by Fiona Faris
Lucas had already slid away from her and was in a deep conversation with his mother, sister, and Magnus. He tossed his head back and laughter erupted out of him, he was enjoying his family and she didn’t want to disturb them.
“Kelly,” she said, leaning across the table to get her friend’s attention. “Edina is troubled, she has been giving me stares that rival the heat in Hades all night.”
“Aye, I would imagine so. She may be a twit, but she still has feelings,” Kelly said.
“I think I’m going to excuse myself to the kitchens. Maybe I can speak with her and put this silliness to rest. She is young, maybe I can put her at ease,” Ella said.
“I agree with ye. The keep is too small tae be any bad blood about. Would ye like me tae go with ye?” Kelly asked.
“No, thank you,” Ella said. “I think I should go alone. I don’t want Edina to think we are ganging up on her or attacking her.”
“Aye, just watch yerself, she can be a tricky lass,” Kelly warned.
“I will,” Ella said.
The kitchens were still, Ella could still smell the delicious smells of the evening’s meal, even though everything had been cleaned up.
“Edina?” she called, hoping the girl would make it easy for her to be found. But there was no response. “Edina? It’s Ella, I was hoping to speak with you?”
Still no response came. She saw how childish she had been earlier in the day when Lucas had come to her door and she had declined to respond. Not unlike herself, Edina had a broken heart. Ella couldn’t blame her for her behavior. Lucas was an easy man to love. If she had to be forced to endure a meal with another woman seated to his right, and watch his affections, she would be easily as upset as Edina. She easily understood what the other girl was feeling. Ella was taken aback; did she just admit to herself she was in love with Lucas? If she refused his proposal could she bear to watch him with another? Did it matter that he didn’t speak to her of love? Maybe, if she accepted his offer, Lucas could learn to love her, and they would have a good life. She had a brief flash of the dream she’d had before escaping Richard and Evans and arriving at the barn. It was the one with the green-eyed, fire haired highlander, warmth began to spread through her. She hadn’t thought about the dream in a long time. She hadn’t needed to, when the flesh and blood version of the virile highlander was with her in person, and so much more real. Would she dream of him again if she refused his proposal?
She walked through the abandoned kitchen, perhaps the girl had not come this way after all. Then she heard delicate sobbing coming from behind a door that led to a storage of some kind.
“Edina, please come out,” Ella pleaded as she knocked gently on the door.
“Leave me be witch,” Edina snapped. Well that was a tad harsh, Ella thought.
“I will not.”
“Och, woman will ye nae just go!”
Ella moved to open the door, but before she did, Edina jumped out of the room. Everything moved quickly, but Ella saw the girl had a knife in her hand. It was similar in size to the dirk Fergus had given her to defend herself against the English soldiers. Ella had to act quickly. She ducked out of Edina’s reach.
“Are you mad!? You could’ve killed me.”
Edina still red in the face from her sobs, lunged at Ella again.
“ ‘Twas the purpose. I’ll see ye dead afore I’ll see ye take advantage of me laird!”
“Edina, please, listen to reason. I know you are angry and hurt. That was never my intention.”
“Doesnae matter, ye should’ve never came here. Turnin’ his head. He would’ve come back an’ married me!”
There would be no way to reason with her. She ran at Ella again. This time Ella grabbed her arm that held the knife and twisted it around Edina’s backside, forcing her to drop the weapon. She fought to catch her breath as the knife clanged loudly against the stone floor.
“You don’t know what I’m capable of Edina. I want to help you, be your friend, even. But you are making it very difficult.” Edina began to cry again and stopped fighting. Ella twisted the arm back around to the girl’s front and both collapsed onto the ground. Ella holding Edina tightly to her chest and rocking her back and forth. Her heartbeats coming fast as she tried to will the girl to stop sobbing.
“Shh, Shh now.”
“I just dinnae understand…yer English…”
Of course she didn’t understand. Out of nowhere Ella showed up, a stranger in her country and in her family home. Ella was the interloper, and holding Edina in her grief helped her to realize it would be hard work to get some in the clan to trust her.
Ella, too lost in her thoughts, didn’t see Edina had grabbed the knife from the floor until it was too late. Edina held the knife high and brought it down hard on Ella’s shoulder. She let out a scream of pain, and Edina used the moment of distraction to kick Ella onto her back.
Edina was now sitting on top of Ella, who fought desperately to find her strength. Kelly had been right, Edina was a tricky one. But Ella was as well, and she had been through too much to let this twit end her now.
“Yer so sweet, and so kind,” Edina smirked. “Dinnae think it would be that easy tae trick ye, but ye are bit soft. I almost hate tae have tae run ye through.”
“Then… don’t…” Her breathing was quick and tight. She couldn’t believe once again she found herself in a fight to the death, only this time it was she who was flat on her back.
“Och, dinnae fash yerself, lass. It’ll be quick.”
Ella kicked her hard with her one loose leg. Edina let out a yelp, but it wasn’t enough to get her to release her hold.
“Good try,” she said, holding the knife high. Ella looked from left to right frantically to find anything that would help her in the fight. Wishing she had taken Kelly up on her offer.
