Page 24 of McKenna’s Honor (The Clan MacDougall #4)

23

W ithin the hour, Arline and the MacDougall men were taken to a large gathering room below stairs. Dozens of people filled the elegant room. Men were dressed in their finest clothes and women looked as though they were attending a grand dance. The strangers huddled in small groups, whispering in hushed tones. Some cast curious glances at Arline and her warriors when they entered the room.

The MacDougall men surrounded Arline, watching her closely, hands on the hilts of their swords, eyes scanning the room. They were guarding Arline, on alert for even the slightest hint of trouble.

They had found the box and its contents in the room the young maid had taken them to. It had not taken long for Robert Stewart to learn who had been assigned that room. Aye, they had the box and knew who was behind the stealing of it, but they did not have the fool in custody yet. So the MacDougall men guarded her protectively. They would not let any harm come to the lady they had sworn to protect.

Throughout it all, Arline could not rid herself of the notion that Robert Stewart seemed familiar. She was quite certain that she had never met the man until this day, at least not formally. But there was something familiar in the way he walked and how he spoke. She could not quite put her finger to it and in the end, shrugged it off as nothing more than exhaustion.

She had been given a private moment with Robert Stewart and had explained all that she knew and all that Carlich had told her. He listened intently. Occasionally, he would give a nod of affirmation but not once did he ask any questions. Arline thought it more than a bit odd. Mayhap, she supposed, it was just the way Robert Stewart was and she warned herself not to read anything into his lack of questions.

They had been in the large gathering room for quite some time. Arline and her warriors declined the food and drink that was offered to them by the serving staff. Her stomach was in knots and she had no desire to throw up in front of anyone. The atmosphere of the room was not as somber as one would think. Nay, the people gathered were behaving as if they were at court and not the serious affair of deciding the fate of two men.

A sudden hush fell over the room when two large doors opened and a group of men entered. Some of them she recognized as guards who had helped in the search for the box. She had no idea who the others were. She watched in fascination as the group of men parted like the Red Sea to allow someone to walk through. It was Robert Stewart. He took the steps up to the dais without uttering a word and sat in the opulently carved chair. As soon as he sat, five men came to stand in front of him and faced the crowd.

“What the bloody hell?” Daniel muttered under his breath as he watched the five very familiar men come to stand in front of Robert Stewart. Rowan, Nial, Findley, and Caelen stood facing the crowd. Seamus Lindsay stood among them.

Arline’s heart jumped to her throat when she saw Seamus. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her skirt and patted the box. Through no fault of her own, she had been thrust into this game of cat and mouse. Her role had changed suddenly, less than an hour ago. Now she must hide her fear, swallow it and not let it show. Innocent people were counting on her.

Wide-set eyes scanned the room before settling upon Lady Arline. She stood frozen in place for a moment before remembering her manners and offering her most elegant curtsy to Robert Stewart.

The people who had been milling about the room all came to stand closer to the dais.

Robert Stewart eyed the people for a few moments. His expression was unreadable. Uneasiness began to work its way into the pit of Arline’s stomach.

“Bring them in,” Robert Stewart finally spoke, directing his attention toward someone at the back of the room. The sound of his voice as it broke through the stillness of the room startled Arline, causing her to jump. David offered her his arm and a comforting smile. Gladly, she accepted both.

The hush that had fallen over the room was suddenly broken by the sound of excited whispers. Arline and the MacDougall men turned to see what had garnered their attention.

Ten heavily armed guards had entered. They walked on either side of Angus and Duncan who were shackled and chained together. Arline heard the MacDougall warriors gasp at the sight of their chief and their friend. Both men looked as though they had been dragged through mud and muck. Their clothes, hair and skin were filthy. Dark circles lined their eyes.

“Angus,” Wee William whispered as the men walked by. They looked like hell. And how they managed to walk with their heads held high, Arline could not imagine.

They were taken to the front of the room to stand before Robert Stewart. Arline’s heart pounded in her chest as she held her breath and waited.

“Angus McKenna and Duncan McEwan,” Robert Stewart began, “more than a sennight ago, ye stood before the sheriff in Edinburgh, accused of crimes against yer king and country. Is that true?”

Angus and Duncan gave confirming nods. “Aye,” they answered in unison.

A wave of whispers broke out among the people behind Lady Arline and the MacDougall men. Robert silenced them with a steely glare of reproach before he continued with questioning the two men.

“Ye were accused of consorting with known traitors. Is that also true?” Robert asked.

