The Wrong Highlander, page 28
Aye, she’d got the right Highlander in the end. She liked him, respected him, found pleasure with him and . . . She might even love him, Evina admitted solemnly to herself. Certainly, if she didn’t already, she was headed that way. She was beginning to find it hard to imagine life without him, and certainly couldn’t begin to envision sharing her life and body with anyone else.
Aye, she probably loved him, Evina acknowledged, and then grimaced at herself for her cowardice, and admitted that aye, she did love Conran Buchanan. He was a good man, a strong man, a brave man, and intelligent. But he was also gentle, and patient and kind. She loved him and wanted him, and was eagerly looking forward to being his wife, she acknowledged, and then stilled when she heard a shuffling sound behind her. It was much like the sound she’d heard just before someone had tried to drown her in her bath.
But the passage entrances were all locked now, Evina reminded herself. It must be mice this time, she reassured herself. Still, she started to turn to see what was causing the sound . . . and then paused halfway, jerked back around to face the door when a knock sounded.
Shaking her head at how jumpy she was, Evina called out, “Enter,” and stood up to brush her skirts down as the door opened.
Evina half expected it to be her father come to collect her. But since her feelings about that man were presently somewhat muddled, she was relieved when Gavin stepped inside.
“Ye look beautiful, cousin,” he said with a combination of awe and pride as he closed the door and looked her over.
“Thank ye,” Evina murmured, shifting uncomfortably under the praise, and then to change the subject, she asked, “Is everything all right? I was waiting for Da to come get me.”
“Aye. Uncle Fearghas sent me to fetch ye down. He’s a bit tender at the moment and didn’t think he could manage the stairs,” Gavin explained.
Some voice in Evina’s mind pointed out that he was failing her again, but she pushed it away. The past was the past, she reminded herself firmly.
“Ye were no’ planning to run away, were ye?” Gavin asked suddenly.
Evina dragged herself from her thoughts to peer at him with confusion. Her bewilderment showed in her voice when she asked, “What?”
When Gavin raised his eyebrows and gestured behind her, Evina turned and saw that the entrance to the passage was open. She stared at it with shock. It hadn’t been open when the women were here, or while Tildy was cleaning. They would have noticed. And it shouldn’t be open now. Her father had locked down the passages from the inside. No one should have been able to open it from the passage.
“I thought ye wanted to marry Conran?” Gavin said behind her, and she could hear the frown in his voice.
“Aye,” Evina breathed, and then moved quickly toward the opening, intending to close and lock it. She’d then have Gavin fetch Conran and the others to search the passages again. The attacker was obviously in there. At least, that was her thinking. But she never made it to the entrance. Evina had barely taken a step past the bed when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She started to turn, but was too slow. Even as she spotted the tall, balding man in a semiclean plaid raising up from his crouched position on this side of the bed, he was grabbing her arm and dragging her up against his chest.
“Gav—!” she managed to shout before he covered her mouth with one hand, and pressed a knife to her throat with the other.
“Whist, lass, ye’ll be drawing company we do no’ want,” he growled, pressing the knife sharply against her neck.
“Let her go,” Gavin demanded, drawing his sword from his belt and raising it threateningly.
“Lower the sword, lad,” her captor hissed. “And do no’ even think o’ callin’ out fer help, else I’ll slit her throat right now.”
Gavin hesitated, his hand tightening on his sword, but then he firmed his chin and shook his head.
Her captor released a low chuckle. “Hold on to it, then. But that broadsword looks heavy. Ye’ll tire eventually . . . and I can outwait ye. I hold all the cards.”
They all stood at a stalemate for what seemed an interminable amount of time, and then a knock sounded at the door.
Chapter 17
“There,” Aulay said, tugging at a pleat here and there. “Ye look fine.”
“Thank ye,” Conran muttered, sliding his sword into his belt. “And thank ye for the loan o’ the clean shirt and plaid. ’Tis most annoying no’ having any o’ me own plaids and shirts here.”
