His Highland Surprise (The Clan Sinclair Book 1)

by Celeste Barclay

  See, Tav. I am learning. I want naught more than to rush after ye and tear them apart, but I ken I am nay match for them. I need help, and I accept that. I wish it wasna ye in need of rescue since ye’re the only one I want to turn to for help. Ye would have to make this complicated. Ye owe me, ye insufferable mon.

  Ceit grabbed a log from near the fireplace and dipped it into the fire until the dry tinder at the end sparked alive. She crossed the chamber, looked at the door once more, and then pushed open the secret hatch. She entered the pitch-black tunnels and held her makeshift torch out in front of her. She closed her eyes and pictured the route Elizabeth led her on. She tried to reverse it in her mind to take her back to Elizabeth’s chamber. Once she was sure she remembered the way, she swept through the tunnels at a jog. She was not willing to risk falling if she ran, but she also was not willing to go at a snail’s pace. She did not care if anyone heard her moving behind the walls. Her only care was for Tavish’s safe return to her.

  Nay. I have two cares. I want him back, and I will kill ma uncle before this is done. He made me choose, and he shall come out the loser. It will always be Tavish first.

  Ceit forced her mind to quieten as she made her way through the twists and turns that put her in Elizabeth’s chamber. The room, which she shared with two other women, was empty. Ceit dumped her torch into the fireplace and slipped from the chamber. She went to her own two doors down. Someone had ransacked her room. There were only a few ladies-in-waiting afforded a private chamber. She and Deirdre had been two of the lucky women. Deirdre’s parents arranged it for the status, the king arranged hers for the convenience of a spy.

  They strewed her gowns across the floor. They spilled her personal items like her fragrances and jewels on her bed. She went to her trunks and saw someone had pried the locks open. There appeared to be nothing left untouched, but Ceit laid down next to the bed and slithered under. She pried a board loose and pulled a short sword from the hidden cavern below the floorboards. She pulled two large bags of coins and four more dirks from the secret storage. She tucked the dirks into her boots and the bracers she fastened to her wrists. She pulled a dark cape from the hole and exchanged it for her Comyn arisaid. She had a moment of sadness as she looked at the pattern she saw every day of her life. Even at court, she refused to give up that one connection to home. Now, she experienced no attachment to it. Instead she pictured the Sinclair colors and imagined herself wrapped in one of Tavish’s plaids.

  She pulled herself from under the bed and tucked the short sword into a sheath attached to the belt she now cinched around her waist. She wrapped the cloak around her and crept to the door. Just as she reached out to pull the metal ring, her eyes caught a piece of parchment on the ground. She let go of the handle and stooped to pick up the vellum. She moved to the fireplace to see the writing.

  I kenned ye would come back to yer chamber. Ma men have made it look like Tavish made off with ye in a fit of temper. He kidnapped ye after tearing yer room apart in a jealous rage. Ye are welcome to try to follow, but ye willna find him. Yer father willna be of any help. He doesnae ken of the king’s betrothal arrangement, but he will learn ye have taken up the role of a harlot. He will learn of yer whoring ways, and he will not come to yer aid. If ye’re lucky, ye will meet a painful end on the road. Ken that if I find ye, I will make yer brother’s beating look like a child’s tussle.

  Kill the king, and yer lover might just survive, but willna ever tell the tale. Hard to speak without a tongue. Just as the king is replaceable, so are ye.

  Ceit shook with rage as she reread the missive once more. She feared what her uncle might do to Tavish, but she held no reserve in going to find him. She would be prepared, and she would see Tavish free before she sought her uncle. This would be her last job for the crown, and it would be her salvation as much as her family’s.

  Ceit slipped into the passageway. She realized she and Tavish had not been asleep long because the noise from the Great Hall told her the evening meal had not finished. She slipped into the alcove where she first met Tavish. She stored her sword, the sacks of money, and her cloak within. She pulled at her sleeves to ensure her bracers did not show. She would not run off unprepared and without a plan. She entered the Great Hall and looked for Hamish Sutherland. She was not very familiar with the man, but she had met Lady Amelia Sutherland and remembered the Sutherlands were close to their extended Sinclair family. Ceit searched the crowd before finding Laird and Lady Sutherland sitting together with several other Highlanders.

