Liam turned sharply on his heel and headed for the door.
“No!” Catriona shouted at his back. “Please, please dinna do anything yet. Just let me speak to him. Let me find out the truth!”
“I suggest ye try to make yourself comfortable, wife of mine, because ye will not be going anywhere for a while.”
Liam closed the door on her and locked it, trapping her inside.
He pushed back the wave of guilt that rose within him as the dull blows thudded on the door from where she pounded on it and shouted for him to release her. He did not want to hold her captive, but he could not risk her running off to her father while he tried to decide what do next.
But before he did anything, he needed to look in on Alex.
* * *
Liam’s heart raced as he ran to Alex’s bedchamber, heedless of those around him that pressed themselves up against the walls of the hallway in order to avoid getting knocked out of the way in his haste. By the time he burst through the doors of his brother’s chamber, Iain was already there, sitting by their younger brother’s side.
“How is he?”
Iain looked up, his face drawn, and shook his head as he clung to their brothers limp hand.
“Oh, God,” Liam gasped stumbling forward. “Tell me he’s not…”
“No,” Iain reassured him. “He is only unconscious. But he has not spoken since they brought him here. They stitched his side where he was stabbed and set his arm. Both will heal in time, but he needs rest. Our brother is strong, he will make it through this, I know he will.”
Liam lay a heavy hand on Iain’s shoulder and squeezed it tightly.
“Drummond will not get away with this, I swear it to ye both.”
Iain nodded before looking up at him. His eyes were a deep well of concern.
“Where is Catriona? I heard word that ye dragged her kicking and screaming up the stairs of the keep.”
Liam shook his head. “Nothing so dramatic as that. Though she is locked in her chamber for the time being.”
“Liam…” Iain frowned at him, disapproving.
“What would ye have had me do? Her father has brought naught but trouble upon us. Should I have just left her to run off to him?”
“She is yer wife.”
“Perhaps, but until I can deal with her father and find out what part she played, if any, she is best left where she is for now. Besides, at the moment the keep is no safe place for her.”
“She may not forgive ye for this Liam.”
“I dinna need her forgiveness. What I need is her safety.”
“And do ye really think that she will see it that way?”
“She'll come to understand in time. She won't have much choice about that.”
“Liam, ye cannot force her to see yer way about things. I thought that the two of ye had begun to get along some?”
Liam let out a heavy sigh and sat down on a stood by Alex's bedside. “We had, at that. Sometimes, when I am with her and she smiles at me, I feel a calmness inside of me, a sense of peace that I have not felt in the longest time. But when I saw our brother lying there, bloody and bruised and accusing her kin, the feeling was gone and I dinna ken if it will ever return.”
“Do ye still think that she had a hand in deceiving ye into marriage?”
“I'll tell ye Iain, I honestly dinna know. But I don't want to believe it.”
“Then why are you so quick to make her pay for the choices her father has made? Catriona is not her father. She is yer wife. And locking her away is not going to make yer marriage any easier.”
“I will fetch her when the time is right. But for now I stand by my decision. The keep is in an uproar. Ye may not know it, for ye’ve spent yer time down here with Alex, but people are cursing Drummond's name. I dinna want anyone to take their anger out on her. It's for her own safety that she simply stay out of sight for now until things calm down a bit.”
“Are ye not worried that by locking her away ye may simply be finding the message to everyone that ye trust yer own wife even less than they do?”
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “I swear Iain, sometimes yer more annoying than a fly buzzing around my head. There are only so many battles that I can fight at once ye ken? Between Laird Drummond, Catriona, and worrying about Alex, I cannot also fight with you too.”
Iain smiled and winked at him as he leaned back against the wall. “Well, ye wouldn't have to fight with me if ye simply listened to what I said every once in a while. It would make yer life much easier.”
Liam snorted. “I doubt that very much.”
Iain was silent a moment as he stared down at their brother's unconscious body. “Promise me that he’ll be well.”
Liam's jaw clenched and he jerked his head in a forceful nod. “Aye. He will. He has to be.”
Iain nodded. “And if he's not?”
Liam looked his brother straight in the eye, his voice calm and unwavering. “Then I will take every single man that can be spared, ride to Laird Drummond’s lands and burn every inch of it to the ground.”
“Hmmm. How do ye think yer blushing bride will feel about ye burning down her family home?”
“If Alex dies, I really won't care.”
Chapter 13
Time crept by and Catriona’s mind raced as she paced furiously back and forth in her bedchamber. Her hands were still sore from pounding her fists against the door, but it had been for naught. It was clear to her now that Liam had no intention of releasing her.
Devil take the man! His short temper would lead both of their people to utter ruin. Never in her life had she met anyone so untrusting. How could a man go through life forever fearful that those closest to him would do him some unforeseen slight? She had to find some way to reach her father before Liam started a war between the two clans.
If he wasn’t so pigheaded, she was sure she would be able to convince him that there was no way her father could be behind any of this. But it was obvious that Liam was in no mood to listen to anyone, her least of all.