“Wait!” Ella yelled. “At least tell me what you’ll tell Lucas. Don’t I at least deserve to know that much?”
“Lass, I willnae tell him anything. I’ll drag yer body out under the darkness and drop ye in the loch. He will think ye ran back to yer Sassenach commander. He will realize he should’ve never wasted his breath on ye. He kens he should marry a highlander’s daughter, ye just a dally anyhow. I’ll be here tae pick up the pieces yer betrayal leaves behind.”
She was completely delusional. Ella’s shoulder throbbed. The hot sticky mess of blood was congealing onto the dress she wore. How can I get out of this? Ella thought.
She did the only thing that readily came to mind. Taking a large, deep breath, Ella let out a blood curdling scream.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lucas yawned, the evening was winding down, and he was eager to take Ella back to her room. He didn’t want to press her for an answer to his proposal, but the times he spent alone with Ella were the times he was most able to be himself, and right now he yearned for that. Most of the clan had made their way out of the main room and gone to their homes for the night. Milly had taken their mother back up to her room. He worried for her. She felt his father’s death more acutely than anyone else. He couldn’t imagine the horror of losing the love of her life, and not being able to be by his side at the end. Then to have her two sons missing for all this time. The long meal had worn on her. Lucas felt her sadness keenly. She had been so pleased to see him alive and well. He had to fight back his own tears when he held her tight. She had aged much since he’d last seen her. There was new grey in her hair and more lines around her eyes.
If only he had been able to stop his father’s death and spare his mother so many months of pain. His thoughts turned back to Ella. Were his role and his mother’s reversed, and he were to lose Ella, he didn’t think he would have nearly the same strength she had shown in the face of her grief.
“Have ye seen Ella?” Lucas asked as Kelly started to clean up the plates and trenchers left on the tables.
“Is she nae back yet?”
“Back? Back from where?”
“She left not yet an hour or so
ago, to find Edina in the kitchens. The twit was upset about something or other and ran off. Ella said she wanted tae try and make amends. I thought she’d be back by now.”
“It shouldnae take an’ hour or more?” Magnus said coming up behind his wife and nipping at her neck. Lucas smiled at their affection but agreed with Magnus. Something wasn’t right.
“Magnus, will ye come with me tae look for the lass in the kitchens?” Lucas asked.
“Aye.”
“Dinnae think yer leavin’ me behind, the two of ye,” Kelly said picking up her skirts. Lucas hoped the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach was only indigestion, but he feared the worst. Edina had been acting off since his return to the keep. It ‘twas no secret she thought to be the next Lady MacGille, but he had never given the girl the impression that was the case. If she turned her ire toward Ella, that would make sense. And Ella, wanting only to see the good in the girl may have gotten herself into something she wasn’t able to get out of.
The corridor leading to the kitchen was unusually quiet. “Where is everyone”? Lucas asked out loud and to no one in particular.
“’Twas a large feast. Mrs. Thomas let everyone go home, saying the clean-up would be in the mornin’,” Kelly said. “Everyone was allowed tae partake without worry about work.”
“Do ye think Edina kent that and set Ella up?” Magnus asked.
“Two days ago, I would’ve said nay, but now I’m nae sae sure,” Kelly replied.
An alarming scream cut through the corridor. The hair on Lucas’s arms raised. His heart jumped into his throat, he had heard her make that scream only once before, in the forest when she was being attacked by Evans’s men. She was in danger.
“ELLA!” Lucas broke into a run with Magnus and Kelly quick at his heels.
He burst through the kitchen door. Upon seeing Edina poised above Ella, kitchen knife in hand and all rational thought left him. He raced toward the women, slamming Edina to the ground, as the knife clattered sliding under a heavy oak table. She looked up at him in shock and tried to slide out of his grasp.
“Are ye hurt lass?” Lucas asked, his voice at a frantic pitch watching Kelly help Ella to her feet as he wrestled with Edina.
“The English whore is fine,” Edina spat, as Lucas took a firm hold of her arm. Using his free hand he slapped her hard, she winced, as his hand left a red mark on her face. Adrenaline still raced through him, and the thought of Edina moments ago poised to hurt, and possibly kill, Ella was too fresh and too strong for him to ignore her comment.
“I’m fine Lucas.” Her voice was too calm. Was she in shock? She had not had a day’s peace since they left the barn. Like hell she was fine.
“Yer not fine. Yer bleedin’?” Lucas said, handing Edina to Magnus. He rushed to Ella’s side and looked at her shoulder.
“It’s only a scratch,” Ella replied. “I only meant to try and heal our relationship. Thank God you got here before the girl could do worse.”
“Thank gGod indeed,” Kelly added. “Laird, what will ye dae with her?”
“Magnus, take her tae the dungeon. We’ll convene in the mornin’ to discuss what should be done.”
“NO!” Edina screamed. “Lucas, please Laird, not th’ dungeon!”
“What would ye hae me do with ye then, lass?” Lucas snarled. “Ye cannae go around th’ keep tryin’ tae kill Ella at every opportunity.”