  Ceit made her way as surreptitiously as possible. When she arrived at their table, she nodded to Lady Sutherland who greeted her with a smile and made room for her on the bench.

  “Lady Ceit, it is a pleasure to see ye here.” Amelia’s soft brogue reminded Ceit of her own mother. It was welcoming in a way no other woman at court had been.

  “Thank ye, Lady Sutherland,” she turned her attention to Hamish. “Laird Sutherland, ma uncle has taken him.”

  Hamish stared at her but nodded. No one from the Highlands would doubt who she meant.

  “How long ago?”

  “Nae even half an hour.”

  “How do ye ken?”

  Ceit looked into Hamish’s eyes before answering.

  “I was with him.”

  “Did they harm ye, lass?” Amelia interjected.

  “Nay. Tied me like a Yule roast but did nae harm me. They bashed Tavish over the head and knocked him out. Laird Sutherland, I would ask yer help. I would venture to say I ken where they have taken him, and I have a way into the keep, but I canna do this alone. Tavish would have ma head if I attempted to travel by maself, and well, I understand he doesnae agree with fighting alone.”

  “Ye would be right on that, lass. He would have yer head, and mine too, and nay, he doesnae fight alone when it can be avoided.”

  “I canna ask ye to join me, but I would ask the service of some of yer men.”

  “I come along, lass. Ye canna ride unchaperoned with a group of men, even ones I trust implicitly. And he is ma nephew. I willna remain here while he is in danger.”

  Laird and Lady Sutherland rose with Ceit. Hamish made his way around the table to his wife and wrapped her in his arms. Ceit tried to be unobtrusive, but a stab of longing coursed through her when she saw the tenderness the couple shared. She watched the laird drop a kiss on his wife’s lips before patting her backside.

  “Keep an eye on the lassies and dinna let any of these men consider they stand a chance. I willna have some welp for a son. And keep these other Highlanders away from them before they start a feud when I chop off their meat and taters.”

  His words were met with guffaws and several tankards pounded on the table. Three very large men rose and stepped towards them. They were lairds who Ceit remembered from her childhood but avoided since arriving at court.

  Lairds Grant, McKinnon, and Graham nodded as they followed Ceit and Hamish from the Great Hall.

  “What’s this aboot?” Laird Grant asked as Ceit led them towards the alcove where she stashed her belongings.

  “Ma uncle has taken Tavish.” Ceit offered nothing more and nothing less. She understood these men to be allies to the Sinclairs and the Sutherlands, but they were also allies to the king which meant the Comyns were their enemies.

  “Lass, ye arenae yer uncle, nor yer father or his cousin.” Laird Graham laid a massive hand on her shoulder but his squeeze was gentle.

  “From what I hear, young Tavish has been trailing ye aboot like a lovesick pup. If he is fond of ye, then there must be a reason. He has never chased a woman in his life, but everyone keeps talking aboot how he willna look anywhere but at ye.” Laird Grant mused.

  Ceit dipped her head in embarrassment but set her shoulders before looking at each man.

  “I canna travel with a full war band. I can only travel with a handful of men. Laird Sutherland has already offered to come, and he will bring his own men. What I do need is for ye to keep a close watch on the king and
his brother. Edward is marked by Buchan too. Dinna fool yerself. Naught escapes his knowledge. He sees and hears all that happens here. He will ken I left sooner than I would like. I would ask that ye keep an eye on anyone else who leaves this castle be it by the portcullis, the postern gate, or over the wall. There is a weak spot easy to scale in the northeast corner. That is where one of his men is most likely to enter or exit.”

  The four mountainous Highlanders stared at her as though she spoke a foreign language, but none interrupted.

  “I will leave ye to deduce how I come by this knowledge. I canna say, but I willna lie either. Just ken, that as ye said, Laird Graham, I amnae the same as the men of ma family. I ken to whom I’m loyal, and he is being held by ma uncle.”