There was nothing for it then. She would simply have to find a way to get to the bottom of things on her own.
She looked around the room until her eyes landed on the dishes from her breakfast that had yet to be cleared away. She sent up a small prayer, thankful that she had slept late that morning and had decided to eat in her chamber. Rushing over to the table, she snatched up the knife with a sigh of relief. Throwing back the bed covers, Catriona went to work, using the knife to make a hole in the sheeting then tore it into long wide strips. Once she was finished she shoved the strips of cloth beneath the bed.
She lay down on the bed, heart racing, and prayed that her plan would work. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and willed for sleep to come. She would need to be wide awake and well rested if she were to ride straight through the night.
Catriona was jerked out of an uneasy slumber by the sound of knocking at her door. Her body was heavy with exhaustion, protesting the rude awakening as she turned her head to see that the sun was almost set.
The lock turned in the door, spurring her to action, and she grabbed the knife which she had hidden under her bed and hurried to hide herself behind the chamber door. The sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears was almost deafening, and she swiped her damp palms roughly over the skirt of her gown before retightening her grip on the knife hilt, fearful that it would slip from her unsteady hand.
“Begging yer pardon my lady, but I’ve brought ye some supper,” said the young kitchen maid as she entered.
There was no time to doubt her plan. No time to think. If she did not move now her moment would be lost. Shoving aside her fear, Catriona stepped up behind the maid brought the knife up to the young girl’s throat while kicking the bedchamber door closed with her foot.
The kitchen maid dropped the tray of food she was carrying and opened her mouth to scream as the plate and tray landed with a ringing clatter, but Catriona held her tight, and pressed the bl
ade harder against her skin.
“Please, do not scream,” she whispered.
The young woman closed her mouth and nodded slowly, but continued to whimper in fear.
“I’m sorry,” Catriona told her. “I’m so very sorry, but Liam is making a terrible mistake and I have to get out of here so that I can stop it. Do ye understand?”
The girl nodded, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed silently.
“Good, that is good,” said Catriona. She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and fought the urge to be sick. Violence was not in her nature, but hundreds of lives were at risk, so she ignored the burning guilt the girl’s tears evoked in her and she held her hand steady. If she showed any sign of physical weakness the girl could very well try to overpower her and escape.
“I feel terrible for what I am about to do, but I must tie ye up. I have to be sure that you will not alert anyone to my escape, do you see?”
Nudging the girl in the back, the two of them made their way slowly to the bed where Catriona motioned for her to sit on the floor.
“Now, slowly! Very slowly, raise your hands above your head. I am going to tie them to the post there.”
“Please do not do this,” the maid whispered, and hiccupped a sob.
“I have no choice,” Catriona said apologetically. “I know you must be very scared. But please, if you just do what I say, everything will be all right.”
Raising the maid’s hands, Catriona tied her wrists tightly around the corner post of the bed and knotted it as soundly as she could before wrapping another strip of the torn sheet around the girl’s waist.
“All right, and now your feet… Please,” she told the girl.
“Must ye?” the girl sobbed.
“Begging me will do ye no good. I promise ye, I am doing this for your own good as well as everyone else in this castle. What will happen to the people you care about if The MacDonell goes to war? I can stop it, I know I can.”
Catriona held tightly to that belief as she struggled to block out the sound of the crying girl.
She tested the bindings and then, once satisfied, got to her feet.
“One last thing,” she said and took a deep breath. “Open your mouth please.”
“Wha—”
Moving quickly, she took advantage of the girl’s confusion at Catriona’s request, and she shoved a balled-up rag in her mouth. Then she grabbed the final strip of cloth, placed it over the girl’s mouth, and secured it in a knot behind her head.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot have you calling for help. I have nae doubt that someone will come looking for you soon enough when you do not return to your duties. I just need a bit of a head start, that’s all. Please forgive me.”
Catriona flung her cloak over her shoulders and headed for the door but then stopped halfway there and turned back. A quick search of the girl’s apron pockets revealed the chamber door key which she carried.
There was no turning back now. She stopped only for a moment to pick up the apple and piece of bread that had fallen to the floor when the girl had dropped the meal platter in surprise, then took a quick glance into the hall to make sure her way was clear before slipping outside. After shutting the door soundly behind her, she locked it, trapping the young maid securely inside.
Struggling to hold back her tears, she pressed her hand to the door, her heart going out to the scared girl. Then sent up a small prayer that her luck would continue to hold.
* * *
Hurrying as quietly as she could, Catriona rushed to the end of the hallway where she reached the staircase that led down to the main level of the keep.
She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, kept her face low, and made her way down the stairs. The halls were empty as she hurried through them, and it suddenly struck her that the castle’s inhabitants must all be in the great hall having their supper.
Not wanting to test her good fortune more than need be, she hurried out the front of the keep and across the empty yard until she reached the stables. Glancing around to make sure the stable hand wasn't inside, she walked past the occupied stalls until she spotted her mare in one of the far stalls.