“Aye, we were accused of it,” Duncan answered. The MacDougall men laughed at his answer. If his answer annoyed the steward he did a fine job of masking it.

“Angus, did ye or did ye not consort with known traitors?” Robert asked.

“Aye, I did,” Angus’ deep voice echoed throughout the room. The individuals in the crowd gasped in unison at his answer.

“And did ye also plot against king and country?”

“Aye, I did that too.”

The whispers in the crowd grew louder. The tension was palpable. Arline looked at Daniel and David who stood on either side of her. Worry was etched into their faces as they stared ahead at their chief.

“Ye are sentenced to hang,” Robert was stopped by the loud voices of Wee William, Daniel, David and the other MacDougall men who shouted in protest.

“Nay!” Wee William called out as he lunged forward.

“Be still, Wee William!” Angus shouted over his shoulder.

“I will no’ be still, Angus!” Wee William said as he stepped to stand beside him. The guards quickly approached Wee William, their broadswords drawn. Within moments he was surrounded.

“Do ye wish to hang with the traitors this day?” Robert Stewart’s voice was loud and firm, his question directed at Wee William.

Daniel, David, Ronald, and Roy all stepped forward. “Ye’ll have to hang us with them!” Ronald shouted above the din of the crowd.

“Aye! Angus be no more a traitor than ye are!”

Arline stood alone now and panic began to settle in. More guards came rushing into the room and in short order all of the MacDougall men were surrounded. The crowd of onlookers had taken several steps back, but continued to watch. Arline worried that the men who had worked so diligently to keep her safe on the journey here would be dead before the sun set. As always, Seamus held the arrogant smile that she had grown to detest. He remained at the foot of the dais, watching silently and looking quite pleased.

While she did admire their fealty to their chief and their friend, Arline could no longer remain silent. She had to push her doubts over her role aside. If she remained quiet, said nothing, and did not give Robert Stewart the box, then these men would hang .

“Stop!” She managed to say but could not be heard over the rumble of the MacDougall men threatening to kill the guards and the loud murmurs coming from the onlookers.

“Stop!” Arline shouted again as she lifted her skirts and made her way to the steps of the dais. One of the five men standing in front of it stopped her from running up the stairs.

“Please let me speak,” she pleaded with the tall dark-haired man who held her by her shoulders.

Robert stood and came to the edge of the dais. “That is enough!” he shouted over the roar of the room. All eyes turned toward him and the room eventually quieted. Robert turned his attention back to Arline. “Who are ye?” he asked with a barely noticeable smile.

With shaking legs she managed another curtsy. Aye, he knew her, but there were people in this room who were not aware of that fact. “I am Lady Arline Lindsay, wife of Carlich Lindsay.”

Seamus stepped forward and came to stand by Arline. He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, smiling down at her as if he were an adoring father figure. Arline knew him to be no such thing.

“My lord,” Seamus began. “I do no’ ken why she is here. Mayhap I should speak with her alone to learn why she has chosen to disrupt these proceedings.”

He was not asking for Robert’s permission. He was quietly demanding it. Arline began to tremble again when he placed his icy hand over hers and started to take her away. Instinct told her that she could not, under any circumstance, leave this room with him.

“Nay!” she shouted as she tried pulling away from him. He tightened his grip and refused to let her go. “I will no’ leave!”

“Leave her be, Seamus!” Daniel shouted as he tried to step forward. One of the guards stopped him and would not allow him or any of the other MacDougall men to pass or come to Arline’s aid.

“Speak, lass,” Robert said as he stepped down from the dais. Gently, he took her hand and led her up the stairs. Seamus reluctantly let her go.

Arline could feel everyone watching her. Summoning her courage, she began to speak in a low, shaky voice. “Mayhap, my lord, we should speak in private.” She was uncertain she could do what she must with Seamus standing so near and looking as though he could slice her throat.

Robert shook his head. “Nay, lass. Say what ye must and say it here.”

Arline cast a sideways glance at Seamus, swallowed hard, and willed her legs to quit shaking. She lifted her chin and tucked her hand inside the pocket of her dress. “My lord, I bring ye something from my husband, Carlich Lindsay.”

Robert tilted his head slightly. “And what is it ye bring from him?”

“Documents that ye may find important, as they pertain to Angus McKenna’s guilt or innocence.”

Murmurs erupted through the room again. Arline wrapped her fingers around the box hidden in her pocket. If she kept her wits, this would all be over in a matter of moments and she could return to her home and her husband.