  She stared at each man, daring him to gainsay her or accuse her of espionage. In turn, they looked at one another and then collectively nodded. Highlanders were a suspicious lot by nature, but they also knew when it was best not to ask questions.

  “I must speak to one more person before I can leave. Laird Sutherland, I will meet ye at the stables. We canna help that people will ken we rode out, but we can hurry. Dinna bring more than five men if ye can help it.”

  Ceit did not wait for Hamish’s agreement but moved back towards the Great Hall. She inched along the walls until she was even with the ladies-in-waiting. She tried to catch Elizabeth’s attention while alerting none of the other women. She watched as Elizabeth ate but kept quiet. Ceit summoned a serving woman over and whispered her message for Elizabeth.

  The serving woman was discreet, and Elizabeth was even more so. She waited until the serving woman was well away from the table and she had taken several more bites before excusing herself. She walked to the opposite side of the Great Hall, and Elizabeth and Ceit exited before finding one another in the passageway.

  “They’ve taken Tavish,” Ceit said without preamble.

  “How? When last I checked, you were both asleep.”

  Ceit assumed Elizabeth must have come and gone since more than two hours passed.

  “Three men came in, bound me, and took Tavish.”

  “Do you have any notion where they may have gone?”

  “I have a strong suspicion. Lady Elizabeth, I must ask a favor of ye. Ye have already done so much to help the Sinclairs, but I dinna have anyone else I can trust.”

  “I am at your service, ma lady.” Elizabeth dipped a curtsy, but her smile was pure mischief. Ceit had a moment of regret that she had not made more effort to befriend the young woman standing before her.

  “I need you to spread a rumor for me. Aboot me. Ma uncle is sure to learn I left the castle when he learns that Sutherlands rode out after they took Tavish. I need ma uncle confused. I need him to question whether or nae I left the castle. The rumor must involve me being caught with a mon. There can only be two choices for who I am supposedly bedding. I willna involve the king in this. Manipulative as he may be, he is more like a father than he could ever be a lover. And I wouldnae dishonor the queen after she welcomed me into her circle. It must be the king’s brother.”

  Elizabeth stood mute as she took in all that Ceit said, and what she did not say. She was prudent enough not to ask why a rumor of Ceit bedding any man was necessary let alone the brother of a king. Lord Edward’s reputation was for being selective in the women he paid attention to at court. He was rarely there, and when he was, he favored few. They were all aware he kept a mistress in Ireland with a temper to match her alleged red hair. He bedded only servants and whores when he was at court. It would cause quite a stir if they supposed he set his sights on Lady Ceit, a maiden and lady in the queen’s household.

  “I can do that. But Cathryn, it will destroy yer reputation. Even if the rumor is proven untrue, there will be those who refuse to renounce the gossip. What will Tavish do when he hears of it?”

  “Ken that I couldnae have been with Edward if I was traipsing after him and ken that if I’m traipsing after him, then I dinna want anyone else. Pray for me though because Lord Edward will nae take to this. Be careful that nay one learns ye started the rumor. I dinna want yer help to endanger ye.”

  Elizabeth embraced Ceit, taking her by surprise. It took Ceit a moment before she returned the hug.

  “You be careful, too. He loves you, you know. He might not have said it yet. He might not even realize it, but he does.”

  Ceit looked at Elizabeth and saw a warm smile that reminded her of her sisters. She nodded before going to retrieve her belongings and to find Hamish.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The Sutherlands rode out with an extra young man in their midst, or so the guards assumed. Ceit rode astride and kept the large cloak well tucked around her. She bent her head which was swallowed by the cowl and did not look around. She preferred a smaller version of a man’s boot when she rode, so anyone looking would presume she was an older lad rather than a young woman. She rode in the pack's middle until they cleared the gates of the city.

  “We ride towards Carlisle. King Edward made ma uncle the Warden of the West Marches as ye ken. He will be there or thereabouts. If we push hard, we may overtake them. If nae, then we have a solid day and a half of riding before we reach the border.”