Edina broke down into sobs again, she tried to fall to the ground but Magnus propped her up easily with one arm. Kelly scoffed.
“Laird, I was misguided. When I saw Ella in the Lady MacGille’s embrace, I became sick with rage. But her kindness hath healed me. I’ll nae hurt the lass, I swear it!” He couldn’t take any more of the girl’s pleading.
“Lucas, I’m fine. Surely the girl needs help more than she needs a dungeon. Why not banish her to a far room in the castle and put under guard until other arrangements can be made. I don’t think she will hurt me again tonight.” He looked into Ella’s midnight gray eyes, searching for any trace of misgiving, and finding none, he gave her a slight nod.
His father had taught him that decisions made with rage were easy, but sometimes rage needed to be put aside and cooler heads allowed to prevail. Ella was asking him to consider the other side of his rage and fear, the kinder side of the decision that lay before him. It wasn’t easy. If Edina had succeeded Ella would have been taken from him, like his father, like Gavin. It was something he could bear. He would move mountains to keep her safe, and if that meant sending Edina to spend the rest of her days to rot in the keep’s dungeon, he wouldn’t think twice about it. In his anger he would see the girl hang for her attempted crimes. But he was also Laird, he had to make a call that the whole of the clan would accept.
“Ye cannae believe a word coming out of her mouth, dae ye my Laird?” Lucas broke his gaze with Ella to look at Magnus, who was holding firm to Edina. Lucas didn’t believe Edina’s words any more than he believed his dead father would come walking through the keep’s gate that very moment to reclaim his title.
“Nay, I dinnae. But Ella is right, she disnae need a cold pit in the ground, as much as I would love tae see her rot. The lass needs help. We will send her tae a farm outside of th’ keep, let all th’ men ken Edina is nae longer welcome inside these walls. Have Peter and Thomas stay watch over her. In th’ morning I will send word tae our neighboring clans and see if any may have need of a reliable kitchen maid.” Then turning to Edina, he added coldly, “Yer no longer welcome in clan MacGille, that is yer punishment. I hope ye accept it with more grace and honor then ye’d shown here tonight.”
Edina’s sobs came harder now, and she managed to break free from Magnus’s grip. The large man let out a slow curse. She rushed to Lucas’s feet, and he resisted an urge to kick her away. “Thank ye my Laird, thank ye!” she said, grabbing his legs and holding tightly.
“Magnus, get her out of my sight.” He broke free of the girls embrace and lead Ella from the kitchens. He would see her safely back to her bedchamber. There had been enough excitement for one evening.
The short walk back to Ella’s bedchamber was silent. Ella held a kitchen cloth tight against her wounded shoulder, and Lucas fought desperately to control his rage. It was not directed only at Edina, but also the very status of his clan and keep that allowed a hate like hers to grow unchecked. How could he be a leader of his people if he couldn’t even protect one lass. He knew the best answer for Ella’s safety lay in marriage, but he couldn’t force her. He could only wait on her answer.
Maybe if he spoke with her, rationally, made her see that she would not be attacked as easily were she the wife of the Laird. Mayhap the woman would see reason.
Entering the space where he and Ella had shared a few sweet stolen moments earlier in the day helped Lucas control some of the emotion he was feeling. He sat Ella down on the cushioned stool by the fire.
“Can ye pull down yer dress lass, let me check that wound.”
“I told you Lucas, it’s fine really. The knife barely grazed my shoulder. It was more a fright than anything else.” He would believe her if he could see the wound himself. As it was, she was shaking like a leaf.
She pulled the dress away from her shoulder, and he saw the wound was indeed just a scratch. The blood that had dried around it, as well as the kitchen cloth, looked much worse than the wound. He allowed his breath to even out. “Och, it’s a mess. Let me clean it for ye.”
He walked over to the bed and grabbed a woolen plaid, returning to drape it across her lap hoping to soothe her shaking body before heading to the water basin. There was a roll of muslin sitting next to the pitcher, most likely left from Ella’s bag from when she first arrived. So many nights they had spent in front of the fire at the barn, while Ella dressed his wounds. It was only fitting that he dressed hers now.
“Lass, are ye truly fine? Not yer wound, but you?” he asked, kneeling before her and searching her face for any signs of distress. Moisture began to pool in her eye
s and he pulled her into his arms. Lifting her up, he walked her from the stool to a more comfortable cushioned chair, settling her in his lap.
“I don’t understand. Before all this I led such a quiet life. Why is all of this happening? When will I feel safe?” She sobbed, and her words came out in a choking rush. He rocked her gently back and forth wishing he was able to soothe her broken heart.
“Och, lass, I dinnae ken. I wish I could take all th’ pain away. I do. It willnae be perfect, but hae ye thought any more on my proposal? If ye have my name and my title, it could go a ong way tae protect ye even more than being under lock and key.”
“Being under your protection didn’t help me tonight. It was my own foolish attempt to heal my relationship with Edina that caused this. Clearly she was mad with anger and jealousy. How could being your bride help with that?”