Highland Lies (The Band of Cousins Book 4)

by Keira Montclair

  Her voice was as clear as the ringing of a bell. “You must come back. You must help her when she arrives.” She had red hair and a circle of pearls held the curls in place, the wind threatening to unleash them. Her dress was white with a blue band at the middle and long bell sleeves nearly covering her fingertips. She floated as if buffeted by the storm, her feet not even visible beneath the transparent hem of the gown.

  “What? Help whom?” Roddy couldn’t believe his own eyes. Was he dreaming, or was there truly some kind of apparition in front of him? One of the shutters blew open with a bang, and lightning lit up the room. He glanced over to see if Connor was awake.

  Connor rested on his elbows, staring at the woman in front of them with wide eyes. “A ghost. A real ghost,” he muttered.

  “You see her, do you not, Connor?” His eyes darted back to the vision in front of them, now flickering in and out as if she was about to leave them. “Connor?” He couldn’t look at his cousin anymore, his gaze was once again locked on the vision.

  The woman spoke to him once more as she faded away. “She has no one but you.” Her hand reached out to touch Roddy before she held her other hand out to Connor. “You must help her.”

  The specter flickered in front of them like a torch in the wind, the expression on her face as sincere and serious as any he’d ever seen. Could she be real?

  “Who are you talking about?” Roddy bellowed at the phantom presence.

  She didn’t answer.

  Connor got to his feet and took one step forward. Another. Reached out a hand toward the spirit.

  Roddy had to try one more time. “Who? Who do you want us to help?” he pleaded.

  The apparition disappeared as quickly as she’d appeared.

  “Are we dreaming?” Roddy whispered, his gaze still locked on the doorway.

  “We must be,” Connor said, raking a hand through his hair as if to check that it was intact.

  “But you saw her, did you not?”

  “Aye, I saw her, but I’ll not admit it to anyone. Everyone would think us daft. You must not tell a soul, either. For certes not Brother Edward. Mayhap he conjured her up, or…” Connor disappeared into the central gathering room, only to reappear a moment later shaking his head.

  Nothing. The room was empty.

  Roddy added, “Or mayhap ’twas a jest. He could have dressed someone up and sent her in here. ’Twas the middle of the night, and the light in here is poor. Mayhap she only appeared ghostly.”

  Connor considered the suggestion, then shook his head. “Nay, ’twas a spirit. A ghostly presence. I know what I saw, but I’ll not tell anyone.” His face looked as troubled as if a thousand ghosts stood directly in front of him. “Never.”

  Neither said anything for a few moments, staring at the door as the storm continued its fury around them, tree branches scraping across the sides of the building in between lightning bolts.

  “Roddy?” Connor whispered.

  “What is it?” Roddy asked, taking a step back.

  “Did you notice she had no feet?”

  Roddy peered at his cousin, nodding before asking the question he most dreaded. “Have you any idea who she was she talking about?”

  Connor raked his hand through his hair again, tugging on it as if to assure himself he was awake, took a swig of his ale, still on the table between the beds, and paced in a small circle. “I have no idea. Someone who is coming here, I suppose.”

  For some odd reason, a vision of a dark-haired lass with violet eyes standing on a cliff popped into Roddy’s head, but that didn’t make sense. Rose lived at MacDole Castle. She’d have no reason to come to the abbey.

  He shook his head to indicate his confusion.

  They went back to bed without saying another word, though Roddy had trouble falling back asleep. He dozed off eventually, and when morning came, he was surprised to see Connor already up and seated in a chair against the wall.

  “Get dressed. I still want to break our fast.” Connor’s face was more serious than he’d ever seen it. The vision hadn’t left him any more than it had left Roddy.

  They gathered their things and followed the path back into the kitchens, in search of the great hall. He had to admit he wasn’t very hungry. His belly had churned much of the night.

