Page 9 of Bride Takes a Laird (Highland Vows & Vengeance #2)

M agnus held the door latch and peered back at his sleeping wife. He didn’t want to leave Kendra, but there were duties to see to, and being laird meant that he couldn’t linger in his bed. Quietly, he closed the door and took the stairs to the great hall. There, he grabbed a hunk of bread, shoved it in his mouth, and washed it down with half a cup of ale. Later, he’d return for the midday meal since he hoped to check on Kendra then.

Being home brought a sense of peace to him but it also reminded him that he was no closer to finding out who had murdered Ned. That duty was far more important and he needed to make progress soon.

A coldness had settled in the hall and he started a fire in the hearth to warm it. With the logs set with kindling, the spark from flint easily ignited it. None had risen yet but when they came to the hall, at least it would be warm. Magnus had hoped to see his mother so they might put aside their differences over Ned’s death, but he’d have to return later to see her.

He stepped through the entrance of the fief and felt the brisk breeze on his face and on the skin of his unclad legs. His tartan was thick enough to keep his body warm but did little to protect his legs.

Outside, the day was a wee bit chilly and cloudy. He hurried to meet Wyren who stood by the field holding Hale in his arms. Wrapped in a tartan and tied to Wyren’s body, Hale was cradled securely, and for once, content. Magnus bellowed a laugh.

His brother glared at him and shushed him.

Magnus kept his voice low. “Is he not a wee bit young to start his training?”

Wyren scoffed. “Aye, that he is. Och, my wife told me to take him out so she could get a wee bit of rest. My poor lass hasn’t gotten a good night’s sleep since he was born. ’Tis the truth neither of us has gotten more than a wink of sleep since the last full moon.”

“You should seek the healer or midwife’s advice. They will tell ye what ye can do to make him sleep at night.”

“I just might take your advice. I set the men to their training schedule for the day.”

Magnus turned and faced the field. More than two scores of soldiers sparred on the field. He spotted Jake right off and watched him. His brother was a large man, likely less than a hand taller than he was. Jake was good with the sword but given time, he would get better. “Should we make Jake a leader soon?”

Wyren shrugged. “I am not certain he is ready.”

“Why?” Magnus was surprised by Wyren’s objection. “I thought we agreed last eve that we would put him over some of the younger lads?”

“I get the feeling he is holding back. Something is off about him and he has been quiet of late. Give me more time to assess him.” Wyren untethered his son and held him out. “Take him for a moment, will ye?”

“Very well.” Magnus held Hale at eye level and grinned at the handsome bairn. He much looked like his brother with light hair. His eyes were still dark but appeared to be lightening. After he settled Hale in his arms, Magnus raked his eyes over the field and was pleased with the efforts his soldiers were putting forth. As he stood with his brother watching the various bouts and tarries, Hayden, one of his most trusted guardsmen approached and stopped before him .

“Laird.” He waited for permission to speak.

Magnus nodded to him. “Hayden, how goes it?”

“I finished the first round of my training earlier and was up just as dawn broke.”

“Aye, that is good. I am sure Wyren could use help with the lesser-skilled soldiers if ye want to join him in leading the men this morn.” Magnus continued to watch the soldiers and didn’t notice Wyren settle by a tree. His brother appeared to have fallen asleep, and likewise, his bairn. Hale slept heavily in his arms. He motioned to Hayden to follow him and they stood far enough away so they wouldn’t disturb his brother. Magnus kept his voice low so he wouldn’t disturb the bairn.

“We should give him a few minutes.”

“Aye, he’s been plagued with no sleep. I have stepped in for him when I found him sleeping on duty.” Hayden chuckled. “’Tis the truth I did not have it in my heart to wake him. Laird, Wyren asked all the soldiers if they noticed anything odd about Ned before his disappearance…”

“Did ye notice something? Speak it and tell me what ye know.”

Hayden fingered his dark beard and grimaced. “I did not think of it until now but… Ned was acting strangely then. I asked if he wanted to go to the village with me to partake drink at The Tavern, but he said he was too busy. Later that week though, I saw him there. He was involved in a dice game but did not see me.”

