Page 41 of Bride Takes a Laird

Magnus frowned deeply at what she’d told him. Who within his clan would do such a thing? The mystery of what happened to Ned further confounded him. He had to find out who tried to extort the coins from him and about Ned’s underhanded dealings. Who within his clan had the bollocks to threaten his brother? He was about to make his exit when the woman leaned toward him.

“There’s no need to rush off. You are quite handsome, Laird Cameron. Perhaps you would like to join me this night. Free of charge, of course. I can have Odran sent away and we can be alone. Unless you wish to join us.” With the back of her hand, she flapped it at the man, who had continued to focus on the window.

“Stay where ye are, Odran. I am afraid, Mistress Mary, that I have no time to take ye up on your generous offer. My thanks for the information.” Magnus pulled a small sack of coins from within his tunic and set them on the table by the door on his way out.

He reached his brethren and they fled the manor. Outside, he called to his horse, mounted, and cantered away from the sordid place. As he rode for home, Magnus was weary at the prospect of finding out who wanted to coerce coins from Ned. He believed the mistressbecause Aldo certainly didn’t have the bollocks to murder anyone even if he was owed coins.

Hayden sidled next to him. “What happened? Did ye find out what happened to Ned?”

“Not yet. Soon.”

Jake flanked the other side of him. “What did the mistress say? Was Ned there? Was he with anyone else?”

“She said he was there but did not say if anyone was with him. The woman gave little detail.” That was all he was about to say on the matter. He’d kept what Mistress Mary had told him to himself. Magnus would speak to Wyren about it, but other than that, he trusted no one. Someone within his clan murdered his brother and he was filled with rage. How dare they try to extort coins from a Cameron? That they murdered Ned over riches infuriated him, but what was worse was that it was done by his clansmen.

The closer he got to home, the more enraged Magnus became. His breath increased and his fingers gripped the reins of his horse with absolute determination. He wanted retribution and his vow to seek vengeance purged through him, heating his blood.

Before they reached the woodland that sprawled over the hills near his fief, he heard the sound of riders a short distance away. Magnus motioned to his men to take cover in case it was a rival clan that rode through. He thought it might be the Cameron sentry doing their nightly duty, but when he took in the form of the lead rider, he discerned that he wasn’t from his clan. Was he a Chattan soldier? Magnus was unsure but who else would trespass on their land but the Chattans?

Magnus shouted his clan’s war cry, “Sons of the Hounds, Come Hither And Get Flesh!”

The ting of swords being pulled from his soldiers’ scabbards rang in the air. Magnus wasn’t about to let the Chattans get away with trespassing on his land, and this day, he would prove it.

Chapter Fifteen

When she awakened,Magnus had already left. Kendra smiled to herself in remembrance of the night she spent with Magnus in the woods. The May Day celebration was enjoyed by all and she couldn’t wait until the next celebration. She spent the morning in their bedchamber and entered the figures from the parchments that hadn’t been added. The only thing left to do was to compare the numbers to the counts Winston had given her to that of the totals in the manuscripts. She closed the volume and sighed because she had yet to figure out how to tell Magnus that she had remedied the problem for him. He was probably going to be surprised and perhaps delighted that she had handled the situation for him. She understood how pressing the matter was.

A knock came at the door and she rushed to open it. A young soldier stood on the other side.

“Milady, the gate watch asked me to deliver this message to ye.” He held out a parchment.

Kendra thanked him and took it. He turned and left, so she closed the door and peered at the parchment. Who would send a missive to her? The writing was unknown and she shuffled toward the window to better see it. Hastily, she opened the parchment and read:

My dearest Mistress Kendra, I have heard the most atrocious news that you have married a man bidden by the king. As you know, yourfather accepted my bride price and yet I have no bride. I request the sum which I paid returned to me posthaste. If I do not receive the coins that I gave to your father by summer’s end, I shall take the Graham manor by default. I expect to hear from you soon. ~E. Heatherington

She couldn’t catch her breath as she rasped at the words before her eyes. As she’d feared, the situation with Heatherington had escalated and she despaired to figure out a way to repay him. If only her father remembered where he’d put the coins.

Somehow, she didn’t fall to the floor in a heap as hopelessness threatened to overtake her. Her hands shook and she crumbled the missive and gripped it tightly in her hand as she paced the chamber and tried to calm down. There was nothing she could do until she found the coins.

Until then, she would consider the matter and try to figure out a way to repay the knave. Somehow, she would think of something to remedy her situation.

The midday meal was likely served and she found she could eat a bite. She hadn’t eaten all morning and now she was ravenous. Kendra wrapped her mother’s shawl around her shoulders, trying to warm and comfort herself as she made her way to the hall to eat.

When she opened the door, she almost bumped into Linet. “There you are. I wondered why you hadn’t come to see me this morn. I was just on my way to the hall for the midday meal.”

Linet appeared pretty in one of her favorite frocks, a dark blue overdress with cream embellishments along the edges of the seams. Her hair was even done in a coif. Usually, she wore her hair down. “I am sorry for being tardy, but I helped Ellen this morn prepare for the supper meal and then I went to check on your da and John. I took them bread and a jug of ale.”

So visiting John was the reason for Linet’s special care with her appearance. Kendra decided not to mention it, however. Instead, shesaid, “That was kind of you. How is my papa this morning?”

Her friend’s face saddened with the dip of her chin. “We haven’t talked about this but… You are aware that he is getting worse? He didn’t know who I was.”

She nodded and took a deep breath through her nose. “His memory falters. He didn’t recognize me either, when I most recently visited. Laird Hugh told me that he spoke of my mother and that he said he would soon join her. Do you think he knows he will soon die? My heart is full of woe because I cannot bear to think of losing him.”

Linet set her hand on her shoulder. “When his time comes, you will have the strength to deal with it. More than anyone, you have courage and we shall face the loss of him together.”

Kendra wrapped her arms around her friend and briefly closed her eyes. She wanted to tell her about Heatherington’s message but didn’t want to worry her friend. She was more than enough worried for them both. “I want to weep at the thought of it but you know how I detest crying. Your friendship gives me courage, Linet. My thanks.”

“Go on down to the hall and have your meal. I’ll tidy your chamber. Perhaps I’ll have a bath readied for you and will choose your most becoming gown for this night’s supper.” Linet pulled away from her and started on her tasks.