  They located the mother abbess and introduced themselves. She smiled, folding her hands in front of her. “Clan Grant. Aye, you’ve been most generous in protecting Lochluin Abbey. Many thanks to you. Please break your fast with us. We have porridge and bread for you. ’Twas quite a storm we had last night.”

  They followed her into the hall.

  Connor whispered to Roddy, “I’m getting that bad feeling again about this place.”

  Roddy asked, “From what? We just came in, and she seems perfectly friendly today.”

  “True,” Connor replied in an undertone. “I cannot explain it, but ’tis there again.”

  Did it have something to do with the abbess? He’d make sure and ask Connor later if he remembered. There were no monks in sight, but several nuns and a few priests broke bread together. Many of them looked quite young. The abbess turned to them to explain. “We spend much of our time training and educating young people who come to us wishing to become nuns or priests. We do have some monks who keep to themselves in a separate building, and we occasionally have visiting monks, but this main building is used to train our youth. We have many generous benefactors who have bestowed much wealth upon us to help spread the Lord’s word throughout Scotland. We send our trained novices out to other abbeys and kirks.”

  Roddy couldn’t think of anything to say, still unable to banish the memory of their ghostly visitor from the night before.

  Connor asked, “How many lasses are here, Abbess?”

  “Usually a few dozen. Some lads come here wishing to be priests, but we tend to get more young girls.” She greeted several people as she led them through the room, weaving around the serving lasses who doted on everyone in attendance.

  A priest entered the hall and strode directly to their side. “Who are these men?”

  “Father, they are from Clan Grant. They stopped for a place to wait out the storm. As you know, Clan Grant has been verra protective of our sisters and brothers at Lochluin Abbey. I invited them to break their fast before they continue on their journey.”

  Her smile was broad, but it did not meet her eyes. The undercurrent of hostility between the two was not missed by Roddy.

  The priest directed his gaze at them. “Welcome to both of you. We share whatever we have, but we have a verra busy day today so we hope you’ll be on your way soon. Warriors can be distracting to our young lasses. We try our best to deliver them from temptation.” He spun on his heel and left.

  The abbess stopped when they reached a small table where they could be seated alone and away from the others. “If you need anything else, please let me know.”

  “My thanks, Mother Abbess,” Connor said, waiting for her to depart before he took his seat.

  As soon as she left, Roddy said, “You were right to be suspicious, and not just because of…” He shrugged. “I’ve been in Lochluin Abbey many times, but the feeling here is much different.”

  “This is not a pleasant place,” Connor whispered. “But I can’t decide why I feel that way.”

  “Agreed,” Roddy whispered back. “Could it be the priest and the abbess? I did sense some dislike there.”

  “Nay,” Connor said. “They may not get along, but there’s something else. At Lochluin Abbey, everyone acts happy to be serving God, but I’m not so sure here. ’Tis verra quiet. And I still can’t get something else out of my mind.”

  “The same thing I cannot erase from my mind,” Roddy said. After looking all around, making sure he couldn’t be overheard, he whispered, “Who are we supposed to help?” He made mention of the ghost without actually saying the word. “Do you suppose she’s talking about a lass who is in danger from the Channel of Dubh?”

  “I told
you never to mention that lass again,” Connor ground out.

  “No one can hear us.” He stopped speaking and held up a hand because a serving lass was headed in their direction.

  The lass smiled and did a small curtsy. “My lords, I have porridge for you and a small loaf of bread for you to share. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

  Roddy glanced at Connor, who was already shaking his head. “Nay. If Brother Edward is in the kitchens, tell him he made a fine fish stew.” He felt he should be complimentary about something. They had been offered generous hospitality. Plus it would give him a chance to speak with the serving lass.

  “Brother Edward?” She said, “Aye, if I have the opportunity, I will pass it on.”

  Roddy wanted to see the lasses who were in residence, thinking perhaps the spirit had spoken of one of them, but there were very few about. “Lass, the abbess said there were over thirty novices here. Where are they all?” Only six sat at a nearby table while three young men sat at a separate table.