“I can imagine,” Aulay murmured, stepping back to peer at him before admitting, “’Twas a gift from Niels. Made from his own sheep.”
Conran raised his eyebrows at this news. “Then why did he no’ bring it to me?”
“He wanted to, but I said I would,” Aulay admitted. “I wanted to talk to ye.”
Conran sighed and shook his head. “I am marrying her, brother. There’s no need for threats, or beatings. I—”
“I ken that,” Aulay interrupted dryly. “Any fool could see ye’re in love with the lass and happy to marry her.”
Conran stiffened at the words and then grimaced slightly. “That obvious, is it?”
“Aye,” he said with amusement. “But that’s no’ what I came to talk about.”
“What did ye come to talk about, then?” Conran asked, his eyebrows rising.
“The plan the ladies cooked up,” Aulay said. “The tent.”
“Oh. Aye. The Sinclairs’ traveling tent,” he said heavily, recalling the plan the women had hatched up. He and Evina were to sleep in the tent tonight, their first night as husband and wife. It was supposed to be because with so many guests there was no room in the keep itself. But the truth was, the women were hoping that the bastard who kept trying to kill Evina would see their sleeping in the tent as a perfect opportunity and make one last attempt.
“Ye do no’ like the plan?” Aulay asked, not seeming surprised. “I thought it a good one.”
“Well, ’tis no’ yer Jetta who will be in the tent in peril if the bastard does make another attempt to kill her,” Conran pointed out shortly.
“Nay,” Aulay agreed. “’Twill be Evina.”
“Aye,” Conran growled.
“He may no’ attack,” Aulay pointed out soothingly. “We will have men stationed at the entrance and at each corner o’ the tent to make it seem like ye’re well-guarded.”
“Until the two at the back move forward to talk to the men at the front corners, leaving the back unguarded,” Conran said grimly, recalling what Alick and Geordie had told him when he’d pressed for an explanation. “And then he’s likely to slice through the back o’ the tent to enter and try to kill us while he thinks we’re sleeping. And hopefully, Geordie and Alick will be able to get out o’ the chests they’re hiding in quickly enough to stop him from harming Evina.”
“Dougall and Niels and I will be watching from the passage too,” Aulay reminded him. “’Tis why they had the tent set up amid the apple trees behind the kitchens. Besides, ye and Evina will have yer weapons too, and I doubt ye’ll be sleeping for worry that a murderer might be creeping up on the tent. Then too, just seeing how well-guarded the tent is at first might scare him off before the men move forward,” Aulay pointed out. “It may no’ work.”
Conran merely nodded, but he was torn between hoping the plan did, and didn’t, work. He wanted to catch the bastard, but would prefer a trap that didn’t put Evina in peril. Unfortunately, he hadn’t come up with one yet, and as much as he hated to admit it, Evina’s plan was a good one. She really was a clever wench.
“Anyway,” Aulay said now, “I just wanted to be sure ye kenned the plan.”
“Aye, I ken it,” Conran muttered with a sigh.
“Good. Then let’s go see ye married, brother,” Aulay said, heading for the door.
Grunting, Conran followed him to the door, and led the way out when Aulay opened it for him. He paused in the hall though when he saw Geordie and Alick crouching in front of Evina’s door, alternately pressing their ears to it, and then apparently trying to see through the wooden slats.
Conran was just opening his mouth to ask what the devil they thought they were doing when Geordie turned his head and spotted him and Aulay. Putting a silencing finger to his mouth, the man stood abruptly and hurried to stop them before they moved too close to the door to risk speech.
“What are ye doing?” Conran asked in a quiet hiss.
“Gavin just went in a minute ago,” Geordie explained.
“So?” Conran asked. “He is her cousin. He is probably fetching her for Laird Maclean. He was hobbling pretty good earlier. His wound is most likely troubling him. Between that and Evina’s still being weak, I suspect the two o’ them will have to take horses to the chapel.”
“Aye,” Geordie agreed.
“Did ye tell them?” Alick asked anxiously, joining them then.
