“We can use the hidden passages in Dunlochan to reach her.”
Lucas started into the passageway only to be grabbed by William and Patrick and dragged right out. For a moment he was prepared to fight their hold, to roar out his fury and race into Dunlochan. It was a struggle, but he finally subdued that mad urge. The men holding him obviously felt that change in him for they cautiously released him although they stayed close by him. When Annie thrust a tankard of ale at him, Lucas did not hesitate to take it and tried to ignore everyone watching him as he drank it all down.
“Did it clear your head?” asked William when Lucas was finished.
“It did.” Lucas handed Annie the empty tankard with a nod of thanks.
“So, ye willnae be charging off, sword waving like some ancient berserker?”
“Nay, not just yet.”
“Ah, good. Now we can actually make a plan. Could be useful, aye?”
“It could be,” agreed Lucas as he started toward the hall. “We shall make our plan, then we shall rescue Katerina and slaughter our enemies, and then I shall beat ye into the mud for being such an impertinent bastard.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” William said, grinning as the others laughed.
Once back in the hall where he had been given the message from Ranald and Katerina’s lock of hair that had set him off in such a rage, Lucas had to struggle constantly not to feel as if every passing minute put Katerina’s life in danger. She could be badly hurt, even tortured as he had been, but her life was not yet at immediate risk. Ranald and Agnes needed Katerina alive to bring him to them. She was the bait in their trap. When a small voice in his head reminded him of how Ranald lusted after Katerina, of how he might use her now that she was in his grasp, Lucas shoved all thought of that as far back into the dark depths of his mind as he could. Thinking of Ranald touching Katerina could drive him mad and make him act recklessly. He had to think only about keeping her alive and planning a rescue that would not cost her men too dearly.
Even though he was not hungry, he accepted the plate of food Annie set down in front of him. He knew he would need the strength it could give him. As he ate and waited for the others to be served and start eating Lucas tried to think calmly and coldly about the best way to free Katerina.
“The passages are still the best way for us to get into Dunlochan,” he said.
William nodded. “Aye, they are. We just need to have a plan for what we must do when we get in there—beside slaughtering our enemies.”
Robbie cleared his throat and then blushed faintly when everyone looked at him. “I think Lucas ought to do exactly as they told him to do.”
“Walk in there alone-and unarmed?” Patrick asked, outraged. “He will be dead ere we can reach him. They both will.”
“Nay, I dinnae think that is true. Lucas himself heard Ranald and Agnes agree that they would have Lucas and Katerina first. They will try to do just that Freda may nay like it, but she will do naught to stop them.”
“Why would Freda e’en think she could stop them?” asked Lucas, suddenly recalling how forceful that woman had sounded and how both Ranald and Agnes had acted as if the woman was far more to them than a mere servant.
“I dinnae ken, but she could if she really wanted to. Freda has always had power over Agnes. So, Ranald and Agnes will wish to indulge themselves. They are like spoiled children in that way. There may be an argument amongst the three of them as weel, as ’tis unwise and Freda will ken it. All of that will hold their attention firmly on Lucas whilst we slip into Dunlochan.”
“’Tis a good plan except that we dinnae ken what we will find once we get in there. We dinnae ken how many men they have with them, where in the keep they are holding Katerina, and if Katerina could be in danger the moment the others realize I have not come meekly into their grasp and that they are being attacked.”
“There are three men with them, they are all in the great hall, and Katerina is tied to a chair in front of the fireplace in there.” Hilda smiled faintly when everyone looked at her, not all of them able to hide their surprise. “’Tis much finer down here than I e’er could have imagined.”
“Come sit here, Hilda,” Lucas said as he stood and helped her to the seat next to him. He smiled his gratitude at Annie, who hastily set some food and drink in front of the woman. “Do ye need to hurry back so that ye are nay discovered missing?”
“Nay. I have retired for the night.” Hilda took a drink and ate a little food, smiling at Annie to show her approval of the fare. “I gave Katerina something to eat and drink. She took a sore knock upon the head, but I believe she is already recovering from that. If she were freed, she would have enough strength to watch out for herself and be no hindrance to whate’er ye need to do. I am certain of it.”
