminate in ruining lives.

  Aidan was elected to Parliament, representing Inverness-shire. He and Morrigan were already settled here in London. Sebastian joined them from time to time, having decided to keep open their law offices in Edinburgh. He wanted to be prepared for when they chased his brother out of Westminster with torches and pitchforks.

  Thanks to Aidan’s discreet negotiations—using Sir Rupert’s records of some rather indelicate transgressions on the part of high-ranking government ministers—all charges against Isabella and Cinaed were dropped this past spring. The bounty on both their heads was rescinded. They were free. No one was more relieved than Lachlan Mackintosh, who had decided it was time to pass the title of Laird of Dalmigavie on to Cinaed.

  It had taken Cinaed a long time to realize it, but he was more Mackintosh than Stuart. He and Isabella cared deeply about these people. They were at home at Dalmigavie. Neither wished to move on to Nova Scotia and leave those they loved behind. He’d humbly accepted the honor.

  With their lives settled, Niall and Maisie had taken up a long-standing offer from James Watt. Long months ago, Niall had secured an investment in the steam engine manufacturer. Now he accepted the position of helping the company expand its operations into the industrial north. As a Highlander and a former military man, his success was almost guaranteed. They were to live in Aberdeen, and Fiona and her family were to join them. No formal announcements had been made yet, but Cinaed had a strong feeling that John Gordon and Fiona would be announcing their engagement very soon.

  The only one complaining about the change was Auld Jean. She hated to have everyone so far away. After a great deal of cursing and grousing, however, she decided to stay with Isabella and Cinaed at Dalmigavie, for the two of them—“a simple, good-hearted flatlander and a sea dog”—needed her help more than the rest.

  And they did need her, for Isabella was with child.

  Cinaed took a deep breath, trying to hold the feeling of happiness intact, for he’d arrived in London at the request of his mother. She was dying.

  The same night that the king’s coronation had been held—an event that Caroline had been banned from attending—she fell ill. Over the next three weeks, she’d suffered more and more pain as her condition deteriorated. His mother was only fifty-three years of age.

  Although Cinaed and Isabella were both free of their troubles with the Crown, at the suggestion of Brougham and Aidan, they arrived under cover of darkness. This government wasn’t to be trusted. Some of her physicians claimed the queen had an intestinal obstruction. Others attributed her condition to cancer. Since arriving, Isabella spent a great deal of time with Caroline, and she suspected that she’d been poisoned. But too much time had passed and too much damage had been done to save her life.

  On the night of August 7, Cinaed and Isabella sat beside her bed and held onto Caroline’s hands.

  She knew about her grandchild that was to be born before the year was out.

  She’d been told of the promises made by the Duke of Clarence about the future of Scotland.

  She knew that the streets around Brandenburg House were surrounded by people who even now prayed for their beloved queen.

  At twenty-five minutes past ten, Caroline died.

  And on her coffin, per her instruction, Cinaed saw to it that an inscription read: “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

  EPILOGUE

  William Henry, Duke of Clarence, was crowned King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover on 26 June 1830. He reigned as William IV.

  During his reign, the British Parliament enacted major reforms, including the Factory Act, preventing child labor abuse; the Slavery Abolition Act, emancipating slaves in the colonies; the Poor Law Amendment Act, standardizing provision for the destitute; and the Scottish Reform Act, extending the vote from 5,000 adult males to 65,000 voters. Still, nearly a hundred years had to pass before full voting rights were finally granted to all women over the age of twenty-one.

  But that, perhaps, is another story.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Hope you enjoyed Highland Sword.

  As writers, we are in love with history and love to share it with you with a cast of interesting characters.

  When we set out to write the Royal Highlander series (Highland Crown, Highland Jewel, Highland Sword), our goal was to weave the lives of three extraordinary women into the fabric of a revolutionary, but largely forgotten series of historical events called the Radical War of 1820.

  From that mindset, the characters of Isabella, a university-trained physician; Maisie, an early activist for suffrage; and Morrigan, a militant revolutionary, formed in our imagination. Our research directed us to real historical figures of the Georgian and Regency Era who served as models for our heroines. Women like Dorothea Erxleben, physician; Mary Fildes, political activist and an early suffragette; ‘William’ Brown (birth name unknown), an African woman serving in the Royal Navy; and María Antonia Santos Plata, a rebel guerrilla leader in South America.

  Those exceptional women led us to this moment, the end of Highland Sword. Many of our readers who have followed us over the decades know that we hate to say goodbye to our characters. In fact, we never will. Side characters find their own stories. Main characters come back in critical roles. No story is ever done, for once we’ve created them, our characters are family to us. Some of you might have noticed, but we couldn’t finish this book without making a mention of our beloved Penningtons. If you are interested, there are ten books that follow the family through two generations … and counting.

  Before we sign off on this book, we’d like to thank Pamela Sutherland of Inverness Botanic Gardens for her expertise and help.

  We’re also grateful for Peter Mackenzie, Glasgow journalist, publisher and lawyer (1799–1875). Through his periodical The Loyal Reformers’ Gazette, we learned so much about the political views of the time, particularly the campaign for parliamentary reform.

  Many of you know that we’ve been busy creating a vast, interconnected world of stories spanning centuries, from the medieval Highlands to Georgian, Regency, and Victorian England and Scotland. If you’re interested to learn more, our website is a great source of info
rmation.

  As authors, we love feedback. We write our stories for you. We’d love to hear from you. We are constantly learning, so please help us write stories that you will cherish and recommend to your friends.

  Please visit us on our website at www.MayMcGoldrick.com for our latest news and write to us at May@MayMcGoldrick.com.

  Finally, if you enjoyed Highland Sword, please consider leaving us a review … and recommending it to your friends. We greatly appreciate your support!

  Wishing you peace and health!

  —Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick

  BY MAY MCGOLDRICK

  THE SCOTTISH RELIC TRILOGY

  Much Ado About Highlanders

  Taming the Highlander

  Tempest in the Highlands

  “A Midsummer Wedding” novella

  THE PENNINGTON FAMILY SERIES

  “Sweet Home Highlands Christmas” novella

  Romancing the Scot

  It Happened in the Highlands

  Sleepless in Scotland

  THE ROYAL HIGHLANDER SERIES

  Highland Crown

  Highland Jewel

  Highland Sword

  Praise for Highland Crown

  “This new series opener from husband and wife team McGoldrick (Sleepless in Scotland) is a fast-paced, well-written trip through a fictional Scottish landscape loosely based on historical events. Readers will soon be caught up in Cinaed and Isabella’s love story.”

  —Library Journal

  “McGoldrick has bestowed upon readers a feel-good whirlwind romance between two intelligent, driven individuals that is less about the complications of a new relationship and more about celebrating a partnership.”

  —Bookpage

  “McGoldrick takes you to another place and another time with a steamy romance that is sure to tug at your heart.… Stellar writing and captivating storytelling.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Highland Crown by May McGoldrick is the perfect example of historical adventure romance that’s fun, engaging, and too good to put down to do necessary things.”