Page 38 of Claimed Highland Brides

16

RANSOM NOTE

F iona was staring at her in a very fixed manner and it was bothering Jamesina. She kept stealing glances at her sister, hoping that she would have looked away, but Fiona just kept on staring.

“Is yer knitting not interesting enough Sister?” she said at last.

“Hmm?” Fiona seemed distracted.

“I asked if yer knitting was boring ye?”

Fiona smiled. “Does it interest anyone?”

Jamesina shrugged as her needles clicked. “I find it quite soothing frankly.”

“Aye, I suppose it is tha’,” Fiona agreed.

They continued to work in silence, the cozy room with its blazing fire providing a fitting backdrop to the click-clack of their needles.

“I too find it soothing should anyone be interested in knowing,” Fenella piped up.

Jamesina laughed, the first genuine bit of mirth she’d felt since her husband left. There was a tentative knock at the door and then Daividh stuck his head in and nodded to his wife. “Och, Mistress Campbell, may I have a word?”

Fiona blinked in surprise but immediately put down her knitting and got to her feet. “Excuse me, ladies.”

No one verbally replied to her as she crossed the parlor, each of her sisters focused on their knitting. She stepped out, with a last vague smile at them all, and closed the door behind her.

Jamesina watched her go curiously, wondering what Daividh wanted. He didn’t usually disturb their evening visit since it was the only time that the sisters got to sit together during the day.

At this time, Daividh was usually replying to letters. She supposed that without Delwyn around that was a bit more difficult.

That’s probably why he wants Fiona .

She sighed, shaking her head, disappointed that she was back to thinking of Delwyn. She had managed to go the whole day without him consciously crossing her mind.

And I was doing so well too .

Fiona followed her husband to his study, wondering what was going on. She had barely closed the door behind her when he thrust an envelope into her hands.

“I received this today. Somebody left it with the footman.”

She looked down at it, frowning at the seal. “This looks familiar. Who sent it?”

“It’s from the steward. The Sassenach. That is his seal.”

She stared at it. “Ye want me tae read it?”

“Aye.”

She took a deep breath and broke the seal, then she hesitated as her breath trembled out from between her lips. She dropped her hand from the letter without opening it to read its contents. She bit her lip.

“Wha’ is it?”

Fiona sighed. “I think Jamie’s pregnant.”

Her husband quirked an eyebrow. “Aye. She has th’ glow.”

She met his gaze. “So ye noticed as well?”

“Aye. I did.”

“What do we do?”

“We see wha’ her good-for-nothing husband has tae say and then decide.”

Fiona looked down at the letter and with a deep exhalation, unfolded it.

My dear Lady Jamesina,

My deepest regards to you and your family. I am afraid that I am unexpectedly detained here in Edinburgh and I require your share of the deed to the mine to extract me from here. Would you kindly have it sent care of the World’s End to one Angus McTavish, a solicitor in my service?

I would not ask this of you except that it is a matter of life and death.

I look forward to rejoining you in our home.

Yours sincerely,

Your Husband,

Lord Delwyn Barton

Fiona looked up at Daividh with a frown. “Wha’ does this mean?”

Delwyn sighed, his eyes distant and thoughtful. “Ye think he wrote it or it was dictated tae him?”

Fiona shook her head. “I would not know…but maybe Jamesina would.”

“Ye want tae tell her?”

“I dinnae think we have a choice.”

Daividh nodded. “I’ll have her summoned.” He stepped outside the door and hailed a passing footman, sending him to fetch Jamesina. They sat in silence as they waited, too tense and filled with too many conflicting emotions to speak to each other.

Jamesina stepped in the room, looking from one to the other, her face apprehensive. She took a deep breath as her eyes finally stopped at Daividh. “Is he deid?”

Daividh gasped in surprise. “Why would ye say tha’? O’ course he’s no deid.”

“Ye both look so solemn.”

“Aye weel, it is a serious matter and we dinnae ken wha’ tae make o’ it.”

Jamesina clasped her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking. “Tell me then?”

Fiona handed over the letter. “It’s just that we received a letter from yer husband, in which he asks for the deed tae yer part o’ th’ mine.”

Jamesina’s eyes flew over the page, her lips pursed. Then she looked up at her sister, eyes wide and scared. “I dinnae think he wrote this.”

Fiona nodded. “We wondered. I dinnae ken wha’ happened between ye but he dinnae leave here wi’ yer blessing, did he?”

Jamesina gave a short sharp shake of her head.

“And so? Who d’ye think wrote it?”

Jamesina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She realized that she would have to tell them everything. In spite of his own disloyalty, she had kept her quiet, vainly hoping her husband would return and redeem himself. And if he did, then no one need know the reason he left. But now, here he was, asking for something she could not give. Knowing she could not give it.

She stopped short as realization hit.

Delwyn knew he could not get the deed to the mine, only her income from it. Which meant that he could not be in league with those who wrote the letter. Either he was giving her a warning that something had happened to him or he didn’t know about the letter.

Maybe it’s even both .

“Wha’ is it, Jamie?” Fiona asked softly, clearly seeing the revelation in Jamesina’s eyes.

She shook her head. “I dinnae think Delwyn wrote this note at all. I dinnae think he’s behind it. He could be in trouble! We mun’ help him!”

She turned frantic eyes to her brother-in-law, who gently put a hand on her shoulder. “Haud yer wheesht, Jamie. In trouble wi’ who? What are ye talking aboot?”