  “The abbess has sent many of the lasses to the other abbey to clean.”

  “Other abbey?” Connor asked. “I have not seen another near here.”

  “Father Seward is having a new abbey built. Abbey of the Angels. We have more students than ever. The lads who wish to be priests and some of the monks are finishing the construction for him.”

  “A new abbey? Where is it?”

  “I have not been there, but ’tis south of here. Less than an hour’s journey.”

  The abbess called out to her. “Ada, please move along.” Her tone was a wee bit sharp.

  “Aye, Mother Abbess.” She smiled and departed, her eyes darting around the hall.

  Roddy peered over at Connor. He could see the same exact thought had come to his mind. They had a new place to explore. Mayhap the girl who needed saving was at this new abbey.

  Chapter Five

  Rose hurried into the caves, ducking into the entrance to the cellars so she wouldn’t be seen near the men if the steward or the guard at the gate noticed them returning from the shoreline.

  Her mother had strong ideas about lads.

  When she arrived in the great hall, her mother was waiting for her, standing with her arms crossed in front of her. “What were you doing with that man out there?” she snapped. “Did you kiss him?”

  Rose shook her head, hoping the look of shock she expressed would be enough to hold her mother off. They were alone in the hall, but how she wished someone would interrupt them. Her mother had a way of inspiring a fear in her she hated. Someday she vowed to be strong enough to ignore her mother’s eccentricities, but that time had not yet come. Lady MacDole had control over every aspect of her life—she could, and had, make things intolerable for her.

  “Don’t lie to me! I saw you kissing him on the cliffs. Your poor sire would roll over in his grave if he saw you commit such an act. I’ll not stand by while you become a whore. Mark my words. You’ll regret this. I think the time has come for you to move on.” She spun on her heel and left the hall.

  An icy fear crept up Rose’s spine because her mother never made empty threats. In fact, she knew there was only one relevant question to ask, if she were able to speak.

  Where would her mother send her?

  ***

  Roddy and Connor headed south, hoping to find the new abbey without any difficulty, but it took three hours longer than they anticipated because it was so well hidden.

  Once they were able to ascertain the exact location, they hid their horses in a nearby copse of trees and crept up to the building on foot. The monks had built something just a bit larger than a hut, though it could easily hold four chambers. At present, they were busy building a thatch roof over half the building. The other half was already covered.

  The two men crept closer, staying well hidden, hoping to hear comments about the use of the building, but all was quiet. The lasses carried buckets of water in and out of the building, indicating they were involved with cleaning while the men were busy with other tasks. Some worked on the roof, some built pallets and shelves out of wood, but all were busy doing something.

  Roddy whispered, “I think they found a deserted hut and added to it. The original building appears older, while the back portion appears to be new.”

  “And the roof is the same, part old, part new. What the hell do you think this is?” Connor asked. “I doubt the Church of Edinburgh or the bishops are aware of this. The spot is well hidden, so you can surely guess my thoughts.”

  Roddy nodded, chewing on mint leaves he’d found nearby. “Aye, this is hidden apurpose. Whoever is building this does not want it to be found. And I don’t see an altar or a chapel anywhere.”

  “Exactly. Mayhap they plan on hiding people here for a short time. I fear it’s to be used as little more than an inn for traveling lasses.”

  Roddy met his cousin’s eyes, seeing the same fury he felt deep down in his bones. He wished to charge inside and slay everyone involved, yet he knew he couldn’t. Besides which, for all they knew, the workers were ignorant of how the place would be put to use. It seemed unlikely they were all directly involved in the Channel of Dubh.

  “If we do anything hasty, we’ll drive them to another place,” Connor said.

  “I know. We need to contact Maggie and Will. See what they suggest we do next.”

  A loud voice interrupted their whispered conversation.

  “Hurry up before he comes back. You know what he’ll do if we don’t have this done.”

  Connor glanced at Roddy. “Should we wait?”