“Was he wagering?”

Hayden shrugged. “Probably, because most games are wagered. I did not see him after that, here or in the village. That was right around the time that he went missing. I regret now that I did not speak to him or find out why he was being evasive.”

“My thanks, Hayden, for coming forward. Wyren and I are going to the village later. I will ask if anyone saw him around that time. I need ye to relay a message to the gate watchmen. All need to be told… My wife’s father is to be kept within the walls. Tell them not to allow his passing through the gates.” Magnus described Kendra’s father to him. He had almost forgotten his promise to Kendra. If anything, he would ensure the man stayed within the walls so she wouldn’t worry about him.

“I will do so at once, Laird.” Hayden bowed and retreated to the lane that led to the gate.

Magnus returned to Wyren and shoved his leg with his foot. His brother opened his eyes and stretched. “We should make for the village soon if we want to get back before dark.”

He helped his brother to rise by taking his hand and yanking him upward. Wyren stood, took his son from him, and staggered toward his cottage. He walked beside him and his nephew remained asleep. When Magnus was about to say something, his brother shook his head so he remained quiet. At Wyren’s cottage, his brother entered and returned within a moment without Hale.

“Let us go.”

“Were ye able to settle him without waking him?”

“Aye, och I deem my bairn likes the sound of swords for he fell asleep within minutes of us being at the training field. Marny will be fortunate if he stays asleep until midday.” Wyren motioned him toward the stables.

Magnus found Winston and Sigge outside the entrance of the stable, and his attendant was giving his warhorse a good brushing with a wad of hay. In the adjacent corral, a handful of horses stood by a lone patch of grass that had sprouted, each trying to nibble the newly sprung blades. Their tails flicked and they blew air through their nostrils, sending wafts of steam in the air. The stable master, Vincent, was nowhere to be seen and must have still been inside the stables.

He nodded to his attendant. “Winston, saddle my horse, lad, and then ye should join the soldiers this day and get in some training.”

“Do ye not need me to go with ye, Laird? I should protect your back.”

“Nay, I appreciate the offer, but Wyren is going with me. We’re off to the village and will return before nightfall. Go and try not to enjoy yourself too much. After ye finish training, ye will stand guard at the fief and watch out for my wife.” Magnus laughed when Winston tossed the hay aside and returned a brief moment later, with his saddle and hurried to finish his tasks before he ran off. Sigge barked and ran after him in their excitement to get to the field.

Winston surpassed the lads his age at arms which was why Magnus had chosen him as his personal attendant. Since Winston didn’t need to train on the field all day, he found other things for him to do. That got him thinking that he might need to put Winston in charge of a fledgling group of young ones just starting, once the business of finding out who murdered Ned was finished. For now, he would command that Winston protect Kendra when he was not within the walls. If there was a foe within his clan, he wanted his wife protected.

*

He and Wyren rode toward Fassiefern, a small hamlet on the north shore of Loch Eil that had a tavern situated in the village’s center. Many travelers stopped on the way to the north at the tavern. It was a good resting place of spectacular beauty.

Magnus chuckled when he viewed his brother who’d let his horse’s reins loose. Wyren closed his eyes and slouched as the horse trudged along. At least his brother could get a wee bit of shut-eye on the trek. He took hold of the reins and guided his brother’s horse along.

The afternoon cooled with a hearty wind blowing from the west but the sun shone when the clouds grew sparser. Magnus eased at the beauty that surrounded him. Sounds of siskins, bullfinches, woodpeckers, and crossbills sounded in the woodland along the trail. The views of the Suileag River came into sight and he breathed deeply taking the pristine air into his chest. Not only did the view of the bonny land ease him, but the sound of the running water lent to the ambiance of its serenity.

“If Ned was wagering at dice, I know a man that we can talk to when we get to the village. He’ll know where the games take place.”

Magnus shot his gaze to his brother. “I thought ye were asleep.”

“Nay, just closing my bleary eyes, och but I am awake. I trust not riding through these woods. The Chattans are oft near here and I would not leave myself open to attack.” Wyren took hold of his horse’s reins and picked up his pace. “Come, the sooner we get there the sooner we can return.” He rode past him.