Jamesina took a deep breath and looked from Daividh to Fiona. “Swear tae me ye shallnae tell anyone else wha’ I have tae tell ye.”

Fiona stepped forward and took her hand. “O’ course I swear. Tell us, Sister.”

Jamesina did. She gave them the whole sordid tale of Delwyn’s sister and the trouble she found herself in. That Delwyn had married her for her dowry and left for Edinburgh to go and pay the fine.

When she was done, there was a stunned silence in the room and then Daividh brought his fist down hard on the table. “Devil take that man! I kenned he was trouble the moment I saw him. If’n those brigands dinnae kill him, I shall do it mysel’!”

“No!” Jamesina lurched forward, entreating him. “Daividh, imagine if they had taken one o’ us. What would ye do tae get us back? Would ye no do everything in yer power?”

“I wouldnae marry a maiden unsuspecting. I wouldnae do that!”

“Would ye no? What if it was yer only chance?”

“I cannae believe ye’re defending him!”

“I’m nae defending. I have simply had time tae think and I see why he did it. It wasnae tae hurt me. He dinnae want tha’. He said so.”

“Oh, he said so?” Daividh looked distinctly unimpressed.

Jamesina sighed. “I cannae make ye believe him but ye can at least try tae believe me . He dinnae do this out o’ any ill motives.”

“Oh no, he only wanted yer dowry!” Daividh huffed irritably.

Jamesina smiled wryly. “Believe me, it hurts me tae think tha’ my dowry was important tae him but the truth is, any man who looked my way…who looked at any o’ us, would probably also think of our dowry.”

“I didn’t!” Daividh growled.

“Aye, ye dinnae, and Fiona is extremely fortunate to have found ye. But we cannae all be Fiona.”

Fiona gave a breathy sort of laugh. “Dinnae be fooled. It isnae all sunshine and flowers wi’ us either.”

Jamesina shrugged. “We all have our burdens tae bear. And when I vowed tae be wi’ him in good times and bad, I meant it. Which means we have tae help him. I have tae.”

“What can we do? We arenae giving him the deed!” Daividh wagged his finger at her admonishingly as if she’d even asked for that.

“Weel, there’s clearly a sair fecht happening. Are we going tae turn our backs on him?”

“He turned his back on you!”

“No. He said he would return tae me once he’d paid the ransom. He said so.” Jamesina knew she sounded desperate but had no other way to explain that she’d looked into his eyes as he said it and knew he was telling the truth. She whirled on Fiona.

“Ye ken me! I see when people are lying t’me and when they’re telling the truth. Ye ken tha’!” She shook Fiona’s arm as if that might get her to believe.

Fiona nodded slowly. “Aye, it’s true. Ye see people clearly. And if ye think he isnae lying t’ye, I’ll help ye?—”

“Fiona!” Daividh thundered.

Her sister licked her lips and looked to Daividh. “We will help her.”

Daividh glared for a bit longer before conceding. “Fine. But I still say ye’re mistaken, Jamie, and I will be watching him like a hawk.”

Jamesina smiled a little sadly. “Aye, I’m counting on tha’.”

Daividh sighed as Fiona stepped forward and put her arms around Jamesina, squeezing gently. “We’ll get tae the bottom of this collieshangie, I promise ye.”

“Aye, I ken we will.” Jamesina squeezed back, clinging a little to her sister. She felt quite lost and set adrift and all she could do was let instinct take over.

A knock at the door had them all turning.

“Aye?”

The knob turned, the door opened, and Simon Campbell poked his head in the room. He looked from one person to the next, picking up the mood, and his expression became withdrawn. “I wanted t’speak t’ye Daividh but I can come back another time.”

“No need.” Daividh waved him into the room. “’Tis fine, come in.”

Simon stepped into the room with a sigh. He looked from one to the other as if hoping that Jamesina and Fiona would opt to leave the room. They didn’t, just blinked patiently at him. He dropped his eyes, sighing in resignation. “I have some bad news.”

Daividh gestured for him to continue.

“Somebody spotted one o’ Hunter’s men? Ye recall him?” His eyes flicked to Fiona and then away.

“Aye? Where?”

“He was speaking tae one o’ yer footmen. The man came tae me, not knowing if’n we have a traitor in our midst.”

Daividh’s brow furrowed. “And?”

Simon shrugged. “I dinnae ken. We’ve been watching him but dinnae go close in case he got scairt.”

“Would ye bring him t’me?”

Simon nodded and left. The three of them exchanged glances. “This cannae be coincidence,” Fiona said, folding her arms.

“No. I suspect not. And if’n there is anyone who is consumed wi’ getting his hands on the mine, ’tis Hunter.”

“Hunter’s dead,” Fiona said starkly.

“Aye, but his men arenae. And they’ve been sneaking around the mine. We ken tha’ already.”

Fiona nodded. “And they wouldnae ken the terms of Da’s will.”

“So they would have nay trouble writing a letter tae ask for the deed,” Jamesina finished.

Daividh frowned. “This doesnae prove tha’ the Sassenach is innocent.”

“Aye, perhaps it doesnae. But at least we ken who is behind this.”

“We dinnae ken. ’Tis nothing but a guess.”

At that point, Simon knocked on the door again. “Here is the man,” he said and pushed one of the footmen into the room.