“This is absurd,” Seamus decreed. “My father is a verra auld man, my lord. He hasn’t left his room in months for he be far too ill. He’s prone to exaggerations and fancies himself still a young man. I mean really, my lord,” Seamus looked directly at Arline, as if he were ashamed of her. “Look at the young girl he has married!”

A few people in the crowd chuckled but Arline found no humor in it. Some may have found the marriage between she and Carlich odd simply due to the vast difference in their ages. Seamus had never hidden his displeasure over the marriage and she found his shame toward her exhausting.

“That is true, my lord,” Arline said to Robert. “My husband is quite auld. And he is quite ill. But he is still of sound mind and heart, which is more than I can say for some of the people in this room.”

Robert chuckled at Arline’s comment, as did most of the people in the room.

“She is just as foolish as me father is!” Seamus seethed. His face had turned quite red and he was clenching his fists.

“And do ye have these documents with ye now?” Seamus asked with a brow raised arrogantly.

Arline lifted her chin and turned to look at Seamus. “The documents were kept in a small wooden box that my husband gave me. Two hours ago, someone stole that box from my room.”

The crowd erupted into loud whispers. The MacDougall men looked murderous and quite anxious to get their hands on the man who was behind this sordid plot.

“Stolen, ye say?” Robert feigned surprise.

Seamus cocked his head to one side, clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at Arline. She wished she could be given the opportunity to wipe that smile from his face.

“My lord,” Seamus said looking at Robert. “I must apologize fer me step-mother. I’m afraid she is just as daft as me father is. No such documents exist. She comes here bearing nothing more than stories told by a dying auld man.”

“They are not stories, my lord,” Arline said boldly before turning back to Robert Stewart. “The person who stole the box is a coward of the worst sort. He cares not if innocent people die for he is only motivated by greed.” She turned back to Seamus and stared him directly in the eye. “I know who stole the box, my lord. ”

Seamus’ countenance changed immediately. His eyes darkened with anger and his face paled before turning a deep crimson.

“I really must insist that we stop this nonsense at once,” Seamus growled. “Angus and Duncan have already admitted their guilt. Why do we delay in hanging them?”

“What is yer hurry, Seamus?” Wee William asked.

“There is no sense in delaying justice!” Seamus barked. “They’ve had their trial, they’ve admitted guilt, and they’ve been sentenced. And they escaped! There are death warrants issued for all those who aided in that escape!” He paused for a moment and to regain his composure. “Ye MacDougalls are turning these proceedings into a farce.”

“Calm yerself, Seamus Lindsay,” Robert said calmly. With a wave of his hand, he called a guard forward. The man bent low so that Robert could whisper. The guard nodded and quit the room in a hurry.

Seamus turned back to Arline. “If these documents truly exist then they are forgeries and lies. I accuse ye, Arline Lindsay, of fabricating lies fer yer own gain.” He turned back to Robert Lindsay. “Ye canna give any credence to what this liar says, my lord!”

His insults stirred Arline’s anger. “I have proof, my lord,” she said calmly. “I was able to find the box.” She pulled the box from the pocket of her dress and handed it to Robert Stewart.

“She should hang with Angus and Duncan!” The calm demeanor Seamus was known for had rapidly faded. His face turned deep purple and spittle formed in the corner of his mouth. He took a step back and away from the dais.

Quickly, Arline lifted the necklace over her head and handed it to Robert. He opened the box and pulled out a scroll and gave it a quick glance.

“That document is the agreement between King Charles of England and the true traitor to the crown of Scotland. He agrees to give vital information to Charles, to insure that our men die in battle. He also promises to give names and locations of our fighting men. He gives that information in exchange for lordship over all the Highlands,” Arline said as she raised her voice to be heard over the loud voices of the crowd. “And if the traitor brings King David’s head to Charles, the traitor will be made King of Scotland.”

The crowd erupted. Gasps of disbelief, shock and surprise flooded the air. Robert raised his hand in an effort to quiet them. “And whose signature is it on this document?”

Arline turned to face Seamus. “Aric Lindsay,” she said. The crowd erupted once more before Robert again demanded their silence. The tension in the room was palpable. It hung in the air as thick as early morning mist. The MacDougalls wanted nothing more at the moment than to get their hands on Seamus, for he had known the truth all along and did naught to stop his son.

More guards filed into the room, escorting a very angry Aric Lindsay. He, too, was set in chains. He had apparently put up a good fight for there was a large bruise along his jaw and his lip was swollen. Dried blood crusted on his chin. The guards brought him to stand before Robert.