Magnus signaled to his horse to pick up the pace and trailed his brother. At the village, many hawkers had called it a day and closed their carts and huts. At the end of the lane sat the whitewashed stone building of the tavern with its worn wooden signage. Simply called The Tavern , it was owned by a member of the MacDonald Clan who welcomed anyone be they aligned or a rival of his clan. Tom was more after the patron’s coins rather than their friendship.

A small hostel afforded them a place to secure their horses while they visited the village. There, they tethered their horses and paid for a small helping of feed. Magnus wanted to get his questions answered so he could return home. He wondered briefly how Kendra was getting on, but he shouldn’t worry about her. She was safe and with his family. Besides, he had told her that he was often away and that he wouldn’t see her much.

Near the building, Wyren stepped over a gully that had formed from recent rains and opened the door. Inside the stale odor of ale drifted to him. Magnus drew in the scent. He liked the tavern’s ale, for it was dark and tasted less sweet than other ales and the head was much creamier. He ordered their drinks and found an unoccupied table nearest to the small hearth at the far end of the room. The Tavern had a dozen tables and a high trestle table where patrons could stand or where they ordered their drinks.

Magnus peered about the establishment and noticed a door across from them. He tilted his head, silently alerting Wyren of its location. “Do ye think that is where they wager?”

“I would say so. Och , let us wait until the servant comes.”

A few minutes later, two large tankards of ale were set before them. Wyren put a coin into the hand of their server, an older voluptuous woman who kept her eyes averted. “Is there by chance a game of dice being played this day?”

The server shook her brown-haired head and hastened away. He hadn’t seen the server before and she must be newly employed at The Tavern. Magnus disregarded the server and picked up his cup. He drank deeply until he almost emptied the tankard. “They serve the best ale here. Do ye see that friend of yours? Perchance he can tell us if there’s a game of dice happening.”

“I do not see him. Let us wait a wee bit. Maybe he will come. How was your night? Was your wife as pleasurable as ye hoped?”

Magnus chuckled. “Aye, she was.” He didn’t elaborate because it would be unseemly to do so. Yet he grinned at the remembrance of the passion he’d shared with Kendra. It almost made him wish he hadn’t left her early that morning but he looked forward to the night to come.

As Magnus sat there, his back was to the patrons. His brother motioned to the server who came and hastily refilled their tankards.

“Did ye hear what Hayden said? If Ned was wagering… I wonder where he got the coins? Ye do not think he took from our coffers, do ye?”

Wyren scowled hard at him. “I should hope the hell not. Have ye looked at the manuscripts yet and done an accounting? Surely they should be current and only the sums from when Ned had gone missing have yet to be added.”

Magnus grunted. “When have I had time? As soon as we buried Ned, I hailed off to Edinburgh. Now I am trying to find out what happened to him. I’ll get to it soon. If Ned used the clan’s coffers to pay for his wagering, I will curse him in hell.”

“Rest easy, brother, we know not if that is the case.” Wyren chuckled. “I never would have thought that Ned had the bollocks to take the clan’s coins. He was too pigeon-hearted and tied to our mother’s apron to do something so clever or ballsy.”

Magnus bellowed a laugh. “Aye, maybe he did not. I will find out though soon enough when I have time to look at the manuscripts.”

“There is my comrade,” Wyren said and stood. “Await me here. I’ll find out if any games are being played in the village.” He moved away and met with a man across the tavern. The man was a short stout man who wore no particular clan’s tartan. The vagrant spoke to his brother but Magnus couldn’t hear their words. Wyren gripped the man and lifted him off the floor. His brother set the man back on his feet, smoothed his tunic, and ambled away.

“Come, there’s a small barn behind the hostelry where they partake of dice and debauchery. We should find our answers there.”

Back outside, Magnus followed his brother to the hostel. They reverted around the building and crept toward the old barn in the distance. It appeared to be falling down with broken pieces of wood nailed over the gaps and holes in its sides and roof.

When they reached the door, Wyren yanked it open, practically removing it from its worn hinges. “After ye, brother.”