“Do ye think ye can cut her free?”
“Oh, aye, but I will tell ye about that in a moment. They all want ye dead, ye ken. Ye and Katerina. I heard what Robbie said about what Agnes and Ranald want to do and he is right—they willnae kill ye until they get what they want. Freda was furious at first, but then she decided she liked the idea, could see how it was as good as torturing each of ye.”
“Freda wields some power over them, doesnae she.”
“Och, aye, that she does. Freda is Agnes’s mother.” She nodded at the looks of shock on everyone’s face and proceeded to tell them all that she had overheard Freda confess to. “I think the woman is mad.”
“Aye,” Lucas said quietly, wondering how such news would affect Katerina, “and that madwoman holds Katerina.”
Hilda patted him on the arm. “Nay for long, aye? Ye will set her free and send that woman to hell where she belongs.”
Lucas prayed the woman’s faith in him was deserved. “It willnae be easy. Nay with a keep full of armed men.”
“Weel, mayhap nay so full. There are ones who areloyal to Dunlochan but loathe Agnes and Ranald. They also all like our Katerina. Once they were told what was going on they slipped away, nay wanting to be forced to hold to their oaths of service to Agnes. They gave them when they thought Katerina was dead and Agnes was to be the one to hold Dunlochan. There is another group of men who will soon be fighting each other to get to the garderobe.” She blushed a little when the men grinned. “And there are a few more who will find that they cannae get out of their quarters to go to Ranald’s aid.”
“Hilda, ye are our miracle. Now all we must do is find a way to get Katerina free of her bonds so that she isnae still trapped in that chair when the fighting begins. Ye said ye had a plan that might accomplish that?”
“I do. I will need one of your men. Mayhap Robbie or e’en Thomas, as they are slender and nay as tall as the rest of ye.”
“And being slender and wee bit short is necessary?”
“Aye, for none of the maid’s gowns would fit a truly big mon.”
“Explain it all a wee bit more clearly if ye could, Hilda,” Lucas said gently, feeling a tug of hope for the first time in hours.
“A maid can slip into the great hall without anyone paying her much heed at all. The hearth is always cleaned out after the last meal of the day. If I can dress one of your men as a maid who has been sent to clean the hearth he can easily cut Katerina’s bonds whilst ye, Sir Lucas, hold fast to the attention of Freda and the others. That mon can also linger close at hand to give my lady help if she is in need of it.”
“Ye could lead armies, Hilda,” Lucas said and he kissed her on the cheek. “There is one thing to consider—mayhap it would be best to send Annie to be the maid. A kerchief for her hair and a bit of dirt upon her face and I dinnae think Ranald will notice her.”
“Nay,” said Robbie so quickly and sharply that everyone stared at him in surprise, but he just blushed a little before continuing. “I will do it. E’en if freed from her bonds it sounds as if Katerina willnae be able to fight or defend herself. Annie has no skill with a sword and, ere ye mention it, neither does Thomas. I do. I shudder at the thought of donning a gown, but I can do it.”
>
“Then so ye shall.”
For a little while they talked with Hilda, gleaning all the information they could and telling her exactly what she needed to do. The moment she and Robbie left, Lucas turned to the others. “Weel, do ye think we have a plan that will work?”
“Oh, aye. Old Hilda is a treasure,” said William.
“That she is. S’truth, I believe the woman has been watching and gathering information, mayhap e’en planning things, just for this moment.”
“Thanks be to God that Agnes and the others are the sort to pay little heed to the servants.”
“True. I believe their arrogance there is our saving grace.” Lucas idly stroked the lock of Katerina’s hair that he had slipped into the pocket of his coat. “I had best go and do my part.”
“Be careful,” said Patrick. “They are expecting to see a gallant fool come to give his life for a woman. Ye dinnae want them to guess that they may have misjudged ye and become wary.”
“I ken it. I also ken that I could stir their suspicion if I play the part too weel. Ranald has come close to killing me three times and willnae believe it if I am too meek and self-sacrificing.”