“Hello there, girl,” she said softly. The horse’s mane was silky beneath her fingers and her bright white coat was glossy and soft. She was grateful to know that the stable boys had been taking such good care of her horse. Meera’s eyes were bright and alert as she nudged her large head into Catriona’s shoulder. “You're such a good horse, aren't you? Have you missed me?” Catriona cooed, holding up her hand for the horse to sniff.
Tossing her head, Meera stepped closer and nuzzled her nose into Catriona’s neck. After a moment, Catriona placed a hand on the horses nose and stroked her gently. Meera had been her father’s gift to her on her fifteenth birthday, and she had instantly fallen in love with the beautiful, gentle creature.
“Aren't you just lovely,” she said. “You're so lovely, I've brought you a present.” Catriona held the apple she had brought up in the air and watched as the horse eyed it in interest. “What do you think of the two of us going for a little ride? Would you like that?” The horse nipped the apple out of Catriona's hand and she sighed in relief. It did not look as if the horse was going to make a fuss and bring anyone's attention's to the stable.
While the horse enjoyed its snack, Catriona found a blanket, saddle and bridle, and wasted no time in saddling the horse, grateful that she had paid attention to the lessons her father's stable master had taught her growing up. Knowing how to saddle her own horse on her own had always been a boon when she wanted to sneak away from home to go out painting.
Once Meera was saddled and she was ready to go, Catriona grabbed a horseshoe hanging from the wall. She checked to make sure everyone was still inside before leading the horse away from the stables.
There was only one guard at the gate. The other had most likely gone to the hall to bring them both back their meals, which meant he would not be gone for long. Before the guard was alerted to her presence, Catriona sneaked up behind him and struck him with the iron horseshoe across the back of the head.
The guard let out a grunt and crumbled to the ground in a heap. Catriona let out a whimper at the sight of blood on the back of the unconscious man’s head, but would not allow herself to fall into despair. Liam would be furious when he saw what she had done, but so long as she could bring back proof that some other treachery was at hand and clear her father’s name, maybe her husband would be inclined to forgive her.
Catriona mounted the mare and fled the castle, pushing the horse as hard as she could. Every minute counted in putting as much distance between her and the men who were sure to follow. The horse thundered down the long stretch of road until they came upon a fork in the road. One way led directly to her father's land, the other would get her there eventually, but was a more indirect route.
She looked back and forth between the two paths. She needed to make it to Drummond land as soon as she could, but Liam and his men would surely expect her to take the more direct route. She may not get back to her father's lands as quickly, but taking the longer road may just give her the advantage she needed.
Making her choice, Catriona guided the horse to the left and down the road that cut through the woods.
Catriona rode for hours following the winding path through the trees. The sun had long since set, and the moon, not even half full, barely helped to guide her way through the dense overhang of the forest. She wrapped her cloak more tightly around her shoulders to warm her against the night's chill and tried to stay focused on the task ahead. But with every step her horse took it felt as though the trees were closing in around her, and she could not escape the feeling that someone or something was watching her from the trees.
“Dinna be ridiculous,” she scolded herself. “There is absolutely nothing out there.”
A wolf's howl went up and the mare reared wildly, almost bucking her off. Catriona scrambled to hold tightly to the reins and tried to brin
g Meera under control, but when the second wolf howl went up in the night the horse took off thundering down the road and it was all Catriona could do to stay in the saddle.
“Easy there, girl!” Catriona shouted as she pulled back on the reins. But Meera continued to gallop at full speed as though she could feel the hot breath of the wolves snapping at her heels.
Catriona continued to struggle with the reins until finally the horse began to slow. Once she was back under control, Catriona guided her to a full stop to give herself a moment to settle her nerves. In truth, she had been more terrified of the prospect of losing her seat and breaking her neck in the fall than the idea that there were wolves somewhere around them in the trees. She climbed down off the horse and took a deep breath to steady herself. Her knees were weak, but she was in desperate need of feeling solid ground beneath her feet.
“Well now,” said a voice in the darkness, causing her to jump and shriek in terror.
Catriona spun around to see a man emerge from the tree line.
“The two of ye made enough noise thundering down the road to wake the dead. Are ye in need of help, lass?”
Catriona moved closer to her horse, still unable to make out the man's features in the darkness.
“No, thank you. If you will excuse me, I need to be on my way.”
“Now what kind of man would I be if I let a bonny lass like ye wander around by yerself in the woods? Come warm yerself by the fire.”
“Thank you, but no—" A hand landed on Catriona's shoulder from behind and she broke off in a started shriek.
“Please, we insist,” a deep voice said in her ear.
Chapter 14
“Catriona?” Liam knocked on the door of his wife's bedchamber but there was no answer. He had no doubt that she was sulking. Women always used silence as a punishment.
Why in Heaven had he allowed Iain to convince him to come upstairs and check on her? He was the last person she would want to see.
Highland Promise: The Daughters of Clan Drummond Page 9