Page 23 of Bride takes a Scot (Highland Vows & Vengeance #1)
I sabella was dead on her feet. She’d tended to Robbie throughout the night and by morning his wounds were stitched, they were soothed with a healing balm, and he was cleaned. The man appeared to rest comfortably though he wasn’t out of danger. There was always the risk of infection. Through her ministrations, Isabella prayed he would survive.
Twice he awakened and groaned from the pain of his injuries. He had only settled once she made a tincture which put him to sleep in little time. She was careful to only use the tiniest pinch of henbane to ease him. The man was Declan’s brother-in-law and their son’s uncle. He was family even though he didn’t belong to the MacKendrick clan.
By morning, Isabella’s eyes were bleary, and she fell asleep sitting by the man’s bedside. She hadn’t heard Declan enter the room but awakened and sighed when he lifted her in his arms. It felt too good to rest in his embrace, so she relaxed and let him carry her to their bedchamber in the abutting room. There, he set her gently on the bed and knelt next to it. He pressed his hands over her hair and set a light kiss on her lips.
“Rest, love, ye did well and saved him. I am grateful.”
“He is not out of danger, Declan. I should be there in case he needs attention,” she said, sitting up. She tried to shimmy from the bed.
Declan pressed her back. “I will have the healer sit with him while you rest. Lillith should be arriving soon. I must tell ye, Robbie was attacked in my woods. Someone awaited him there and ambushed him. I need to go and find the interlopers.”
“I understand but you’ll be cautious? I will worry for you.”
“There will be more than a score of soldiers with me. We are setting a trap for the miscreants. I detest leaving you, love, but I must find out who threatens us.”
Isabella pulled him closer and set a gentle kiss on his lips. “Be safe and promise to return to me.” She wouldn’t release him until he spoke the words.
“I promise to return to ye.” Declan gave her a passionate kiss that nearly caused her to swoon. “Ye make it difficult to leave. I placed additional guards around our walls and our home. Ye should be safe, but I would rather ye not go outside the walls until this enemy is found. No traipsing to the loch with Noah.”
“I will stay within the walls. Worry not,” she vowed. Exhausted, Isabella closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.
*
When she opened her eyes, Declan was gone. Isabella blinked and stretched. She must have slept long because it appeared the sun was beginning to rise. With haste, she rushed through her morning routine and hurried to see how Robbie was doing. There were no sounds from within the chamber. She entered and found him sleeping.
The healer likewise slept in a chair. Lillith, she’d been told, had tended to the clan for only a short amount of time. She appeared young, probably the same age as she. Her long blondish-brown hair was braided and pulled to the front of her. Isabella touched her shoulder and startled poor Lillith.
“Do you want me to take over?”
Lillith shook her head. “Ye go on about your day. Edith says she shall come later this morn.”
Isabella nodded and left the chamber. There was still much to settle in their new home. Although it was late summer, almost autumn, there was a chill about the fief. She needed to have the lads return and light fires to warm the rooms.
She opened the door and found Slone awaiting her. “Good morn, Slone. I take it Declan has left the holding?”
“Aye, Milady, yestereve. I am to see to your protection. If ye need to leave the keep, ye should tell me so. Our laird told me to keep ye inside, though.”
Isabella understood the need for protection since Declan was certain their enemy was close. She wouldn’t do anything to cause unnecessary worry for the soldier. “I shall be here within. But might I ask you to bring Noah and Marian here? And tell Rhona and Claude to come as well.”
“I will have a soldier give them your messages.”
“Good, and please send the lads that were here the other day. There is still plenty to do to situate the rooms and I want to have everything settled by the time Declan returns.”
He bowed to her.
Isabella returned to the great hall and repositioned the large table that sat at the end of the long room. It was heavy and she could barely budge it, but finally she got it in place. By the time she had all the chairs reset, Edith had arrived with a tray full of morning foodstuff. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she smelled the delicious scent wafting from the pottage.