“I was just about to,” Geordie said with irritation.
“Tell us what?” Aulay asked.
“We think someone is in there with them,” Alick said, his expression a cross between worry and excitement.
“Who?” Conran asked at once.
“We do no’ ken,” Geordie admitted. “The women went in and came out, and then Tildy came out and Gavin went in. Gavin and Evina should be the only ones in there.”
“What makes ye think they’re no’ alone, then?” Conran asked with a frown.
“Because shortly after Gavin went in, Evina started to shout his name, and then it sounded like two men were talking. At least, we heard Gavin speak and then someone answered in a voice almost too quiet to hear.”
“Mayhap ’tis Evina,” Aulay suggested.
The two younger brothers shook their heads at once, and then Geordie said, “‘The voice sounds too deep and raspy. ’Tis a man, I’m sure.”
“And ye did no’ go in to see what is about?” Conran asked with disbelief.
“It just happened, and we were trying to listen to see what was being said and decide what to do. If there is a man in there, our entering unexpectedly could put Evina and her cousin in peril,” Geordie pointed out. “Besides, we checked the room ere we let Evina in, and no one went past us, and the passages are all locked from the inside. There should be no one in there.”
Conran frowned and then said, “Ye’ll have to knock at the door. We need to ken if something is amiss or no’.”
“What do I say when one o’ them opens the door?” Geordie asked with a frown.
“If ’tis Gavin and ye can see into the room, just say ye were checking that all was well. But if ye can no’ see into the room, or he looks like something may be amiss, say ye just thought to let Evina ken that Aulay and I just headed down to the church so they may want to wait a few minutes before heading down themselves.”
“Why?” Geordie asked with confusion.
“Because he shall see me standing beside ye and ken we suspect something is amiss,” he pointed out patiently. “He may be able to give us a hint o’ what is happening.”
When Geordie said, “Right,” and nodded with understanding, Conran urged him back to Evina’s door and then stepped to the side, saw that Aulay was out of sight on the other side of the door and nodded at Geordie to go ahead.
His younger brother took a deep breath and then knocked at the door.
They all stood waiting for it to be answered, and it definitely took longer to be answered than it should have, Conran decided as they waited. Geordie was just raising his hand to knock again when the door was cracked open and Gavin peered out. The young man’s eyes slid over the four of them and then returned to Geordie.
“I was just . . . er . . .” Geordie glanced to Conran, and then tried again. “I just thought to let ye ken that Conran and Aulay have headed down to the chapel. Evina may want to wait a moment as she does no’ want him to see how lovely she looks in her dress yet.”
Gavin’s gaze sharpened, and he glanced to Conran, relief clear on his face. He obviously understood they suspected something. There was someone in there with them. Conran was sure of it, and was just trying to think of a question he could whisper to Geordie for him to ask that might gain them more information when Gavin—clever as his cousin—said, “I am glad to hear it. I feared he might try to escape marrying Evi by slipping away through the passages.”
Conran got the message loud and clear. Approach from the passage. Leaving Geordie to respond, he turned away at once, and slid along the hall back to Laird Maclean’s door.
“The Maclean locked the passages.”
Conran nearly jumped out of his skin at that whisper behind him, but then glanced over his shoulder to see that Aulay had followed and shook his head. “Obviously, someone unlocked them. Or at least the one to Evina’s room and whichever one they entered through to get to it.”
“Do ye ken how to unlock the Maclean’s passage?” Aulay asked as they slipped into the old man’s room.
“Aye,” he assured him, and slid his sword out as he strode across to the fireplace. Conran quickly turned the rock he’d seen the Maclean use to lock the entrance, and then turned the torch holder to open the passage. He held his breath as it slid open, and then moved to peer cautiously into the dark space. It looked empty, but there was a square of light pouring from the entrance to Evina’s room next door. The entrance in her room was open. Raising his sword, Conran entered the dark passage and began to creep silently toward that square of light.
“Nay, nay. Conran wants to marry yer cousin, and we all want him to as well,” Evina heard Geordie say from the other side of the door. “We’ll be happy to welcome her to the family.”