  Roddy shrugged his shoulders. “Would it help? Chances are we’ll not know the person.”

  They didn’t have to think on it for long. A man appeared on the other side of the clearing.

  They’d never seen him before, but he was English. They knew because he gave one instruction. “Finish the roof today, or you will be flayed alive. We need this ready in a less than a fortnight. He’ll be here in a few days, and he may say he needs it in a sennight. Work harder.”

  Roddy glanced at Connor. “Aye, we need to find Will and Maggie as soon as possible.”

  Though it hadn’t been there original plan, when they left, they bypassed Braden’s castle and headed straight for the meeting place for the Band of Cousins, the new hut the group had built near Will’s grandfather’s cottage.

  It was late the next morn when they finally arrived.

  Roddy glanced overhead and said, “Seems that Will and Maggie must be here, though the horses are different. I see Will’s falcons flying about.” Will had trained two falcons, birds of prey he used to scare his enemies. He’d earned the name “The Wild Falconer” because of it.

  Maggie and Will, who organized the group’s efforts, greeted them warmly at the door. “It’s good you’re here,” Maggie said, ushering them into the main room. “Gavin and Gregor just arrived, and we were about to fill them in on everything we’ve learned since the Lamont incident.”

  The Lamont brothers were cruel, unscrupulous men who’d slaughtered Cairstine Muir’s family and stolen their keep. Greer Lamont had then claimed Cairstine as his mistress. Braden had killed the bastard and married Cairstine, whom he now lived with in Muir Castle, but the other brother, Blair Lamont, still lived. He’d escaped, and they hoped finding him would help them uncover more of the Channel of Dubh.

  Gavin and Gregor, two of the best archers in all the land, joined them as they entered the main room of the house. Roddy was shocked at the progress. The interior looked much more finished than it had on his last visit. Their cousins had kept busy. The main room boasted a new table and chairs, large enough to seat all of the cousins at once, and a huge hearth at the end. The two chambers for sleeping were located at the back, a garderobe attached to the lasses’ portion.

  Connor let out a whistle. “Gavin, you and Gregor did a fine job with the table and chairs. Didn’t know you had such woodworking skills.” Indeed, they’d teased the pair on their last visit, for the
y hadn’t thought it possible the work would be done with such precision.

  Gavin puffed up with pride as Gregor grinned and checked their work for any scratches.

  Maggie said, “Let’s chat for a bit. Have a seat.”

  Everyone settled in around the table and Maggie stood to update her cousins on what she and Will had learned after their most recent trip to Edinburgh. They had gone there while the Grant cousins focused on the coast.

  “First, the bad news,” Maggie said. “We have been unable to locate Blair Lamont. We hope he’ll turn up eventually, but we have no way of knowing whether he’s still involved in the Channel. The good news is we’ve had several other leads. Sources who have heard of lasses being sold in different areas.”

  Connor raised his hand to interrupt Maggie.

  “Aye, Connor?”

  “Is there no information on who is leading this entire network? Or are they truly acting individually?”

  “From what we’ve learned there is a coordinator, if you will, of these networks. One who commands a portion of every sale while never even setting eyes upon the lasses or lads. A few of our sources have indicated this person acts mostly out of the Lowlands, possibly as far south as England.”

  “So if we stop that person, we could stop it all?” Connor asked.

  She glanced at Will, nodding for him to answer. “Possibly, but no one seems to know the person by name.”

  Roddy said, “Mayhap we have information that will help.”

  Connor leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, and said, “We may have just seen that man. We actually had a successful journey to the west.”

  “Go ahead, fill us in on what you found.” Will waved his hand, indicating they should take over the conversation.

  Roddy told them about MacDole Castle sitting atop Loch Linnhe.

  “What makes you think they could be involved?” Maggie asked.

  Connor took over the explanation. “I saw a long dock on the shoreline, large enough to handle good-sized boats. Roddy met the MacDole lass, and she says she’s seen boats in the past, using beacons.”