“Sit ye down, Milady, and eat, afore ye fall down from hunger.” Edith placed a hardened trencher before her and filled it with the stew.
“Are most of the men gone?”
Edith sat across from her. “Aye, it is eerie having none of the soldiers making noise or taking up the lanes. We should prepare and make ready for their return. There could be injuries to tend to. I have had the maids bring more water from the loch, in case we need to heat it.”
“We shall be prepared. I’ll make additional bandages and mix some medicinals to have at hand.” Isabella hoped none of the MacKendrick soldiers sustained injuries. “Do you suppose they will war with whomever this enemy is?”
“Men like to war. It is their nature to do so. Laird Declan seeks vengeance so I vow the men shall make war.” Edith took a roll and broke it into small pieces. As she ate, she regarded Isabella. “Ye look tired, Milady. Do not overdo it this day.”
“There is too much to do. I have no time to sit and take rest.”
Marian entered with Noah running out from behind her skirts. He didn’t stop until he’d reached her. Isabella pulled him into a bear hug and lifted him from the floor. “I vow you have grown since I have come. Soon, you’ll be as tall as your da.”
That brought forth a wide grin from Noah. “Da says I will be bigger than him one day.”
How well he was speaking! Her heart filled with joy. He was so different from the wild lad she’d first encountered. Or the distant child who’d played with a rock and a piece of string in the corner of a cottage, lost in his own world. “I certainly believe that is so. Now, we are all to stay here, inside the fief, until your da returns. Why do you not go and pick out a bedchamber, Noah, and we shall get your things and make a room here for you.”
Noah’s mouth hung open. “Milady? I shall stay here with you and da?”
“Yes, of course you will. You are now my son too, Noah. We want you to be here with us. That is if you want to be.” Isabella wasn’t prepared for the tears that gathered in the lad’s eyes.
He rushed forth and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I would like that, but only if ye let me call ye ‘Mama.’”
Now Isabella’s eyes misted. “You can call me whatever you wish. I would love it if you called me ‘Mama.’”
Marian sniffled. “Ye have this old woman ready to weep.”
“That goes for you too, Marian. You will not live in that lonely old cottage by yourself. There is plenty of room here within the fief and I enjoy your company.”
“Since that horrible harridan is gone, I shall be pleased to stay here.” Marian smiled and dabbed her eye. “That is the only reason why I left Declan’s home.”
Rhona and Claude strolled into the great hall. Isabella gazed at those who joined her, and her heart filled with love. Those people were now her family, and she would do whatever it took to make them happy.
“Rhona, have you settled on the day you will wed? Declan promised he would set a day for your wedding.” Isabella took her hand and guided her toward Marian.
“Did Declan not tell ye? We are going to do it the morning of the harvest festival.”
“You will need a beautiful gown for your special day. Marian, will you help Rhona make an appropriate dress for her wedding? You make the most exquisite garments.” Isabella had seen the gowns in Marian’s cottage from when she was a young woman. They were simple but elegant.
The two linked arms and removed themselves to the chairs by the hearth. Marian and Rhona were animated as they spoke about what kind of material to use and the finer details of what the dress should entail.
Isabella sat back at the table and tried to finish her pottage. Claude joined her. He was quiet. “How are you this day, Claude?”
“Well, Milady. We are to have a special Mass to bless the relics we found in the cave. Friar Faelan wants to do it soon because he says our prayers will give the relics a special place in our hearts. He means to bless them before he places them on the altar. I shall go and join him if ye do not need me.”
“I shall see you later, Claude. Be sure to return for supper.”
“Isabella, I am going to help Gran gather her and Noah’s belongings and we will bring them here,” Rhona said. She motioned to Marian to walk ahead of her. “We shall return before supper.”
Isabella nodded to her and took the small trencher that held pottage in her hand. She ate as she assessed the room for anything else that needed doing.
Edith rose and rounded the table. “I am going to see cook about this night’s supper and I will have the bedding brought in. It was laundered yestereve. It should be dry by now. We shall get everyone sorted before nightfall.”