Arline pulled another document from the box. Her anger energized her. Without unfolding it, she spoke again. Her voice was loud and calm and it surprised her that she had found the courage to stand in front of these people. “This document is nearly identical to the first. And on it is the signature of Seamus Lindsay.”

“Those are forgeries! Lies!” Seamus shouted as he took another step away from the dais. “I refuse to listen to anymore of the whore’s lies! She forged these for her own gain! The MacDougalls brought her here, without a female chaperone! Lord knows how many of them she spread her legs for!”

That insult was sufficient to get the MacDougalls angry enough to push through the wall of guards. Nial, Caelen, Rowan, and Findley had reached Seamus before the MacDougall men could. With swords drawn, they had the man pinned against the wall.

“Ye so much as blink and I’ll run ye through ye bloody bastard,” Nial ground out as he pressed his arm across Seamus Lindsay’s chest.

“She lies!” Seamus cried out. “She’s nothing more than me father’s whore!”

Caelen had to hold Ronald and Daniel back to keep them from killing the foolish man.

“She may be a whore, but she speaks the truth!” Aric called out from across the room. Arline could only surmise that Aric smiled because he had lost his mind.

In three strides, Wee William reached Aric, grabbed him by his neck and tossed him across the room. He slid along the floor and landed next to his father.

“I told ye we should have killed the bastard when we had the chance!” Aric shouted at his father. “But ye wouldna let me!”

“Shut up Aric!” Seamus managed to yell.

“I told ye Angus was a spy! I told ye and told ye!” Aric spat at his father. “But ye would no’ listen! Ye believed the lies he told!”

Seamus was trying to catch his breath. Sweat rolled off his forehead and into his eyes. Still, he could see Aric from the corner of his eye, smiling, laughing like a mad man.

“I told ye at Neville’s Cross! I told ye it was Angus who stopped me from killing David! But ye would no’ listen! Ye be a fool!”

It was all a blur after that. MacDougall men swearing, cursing Seamus and Aric, trying to kill the men with their bare hands. Two of the guards were accidentally knocked to their buttocks when they attempted to keep the MacDougall men at bay.

Angus and Duncan had remained shackled and did nothing to bring their men under control. They were positively relieved to know that they themselves would not hang today. It had been a very long few weeks they had endured. Quietly, they sat side by side on the steps that led up to the dais.

“Should we stop them, Angus?” Duncan asked with a yawn.

“Nay,” Angus said as he stretched out his legs. “I do no’ care how the two bastards die, just so long as they do.” He let out a heavy, relieved sigh. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet, yanking a surprised Duncan with him. He ran toward the melee and shouted. “Stop!”

The MacDougall men, along with Rowan, Caelen, Nial and Findley came to an abrupt halt. Wee William had just pulled back his arm to send it into Seamus Lindsay’s face again.

“They have Isobel and Aishlinn!” Angus said. “If ye kill them, they canna tell us where they be!”

Wee William growled as he turned his attention back to Seamus. “Where are they?” he demanded.

Seamus, his face bloody, shook his head. “I’ll die before I tell ye!”

“Go ahead and kill him!” a voice shouted from the back of the room. All heads turned to see who had made that challenge.

The crowd had turned away from the fighting and toward the back of the room. “Let me pass, ye eejit!”

Nial felt his stomach fall to his toes. He knew that voice, knew it all too well and he could not remember ever feeling so relieved to hear it!

A moment later, Bree pushed herself through the throng of onlookers. She took one look at her husband and ran to him. She flung herself into his open arms. With his broadsword in one hand, he pulled his wife in.

“Damn it, Bree!” he whispered hoarsely. “Ye gave me such a fright!”

Bree hugged him a moment longer before pulling away from his embrace. She looked up at her husband and smiled. “Ye can kill the bloody bastards.”

“Bree!” Angus, Duncan and Nial chastised her foul language in unison.

She would not be deterred. “Och! Now is no’ the time to be worryin’ about me language. I say ye may kill these men and ye may kill them now.”

“Bree, we dunnae where yer mum and Aishlinn be!” Angus told her.

Bree’s smile widened. “They be fine!”

Another commotion broke among the crowd. Moments later, Aishlinn and Isobel made their way through the throng of onlookers.

Angus nearly fell to the floor with relief. Duncan tried to race to his wife, but he was stopped short by the unmoving Angus who was frozen in place. Aishlinn ran to her husband not caring at all that he was filthy and smelled like he’d been sleeping with pigs.