“True,” agreed William. “I hope Robbie keeps that hair of his weel hidden, too. Agnes will recognize it immediately.”
“Somehow I think Robbie will play his part with ease.” Lucas stood up. “Weel, Godspeed to ye all. I pray the next time we have to speak it will be o’er the dead bodies of our enemies.”
Patrick watched the doorway until he could neither see nor hear Sir Lucas and then looked at William. “Do ye think he meant that? About the dead bodies of our enemies and all?”
“Oh, aye,” said William as he stood up and began to arm himself. There is only one way we can put a stop to Agnes, Ranald, and Freda, and that is to bury them.”
Lucas hid his smile as the man escorted him into the great hall of Dunlochan. The man had not searched him for weapons other than a curt and far too light brush of his hands over the usual places one hid a knife. He had not found one of the five knives Lucas had hidden away. A sword would have suited him better but Lucas was pleased that he would not be facing his enemy unarmed.
Once inside the great hall, he looked for Katerina and tensed with fury when he saw her. He studied her carefully and used the fact that she had no more than one red mark on her cheek and a hint of blood from her head wound in her hair to calm his sudden rage. He did not hide all of it, however, as he faced Ranald, Agnes, and Freda.
“I believe ye are supposed to release her now,” he said in a cold, hard voice.
“Is that what ye believe?” said Freda and she laughed softly. “Nay, my gallant fool. I said ye could see her alive. There she is—alive. I have now met my part of the bargain.”
“I wish I could say I am surprised. So, is it Ranald who gets to kill us?” He glanced back at the three men lurking near the door. “I dinnae think he will need all three to kill a woman tied to a chair and an unarmed mon, do ye?”
Freda held up her hand to stop a growling Ranald’s advance on Lucas. “Ye are verra arrogant for a mon in your precarious position, Sir Murray.”
He shrugged. “I have naught left to lose so what does it matter?”
“It could make a difference in how easily ye die.” She glanced over at Katerina. “Or who dies first.”
“Ah, so that is how ye mean to play the game. And ye willnae accept any bargain offered, will ye. No vow that I will take Katerina with me and we shall ne’er darken your threshold again or something like that.”
“Nay, I dinnae think so. I have little faith in the word of men.”
“Considering the men ye deal with now, I am nay surprised.”
“But ye willnae die right away,” said Agnes as she walked up to Lucas and laid a hand on his chest. “If ye are verra good to me, mayhap I can offer ye a reprieve.”
Lucas looked down at Agnes. He wondered how he had ever thought her sweet but witless. He could see the cold cunning in her eyes. She was willing to walk over as many bodies as were needed for her to reach her goal. The fact that she would think she could take him into her bed and he would perform just to try to save his life revealed just how cold she was. It surprised him a little that she was the whore she was reputed to be, but he had to wonder if she sought the warmth she herself could never feel. He took her hand in his, saw the glint of malicious satisfaction in her lovely eyes, and then dropped her hand.
“Ye would refuse me?” she said, her fury growing fast, and she clenched her hands into tight little fists at her sides.
“I believe the threat of death if I dinnae please may weel make an adequate performance difficult.” He looked at Ranald when the man laughed. “If ye are still planning to wed with this woman, I wouldst ne’er sleep without a dagger at the ready.”
“I ne’er intended to do so,” Ranald said.
Lucas saw Agnes move and easily caught her by the wrist, stopping her palm from connecting with his cheek. “I think ye have marked that cheek enough for now, mistress.”
“’Tis m’lady, ye fool,” she snapped as she tried to wriggle free of his grasp.
Lucas smiled faintly as he saw how tense Freda and Ranald had grown. They could see what Agnes in her blind fury could not. He now held one of theirs. It was tempting to taunt them with that, to threaten them as they threatened him and Katerina, but he could not. Robbie was now near Katerina’s seat and he could not afford to have either Freda or Ranald move toward Katerina now.
“I could just snap her wee neck,” he murmured and saw Agnes pale as she suddenly realized the dangerous position she was in.