The maid left her, and Isabella finished her meal. She remembered that Declan had given her a missive the day before. With the chaos of the day, she had forgotten to read it. Isabella practically ran to her bedchamber. She searched for the gown she had worn the day before and rummaged through the seams. Carefully, she pulled out the missive and flattened it. It was a bit rumpled from being creased inside the seam.
She hoped to hear good news from her parents and recognized her mother’s writing. With shaking fingers, she cracked the seal and opened the parchment:
Dearest Daughter, I hope this missive finds you happy in your marriage. It is with the sad news that I impart the death of your brother. We received word that he perished in the war against the infidels. Your father has been duly punished by King Alexander for stealing horses, and we must flee our home before the warder comes to imprison him. The lord must have won the king’s support for we are now in peril. We shall flee below the border. Worry naught for us. Your ever-loving mother, JF.
Isabella drew a deep breath. She was saddened to hear the news of Christopher’s death. Tears trickled over her cheeks at the thought that she would never see him again. Then she thought of her parents. How many times had she warned her father that he would eventually be caught? Her father wouldn’t cease his thievery and now he’d probably stolen from a higher-ranking lord who insisted the king take action against him. Now her parents had fled below the border into England. Lord only knew where they would end up but she couldn’t worry for them. They had made their bed and now they must lay upon it. Still, she would add them to her prayers when she sought to take Mass.
For the rest of the afternoon, she kept herself busy and tried not to think of Declan out in the woods waiting for his foe to show. She checked on Robbie again and still he slept but Edith told her that Lillith’s tinctures were much more powerful than hers. Isabella was always careful not to use too much medicinal in her remedies. She had heard about the effects of what such a tincture could do—end the life of the poor person who needed aid.
Isabella wandered through the keep. She’d finished all that she had planned to do. At the bottom of the stairs, the door opened, and Slone stepped inside. He had a look of concern on his face, one that alerted her that there was trouble. His brows furrowed and his jaw tightened before he addressed her.
“Milady, there is something amiss. I am going to the gate to find out what is happening. Stay inside and lock the door until I return.”
She grabbed his arm before he could depart. Her grip tightened in the same manner that clutched her heart. “Have the men returned? Is Declan all right? Oh, I hope it’s not the men who attacked Robbie. What is happening?”
Slone shrugged his shoulder and pulled back from her. “There were shouts. I must find out if all is well. Secure the door. I’ll return as soon as I can.”
After the soldier left, Isabella spotted a beam leaning against the wall which probably secured the door. She set the wooden post in place and jammed the bolt into it with shaky hands. She hurried to the back entrance and noticed the door was open. Footsteps sounded on the back stairs and sent a flutter of nerves to her stomach. Someone had come in through the back. Maybe it was Noah. It would be like a small lad to come in and leave the door ajar. Isabella closed and latched it. Then she hastened to the stairs and reached the first-floor landing.
Noah was enthralled with the bedchamber he had chosen for himself, and she had no doubt that he was there. Of course, Edith still hadn’t returned from her meeting with the cook. The men had gone to the gate. That only left the healer inside the fief with her, and Robbie in his bed. A bang sounded as if a door closed. With each step she took in the hallway, her pulse pitched to her ears and a dampness flushed her forehead. She had to make sure no one had entered and approached the chamber where Robbie rested.
Isabella opened the door and saw Lillith staring at her with wide eyes. Her gaze was intent, and Isabella instantly knew there was trouble given the look of fear on the healer’s face. She stood at the door unknowing what to do and breathed heavily through her nose. Someone was in the chamber with the healer. Robbie still slumbered from his medicinal-induced tincture. Lillith raised her chin and moved her eyes to the side, once, twice, three times. Isabella took that as a signal to mean she should flee. She gently pulled the door closed, but then it was opened with a force that propelled her forward. A man she didn’t recognize took hold of her arm and swung her inside.