There was silence for a minute, and then Gavin said, “I’ll tell Evina that we should wait a few minutes, then.”
“Aye, ye do that,” Geordie muttered, and then as her cousin started to close the door, he added, “We’ll be right here. Waiting.”
Gavin finished closing the door and then turned to face Evina and her captor with a tight expression. She suspected he’d passed a message to the men in the hall with that comment about Conran escaping through the passages, but wasn’t sure if they’d got the message. And her cousin seemed to her to be trying to avoid looking at her. Evina didn’t know what that meant. And she didn’t like how still and quiet the man holding her was either. She feared he too suspected Gavin had tried to give the men a message with that comment. Trying to distract him, she asked, “The passages were locked. How did ye get in?”
“I unlocked them, did no’ I?” he said dryly, but his voice sounded distracted to her.
“How did ye even ken about the passages?” she asked, thinking that keeping him talking had to be good. It meant he couldn’t think. Hopefully. And if Gavin’s message had been understood and someone was even now coming up the passage from one of the other rooms to help them, she needed to give them time to get there. The problem was, Geordie and Alick didn’t know how to open the passages, or even exactly where they were. They’d need to fetch her father. They needed time.
“Me wife,” the man muttered, and Evina started to glance around in surprise, but stilled when the knife dug in deeper at her throat.
“Yer wife?” Gavin asked at once, drawing his attention again. “Who is yer wife? Is she a servant here?”
Much to her relief, the knife at her throat eased again as the man said with disgust, “Nay. Do I look like peasant stock to you? Me wife was Glenna MacLeod. Glenna Maclean MacLeod.”
Evina blinked at that announcement and met Gavin’s gaze, sure her expression was as bewildered as his by the claim. The man was obviously mad if he thought they’d believe Glenna had been married to a bandit ere marrying the MacLeod. Apparently, Gavin thought so too, because he raised his sword and eased a step closer.
“Nay,” her captor hissed at once, drawing Evina back a step toward the passage entrance. “Just stay still, and stay calm, son. Everything is fine. In fact, just stay out o’ this. I’m no’ here fer you.”
“That’s as may be,” Gavin growled, moving another step closer. “But if ye threaten me cousin, ye’ll be dealing with me as well. And if ye do no’ unhand her at once, I’ll call out to the men in the hall and ye’ll have a hell o’ a lot more than me to deal with.”
“Open yer mouth and I’ll slit her throat at once, son,” the man threatened.
“Stop calling me ‘son,’” Gavin snapped. “I’m no relation to you.”
“Aye, ye are,” the man growled, and then shook his head and said with exasperation, “I do no’ ken why ye’re making this difficult. I’m doing this fer yer benefit.”
“Me?” Gavin gasped the word with disbelief.
“Aye.” The man holding her sighed his foul breath across the side of her face, and then said, “I am yer da, boyo. I’m Garrick MacLeod. Yer father.”
Evina stiffened, and jerked her head around, getting a quick glimpse of his face before the knife digging into her throat made her turn forward again. It was enough. She suddenly realized why he had looked familiar to Tildy. The man had Gavin’s face, just older, rougher and with less of the intelligence evident on Gavin’s. That was enough to make her believe he was who he claimed to be, and that Garrick MacLeod hadn’t died as his brother had claimed.
Gavin obviously didn’t believe it though. He snorted at the claim and said coldly, “Me father is dead. He broke his own fool neck falling off his horse while riding drunk.” Mouth tightening, he added, “And none o’ this is for me. I have no desire to see me cousin dead. Besides, ye tried to kill me in the clearing. Was that fer me benefit too?”
“I didn’t ken ’twas you, did I?” Garrick MacLeod hissed defensively. “But as soon as the wench called ye Gavin, I realized ye were me boy and gave off and fled,” he pointed out, and then added, “Trust me, laddie, had I wanted ye dead, ye would be. Ye’re no’ bad with a sword, but I’m still the best who ever lived.”