Isobel ran to Angus with tears of joy streaming down her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. The shock of seeing his wife, alive, and unharmed was too much. Angus collapsed on the floor, bringing his wife to his lap and pulling Duncan and Aishlinn along with them. Nial and Bree held on to one another, sharing kisses and hugs of relief.

“Ye are in a fair amount of trouble, wife, fer scarin’ the life out of me,” Nial told her.

Bree looked up at him innocently. “Whatever do ye mean, husband?” she asked.

“Ye ken exactly what I mean,” he said before planting another kiss on her lips. “I saw ye and Maggy’s boys attack the guards. I ken it was ye that stole yer father away.”

Bree’s face burned red for a moment. “I dunna what ye speak of, husband. Ye must be confusin’ me with someone else.”

“If I did no’ think yer da would kill me, I’d turn ye over my knee right now and paddle that round little rump of yers,” Nial said. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “But I’ll save that fer when we are alone.”

Many tears were shed, kisses shared, and hugs given between the two couples huddled on the floor. They paid no attention to the crowd, the guards, or anything else. The only thing they cared about were their spouses.

Robert was able to talk Wee William out of killing Seamus and Aric on the spot, but he had to promise him he could put the nooses around their necks.

Seamus was put into shackles and he and his son were led to the dungeon. They would hang on the morrow.

Arline quietly left the room and made her way back to the bedchamber she had been given. She felt very much the outsider as she looked at Angus and Isobel and Duncan and Aishlinn and Nial and Bree. A flutter of something very unfamiliar went through her stomach in those moments before leaving them to their sweet and tender reunions.

She wanted to experience the kind of love and devotion she saw between the three couples. Her heart ached with wanting a man who would love her so much that he would be willing to sacrifice his own life in order to save hers. Aye, Carlich loved her, but not in any romantic sense. Nothing like the fiery passion she saw in Aishlinn’s eyes, or Isobel’s or Bree’s. And their husbands openly, almost wantonly, returned those fiery, passionate looks.

Arline felt certain that nothing like that kind of love and adoration lay in her future. If Carlich died before she reached the age of one and twenty, she would be sent back to her father. Considering the condition Carlich had been in when she had left she would be surprised if he were still alive when she returned.

Slowly, she climbed the stairs and wound her way through the corridors of Stirling Castle. She made a wrong turn and had to back track twice, but finally and with much relief, she found the correct corridor.

As she walked down the hallway, lost in thoughts of regret and a huge sense of longing, she barely noticed someone walking toward her. It was the tall handsome man with dark hair, the one who had first stopped her from climbing the steps of the dais to Robert.

“My lady!” he said as he smiled and approached. Arline paused just outside her door. She wanted nothing more than to escape into the bedchamber and get some much needed sleep.

“My lady,” he said with a smile, flashing a dazzling set of perfect teeth. “I just wanted to thank ye, fer what ye did fer Angus and Duncan.”

Arline smiled up at the braw man. “Think nothing of it, sir.” He was a most handsome man. Nay, he was beyond handsome. Thick dark hair hung to his broad shoulders. Deep brown eyes glistened in the torchlight. Arline could not remember ever seeing a more handsome man. She took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on what he was saying.

“Nay, my lady,” he said. “’Twas a verra honorable thing ye did. Daniel and David tell me that ye are a woman possessed of the utmost honor and heart. Because of ye, Angus and Duncan have been proven innocent and will get to spend the rest of their days with their wives.”

Arline could only nod her head. If ever a man could be considered beautiful, it was this man. Were her husband Carlich as young and as handsome as the man standing before her, she would probably never want to leave her bedchamber. She felt her face burn with embarrassment and quickly turned away from him. “That is most kind of them to say. If ye will please excuse me, I am verra tired.”

“Aye, my lady, but please,” he said as he reached out and touched her arm. “Please ken how much not only the MacDougalls but me own clan, Clan Graham, appreciate all that ye’ve done.”

Arline nodded again and took a chance to look at him one more time. “’Twas the right thing to do, sir.”

He threw his head back and laughed. An odd sensation swept over Arline. His laugh, for whatever reason, warmed her heart. “Aye, me wife says that verra same thing when I give her thanks fer goin’ above and beyond what others would!”

Why she suddenly felt sorrow at learning he was married, she could not begin to comprehend. She, too, was married, but somehow that felt different. Carlich was, after all, a very auld man. Nonetheless, guilt tugged at her conscience .

She offered him a polite smile and bid him goodnight before slipping into her room. Sleep would not come easy, not with the image of a handsome man with dark hair and deep brown eyes floating around in her mind.