The man was young, perhaps the same age as Declan. He was just as tall, muscular, with dark wavy strands of hair falling to his shoulders. She couldn’t tell if he smiled or not as his lengthy beard all but covered his mouth. His eyes had darkness in both color and in the way he looked at her.
He motioned to the healer. “Be gone.”
Lillith gave her a sorrowful glance as she passed her and fled from the room. The man slammed the door shut and stood before it.
“Who are you?” she asked in awe. “Why are you here?”
“Dermot Murray, Milady MacKendrick.”
“You know who I am, but you have me at a disadvantage—”
“Your beauty is spoken of far and wide. I came to speak to Declan, but he is not here?”
She shook her head and wished her husband was home. The man before her appeared dangerous and a tremor of fear stiffened her spine. His voice came in a deep burr mixed with both English and Gaelic words. She understood enough of what he asked. “He is with the soldiers and should return shortly…for the mid-day meal.” Isabella purposely lied because she didn’t want him to know Declan was gone.
Murray laughed. “’Tis well past sext, Milady, as well ye know. Ye tell a falsehood, do ye not? It matters not because my men even now are cutting him down in his own woods.”
Isabella pressed her hands against her chest and drew a fearful breath. “Why…why would you want to hurt Declan? He is your friend, is he not? I have heard him speak of you.”
“He is no friend of mine though he deems we are comrades,” the man’s voice took on a vehemence that spoke volumes of his hatred for Declan. He loomed by the door, blocking her exit.
Would he kill her? He intended to kill Declan? She kept her distance, hoping and praying that someone would soon come to help her. She looked for anything she could use to protect herself, but there was nothing except medicinal jars and cloths that sat on a table behind her. The chamber wasn’t overlarge but big enough to fit a large bed, a side table which held a pitcher, a chair, and a basin table. One lone small window provided some light.
“What do you intend to do here?” Isabella backed up against the table where the healer set her items and medicinals. She had to do something to aid herself and with her eyes fastened on the bottle that held the mixture of ‘devil’s eyes’. The potion was tasteless and odorless. He wouldn’t be able to detect it and she made a small unnoticeable nod. If anything, she’d put the man to sleep and could get the guards.
“Declan foiled my plans time and again. It is time to end it.”
“He can be quite vexing, can’t he? Why don’t you sit for a spell? I will get you a drink.” She retrieved the pitcher, turned to the table, and with her back to him, she sneakily added a few drops of the tincture. She turned back to him and smiled, held the cup up, and poured a bit of water into a cup. Isabella apprehensively stepped toward the man and handed him the cup. “Drink and tell me why you want to thwart him. What has Declan done to cause your affront?”
Dermot held the cup in his hand but didn’t drink from it. He set the cup on his thigh, holding it ever so still. Her heart beat hard in her chest in wait for him to take a swig. “I murdered Laird Campbell. It had to be done so I could accuse Declan of his murder, but then the damned king allowed his freedom. I thought he would be tried and beheaded or at the least, hung, and that would be the end of it.”
“Good heavens. Why would you want to accuse Declan of Allan Campbell’s murder?” Isabella tried not to glance at the cup and kept her gaze fixed on his face. Lord, she prayed, please let him take a sip or two. She tried to distract him and get him to talk about his problems.
Murray scoffed. “I shouldn’t tell ye, but aye, for payment, for his family’s debauchery. Your husband was taken to the king’s dungeons, and I thought my problem was solved until I heard tell the king released him. The problem was, I did not discern that Declan was friendly with Alexander.”
She tried to appear demure and smiled. “The king needed unmarried men to wed to the women he chose by the border.”
Murray laughed and the edges of his eyes crinkled. “’Tis humorous, that. When I heard that Declan was released, I tried to end him in the woods, but his men thwarted me, and he got away.”
Isabella frowned but then quickly changed her demeanor to humor. She chuckled. “Was that when he returned home with an injured leg?”
Murray leaned to the side and peered at the tables. “Aye, and I suppose that healer fixed him up, or did ye?” He fondled his beard and his eyes changed from mirth to a stern mien.