“Aye, ye could, and I begin to think she is such a stupid woman it might be best, but ye willnae,” said Freda.
“Ye sound so certain of that.”
“I am. Ye are a knight and I believe ye actually hold to the vows knights are supposed to take—such as bringing no harm to women.”
“I am nay sure I recall that one.” He threw Agnes’s hand down. “Howbeit, I cannae think that killing her is worth blackening my soul.”
Agnes moved to huddle near Ranald and glare at Lucas. “Ye are a fool. I could have saved ye.”
“Nay, ye couldnae. I believe ye have too grand an idea of the power ye wield o’er these two.” Lucas was pleased to see that their attention remained on him. He hoped Robbie hurried and finished what he was doing and that William and the others were even now moving into position, as Lucas was tired of trying to talk these fools to death. He itched to fight them.
“I suspect ye dinnae e’en understand why ye must die, do ye,” Freda said.
“Oh, I have a few ideas.”
Katerina could not believe Freda was taking so long in acting out her plans. The woman seemed compelled to gloat now that she felt sure she had victory in her grasp. It was a faint tug at her wrists that drew Katerina’s attention away from Freda, Agnes, and Ranald facing Lucas. Trying to look as if she kept her full attention on the murderous group now confronting Lucas, she cast a fleeting glance at the maid and nearly gave them both away by laughing.
Robbie winked at her and hurriedly continued to cut away the ropes holding her to the chair. Her hopes rose as she realized there was a plan to get her free. She hoped that plan did not stop there but would also free Lucas and put an end to Freda and her allies. It appalled her that she would think such a thing, but she knew those three had to die or she and Lucas and anyone who helped them would die. They just had to figure out how they had such a hold on people so that their deaths really did end all threat to them and Dunlochan.
The moment the last of the ropes was gone, Katerina had to concentrate to sit still and act as if she was still tied up. She used the time to muster her strength so that she could get out of the reach of Freda and Ranald. Although she knew Agnes was just as guilty as her mother and lover, they were the truly dangerous ones for they had killed and had no qualms about doing so again and again.
Sensing that Robbie was watching someone
in the kitchens, Katerina glanced that way. Hilda stood there in plain sight and peering over her shoulder was Patrick. He grinned and winked at her and the last of Katerina’s fear faded. She knew there was still some danger but she would not let it prey on her mind. She would have faith in her lover and her men.
A moment later the doors to the great hall were thrust open, slamming into the three men Ranald had put on guard there. William leapt into the room followed by four of her men. He tossed a sword at Lucas, who easily caught it and then turned to help fight the three guards. Lucas turned to face Ranald and grinned. That grin was a chilling sight and Katerina knew Ranald would not be given any choice save to fight and die. She stood up and was immediately shoved behind Robbie, who stood between her and the others with his sword in his hand.
“Do I want to ken where ye were hiding that?” she asked.
He flashed her a quick grin. “Might be best if ye dinnae. Can ye take this cursed thing off my head? I cannae do it with one hand and I would rather nay drop my sword.”
“I would rather ye kept it pointed at the enemy as weel.”
Freda stood watching Ranald and Lucas fight, her face twisted into an expression of fury. Agnes looked around for a place to flee to. She started toward the kitchen only to stumble to a halt when Patrick moved to stand in front of Hilda. Agnes pulled a dagger out of her sleeve and Katerina feared she meant to throw it at Patrick. One thing Agnes could do surprisingly well was throw a knife with deadly accuracy. Instead Agnes turned toward Katerina, clearly intending to kill her or try to use her as a means to get free. At that exact moment Katerina yanked the kerchief from Robbie’s head, revealing his very distinctive bright hair.
“Robbie! What are ye doing here?” demanded Agnes.
Katerina thought it a little ridiculous that Agnes would act so outraged to see Robbie fighting against her murderous plans—ones that had included him. It was evident that Agnes just did not think like most people. Katerina kept her eye on Agnes’s dagger and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Robbie slip his into her hand.
“I believe I am trying to keep your sister alive, my dear murderous wife,” Robbie replied.
Highland Savage Page 19