Magnus stepped inside and Wyren followed. He unfastened the loop of his dagger’s sheath and set his hand on the hilt. He didn’t much care for the look of the place or its occupants. The smell alone in the barn was rancid and he couldn’t even begin to guess what or where it came from. There was little candlelight to brighten the confines, but near the game, at least four candles sat on wooden crates.

A group of men shot their gazes at them but they returned their attention to the game at hand .

One man strolled toward them with a glare in his eyes. “This be a private place. Ye be trespassing. Ye best be leaving afore Aldo comes.”

Wyren scoffed and then grinned. He held a pouch of coins and shook it, and the tinkle of them drew the man’s gaze. “I am looking to place some wagers. I heard there was a game of dice happening here. Och , if ye don’t want my coins, say so now, and we shall be on our way.”

“If ye be willing to part with your coins, step this way.” The man turned back to those immersed in the game and held his arm out as if guiding Wyren onward.

Wyren turned and spoke low, “Ye go on and question the others whilst I keep this knave busy and maybe I shall come away with some extra coins.” His brother flashed a wily grin.

Magnus lingered by the group of men. He asked if anyone knew his brother Ned. Two men shook their heads. A man who stood by an old pen trudged toward him. He appeared to want to talk so Magnus drew him away from the others.

“Did ye see Ned of Clan Cameron here about a month or so ago? He’s about my height with lighter hair. He went missing and we found him dead, but we are trying to trace his last moments.”

The man bobbed his head. “Aye, I know Ned Cameron. I saw him here oft. He played dice with that man,” he said and pointed to another man who seemed to be in charge. “I heard he owed a good bit of coin to Aldo, at least, half a dozen shillings. I do not think Aldo ever collected the debt though because Ned never showed up for their meeting.”

“He was going to meet Aldo to repay his debt?”

The man bobbed his head again. “Aye, I went with Aldo to meet him at The Tavern. We waited but he never showed. Then about a sennight later we heard Ned was dead.”

“Had Ned lost before to Aldo?”

“Oh, aye, he was not good at wagering and lost a good bit of coins to him. The last time he was here, he said he was going to recoup what he lost, but in the end, he ended up losing. We all felt bad for him. Och , that’s what happens…the luck of the roll.”

Shouts came from the players and Wyren held his hand out. The man, Aldo, placed a few coins in his brother’s hand and he appeared disgruntled by it. Wyren always had a lucky hand at whatever he played, be it dice, cards, or even archery. “My thanks, sirrahs, for the coins.” He turned away and patted the seam of his tunic to ensure the coins were secure.

Magnus motioned to his brother with the tilt of his head. They retreated from the old barn and outside, he stopped and waited to see if anyone followed. Knaves akin to those inside the barn might want to recoup their losses, and by that, Magnus suspected they could be set upon on their ride home. But the barn door remained closed and no one followed. He hastily told Wyren what he’d found out.

“So Ned had wagered and lost. If he did not meet with Aldo then mayhap our coffers were not completely depleted.”

“God, I hope not. I will have to look into it when I get home. I vow, I trusted Ned and didn’t check the manuscripts or coffers. The thought never crossed my mind that he’d do something so indecent. I never should have listened to da and made him our steward.” Magnus’s chest tightened with woe. He should have been more diligent in double-checking Ned’s accounting and hadn’t ignored his untrusting nature. Why had he been so bloody daft and staunch?

“We do not know if Ned ruined us yet. Let us head home and find out.”

Magnus fumed. Even though the man told him Aldo never collected the coins from his brother, he had to wonder how many coins had Ned lost to him prior. And what if Aldo had murdered his brother for the unpaid debt? He wasn’t about to trust the word of the man or his croony. They could have murdered his brother. Until they had proof though, he would stay his hand and wait. Yet impatience wore on him to get the matter settled and behind him.

Never had he thought Ned would steal from them. Yet he did not know if that was certain. It would take him more than a fortnight to go through the accounting of their stores and coins. He hoped with all his heart that his brother had not been deceitful and caused his own death. If that was so, then his vengeance would be for naught.