“Of course, I did. It was my duty to mend my husband.”
“Your husband will no longer exist after this day.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “Does this distress ye? Aye, I hope it does.”
Isabella couldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. She had to remain pragmatic and gain his acceptance of her if she was to survive, for she had no doubt he intended to kill her along with Declan and perhaps everyone in their clan. “Not at all. I am not one to become distressed and I don’t believe in love. We made a marriage contract to which I have held my part of the bargain. So, you seek revenge against Declan because of what his family did? What did his family do?”
Murray took a sip of the water and then another. “His mother took advantage of my father. They were at a festival, and she lured him into a tent where they had relations.”
Isabella held her breath as he looked down at the cup he held and frowned. But then he shook himself and said, “Their affair continued and when my mother found out about it, she killed Declan’s mother. Aye, she forced her to take a potion that did her in and killed her almost instantly. That would have sufficed as retribution but then my mother took her own life after because she could not live with the guilt of taking Lady MacKendrick’s life.”
It was funny how he too was consuming a potion of sorts and yet, was unaware of it. “I am sorry, Dermot, that you suffered. You do know that Declan had nothing to do with his mother’s actions and he has suffered too.” Isabella took his cup and returned to the table where she kept her back to him. Her heart thudded in her chest as she added a few more drops of “devil’s eyes” to the cup. The man was large and apparently needed more medicinal than she’d thought. She turned back to him and held the pitcher, refilled his cup in his view, and handed it back to him.
“It matters not. Before I am through, no one will ever remember the name MacKendrick. I will ensure his clan is abolished and that Campbell’s clan is too.”
“What has Robbie to do with this?”
Murray grinned. His speech was somewhat slurred when he answered, “He will seek revenge, aye for the murder of his da, his sister, and his comrade. I mean to take care of that before he gets the better of me.”
“You mean before Laird Campbell seeks his own justice?”
“Justice will be enacted but only by me,” Dermot said and tilted on his chair.
Isabella stayed where she was and stared at the madman. “I hope you don’t intend to harm me. I suspect you deem that by harming me, you will hurt Declan. But I assure you he cares not for me.”
“Now I know ye speak falsely. Just look at ye. You are a bonny woman, and any man would be pleased to be married to ye. Surely Declan cares for ye. If ye were my wife, I certainly would care.” Murray slid from his chair onto the floor and gazed up at her in wonder.
Isabella stepped back waiting for him to succumb. “You compliment me when you don’t even know me.”
“I…Ye…are…a clever…lass,” Murray stammered and pitched to the floor, flat out.
Isabella gasped and jumped back. She breathed heavily at the danger she’d been in. With the man unconscious, she had to ensure he was unable to move if he awakened. She took the ties from the newly hung window coverings and tied the man’s hands and feet with them. She checked on Robbie to discover that he watched her through his slitted eyes.
“Stay still, Laird Campbell. You are at the MacKendrick keep. We have tended your wounds, but you must be still, or you will undo the care.”
He gestured with his chin and his voice emerged in a whispered rasp. “What is Murray doing here? And why is he tied up?”
Isabella smiled and enlightened him. “He is your enemy. Worry not, he cannot harm you now, at least not for a time. I have rendered him asleep.”
“What did ye do to him?” Robbie raised his head to lean toward the side of the bed and scowled at Murray.
“I gave him a drink. Of course, it was laced with a few drops of the ‘devil’s eyes’. He shall be out for some time.” Isabella heard the banging on the keep’s door. Shouts came and she glanced out the window casement in the chamber. There were what appeared to be two scores of soldiers ramming the door. “I best go and let them in before they break the door down.”
Laird Campbell guffawed and lay back.
“Declan would not like that at all because the door was only recently put on. He’s fond of this fief.” She opened the door and smiled at him as she passed through the threshold.
Isabella rushed down the stairs and unlatched the beam holding the door closed. Within seconds, the great hall filled with soldiers. She had never felt so protected even though she’d pretty much saved herself.