  Ceit did not bother to look around to understand these Highlanders were not eager to cross into England. Scots were rarely welcomed in the best of times, and Highlanders were nearly never welcome. There was no way to avoid it, though, if they were to rescue Tavish. Ceit had never been to England before, but she traveled through this area during one of her early assignments from her uncle. She realized there was a slim possibility that the kidnappers would not take Tavish to Carlisle but instead to Hermitage Castle to the southeast or Closeburn Castle to the southwest. Either of them would be half the distance to Carlisle. She was not ready to share that information as no one was to be aware her uncle crossed the border into Scotland. Ceit said nothing, not to protect her uncle but to keep the men from asking how she learned such information. She allowed the Sutherland’s best tracker to find their path.

  Elizabeth Fraser slipped through the crowd in the Great Hall and resumed her seat at the table with the other ladies-in-waiting.

  “You were gone quite some time,” Lady Katherine Dunbar observed. She was just as nosey as her sister, Isabella, but far shrewder.

  Elizabeth smiled conspiratorially to the other women. She pretended to look around to ensure no one would overhear her when that was exactly what she wished.

  “You will never guess what I saw.” She whispered. “Or better yet who I saw.”

  The other ladies leaned in catching the scent of new gossip.

  “Apparently, it did not take Lady Cathryn long to get over whatever was between her and that Sinclair.”

  “‘That Sinclair’ is the brother of your cousin’s husband. I was under the impression you were bosom buddies with that family now.” Lady Katherine watched her as she raised her wine chalice.

  “I am as familiar with them as well as would be expected after everything that has transpired within the last moon. I’m aware Lord Tavish is very smitten with Lady Cathryn, but I cannot say the same for the lady.”

  “Why’s that,” Isabella asked. She shook off her sister’s hand as she leaned forward.

  “Lady Cathryn was with a man in the passageway, and he most certainly was not Lord Tavish.”

  Elizabeth sat back smugly and tried to keep her focus on the surrounding women. She wanted to scan the crowd to ensure Lord Edward had not arrived in the Great Hall. He only returned to court the night before and had only been seen once or twice since.

  “Was she off being pawed by another one of those Highland savages? It would be fitting,” Lady Allyson said, her derisiveness unhidden.

  “Yes, the man in question is a Highlander, but you would never say so now. He has not lived there in some time. Not since his brother moved here.” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and hoped they would understand her meaning.

  The gasps that followed confirmed that th
e other women registered her meaning, and the ensuing giggles reassured Elizabeth that her story was believable.

  “You cannot mean that Lady Cathryn is dallying with Lord Edward. He has that mistress in Ireland,” Lady Cairren pointed out.

  “Men have mistresses, but that does not keep them from taking a lady as their wife. You are aware as well as I am that the king wants his brother to marry. There are only the two of them left, and he would secure the crown one way or another. Why not Lady Cathryn? She is a Highlander, she is beautiful, and she would bring an unruly faction to their knees if she became the king’s sister by marriage.”

  Elizabeth’s mind ran through the maze she was creating, hoping to stay one step ahead of the other women. Fortunately, the musicians tuned their instruments, and servants cleared then moved the tables. Elizabeth moved from one partner to another while watching the ladies titter to one another and then to their various partners. She determined the rumor was spreading, but when she came face to face with the gentleman in question, she realized she may have done too fine a job. The man she danced with now was one of the most handsome she had ever seen. She would recognize him anywhere as he so resembled the king. She swallowed as he led her through several steps before speaking.

  “You dance like a dove,” he smiled down to her, and she relaxed, “but I hear you speak like a pigeon.”

  Elizabeth stumbled and would have fallen if the tight arms that surrounded her did not brace her. When she was steady again, she expected Lord Edward would release her, but instead he pulled her closer. She tried to keep a distance between them for the sake of propriety, but he did not seem to care. He bent to whisper in her ear.

  “You seem to remember a great deal about someone you have never met.”

  “Who have I never met, my lord?” Elizabeth turned doe eyes on him, and for a moment Edward faltered before his supple lips broke into a broad smile.